How Does Drinking Water Help Weight Loss? 

11 Eylül 2007 12:35 · umteka · Etiketler water and weight loss

Simply drinking more water - but changing neither diet or exercise - will not cause weight loss.

However - unless the body is well hydrated - possible weight loss will be far from optimal.

Why Drink Water?

• Burning or oxidation of fat releases waste products. You need enough water to flush these from your body.
• The liver requires water in order to process fat. If you are dehydrated you will not burn as much fat.
• If exercising, you deplete your muscles of glycogen (i.e. stored energy). In order to refuel your muscle, the energy (glucose) must be bound to water.

How Much Water is Enough?

There are many opinions on this with many people touting absolute amounts such as 8 glasses a day. This is not particularly helpful as we come in all shapes and sizes, different kind of climates, and different exercise schedules.

However many of us don't drink enough water, and could benefit from increasing water intake.

Two Methods of Calculating Water Intake

Do I Gulp It Down?

Water should be consumed evenly throughout the day. If you gulp down a gallon of water at once - most of it will pass straight to your bladder.

Always keep well hydrated!

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Are Home Delivered Diets Effective? 

11 Eylül 2007 12:33 · umteka · Etiketler home-delivered diets

Diet Food Delivery Services

Home delivery of diet meals has been a growing trend over the past few years, particularly in the US, Canada and the UK. A recent survey found that more than 6% of US dieters in 3rd quarter 2005 were interested or participating in home delivery of meals. An increasing number of companies are extending their offerings of diet plans to include delivery of ready-prepared meals which may be frozen, shelf-stable, or fresh.

Advantages of Home Delivery

Home delivery avoids the need to visit a diet center each week if it's just to pick up food, and completely eliminates the planning, purchasing and preparation of diet-compliant meals.

Frequency
Weekly/fortnightly/monthly meal deliveries are ordered online and packages delivered to your door (daily if meals are fresh). Some plans ship nationwide, others only to large cities in a geographical area (such as US East or West Coasts or New York, Los Angeles, etc, UK central London, Australian metropolitan areas, and so on).

Things to watch out for!

Home-delivery services can be expensive, and there are other considerations to be aware of. For example:

• Does the diet suit my requirements for weight-loss?
  (type of diet, recommended amount of weight loss for given time, length of time to commit to the program, expenses to join and to maintain meal supply).
• Does the provider have good backup services?
  (advice, meal planning guides, flexibility of program, personal contact, etc).
• Does the administration of the meal delivery service have a good reputation?
  (prompt and complete delivery, billing accuracy, ability to correct ordering/delivery/payment discrepancies without hassles).

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How Many Calories Should I Be Eating? 

11 Eylül 2007 12:33 · umteka · Etiketler determining daily calorie needs

Estimating daily calorie requirements is notoriously inaccurate. Even the very best calculators cannot determine the metabolic rate of an individual. Quite simply - everyone is different.

NOTE: The Free Dieting Calorie Calculator uses the following formulas to estimated daily energy requirements:

• Uses Mifflin-St Jeor formula (see below).
• Can also select old formula (Harris-Benedict), and a formula based on Lean Mass - but you must know your body fat percentage.
• You can also choose BMR in the Exercise level. In this situation all weight loss calorie levels are blanked out.

The Best Guess

Calorie calculators will first estimate Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). This is effectively the amount of energy expended per day. BMR is a measure of only the most basic functions (effectively the same as if you rested in bed the whole day). Other terms synonymous with BMR are Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) and Resting Energy Expenditure (REE).

Once BMR has been estimated, various "activity" factors are applied. Once again these are best guesses. One individual may burn 100 calories on a 10 minute run - another individual may burn 150 calories.

Mifflin - St Jeor Formula

The Calorie Needs Calculator currently uses the formula proposed by MD Mifflin and ST St Jeor¹.

Why This Formula?
As recent as 2005, the ADA (American Dietetic Association) published a comparison of various equations². The Mifflin-St Jeor was found to be the most accurate.

