The Benefits of Eating and Living Healthy vs. Dieting with a Weight Loss Plan

Nothing engages people in America more than “dieting”. Doesn’t it seem like some folks are always on some kind of weight loss plan? Well, it doesn’t have to be that way! If you take the time to educate yourself a little, you can start a healthy way of living, without worrying about a “diet” or the weight loss plan du jour!

The purpose of this article is to provide some weight loss resources to aid with your efforts. I will provide some work on all three aspects of weight loss: Diet, Nutrition and Exercise.

Why you are Failing at Losing Weight – Even the Best Weight Loss Plan Can Come off Track

Millions of people in America are trying to lose weight without much success. There are many reasons for this failure. Without a little patience, knowledge of nutrition and exercise, your best weight loss plan may fail. Learning the top reasons for weight loss failure is important so that you do not make these mistakes yourself.

First, many a weight loss plan fails because people trying to lose weight follow too strict of a diet. When you cut back your calories, you will burn more than you eat, so you’ll lose weight, right? If you do this gradually, then yes, it works. However, if you suddenly cut too many calories, you won’t lose any weight at all because your metabolism will slow down and go into “survival mode”. You also put yourself at risk of not getting enough of the vitamins, minerals, proteins, and other nutrients you need every single day to stay healthy.

Another common mistake is trying to go at a weight loss plan alone. Everything you do regarding weight loss, from dieting to exercising, will be a lot easier if you have a partner because you will push each other to stay the course. Working with a support system on a large scale is also important: Your friends and family should know that you are attempting to lose weight so that they can support you in your efforts. Also, remember to consult your doctor before starting any weight loss plan and exercise regimen.

Setting unrealistic goals is another good way to fail at a weight loss plan. When you set attainable goals, you’ll push yourself to move forward and will feel successful even if you fall a little short of your goal. However, when you set impossible goals, you will find that you’ll easily get frustrated.

Don’t weigh in every day, don’t completely cut out all of the “bad” foods you eat on a regular basis, and don’t exercise too much right away. Gradually build up to reach your goals!

Lastly, simply know yourself. Weight loss plans fail when you attempt to be something you are not. Maybe you have wide hips – a plan won’t completely change that, for example. You have to be happy with yourself on the inside before you can change things on the outside in order to succeed at losing weight.

Why Keep A Food Diary?

A Food Diary is an Essential Tool for any Weight Loss Plan! A Food Diary can come in very handy on any weight loss plan, but also when trying to finding causes for various health related issues. When establishing your Food Diary it is best to be as detailed as possible in your record keeping.

The information in your Food Diary should contain at least these items: Time, food eaten, portion size, calories, protein, carbohydrates, sodium and cholesterol. By logging this information you will identify eating patterns, as well as gain insight into how much sodium, dietary cholesterol, fat, etc. you actually consume on a given day. This practice will also educate you in understanding labels on food packaging.

The greatest benefit of a Food Diary is that you can not only identify, but also quickly eliminate unhealthy foods from your individual weight loss plan. You can adjust your daily intake of calories, sodium, and so forth.

When establishing your Food Diary, you could use many different approaches, as far as the medium to hold your records is concerned. You could use a traditional diary or notebook, even a word-processing program. However, I have found a spreadsheet program to be most beneficial, as you can easily copy repeated items and also have the spreadsheet calculate all your categories depending on the number of portions or weight for each food item.

This all seems to be a little work intensive and time consuming. You will find, however, that once you have most of your common food items listed, the process of keeping a Food Diary is very manageable. You can simply cut and paste items. The time spent on your Food Diary is well worth it, as the benefits you gain from it are tremendous. You can also find nutritional information for food items on the web and then build a little database of foods you regularly consume.

One thing to remember is to be diligent in your record keeping, as well as honest. Record everything that enters your body, and record it every day. After a couple of weeks you will have a great picture in front of you and you can begin to adjust your weight loss plan. You will be surprised to find a lot of “hidden” culprits for excess sodium, cholesterol and the likes which usually come from snacking, which then can be easily eliminated from your diet. Your Food Diary can also be a great tool when consulting with your doctor regarding health issues.

Healthy Eating and Exercise – Get your blood flowing!

In your quest for a healthier lifestyle you cannot ignore exercise. Exercise is a big part in any weight loss plan and the best exercise for burning fat is aerobics!

While you begin and advance an aerobics routine the demands on your body steadily increase and it becomes more and more important to have a balanced and nutritious diet to fall back on.

By engaging in aerobics and other types of exercises for losing weight like walking ,”dieting” in the traditional sense will not be beneficial to you, as “diets” usually restrict the amount of protein you consume. You will find yourself too weak and tired to be able to work out if you are lacking sufficient amounts of protein in your diet!

Your diet is really the first thing you should change in your life, even before engaging in regular strenuous exercise. Consult your Food Diary and your doctor for what foods should and should not be included in your weight loss plan.

Do You Hate Exercising?

If you’re anything like me, you wouldn’t consider exercising as your favorite activity. In fact, some people downright hate exercising. However, exercising is a crucial part of a healthy lifestyle, and without it you definitely will not be able to lose weight. Here are some tips for learning to appreciate exercising.

First, try finding some activities you like to do. Of course, you should work out all of your body, but if you absolutely hate doing one kind of exercise, then look for another to take its place. You don’t have to do crunches to strengthen your core muscles. You don’t have to do lunges to work out your lower body. You don’t even have to run-you can enjoy cycling, swimming or walking.

Find activities you like to do and your workout will seem more enjoyable right away.

You can use these activities you like to do and make them work for your body. For example, if you like working in your garden, you can definitely consider those activities as part of your exercise regimen. If you enjoy the winter weather, you can try ice skating or sledding with the kids or friends. No matter what you like to do, you can find ways to get some exercise. Thanks to the introduction of the video game consoles and related games you can even combine video games and exercise. And it doesn’t matter when you exercise!

