Health & Beauty Tips

Health & Beauty

December 2, 2007

Want to Get Rid of Belly Fat and Get Rid of Love Handles?

Filed under: Weight Loss — Health Information @ 3:09 pm

Want to Get Rid of Belly Fat and Get Rid of Love Handles?
There are very few people I’ve known in this life who haven’t wondered how to get rid of love handles or how to get rid of belly fat. Those of us who have love handles, also known by other colorful names like spare tire, and belly fat, not so affectionately referred to as a pot-belly, find very little to love about those handles and that belly says we’ve been letting ourselves go to pot.

Love handles and belly fat are basically nice ways to describe the fat that accumulates on the lower abdomen and on each side of the waist. But any way you view it, those love handles are warning signs of undesired weight gain. Yes, let’s call it what it is, that belly fat is just unwanted weight. And the only way to get rid of love handles and to get rid of belly fat is to lose weight.

That means you’ve got to find a reliable eating plan that will both nourish your body while reducing that pot-belly and those love handles. Finding reliable weight lose information can be an absolutely discouraging endeavor since there are quite literally hundreds of weight loss plans on the market today that make all types of preposterous claims

First, find a healthy plan you intend to keep. To reduce your overall body fat and keep it off, you need to find a healthy eating plan. It’s tempting, when you’re trying to lose weight, to skip meals to reduce your caloric intake, but a better–and easier–way to cut calories is to find a reliable diet that fits your tastes and lifestyle; one you can adopt for life. So to prevent or reduce excess weight around the abdomen, or wherever you’re genetically predisposed to deposit it, you need a healthy diet.

Compare the different diets based on the type foods you enjoy, and the ones you already know pack on the pounds now. Don’t be tempted by plans offering huge weight loss over a short period of time. A plan offering fast results is not a healthy one, and you want a plan you can stick with for the rest of your life; a healthy diet that will keep the weight off.

Once you start losing body fat, you can firm up your body by exercising. The main thing to remember though is that spare tires and pot-bellies indicate too much body fat. And losing body fat is the best (read only) way to get rid of love handles and to get rid of belly fat.

If you want to lose weight then find the right diet for you, and then get up off the couch and go for a walk, take a ride on your bike, or go to the gym. When you maintain a healthy diet and institute a regular cardiovascular workout routine, your love handles and belly fat will gradually reduce without any particular special exercise to get rid of them. So, there you have it: the skinny on how to get rid of love handles and belly fat.

B.J. Gordey is the owner of Top10-diets.com. Are you looking for a way to “get rid of love handles” and “get rid of belly fat“? You can learn a lot more about how a successful diet can help you at Top10-Diets.com.

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November 7, 2007

Losing Belly Fat Without Starving Yourself

Filed under: Weight Loss — Health Information @ 6:09 am


Most of the diet programs focused on losing belly fat are very low in calories. Many of these programs border on starvation. You commonly see diets that restrict your calorie intake to

  • 1200 calories
  • 1000 calories
  • even 800 calories or less!

Oddly enough the more you deplete your calorie count the more your metabolism slows down, It sounds crazy but it’s true and this is why so many fail at losing belly fat. The fact is that very low calorie diets can actually make you FATTER! Losing belly fat is physiologically impossible to achieve by starving yourself.

It goes like this, when you eat less, your body burns less. When you eat more, your body burns more. It’s a paradox I know, but it’s true, and it gets worse. Very low calorie diets not only slow down your metabolism, they also actually cause muscle loss. Eventually low calorie diets can shut your metabolism down completely, when this happens the weight loss stops and any increase you make in your caloric intake causes fat gain. This effect is inevitable because who can stay on 800 calories forever?

A renowned weight-loss doctor said that “Dieting is not effective in controlling weight. You can get a temporary weight loss with a diet, but each scheme ultimately gives way to weight gain, and subsequent losses become increasingly difficult.”

You have to look deeply into any calorie recommendations that are made by a diet before you start it. You’ll find that a large majority of them want you to cut your calories down to starvation levels. If you see any results at all they will be short lived and won’t do the real job you are looking for.

Our bodies are very “smart” - they always look for a state of balance between metabolism, blood sugar, hormone levels and body temperature. All of these things are regulated in a small range that your body feels comfortable in.