Men
10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) - 5 x age (y) + 5

Women
10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) - 5 x age (y) - 161.

Lean Mass Formula

This can be selected on the calculator. It is a variation¹ on the basic Mifflin-St Jeor equation that will base the equation on Fat Free Mass (FFM) or Lean Mass. This is more accurate for those who are leaner (and who know their body fat percentage!).

Men & Women
19.7 * Fat Free Mass + 413

Where Fat Free Mass = Weight - (Body Fat Percentage * Weight).

Harris-Benedict Formula

This formula was created in 1919, and due to changing lifestyles, it tends to overstate calorie needs by 5%. The results tend to be skewed towards both obese and young people³.

Men
66.5 + (13.75 X weight in kg) + (5.003 X height in cm) - (6.775 X age in years)

Women
655.1 + (9.563 X weight in kg) + (1.85 X height in cm) - (4.676 X age in years)

The Freedieting Calculator

After calculating the BMR, exercise is factored in. Depending on the exercise level chosen, the BMR will be multiplied by anything from 1.2 to 1.9.

This provides us with maintenance calories. To get the fat loss figure - 20% is subtracted. The extreme fat loss figure has 40% subtracted BUT - there is a "rock bottom" figure that equates to 8 calories per pound of body weight - the extreme fat loss will never be less than this amount.

References

1. MD Mifflin, ST St Jeor, et al. A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals.
   J Am Diet Assoc 2005:51:241-247. Link
2. Frankenfield DC, et al. Comparison of Predictive Equations for Resting Metabolic Rate in Healthy Nonobese and Obese Adults: A Systematic Review.
   J Am Diet Assoc. 2005;105:775-789. Link
3. Frankenfield DC, et al. The Harris-Benedict studies of human basal metabolism: history and limitations.
   J Am Diet Assoc. 1998;98:439-445.

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Do Diet Pills and Supplements Work? 

11 Eylül 2007 12:31 · umteka · Etiketler weight loss supplements and diet pills

Successful and healthy fat loss can be achieved by proper diet and appropriate exercise alone. There is no magic bullet for weight loss. Some supplements and pills can provide an edge - but will only give you that extra 5-10% 'boost'.

If you intend to use diet supplements, try and get the basics right first - diet plan, weight training, cardiovascular exercise, goal-setting and consistency.

The Truth about Diet Supplements

There are a multitude of diet pills, diet supplements, and weight loss formulas to choose from. This is a multi-million dollar industry in the US alone.

The reality is however, there is a risk of side effects from virtually all diet pills. What's worse is that some simply don't work at all. There is a lot of deceptive marketing that goes on when advertising weight loss supplements - if you are taking care of your diet and exercise, it is difficult to tell exactly how effective the supplement is.

Having said all this, many people report success, but be aware that advertising on these products is often very overrated. There are some ingredients, such as Green Tea Extract, L-Tyrosine, and Flax oils, that research suggests DO work.

How To Get The Truth

To get the full story, and access to a private message board that has the truth about all weight loss supplements - get Fat Loss Revealed - see the full review here.

Supplement Brands

Most weight loss supplements are simply a collection of (mostly) the same ingredients - at varying quality (see ingredients below). Some brands are heavily advertised and receive celebrity endorsement: TrimSpa, Hydroxycut, Relacore, Zantrex. Due to the removal of Ephedra - these are all Ephedrine-free - something that many believe has made the pills less effective.

Do not confuse herbal diet supplements with prescription diet pills. Diet Supplements are available over-the-counter at health shops. Read more about prescription diet pills.

Herbal Ingredients

Chromium
Available in the form Chromium Picolinate. Research has produced conflicting results - but Chromium is certainly no miracle weight loss nutrient. However some people are chromium deficient and should aim to supplement their diet (from whole foods or supplements). See Chromium Supplements

Ephedra
Recently banned by the FDA due to some unfortunate incidents. When Ephedra is often combined with Caffeine (called EC) research has shown that weight loss has occured (due to an increase in thermogenesis). However the side effects presented a risk (often due to people overdoing their dosage).