Another great tip to liking exercise is to find a training partner. When you work out together, you can keep one another motivated, even if you don’t absolutely love exercising. With a partner you can have fun as well, trying things like tennis or challenging one another to meet certain goals. Trainers can also provide this for you, as well as show you new and fun exercises to help avoid getting bored or feeling overwhelmed at the gym.

Lastly, try taking some classes. Exercising classes are a great way to meet new people, learn new exercises, stay motivated, and above all: Have fun! Most gyms offer low-cost or free exercise classes with membership or you can check out options at your local community center.

Staying motivated, if you hate exercising, can be hard. But you need to exercise as well as diet if you really want to succeed with your weight loss plan. Make exercise fun and it won’t seem like such a chore.

4 Important Health Reasons to start on a Diet Plan!

Just because you feel ok with a few extra pounds, doesn’t mean it’s ok for your health!

If you are content with your current weight, you belong to the minority of people in the world. Many overweight people say they are happy with their bodies, however, some weight loss may be needed to attain a healthy weight. There are several reasons why you should consider a weight loss plan, even if you don’t mind carrying a few extra pounds.

1. First and foremost, if you are overweight, you are at risk for a number of diseases.
   The main health risk is heart disease, which can lead to a fatal heart attack. Heart disease develops when your heart has to work extra hard to pump blood through the body. This can occur simply because you are overweight, or it may be the result of high blood pressure and/or high cholesterol. Having high blood pressure and/or high cholesterol can also put you at risk for stroke. A stroke occurs when your brain is deprived of oxygen contained in your blood.
2. Being overweight is also a major factor in developing type 2 diabetes.
   Due to poor diet, the body loses its ability to break down sugars with insulin, often resulting in the onset of adult onset, or type 2 diabetes. As a matter of fact, roughly 90 percent of newly diagnosed cases of diabetes each year, are type 2 diabetes. The effects of type 2 diabetes can often be managed and halted, if people embark on a weight loss plan and get their weight down to a healthy level.
3. Being overweight may also cause issues for women who wish to become pregnant.
   When overweight, the body may not be able to produce the necessary chemicals for the hormones needed to ovulate or to carry a child. Even if you do become pregnant, being overweight elevates the risk for miscarriage. Combine this with taking the pill as a form of birth control while being over weight, and even after you’ve stopped the pill, concieving will be twice as hard. But be careful of other forms of birth control, there’s a birth control lawsuit for almost all forms of birth control.
4. Lastly, being overweight can also negatively affect your daily life.
   You may find it more difficult to purchase clothing in your size or you may find that the clothing available to you is more expensive. When visiting theme parks, you may not be able to ride all of the rides due to size restrictions. When using public transportation, you may be uncomfortable in seating intended for smaller sized passengers.

Starting a weight loss plan to attain a healthy weight, even if you are happy with your current weight, is always a good idea! Attaining and maintaining a healthy weight can ward of a large variety of health problems.

How to Find the Perfect Gym

Of you are on a weight loss plan, you need plenty of exercise to make sure that you’re burning fat and building muscle. One of the best ways to accomplish this is to join a gym. Gyms come in all shapes and sizes, and there may be a number of them in your area. Joining a gym can be expensive, so it is important to carefully consider all of the gyms near your home in order to pick the very best one possible to accommodate your weight loss plan and exercise needs on a daily basis.

The first thing you should consider when looking at gyms are the trainers. If you’ll be taking a class or working with a personal trainer, you’ll want to be sure that you’re working with someone who is experienced. Unfortunately, there are no set qualifications for trainers in the United States, so you should check for gyms that provide training programs for their trainers.

You should also look at the equipment available for your use and the hours the gym is open. A gym that only has one treadmill may not be the best choice, since you may find yourself standing in line for equipment during peak hours. You may also find that your exercise schedule is disrupted if the gym is open during odd or short hours. It is very important to find a place that will allow you to have a great workout at a time of day that is convenient for you.

Cleanliness should also be of concern. All gyms should provide a tour of their facilities, at the very least, or a free trial to check out the gym’s space on your own. If a gym is dirty, you could be susceptible to illnesses as they spread among members at the gym. Be sure that the locker rooms are clean and that antibacterial products to wipe down the machines after workouts are available. Organization is important too-you don’t want to be tripping over weights that are lying on the floor, etc.

Lastly, you should consider prices. Some gym memberships charge by the year while others charge your credit card or send you an invoice every month. Do what works for you. You may end up spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on your gym membership, so it is important to find the gym that best suits your needs. Look at the ones closest to your home, but also consider those a bit farther away if they seem better to join.

How To Prevent Injury While Working Out!

When trying to fit an exercise routine into your weight loss plan, you might be tempted to skip the warm-up routine. Don’t do it! When you skip the warm-up, you are not only putting your body as risk for personal injury, but you are also making the workout more difficult and less effective. For the best results, it is important to warm up every time before working out.

A warm-up only has to be a couple of minutes long. It doesn’t have to be boring either: You can mix up a number of moves to make your warm-up as fun as the rest of your routine. Remember that a good warm-up engages all of your muscles, even if you don’t think that you’ll be working out a particular group of muscles on any given day. Warming up is important, whether you’re doing cardiovascular exercises or lifting weights.

A warm-up shouldn’t be difficult or make you break a sweat. The main goal of the warm- up is to slowly engage all muscles and “wake them up”. Good moves include jogging in place, jumping jacks, lunging, and jump-roping. A warm-up could also include slowly stretching your muscles in a variety of ways, although this is usually more effective for a cool-down. Also, consider moves that work to prepare you for the exercises you will be doing during your actual workout.

If you’re really short on time, why not try warming up before you even get to the gym? Jog or power walk to the gym, park as far away as possible and lunge to the door, take the stairs instead of the elevator. That way, when you get to the gym to work out your warm-up is already half way done.

A good workout always builds in intensity. This is the best way to shed pounds and maintain a healthy weight. Weight-loss workouts are only risky if you don’t warm up. Although you may be tempted to skip this step, it is never a good idea to do so.