When you put youru body through major changes in diet, exercise, sleeping, or other dramatic changes your body starts adjusting itself immediately to keep it’s balance. The moment you are in danger of starving your body it will adjust the way your body works to burn fewer calories in an attempt to save itself from starving, this is commonly called a “natural starvation response.”

The only proven, effective way to go about losing belly fat and keeping it off permanently is to reduce your calories (slightly, not drastically) and then increase your activity (drastically, not slightly). It is ALWAYS better a smarter, healthier choice to burn fat than try to starve fat away.

This article has been provided by Losing Belly Fat. We offer advice on how to get rid of stomach fat as it relates to our personal experience. To view our website and review the belly fat loss guide that we recommend click here.

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November 5, 2007

How to Calorie Shift

Filed under: Weight Loss — Health Information @ 3:31 pm


Calorie shifting is a popular weight loss method that has inspired many people to try it. But performing a calorie shifting diet is easier said than done. The amazing thing about this method is that is does not require you to stop eating the foods you love(excluding fast foods). It does not require you to exercise either. And this method works faster than any diet pill out there and is much safer than most weight loss and fat burning products on the market today. So how do you perform a calorie shifting diet?

This is done by eating more than 4+ full meals a day. Each meal must be different from the one before it or after it. You must continually mix up what you eat so that the calorie shifting diet works out, because if you mix up how many calories you consume the body will not get used to your routine and will always be forced to burn different amounts of calories. When that happens in order to stabilize itself, it will burn more calories. This is what causes the weight loss, and results happen quickly.

Don’t be cynical eating more food does not mean more gaining more weight. Its the food you eat and not how much you eat that results in weight loss or gain. Obviously eating fast foods is not going to help you lose weight, so stay away from them if you intend on losing weight through this diet. Thats the simplest way of doing a calorie shifting diet.

When doing calorie shifting expect the results to be limitless. People have been known to lose several pounds in under 5 days while doing a calorie shifting diet. Often times even this diet is known to help people lose too much weight. The recommended length of this diet is around 2 weeks in which you can lose up to 10 or more pounds. To find out more information on calorie shifting including additional tips, recipes, helpful products and guides visit: http://www.squidoo.com/Losing-Weight-Fast/

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September 22, 2007

The Skinny on Weight Loss With Spicy Food

Filed under: Weight Loss — Health Information @ 2:50 am


A lot of people are becoming fascinated with different ways to lose weight, and one of them is weight loss with spicy food. At first, weight loss with spicy food may sound a little ridiculous. You may even think eating spicy foods won’t do any wonders for your body. However, before we take spicy foods for granted, let us take a look at their features.

Spicy culture

Spicy food has always been included in various menus of different cultures all over the world. Spices like chili powder, cayenne peppers, and curry powder never fail to add some flavor and kick to any dish. However, is there such thing as weight loss with spicy food in your diet with the help of these and other spices?

How it works

Weight loss with spicy food works simply by raising your metabolism. You do not have to resort to eat a lot of hot peppers until your mouth feels like it is burning. In fact, even a little spice can provide a significant increase in your metabolism.

The truth

Weight loss with spicy food is possible because it increases your metabolism, which helps you burn more calories. This is because the spices increase your body temperature and contributes to an increase in your heart rate, too. Remember that the increase happening in your body temperature and heart rate requires energy.

Thermogenic properties

Spices also have thermogenic properties by helping your body burn calories especially if you are eating high-fat meals. Aside from increasing your body temperature, spices also aid to the increase of your blood circulation. They are also able to stimulate the breaking down of your fat cells, which aids in weight loss.

Some things to consider

Weight loss with spicy food is possible, but you should remember a few things before becoming very convinced. One is the fact that those who eat them do not really rely completely on the food’s influence in their metabolism so they can stay slim. Second, keep in mind that there are certain spices that can provide strong flavors to any dish, which can influence the dish’s rich taste and aroma.

It’s in the flavor

Once your meals receive that strong flavor, you will have the urge to eat less just to feel satisfied. Some spicy foods that have certain spices in them are even healthier compared to foods that solely rely on sugar just to have some flavor. Chicken, shrimp, lentils, and tomatoes are some examples of foods that are usually included in several spicy dishes.

How the flavor works

It is also important to understand that spices enhance flavors of any food, which provides a satisfied feeling to your palate. That feeling will make you eat less, which makes people associate weight loss with spicy food.