Synephrine / Citrus Aurantium / Bitter Orange
Synephrine is found in Citrus Aurantium and is a similar to Ephedra (with similar side effects). However research remains unconvincing as to its affect on weight loss.

Tyrosine
Tyrosine is an amino acid that acts as a mild stimulant. Tyrosine assists in maintaining a higher metabolic rate. As for weight loss, Tyrosine provides assistance really only when snyergistically combined with other ingredients.

DHEA
DHEA is a hormone produced in the body and is marketed as a general health tonic. DHEA levels fall off as we get older. As a weight loss supplement there is little or no proof that DHEA causes fat loss. However as a general supplement - many people swear by it.

Green Tea
Green Tea Extract is found in most weight loss formulas. There are many many health benefits arising from green tea (provided the extract is a good one). There are many studies that have shown green tea (in quality form) HAS resulted in increased metabolism and fat loss. See more about Green Tea.

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10 Questions to Ask Before You Start a Diet 

11 Eylül 2007 02:31 · umteka · Etiketler before you diet: 10 empowering questions

Many popular weight loss programs include substantial information about nutrition, food, and meal plans - but fail to address aspects of lifestyle.

Without addressing these issues before changing your diet - even the very best program can fail.

1. What are your current eating habits ?

Do you eat at desk? Maybe in the car or on the bus? What do you eat during these times? How will it be compatible with your new food choices?

2. Are you prepared to eat differently than your friends at social functions?

Eating often accompanies many social gatherings. How do your friends eat? Do they consume foods that you know will not be compatible with your lifestyle? How will you address this?

3. Are you prepared to changed you home environment?

Does your home environment work with your new plans? You my have chosen to eat mindfully and leisurely. The trouble is, your home is utterly chaotic, noisy, and messy - with barely a place to sit down - let alone have a large pleasant space to indulge in your new gourmet meals. What will you do to change this?

4. How do your current habits fit?

What if your leisure activities always involve eating junk food. What happens if you start a diet that completely rules out junk food? What will you do? Change your habits? Find a different comfort food? Divide up your packets of chips or other snack foods? Think about it.

5. What about eating out?

Do you eat at restaurants a lot? Which restaurants do you go to? Will they fit with your new style of eating? Are you prepared to leave food on your plate if their portions are too big?

6. Is your kitchen set-up properly?

Take a look around your kitchen. You've decided to try the Sonoma Diet and you need to actually cook and prepare food. Trouble is, all you have are 3 forks and a corkscrew... Or maybe you're going to start making a smoothie every day. Now where do you fit a blender? After all, will you actually use it if it's stored in a cupboard 10 feet up? Or maybe you plan to portion up your meals. Do you actually have enough fridge/freezer space? Enough containers? Enough time?

7. Are you being totally honest with yourself?

You read about a new diet in a magazine, and it requires eating a lot more vegetables. On the surface you are busting to lose "10 pounds in 2 weeks", but deep down you know you cannot stand vegetables. Which part of you will win out in the end? Probably the voice that says you hate vegetables. This must be addressed. Why do you hate veggies? Are you prepared to cook more, or learn different ways of cooking veggies? Is it the taste? The texture? The time taken to prepare them?

8. Can you accept the things you cannot change?

You cannot change the way other people act and the way they speak - "oh, so you're on another health kick again are you?"... But you can choose how you will respond inwardly and outwardly - ahead of time.

9. Will you continue monitoring yourself objectively?

Many people reach their ideal weight, and then let old habits creep back in. However there are a few warning systems in place - one is the waistband in your pants. Will you choose to conveniently ignore it if it gets tighter? Or will you be objective?

10. How the lifestyle of family and friends affect your weight loss efforts?

If your whole world is filled with people who are couch potatoes - how do you plan to work against this culture? Will they influence you to be more active or more sedentary.