How To Start Eating Healthy

An unhealthy diet is a hard habit to break!

Like any other unhealthy habit an unhealthy diet is a hard habit to break. It takes determination, knowledge and diligence to get on the road to a healthy life style, live disease-free and maintain a healthy weight and succeed with your weight loss plan.

The first step to success is to eliminate temptation: Inspect your kitchen, pantry and refrigerator and simply discard any items deemed unhealthy. Other candidates for removal are those identified as contributors to weight gain in your Food Diary. You are keeping a Food Diary, aren’t you? If not, read my article on how to get started on one.

Then stock up on healthy alternatives to these items, such as fresh fruit, whole wheat bread/pastas and water.Now is the time to start thinking of a meal and shopping plan. Write down your menu of healthy meals for each day of the week, check your pantry and make a shopping list for items you will need. What is important here is to consider more small meals and snacks throughout the day, rather than one or two large meals. This will go a long way to keep you from snacking on sugary items during the day. Also, keep in mind to take some time for preparing sack lunches in order to avoid going out for unhealthy fast-food lunches! If you are regularly short of time, set aside a few minutes in the evening to prepare your lunch for the next day.

With your shopping list in hand, shop only for the items on the list – buy nothing else! Go shopping once a week instead of stopping at the store every day, or so! Spend your time at the store wisely, get into the habit of reading the labels on the foods you buy. That habit alone can go a long way in eliminating certain foods from your diet, as you begin to understand your daily nutritional needs, as well as portion sizes.

Of course, Rome wasn’t built in a day either, so it’s ok to take it slow. It can be an expensive proposition to discard and replace half the contents of your pantry! Take your time and during the transition try and educate yourself more about dietary and nutritional requirements and food labels. A slow transition also makes it less likely for you to start craving the unhealthy foods you have been used to and stay the course with your weight loss plan.

“The Best Diet to Follow is No “Diet” at all!”

5 Weight Loss Tricks which Fool your Mind

These tricks can be your keys in succeeding with your Weight Loss Plan!

Have you ever wondered how you could lose some weight without dieting or depriving yourself?

Here are 5 weight loss tricks which fool your mind into eating less without realizing it:

1. About a half hour or so before mealtime drink a large glass of water.
   Usually it takes a while (20 minutes!) before your brain realizes that you’ve had enough to eat since most people don’t take enough time to eat their meals. By partially filling your stomach with water your brain will get the message faster and you’ll stop eating sooner.
2. Eat smaller meals throughout the day rather than just 3 large meals.
   By doing so you’ll help yourself circumventing the danger zones during the day where you are most likely to fail in your weight loss efforts. Namely you’ll prevent the dreaded snack attack during the afternoon. Instead make snacks part of your day and plan for them by having nutritious items on hand and to take with you.
3. Gain control of portion size by using a smaller plate when you eat.
   Try this experiment: Take a large plate and a smaller plate and fill them each with the same exact amount of food. Since the large plate looks “empty” we tend to load more food onto it to make it look “full”. The smaller plate, by virtue of its size, already looks full and subconsciously we are satisfied with the amount of food. This is a totally irrational decision process and by using a small plate for your meals you can cut loads of excess calories without feeling deprived!
4. Keep a Food Diary
   By keeping a detailed record of what you eat you will quickly recognize the culprits which stand between you and weight loss. Make targeted substitutions by eliminating high calorie/high fat items in your diet with healthier alternatives. These substitutions may be trivial on the surface but can make a big difference. For example, by examining your diary you realize you drink 3 cups of coffee a day and use 3 teaspoons of sugar for each cup. Without record keeping you may not even realize how many sugar calories you are consuming each day. Simply by switching to an alternative sweetening method you can eliminate these sugar calories and you’d never notice the difference.
5. Cut down on calories from fountain soft drinks.
   If you absolutely can’t stomach the taste of diet soft drinks, at least cut down on the calories of regular soft drinks (a 32 oz. soda packs about 400 calories!!). Sure, get the large size cup, but make sure you fill it with ice first. You can eliminate up to half the calories!

As you can see, there are simple ways to trick yourself into eating less. By employing these tactics you can shed pounds without even trying! And best of all, you don’t feel deprived because these weight loss tricks fool your mind!

How many Calories do I need to cut from my diet?

We all have experienced the dreaded plateau when Being on a weight loss plan. This is usually the point where most people just give up, because they feel they are failing on their weight loss plan. This usually happens when we cut too many calories out of our daily diet.

Yes, to lose weight you need to cut calories; but cut too many and your bodies defense mechanism takes over and adjusts its metabolism, enabling it to maintain all essential functions with less. And thus the cycle begins: maintaining this level over time will leave you feeling miserable and hungry. So you start eating more; just a little…But guess what: Your body is now getting by with less to perform and you are gaining weight, usually back to the point you started and by the time your body gets used to the new calorie level you actually gain weight beyond to where you started your diet. Sounds familiar?

So how can you prevent this from happening?

Well, no big secret: Don’t reduce your calories by too much, and force your body into survival mode.

You say: “How many calories do I need and how many calories should I cut?”

To get the answer a little math is required :

First, you need to figure out how many calories your body requires at rest to maintain its normal body functions. This is called the “Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)”
The BMR formula uses the variables of height, weight, age and gender. This is more accurate than calculating caloric needs based just on body weight.

The BMR Formula is as follows:

Women: BMR = 655 + (4.35 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) – (4.7 x age in years)
Men: BMR = 66 + (6.23 x weight in pounds) + (12.7 x height in inches) – (6.8 x age in year)

Now that you know your BMR you need to add the calories you burn on a normal day, including any exercise. Now add the BMR and the calories needed to burn for the activities you perform. This total will give you your “Maintenance Level”, meaning this is the amount of calories you can consume without gaining any weight. To safely lose weight and not hit the dreaded plateau, reduce your daily caloric intake by no more than 500 to 700 calories below your total calorie requirement (Maintenance Level).

So What Nutrients Do I Need?