Benefits of spices

When it comes to weight loss with spicy food, it is also important for you to consider the benefits that particular spices can contribute to your body. For instance, black pepper works as an antioxidant and as an antibacterial, while cayenne pepper is believed to aid in giving your immune system a boost while clearing congestion. Athletes also eat spicy foods to increase their endurance and treat osteoarthritis.

Improve digestion

Spices also improve your digestion because they increase the hydrochloric secretion of your stomach. That is the reason why your metabolic rate increases. Remember that an increase in your metabolism also increases your body’s absorption rate. The result is that the body can convert the calories into energy so they are not stored as body fat.

Fat buring benefits?

Cayenne pepper contains capsaicin, which is shown to have fat burning and appetite reducing capabilities. Some scientists say that cayenne pepper increases your body’s norepinephrine and epinephrine levels, which can cause you to feel less hungry.

Keep everything in moderation

Eating spicy foods can also contribute some negative effects on the body. One is the onset of stomach ulcers. Another is acid reflux or GERD, which is more common with obese people who are trying to lose weight with spicy food. With this in mind, it is important to take spicy foods moderately especially if you have sensitive stomach or you simply have a low tolerance for them.

Test your tolerance

Too much spices can also mess up your digestion, cause some irritation in your digestive tract, and may even impair your tastebuds, which will cause you to not be able to enjoy your food in their usual state. If you want to try spicy foods to aid you in weight loss, try eating small amounts at first to see if you can tolerate them. If you can’t, then do not force yourself.

Phillip England is a weight loss expert and Author of the popular report “The Ultimate Weight Loss Secret”. To receive your free information on the secret that doctors, and health companies either don’t know, or don’t want you to know, please see http://www.theultimateweightlosssecret.com/secret

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September 1, 2007

Are Your Loved Ones Hindering Your Weight Loss Efforts?

Filed under: Weight Loss — Health Information @ 4:17 am


Sometimes our loved ones can hinder our weight loss goals. Often times their intention is not to hinder us.

For example, I love donuts. There was a time in my life when I simply could not say ‘no? to them. I would wind up binging on them ? I could eat 4 to 6 donuts with no problem at all.

I began a weight loss program. I was following my plan to the tee. Then on Saturday morning, my husband brought home some donuts. ‘Here honey, I thought you’d enjoy these.? I devoured every last crumb.

My husbands intention was not to make me go off plan. He wasn’t even thinking that I was trying to lose weight. He simply wanted to do something nice for me.

Your loved ones could be hindering you by tempting you with seconds, cooking your favorite foods, or buying your favorite ice cream.

Here’s what you need to do:

  1. Identify your loved ones behavior that is sabotaging your weight loss efforts.
  2. Identify your loved ones reasons for that behavior.
    • Are they trying to do something nice for you?
    • Do they feel appreciated when you eat their cooking?
    • Are they bringing in the ice cream for themselves, not realizing that is making you lose track of your goals?
  3. Tell your loved one what you need from him/her.

You need to be assertive. Tell them exactly what you need from him/her and why. I told my husband ?

‘I really appreciate the fact that you love me so much, that you brought donuts home. However as I can’t seem to say ‘no? to them, I would appreciate it even more if you could restrain from bringing them home. A hug from you lets me know how much you care and appreciate me.?

I told him in exactly what I needed and why. I showed him I appreciated his gesture, and gave him an alternative action so that his needs would be met as well.

If you are a little apprehensive about approaching your loved one, ask yourself why. It’s probably one of two reasons:

  1. You like having someone to blame for your failures. It’s easy to say, ‘I keep blowing it because my wife is such a good cook and demands I eat seconds.? Or ‘My husband is so nice to me he keeps buying me donuts, if I tell him to stop, he may never buy me anything again.? If this is you, you need to decide how important reaching your goal really is. Take responsibility for your own actions and stop blaming others.

  2. You don’t know how to approach them or you don’t want to hurt their feelings. If this is the case then you need to practice ? in front of the mirror, to a friend, or even to the dog. Picture yourself telling your loved one exactly what you need from him/her to help you achieve your goals.

Remember, more than anything else, your loved ones want YOU to be HAPPY and HEALTHY, and will do anything in their power to help you achieve your goals.