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How To Gain Weight 

11 Eylül 2007 02:31 · umteka · Etiketler weight gain (and building muscle)

Weight gain comes down to this formula;

• Consuming many more calories than you are burning.
• Doing a well-structured weight training program
• Eating the right combination of nutrients (to gain muscle instead of fat).

"I Can't Seem to Gain Weight"

The chances are, you have a fast-burning metabolism and are predominantly an ectomorphic body type.

You will need to eat large quantities of food, and eating it often. See the Gain Weight Calculator for exact calculations on daily calories and nutrient levels.

This MUST be combined with a good weight training program, otherwise ALL that food will be stored as fat.

Don't Ever Miss Meals

Don't ever miss meals (such as breakfast) - it is important to eat often. Whey protein and weight gain powders can help - simply because it's easier to consume the calories in a liquid form than it is to chew your way through them. Sometimes you may need to eat so much, that it feels like you're eating all the time - and certain foods may start to become irritating.

Lots of Sleep

If you don't get much sleep, it's time to start sleeping more - to slow down, and become a little less active. If you exercise a lot it may be time to slow down here as well - no more than 20 minutes 3 times a week.

Using a Program

There are many quick-fix hard-sell weight gain programs out there. One of the more superior programs is Body Building Revealed.

This program offers the complete package - diet, a multitude of training programs, supplementation (without bias) and a full on-line support structure.

Won't all that food go to fat?

Just because you are trying to gain weight instead of losing it - is no excuse to throw good nutritional advice to the wind.

Nutrient Ratios

The best ratio of nutrients may actually surprise you. The diet will be higher in protein (typically about 1 gram per pound of weight), and about 30% fat - the remainder will be carbs (good whole carbs such as oatmeal, brown rice, vegetables, etc).

Beginner Gains

If you combine this with a good weight training program, your body will begin to build muscle. Most people often find a reasonable initial muscle gain but can sometimes hit a plateau after a few months. It can be difficult to maintain the right balance of building muscle, but not overdoing caloric input and gaining plenty of fat as well. Virtually everyone gains fat alongside the muscle - this is normal.

Commitment: Time and Money

Trying to gain weighst requires a good deal of commitment - both in time, willpower, and money. All that food is expensive, and sometimes it's more convenient to skip meals or snacks when you need to be eating. It does help if your life is already routined or well-structured. You can then fit all your meals into your routine.

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I Hate My Body 

11 Eylül 2007 02:30 · umteka · Etiketler body ımage and weight loss

It's a strange time we live in. Never before has popular public opinion been so obsessed with being thin. Yet the statistics tell us that obesity is at an all time high!

While we stare at thin women and muscled men, - the reality is, a good proportion of us are struggling with our weight.

It is no surprise that prescriptions of anti-depressant medicines are also very high in the Western world. We are not a happy people. For many of us struggling to lose weight, we are bombarded with a constant media barrage of "THIN IS IN".

The Truth versus The Lies

It is hard to find someone who is happy with their body. We all carry around some kind of distorted body image. But are you telling yourself the truth?

What is motivating you to lose weight? Whose rules are you living by? Is there such a thing as an ideal body weight? Does it really matter? Health issues occur at both extremes of the scale (very thin or very fat).

So why not be happy with your current weight?

The Fashion Industry Myth

The fashion industry would have you believe that unless you are stick-thin and skeletal you have not achieved the ideal weight loss goal. This is a lie.

Most women carry around 23% body fat and the average man around 17%. In fact if a woman is too thin, she can experience menstrual problems and hormone production problems. Women were not meant to be that thin - and indeed most advertising often show normal sized people putting pressure on themselves to lose weight. There is a terrible paradox going on here where the pressure to diet has moved beyond obesity problems, and become a food obsession that only fuels the prevalence of eating disorders.

Improving Your Body Image

"I am not my body"

Every time you look at yourself in the mirror, say to yourself "I am not my body". In our culture our physical self has become enmeshed with our identity, our soul, or who we are. You are more than just a body - you are a unique person with your own thoughts, feelings, spirit, and soul. If you have fat thighs, say "I have fat thighs", rather than "I am really fat". Separating your identity as a person from your physical body is a step in the right direction.