A healthy diet consists of over 30 different nutrients you need to ingest to keep your body not only functioning but also healthy. All these nutrients are contained within these categories: Water, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.

Water is required to stave off dehydration and needs to be frequently replenished: 8 glasses per day is the most recommended quantity you need to consume. If you are on a weight loss plan even more is recommended. Although foods such as fruits contain water, you should still stick to the recommended 8 glasses.

You need the amino acids contained in proteins to build and maintain muscles. Proteins are also essential in breaking down some of the hormones needed for our bodies to function. Meat, eggs and soy products are great sources of proteins. Look mainly for lean proteins in your diet, as derived from lean meats, poultry and fish.

Fats and carbohydrates are the most misunderstood nutrients. Yes you do need them, but look out: There are good fats and carbohydrates and there are bad! Look for less saturated fats and more polyunsaturated fats. As with carbohydrates, look for carbohydrates from whole grain sources and avoid “empty” carbohydrates, mostly found in highly processed foods. Both excess fats and carbohydrates are stored in the body as fat. This is why you need to regulate the intake of both to maintain a healthy weight.

Lastly, vitamins and minerals are provided in most natural foods we consume: Fruits, vegetables and grains. You may opt for vitamin supplements but if you are practicing an unhealthy diet to begin with, the consumption of supplements is of limited benefit, as most vitamins need other substances to be able to be absorbed by the body.

To get the most nutritional benefit from your diet follow this rule: The closer to its original source the food you consume is, the better. This means to choose more fruits and vegetables, as well as healthy, home-cooked meals. Here you are in control of all ingredients you consume. Stay away as much as possible from processed canned and boxed foods, as well as fast food and restaurant meals. These are mostly loaded with extremely unhealthy ingredients, such as excess sugars and sodium, saturated fats and “dead” carbohydrates. Here you have no control over the ingredients! Plus, you’ll also be unable to lose weight and probably will find yourself a few pounds heavier every other couple of years!

As always, when embarking on any weight loss plan or exercise regimen talk to your doctor about your endeavors before you begin such a journey. You may also want to consult a nutritionist.

Remember This: The Closer To Its Original Source The Food You Consume Is, The Better!

How Does The Atkins Diet Work?

Over the past few decades, the Atkins diet has really hit the diet world with full force as one of the most popular weight loss plans. This health phenomenon is based on “Dr. Atkin’s New Diet Revolution”, a book by Dr. Robert C. Atkins. His concept for weight loss is, that one needs to be concerned with the carbohydrates one consumes, not the fat. Many people have found great success using the Atkins diet. However, it is not for everyone. Before you start the Atkins diet talk to your doctor to make sure it is a good idea for you.

When you’re on the Atkins diet, there will be little calorie counting, but say good-bye to junk foods and processed foods. You will also be eating few carbohydrates and many foods high in protein. By reducing your intake of carbohydrates, you will enter a phase in your body called ketosis. During ketosis, your body will burn fat in the body for fuel, before using the foods in your diet, which will in turn reduce insulin production, which will in turn prevent more fat from being stored.

There are four main stages of the Atkins weight loss plan: induction, ongoing weight loss, pre-maintenance, and maintenance. During the first two weeks, you are in the induction stage. During this time, many people report losing 15 pounds or more, simply because carbohydrate intake is cut down to 20 grams every day. The only carbs you can have are low-carb vegetables, and even then they are very limited.

The second stage, known as ongoing weight loss, will let you have 25 grams of carbs every day. You will then move on to pre-maintenance, in which you can try out other foods to see what carbohydrates you can add into your diet. After you’ve reached your weight loss goals, you may eat all “good” carbs. Choosing healthy carbs will become a way of life.

As with any diet, you will need to exercise to lose weight. Also, some people have called the safety of the Atkins diet into question, because of its rather drastic methods. Some people say that the diet only makes you regain your lost weight, as soon as you hit the maintenance level.

The key is to establish a weight loss plan that works for you and is healthy for your body.

Review of The Diet Solution Program

The Diet Solution Program

With so many weight loss plans out on the market and on the internet today, what makes this program any different than all the rest?

Before I get to the program, let’s take a look at the expert behind this program. Isabel De Los Rios is a nutrition and exercise specialist with 10 years of experience helping clients reach their ideal weight and tackle conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and high cholesterol.

Isabel has a very extensive educational background in nutrition and exercise physiology. Her personal experience with her own weight struggles and her mother’s severe diabetes led her search for the BEST nutrition information available today. The Diet Solution Program is a result of her 15 year study and research.

I’ve also asked Isabel about her training and education background, before using and reviewing the program, and I’ll be honest: It was impressive! Unlike other so-called “health experts”, who are just following main stream nutrition programs. Isabel provides her readers with the truth: the facts most people have never taken the time to research, read and decipher.

Plus, Isabel has been a nutrition and exercise specialist for the past 10 years and has personally worked with hundreds of clients in her own private facility, overseeing successful weight loss programs. This hands on experience with real people solidified the facts and principles she had learned in books, journals and from other health professionals. The proof was really in the results of real people.

In fact, Isabel’s articles are pretty radical when it comes to her nutrition principles which is why her approach works when main-stream nutrition fails. So if you are looking for the same old nutrition theories taught in every other book and program on the market today, this is not the program for you.

Now one of the biggest questions about the program is simply, “What is The Diet Solution Program?” Well according to Isabel, it is the most comprehensive and detailed nutrition manual available on the market today. Not only does it teach you exactly what principles you need to follow to finally reach your ideal weight, it gives you the meal plans, shopping lists and recipes to do so. It does not push some extreme, unreasonable way to lose weight.

It actually teaches you how you can make this healthy way of eating into a lifestyle. And if you have ever attempted to lose weight in the past, you know that the only way to maintain it is to make it a way of life.

The best part about Isabel’s weight loss plan is that this new way of life is not some torturous eating regimen. She really shows you that you can eat delicious food, combined the right way, to lose weight and maintain it.

One of the best side effects of the whole program is the increased health and vitality that every participant experiences. Decreases in blood sugar levels, lowered cholesterol, increased energy, elimination of digestive discomfort and cleared skin conditions are just some of the few benefits other people have already experienced.

Frankly, I am using the program myself and highly recommend it. Why? Because, as I said above, I am tired of following nutrition plans that do not work. Yes, I want to be at my ideal weight but I also want to maintain a healthy body at the same time and not have to resort to extreme, radical methods. The Diet Solution Program helped me lose weight already and I feel healthy and energized at the same time. The program is a real time-saver, as it takes all the time consuming research out of the task of coming up with a nutritional weight loss plan on your own!

Included in the program is:

• Step by step action steps telling you exactly how to put the principles in place
• Detailed daily meal plans that make everyday eating easy
• Shopping Lists to make food shopping a snap
• Delicious Recipes to make everyday meals tasty

The manual is comprehensive: Jam packed with incredible and valuable information. But you don’t need to wait to get through the whole thing before you can start. You can use Isabel’s Quick Start Guide to start the program ASAP. Some people have even just used the quick start guide and lost 10-15lbs in a little as 6 weeks.

The Diet Solution Program is not just another weight loss scheme or extreme diet. It is truly THE way to lose weight and enjoy a lifetime of health. The Diet Solution Program is perfect for people who have struggled with their weight their whole life and are sick and tired of programs that just don’t work long term. The DSP is also perfect for people who want to take control of their health and reverse health conditions like diabetes, high cholesterol and heart disease.

If you’re in the slightest bit curious, I recommend you look closely at Isabel’s program. I was very impressed with all of The Diet Solution Program meal plans, the bonuses, the guarantee, and Isabel’s expertise. For the money, it’s the best deal in the weight loss industry – so much better than diet pills! And remember…

The Diet Solution Program is backed by a 90 day money back guarantee. And this is a real guarantee… if you are not completely satisfied, you will receive your money back, no “ifs,” “ands,” or “buts.” So you really have nothing to lose.

Review of Nutrisystem

Let’s be honest…there are lots of dieting and weight loss programs out there right now. Why choose Nutrisystem?

Sure, everyone likes the commercials with Dan Marino and other football players…but seriously, at the end of the day, how can we really know that it’s the most effective solution out there?

We’ll discuss exactly that in this Nutrisystem Review. You’ll learn more about the company than you probably ever wanted to know. But you’ll be pleased with what you hear.

Let’s face the facts

• There are more overweight individuals in the world today than ever before.
• More of those overweight people qualify as obese, or morbidly obese, than ever before.
• The ancillary problems associated with obesity (such as diabetes and heart disease) also occur more rampantly than ever before.
• All of these problems are growing at an accelerated rate, which means in 10 years we can expect to have to deal with even more cases of obesity, diabetes and heart disease than we even see today.

Clearly weight management is a significant problem in the modern world, one that we need to figure out how to correct (both societally and individually) as soon as humanly possible.

It’s Not All Bad News – Nutrisystem Brings Good with the Bad…

When it comes to solving the problem of obesity there’s some good news- there are a few very effective programs available on the market today that utilize good dietary logic and an excellent understanding of behavioral psychology to help individuals lose significant amounts of weight.

Now, none of these dietary products are “magic bullet” cures for creating the “perfect” body. All of these popular programs require a certain amount of work. All of them are geared more towards weight management and not towards total body transformation. None of these programs are going to give you the physique of a Greek God or Goddess and they aren’t going to provide you with an absolutely sterling bill of health.

But that’s not what these programs are trying to do. These programs are designed to help people control their weight and get their body mass down to a reasonably healthy, reasonably manageable level. And at the end of the day when you consider the problem of widespread-obesity, it’s clear a program which can reliably produce positive changes in 80% of the people who use it is more valuable and important than a program that will produce a “perfect” body among just 5% of the people who attempt to follow it.

A really good example of this sort of moderate, yet extremely effective, weight management program is Nutrisystem.

Nutrisystem’s Sound Dietary Foundation

Like most weight-management program, Nutrisystem is, at its heart, a dietary modification program. The basic ideas underlying Nutrisystem are very simple:

* Reduced calorie intake will lead to moderate fat loss. Nutrisystem provides daily caloric intake levels designed to produce between 1-2 pounds of fat loss a week.

* The right macronutrient and micronutrient ratio will provide the body with everything it needs to perform properly. Despite the fact Nutrisystem provides a lowered caloric intake for its users, the food it provides is nutrient-dense in order to keep the individual’s energy equal to their pre-diet level.

* Men and women have different caloric needs. Nutrisystem’s Men’s program provides 1,500 calories a day, while the system’s Women’s program provides 1,200 calories a day.

* Popular, yet harmful, macronutrients and micronutrients (such as Sugar and Sodium) are provided within the diet at limited levels.
In addition to these larger dietary philosophies, Nutrisystem also provides its clients with a choice of 4 different dietary plans to meet their specific needs and preferences. These plans are:

* The Basic Plan: A standard dietary plan that will meet the dietary needs, choices and tastes of most individuals.

* The D Plan: A meal plan specifically tailored for diabetics. This plan is based on the precise suggestions of the American Diabetes Association.

* The Silver Plan: A dietary plan specifically tailored for senior citizens, individuals aged 65+.

* The Vegetarian Plan: As its name suggests, this meal plan features food appropriate for consumption by ovo-lacto vegetarians.

Additionally, the Nutrisystem diet plan provides a set of 150+ food items to choose from, offering a level of variety often unheard of within similar seemingly restrictive dietary plans.

Nutrisystem Vegetarian Diet

Are you a vegan? We all have our beliefs of what is healthy food and food that we decide we are comfortable eating.

The Nutrisytem Advanced Vegetarian Diet Program helps the vegetarian to choose foods to help maintain their vegetarian lifestyle. It features great tasting, prepackaged NutriSystem Vegetarian meals and desserts. Just like with its other diet food programs Nutrisystem is now offering a special when you join their 28 day auto delivery vegetarian program, you can get up to two free weeks of of food!