Believe In Yourself

Stop getting down on yourself, and constantly worrying about your weight. Set yourself a long-term goal. But remember this - having a thin body will not make you happy. Only you have the power to choose to be happy (at whatever weight you are).

Go Easy With The Scales

No matter how many times you stand on those scales, it's not going to change your weight. Weighing yourself daily is unnecessary. Set aside one day a week to weigh yourself. Make sure it is the same time each week and that you are consistent in what you are wearing (or not wearing!).

Choose Your Friends Wisely

Many of us (particularly teenagers) hang around with the wrong people. If you have a friend that is obsessed with the way they look, then this influence will rub off. Spend time with friends who accept you for you - not your clothing labels or size.

Monitor Your Self Talk

A wise man once said "You are what you think". This isn't meant to be a deception. Thinking "I am slim I am slim" doesn't make you slim. But thinking about where you are headed and where you will be is a great motivator. "I may have fat thighs but I am becoming healthier and fitter everyday."

Feed Your Mind On What Is Good For You

Many TV programs, movies, and magazines give a very distorted view of reality. The cast of many shows come from a modeling agency rather than from a general selection of the population. Popular media is obsessed with looks. Many popular sitcoms portray a values system that is based around physical appearance more than anything else. Watch what you feed your mind on. A good portion of the advertising industry is based around making you feel like you are not good enough, so you must buy product X.

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Top 7 Excuses and How to Beat Them 

11 Eylül 2007 02:30 · umteka · Etiketler weight loss: top 7 excuses

How to beat them.

1. "I Hate Exercise"

Health authorities recommend a minimum of 30 minutes exercise per day. Many people plan exercise but then fail to commit to it.

Try introducing more 'incidental' activity into your day. Take the stairs, walk instead of taking the car. Try wearing a pedometer to see how active you really are.

2. "I Don't Have Time to Eat Healthy"

Do you have the time to be sick? Taking time out to look after your body is time well spent. This includes always making adequate time for breakfast.

3. "I Cannot Live Without Chocolate / Ice Cream"

When you think of certain foods as 'bad' - whenever you eat those foods you will feel guilty. If you can eat those foods in a positive environment - then you will have a better chance at choosing a small portion size.

Also consider swapping the food for something with a similar flavor - but less calorie-dense

4. "I Don't / Can't Cook"

Most supermarkets offer many pre-made foods - frozen meals, prepared salads and pastas. Learn to understand food labels. You do not have to be a chef to cook healthy food.

5. "I Don't Have the Support of Family & Friends"

Sometimes you may need to tell people what you are trying to achieve. This is important in social situations where food is on the agenda. Communicate with those around you exactly what you are expecting from them - don't try and second-guess their responses.

6. "I Eat Out All The Time"

It is possible to lose weight while eating out a lot - but you must become very adept at selecting your food.

• Avoid chips, fried rice, wedges as an accompaniment. Order a side salad or vegetables instead.
• Choose a medium/small portion
• Avoid entrees - they are typically high in fat
• Drink plenty of water with the meal
• When choosing a main meat - choose fish, followed by chicken, then red meat. Grilled or poached is usually the best option.

7. "I Have to Cook Meals for my Family"

Rather than having one person on a strict diet - try gradually altering the eating style of the whole family. This will mean substituting regular meals with healthier options - such as skinless chicken breast instead of beef mince, and vegetables instead of large portions of starchy carbohydrates.

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Emotional Eating 

11 Eylül 2007 02:29 · umteka · Etiketler emotional eating and overeating

The basics of weight loss is all about diet and exercise. However, it's no good getting a diet plan if you can't stop putting food in your mouth.

A full comprehensive 8 week course on overeating and other issues is available here.

There are more than enough good diet plans and programs out there (see our reviews). The issue for many people is motivation, dedication, and consistency. For without these factors we often end up disappointed.