This diet has more than 60 great tasting, prepackaged NutriSystem vegetarian meals and desserts.

The NutriSystem Vegetarian Program includes low Glycemic Index carbohydrates and yet are still below in fat. The vegetarian entrees are either ready to eat immediately, or prepare in just a couple of minutes in the microwave or by adding a little hot water. So, now there is a great solution for healthy, balanced vegetarian weight loss foods that even have a few gluten free meals.

Diabetic Diet from Nutrisystem

If you have diabetes then you really need to be careful about the foods you eat and you need to be aware of your blood sugar levels.

The Nutrisystem Advanced Diabetic Diet Program plan gives you a simple approach to weight loss while helping to manage your Type II Diabetes.

I know many people who have diabetes and it is nothing to fool around with. I have also learned with proper nutrition and exercise your body can benefit greatly. Nutrisystem has created foods to help make it easier for people with diabetes by offering portion controlled meals.

They are also running a special when you join their auto delivery 28 day program you can get up to 2 free weeks of food. Check out the Nutrisystem program for diabetes and decide if it would help with your diet.

The NutriSystem Diabetic Program can be a healthy way of eating for people with Type II Diabetes. It’s a complete diabetic meal plan that lets you easily control your calorie and carbohydrate intake to help promote safe weight loss.

If you have diabetes and have some great tips for our readers please post them below on guestbook module.

Going Beyond Dietary Considerations

There are many, many, MANY diets out there that will produce fat loss. In fact, there are many meal plans on the market today that will produce significantly faster and larger weight loss than Nutrisystem. Yet despite their relatively higher level of raw effectiveness, these programs often fail to produce the same lasting results with the same level of reliability as Nutrisystem. Why is that?

Nutrisystem doesn’t succeed due to the specific diet it recommends, Nutrisystem succeeds for so many people because of the intelligently devised system delivering its recommended diet. Let’s take a minute to look at some of the most ingenious elements of that system:

1. The Nutrisystem diet isn’t that much different than the standard American diet. Nutrisystem isn’t asking its clients to radically change what they at. Instead, Nutrisystem primarily asks its clients to change how much they eat.

2. The Nutrisystem diet doesn’t ask individuals to fundamentally change their eating habits. There are a few other dietary systems out there which are very effective but which ask their clients to switch from a 3-meal-a-day habit to a 6-meal-a-day habit in addition to the other changes they make to their lifestyle. The fewer habit changes a program asks of its clients, the more effective that program will be. Nutrisystem lets its users stick with their normal 3-meal-a-day habit.

3. The Nutrisystem program delivers diet appropriate meals directly to its client’s doors. This one point is HUGE and most likely the biggest reason why Nutrisystem is so effective. In order for a dietary program to work it needs to be as convenient and hassle-free as possible. The fewer decisions a client needs to make, the fewer changes a client needs to make, and the fewer new skills a client needs to learn, the more likely that client will see results. By delivering meals to their client’s doors, Nutrisystem eliminates the need to re-learn how to grocery shop and how to cook, all while making adhering to their diet beyond convenient.

4. Nutrisystem understands it’s primarily a behavior-modification program and provides tools and support structures (such as counseling) specifically tailored to adopting weight loss behaviors instead of simply leaving you on your own.

5. Nutrisystem aims for gradual changes. While binge weight loss sounds appealing at first, the psychological and emotional shock of both losing a ton of weight very quickly and of radically changing your dietary habits very quickly is often too strong to make those changes sustainable. Nutrisystem sets a moderate weight-loss goal of 1-2 pounds a week, which is fast enough to deliver measurable results but gradual enough to ensure a low abandonment rate.

Overall, it’s easy to see why Nutrisystem is both appealing and effective.

Nutrisystem Flavorfull Fiber Drinks

NutriSystem FlavorFulls are delicious fiber drink mixes to help keep cravings away to help with weight loss. Nutrisystem has their  jumpstart kit which includes these fiber drinks.

Nutrisystem flavorfull are packed with fiber and is a powdered diet drink mix, they are included in every Jump Start package, are designed to help keep your digestion in balance and your hunger under control.

These drinks are delicious and help to the hunger edge off. Keep going strong with your diet. Very easy to make.

Each drink mix can be mixed with water to help stop a sugar craving and to keep your diet on track. FlavorFulls come in two flavors, Refreshing Iced Tea and Cool Lemonade, and they are sugar-free. Take flavorfulls with you on the go.

FlavorFulls Refreshing Iced Tea Fiber Drink Mix

The flavorfull iced tea drink mix provides a good source of dietary fiber in every delicious drink, which can help you feel full longer as you lose weight. Just mix with 16 ounces of cold water to create a tall glass of great tasting tea!

FlavorFulls Cool Lemonade Fiber Drink Mix

The flavorfull lemonade drink mix also provides a good source of dietary fiber every day in every delicious drink. Feel full longer as you lose weight. Just stir into 16 ounces of cold water to create a great old-fashioned tasting lemonade.

Does Nutrisystem Work?

It often gets asked if Nutrisystem’s diets work and the short answer is that they do as long as the person on the diet sticks to the program and does not cheat. The degree of success then depends on the individual, as we all lose weight at different rates. Some people will lose weight slowly and gradually, while other people will lose weight more quickly.

It really depends upon how big you are to begin with, how much weight you need to lose, how tall you are and also your build, whether you are a man or a woman, your age can also be a factor as well as the state of your fitness and heath. Also a factor is your current diet, when you eat and how large each meal is.

When you commit to dieting with Nutrisystem, all the food you need is provided to cover three meals per day plus two snacks. However, the company also provides a list of recommended additional foods that you can buy separately in order to bulk out the meals and make them larger so you don’t feel hungry after eating.

This recommendation is not obligatory!

Many people get the diet then the first thing they do is go out and buy everything in the recommended list, in the belief that if they don’t, they will feel hungry after each meal. This is not generally the case and you can save yourself a lot of money by not buying extra food. Think about it.

Your main plan is to lose weight. To do that you have to first train yourself to eat less, because eating too much is what made you overweight in the first place. Is that correct? Maybe you don’t think you ate too much, but think about it again and you’ll eventually come to realize that to be overweight, there is only one way that can happen. That is if you eat more than your body can realistically process.

So by training yourself to get used to the smaller meal size that make up the Nutrisystem menu, you may experience some hunger to start with but once you get over that plateau, you will not feel hungry and will lose weight faster and lose more of it. What you don’t want to do is lose a load of weight while on the diet and then once it is finished, go straight back to your old diet and put it all back on again.

That’s what often happens when you don’t train yourself to eat less!

The Nutrisystem diet gives you the opportunity to get used to eating smaller meals which you can carry on long after you finish their diet. Be smart and take that opportunity and enjoy your new lighter weight for the rest of your life!

The Bottom Line on Nutrisystem – Concluding Our Review

Nutrisystem isn’t a “perfect” weight loss solution, but it is a “good enough” answer to the massive problem of obesity currently affecting more and more people every day. A program like Nutrisystem is very effective at helping individuals improve their food consumption habits while getting their weight under some semblance of control. By focusing on sustainability first and dramatic results second, Nutrisystem has designed a very effective system worth trying out.

It’s also important to note that many individuals who eventually achieve their “perfect” body begin with a simple, convenient and easy-to-follow program like Nutrisystem. For these individuals Nutrisystem provides them with that crucial first step towards developing the body they’ve always dreamed about.

Celebrity Endorsements: Nutrisystem is sometimes known as the celebrity diet because a long list of Hollywood stars have acted as celebrity spokespersons. Examples are Jillian Barberie (who famously wore a bikini in the ads), Tori Spelling, Danielle Fishel, This diet is sort of known as the celebrity mom diet, as many of the female celebrities (Tori Spelling, Jillian Barberie, and now Jodi Sweeten) lose about forty pounds on it postpartum.

Weight loss is a top priority for most people who want to lead a healthy, fit lifestyle. Losing extra weight can take a lot of commitment, but some people may want instant results to get rid of weight problems. Here are some ways to help you set your own weight loss goals.

Rapid Weight Loss

You should definitely take steps to lose extra weight, but weight loss can cause serious health problems if you don’t do it right. Here are some of the dangers of rapid weight loss:

Anorexia and bulimia are physical and psychological problems that can result from rapid or forcible weight loss.

Other health problems like indigestion or problems with metabolism are the least of your worries with rapid weight loss. You may also suffer from some serious illnesses like heart attacks or depression.

Weight gain. People who try to accelerate the weight loss process may end up gaining weight faster, or adding more weight to the pounds they already lost.

A Pound at a Time

Setting flexible deadlines for your weight loss program is one way to set and reach your weight loss goals. If the deadlines you set are too strict, you may end up disappointing yourself in the process. Yet if your deadlines are way too flexible, you may end up being too lax on your own weight loss goals.

Weekly Weight Loss

One way to monitor your progress is to weigh yourself every week. Set a reasonable goal depending on your lifestyle; if your maximum weight loss goal is 20 pounds in three weeks, divide the value by 20 days, with a one-day allowance to help you get rid of any remaining “balance” in your weight.

Monthly Weight Loss

For a long-term weight-loss program, you may want to add monthly goals on top of your weekly goals. Weight loss goals set over the span of months is particularly important for maintenance, or if you have a lot of extra weight to shed.

Make It Happen

All the scheduling in the world will not help you lose weight if you do not take the steps needed to lose it:
Balanced diet. A change of diet should only be planned and monitored by a doctor or a dietician. The right amount of healthful food, however, is a great help if you’re planning to shed some extra pounds to lose dress sizes or inches from your waistline.

Exercise. Diet can only be made better with exercise. Put exercise as a priority in your schedule, instead of an optional task.

Weight loss is a great personal objective if you want to keep a healthy, fit, and trim lifestyle. With these tips, you can set your weight loss goals and be a step away to healthy living.

There are times when you’re very tempted to reach out and grab a bowl of ice cream or munch on cookies on your counter.

Snacking is not bad, and is even encouraged in a healthy diet, but if you’re already eating too much in between meals, then you need to find a remedy for your obsessive snacking. Don’t worry, here are some easy tips to help you resist snacking.

Plan your meals. People snack because they get hungry easily. If you eat too early in the morning, then chances are you’ll want a snack by 10 am. To avoid this, plan your meals well. Eat at a time that won’t leave a large gap before the next meal. You should also make sure that you eat a balanced meal, with fruits and veggies. Start with a heavy breakfast; it’s the most important meal of the day.

Chew your food when you eat. This will help you feel fuller, and will make your tummy crave less food. It also improves and helps your digestive system, allowing it to digest food easier. Also, make it a habit to drink water between every bit as well. Water also works great instead of food when you feel hungry in between meals.

Remove all temptations. This is the most effective tactic to fight snacking urges. Raid your fridge and cupboards and get rid of food that have more than five grams of fat or 200 calories per serving. Cookies, chips, soda and other junk food should be disposed of. If the culprits are not in your home, then you won’t have much trouble.

You should also exercise caution when you go grocery shopping. Stick to a list or ask someone else to do the shopping for you.

Avoid the kitchen. Being in or near the kitchen will make you more hungry, because of the sights and smells of food. Stay as far away from it as possible, especially when someone is preparing dinner. If there’s a mini-fridge in your bedroom, get rid of it immediately.

Chew on gum. Maybe you’re not really very hungry, but you’re just looking for a flavor in your mouth. Pop a stick of gum in your mouth and chew it until the craving goes away. Opt for sugar-free, to make sure you don’t get excessive calories.

Distract yourself. Focus on something else besides eating. Keep yourself busy with work or homework. You can get a hobby or try different outdoor activities. Why not watch TV? Just make sure you don’t turn it to one of those cooking channels.