Eating is very habitual and our eating patterns become a ritual. Every day we are faced with food choices, and it can become daunting. This is why many of our poor food choices aren't so much choices, but have become a daily ritual.

The Good News About Habits

Even though our eating has become a habit (such as snacking all day, eating junk food when we sit down in front of the TV) - it is possible to change our habits and create new ones

If food is meeting an emotional need in your life, perhaps it's time to examine this, and determine exactly what the need is. For some it can be boredom, others it can be loneliness, the stresses of life, or perhaps it is a ritual that comes from childhood.

Managing Hunger

Many of us have forgotten how to manage our hunger. We leave it until we are hungry before we choose our food. Inevitably we make poor choices, or can even start binging. This can be prevented by fueling our bodies every 3 hours with healthy food. Beware of diet plans that only prescribe 3 meals a day.

We also have to learn what it is to be full. If we can learn to listen to our bodies we can stop eating. It's okay to leave food on your plate!

The Power Of Junk Food

There is something about junk food that has a special pull. It's almost addictive. Be aware of the role junk foods play in your life, and try to get rid of them.

Learning to Focus On Goals

If you set a specific goal for yourself you will find it is far easier to keep motivated. Everytime you reach for some comfort food, you can train yourself to respond with your goal. "Will this help me reach my goal?" It can take real dedication to keep with the plan. Focus on the goal every day.

Freedom to Fail

If you overindulge, don't fall off the wagon. Don't tell yourself you're a failure. It's okay - eat better the next meal, or maybe exercise more. Feeling like you are constantly deprived can lead to binging, and can play real mind games.

Getting Help

There are some good resources in this area. One such weight loss program is the Personality Type Diet - this addresses issues about why we eat - not just what to eat.

Mastering Food deals solely with emotional and behavioral issues (it is not a diet plan).

Failing this, behavioral approaches such as Cognitive-Behavioral therapy are helpful in addressing these problems.

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What is Yo-Yo Dieting? 

11 Eylül 2007 02:28 · umteka · Etiketler yoyo diets and weight cycling

How many times have you successfully lost weight -- only to gain it again further down the track? Some people struggle with this for most of their lives. This is "yo-yo" dieting - a continuing pattern of gaining and losing weight. Sometimes it is called "weight cycling".

What Causes Yo-yo Dieting?

When your diet includes bouts of starvation, missing meals, or very low calories - you are setting yourself up for the yo-yo effect. While it seems that good results can be achieved quickly, sooner or later, the body gets the hint that less calories are coming in. The body adapts, and decides that energy must be conserved - and metabolism (the way the body burns food for energy) begins to slow down. Often this can be a 'plateau' - the weight loss that was initially achieved begins to slow down or stop.

Many people hit the wall at this point, and, struggling to maintain the diet, the weight begins to come back on. And what's even worse, is that for some people, the lowered metabolism means they end up with more weight than what they started at!

This is one of the problems with dieting (as a sudden fad) - the body's metabolism becomes less efficient with each dieting episode. The severe calorie restriction also causes loss of muscle tone. Less muscle once again means a slower metabolism. The commons signs of this are flabby upper arms (due to loss of tricep muscle tone and subsequent fat gain).

Alternatives to the Yoyo

It is a mental and emotional blow to go through all that dieting, just to be back where you started.

Rather than suddenly dieting - hoping for a quick weight loss, it is better to take a more long term sustainable approach.

• Aim for modest weight loss (even small amounts of lost fat can improve your health)
• If lowering calories do it slowly (i.e. don't suddenly drop 1000 calories per day).
• Think of your diet as a healthy eating plan.
• Look to change your lifestyle (activity levels and what and when and why you eat).
• To break the weight loss plateau you need to give your metabolism a boost. Aim to increase your levels of physical activity. And if you are missing meals or eating too few calories you need to take a serious look at your diet and aim to eat more often (every 3 hours).
• Don't skip breakfast.
• Can you imagine still being on your "current" diet 1 year from now?
  

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