If you’re really hungry, snack on something healthy. Some trail mix, carrot sticks or fruit will do a lot of good to you.

If you’re munching on these, then snacking won’t be as bad as you think. Here are more tips on snacking healthy.

Sticking to a balanced diet can be a struggle for some people and they find themselves snacking too often, If you’re one of those who have trouble with this dilemma, these easy tips might help you improve this habit.

Cellulite appears as lumpy, unpleasant-looking fat deposits on the thighs and buttocks, and is one reason why many women feel insecure. Cellulite can prevent a woman from wearing sexy bikinis and skirts, but why live with this problem when you can deal with it? Here are some tips on reducing cellulite.

Change Your Diet

What you eat affects the appearance of cellulite on your hips. Modify your diet, and reduce the amount of calories, sugar and fat you ingest. At the same time, increase the amount of protein and fiber you eat, found in lean meat and fish, respectively. Focus also on foods that contain anti-cellulite ingredients, such as bananas, asparagus, broccoli, berries, beans, pineapple, onions and nuts.

You should also supplement your cellulite diet with antioxidants, such as peppermint tea, juniper berries, black pepper extract, onion, garlic and ginger. Vitamin supplements such as calcium, potassium, iodine, magnesium, lycopene and vitamin E are also great.

Drinking more water also helps reduce cellulite. Drink at least two liters a day, to flush out the toxins in your body.

Try Body Brushing

Body brushing is a simple, but beneficial technique that helps you get rid of cellulite. Get a bristle brush and use it daily, just before you go to the shower. Body brushing helps exfoliate, as well as improve circulation. Start at your feet, then make long, deep strokes to your heart. Focus on the problem areas.

Exercise

If your muscles are well-toned and firm, then it’s likely that less cellulite will be showing through. Muscle firmness helps get rid of cellulite. Try resistance and strength building exercises. Make sure the muscles underneath the areas with cellulite are given much attention. For best results, stick to a full body workout. Not only will you lose weight, you’ll also lose those lumpy fat deposits.

Try Topical Creams

There are tried and tested topical creams that work by tightening the skin or the connective tissues underneath the it, reducing cellulite appearance. Look for those that contain ginkgo-biloba, seaweed or amino acids extracts. These are effective skin tighteners. There are some topical creams that work by shrinking fat cells, and has caffeine as the main ingredient.

Undergo Cellulite Treatment

There are several procedures available today that work well on reducing cellulite. They’re effective, but they can be costly. Here are some examples.

Mesotherapy – This requires injections to be administered. The injections work by breaking down fat cells, eliminating the localized pockets of fat. With mesotherapy, the chances of getting cellulite are reduced.

Endermologie – This is an outpatient procedure that uses suction massage to even the skin out. The patient needs to undergo multiple treatments over several months, with a certain cost for every treatment. There are also follow up treatments required.

Laser treatments – There are new laser technologies and procedures being developed today, working to strengthen the connective tissue underneath the skin.

Cellulite makes you look unsightly, but if you know how to reduce them, you’ll be able to flaunt your sexy figure anytime you want. Just follow these tips and have a smashing body!

While there are hundreds of resources for those who are looking to lose and gain weight, there are very few books and online materials dedicated to individuals who’d like to just maintain their current weight.

Maintaining weight takes a lot of discipline, especially in terms of avoiding some bad eating habits you may have grown accustomed to. Don’t fall into the same old traps. Now that you have gotten your healthy target weight, you can’t just waste your efforts. Here are some effective weight maintenance tips you can try:

Do the Math

You don’t have to be a member of Mensa to understand that weight stability is all about losing and gaining pounds. If you want to keep your weight, you need to eat the same amount of calories that you get to burn everyday. Should you desire to exercise less, you have to regulate the food that you consume and eat less.

To get an idea of the amount of calories you burn on a daily basis, use a Daily Calorie Needs Calculator. Several factors are involved in terms of the amount of calories you burn each day such as your age, weight, height, sex and daily activities.

Count the number of calories you are eating everyday. Do this for three straight days and take the average. Make sure that you are on your regular diet so don’t include days wherein you overindulged in food.

You will then get both the amount of calories you burn and the number you eat on a daily basis. Now, match these two numbers. You have a lot of options available. You can increase or decrease your activity level or the number of times you go to the gym, brisk walk or join in team sports. You can also alter your diet a bit and increase or decrease the amount you eat depending on the computation. You can also do a combination of both depending on the time and effort you can devote in maintaining your desired weight.

The key here is consistency. Don’t be too conscious in trying to make your daily intake and expenditure match every single day. Focus on your goals on a weekly and monthly basis since this will prove to be easier.

Eat Only When You’re Hungry

Sometimes, you may get tired and stressed from the daily routine of your workaday world but it is never advisable to turn to food to solve your problems. Most people will eat anything — from pasta to pizza to sweets — just to get comfort from the daily grind of work or school.

You should also avoid eating in front of a television set because you tend to be less conscious of the amount of food you stuff in your mouth while busy being entertained by your favorite reality show or sitcom. As much as possible, do not eat while driving or while engaged in a stressful conversation since it will also lead to overeating.

Instead, eat a hearty breakfast so you’ll not get hungry right away. You can also drink a fair amount of water. Aim to drink around eight glasses of water if you want to stay on course.

Be Ready on the Battlefield

If you are dead serious in maintaining your weight, you should take note of upcoming events such as office gatherings, birthday parties, reunions and the like.

Big eating events such as these are aplenty especially during the holiday season so you better be prepared for battle numerous times during the course of one month. Before going to any gathering, eat something so you won’t feel too hungry. You can eat bread or a large salad before leaving your house so you’ll get filled somehow.

When getting your food on the buffet table, try to survey the area first. Don’t fill your plate mindlessly. Choose food items that you really want to eat and resist to experiment on your every visit to the food pile.

Weight maintenance is all about consistency. The longer you persevere in your task, the more successful your weight maintenance mission will be. Good luck!