Cindy Holbrook has been interested in fitness and nutrition most of her life. For a variety of weight loss articles, tips and tricks to lose weight and unbiased diet reviews. To find the Best weight loss program visit her site http://www.bestweightlossprogram4me.com now.

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August 27, 2007

Could Your Beliefs Be Responsible For Your Weight?

Filed under: Weight Loss — Health Information @ 2:36 pm


‘Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.? - Henri Ford

‘It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect its successful outcome.? - William James

Are your beliefs responsible?
I know, this sounds ridiculous. But are they?

Could your beliefs be responsible for the extra weight around your waist?
What kind of beliefs do you have regarding your body, your weight and your health?

You see, our beliefs are deeply rooted in our subconscious mind.
And to get rid of your unwanted weight permanently, you need a supportive system; and it starts with your beliefs.

It may be your own belief system who is questioning the new you and the one you want to become. Are you doing something that doesn’t appeal to your beliefs?

What are your beliefs?
Our beliefs are the thoughts we do not questions, the ones we take for granted ; the one we regards as our absolute truth.

You might believe you cannot trim the weight because:

  • You think you have a low metabolism.
  • You think you are heavily built.
  • You think it is in your genes.
  • You think you do not deserve to be slim and fit.
  • You think to have a slim and fit body is reserved for a few lucky people.
  • You think you have to deprive yourself.
  • You think you must invest too many efforts.
  • You think you cannot succeed; it is too difficult for you?

I am sure you can add a few beliefs of your own.
But the good news is that these are only beliefs.
You can always switch to a more supportive one.

Are your beliefs hurting you?
If you do not like those kinds of beliefs, just adopt new ones.
It may be much easier than you think.

Some of our beliefs serve us very well; they protect us and help us live a purposeful life. Some of our beliefs were helpful during our childhood, but they may not help us anymore as adults.

Our beliefs act like filters in our life. They let us see only what fit the beliefs.
Beliefs are sometimes buried deep down in our subconscious mind. It has nothing to do with logics and our conscious mind. It may even be in contradiction with your resolutions and your commitment to a healthy weight.

You may think that regaining your health and your healthy weight is the best possible thing that could happen to you. I know it sounds almost impossible that your own beliefs would not allow you to be healthy and fit.

But if you are not getting the results you expect though you are taking great care of your nutrition and you do follow a good exercise plan, you will agree that something is missing in this picture. Why is the extra weight still on your body?

It is probably time to search in your beliefs, question your inner world.
It is much easier to trim the weight when you believe that:

  • You can, not that you must but you are able to.
  • You deserve to be healthy and slim.
  • Your genes are no real obstacle if you believe you can be healthy and slim. Don’t use them as an excuse.
  • You deserve to be happy and successful.

We all deserve it.

Isabelle Epstein,
Dedicated to healthy nutrition and a healthy life style. If you would enjoy motivation and tips for a healthy weight management, sent directly to your inbox, sign up for Isabelle’s free newsletter at: www.HealthyNutriMania.com

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August 20, 2007

3 Pregnancy Weight Loss Tips

Filed under: Weight Loss — Health Information @ 12:39 pm


Giving birth is one of the things in life that most women would not ever give up. The resulting child is something that is so precious to us, and we know at that point we are embarking on a lifelong journey with this new little person. The weight that we are left with after the birth, however, is not so welcome. It is natural and healthy to gain weight when you are pregnant, it serves many natural purposes, but sometimes it seems as though many new mothers suffer with pregnancy weight loss and are unable to shed the extra pounds that they put on while they were pregnant. The fact is, though, that pregnancy weight loss is very much the same as weight loss at any other time, and may even be easier if you know how to do it.

The formula for weight loss is actually a simple one. It is calories in, calories out, and if you are taking in fewer calories than you are burning then the difference will be realized as a loss of body fat. You can accomplish this in a few different ways. You can either cut down on the amount of calories consumed during the day, or you can increase the number of calories that you are expending. Try doing the following things and you will see results.

Make sure that you are eating a balanced and healthy diet. This would be true, especially if you are breastfeeding. In fact, breastfeeding helps a woman to burn some of those calories, so you actually have a leg up on the bottle feeders. Make sure that you are getting some exercise, I have found that walking is a very good way to shed some pounds, and drink plenty of water. I know that it sounds simplistic, but by doing these few things you will realize the pregnancy weight loss that you want.

You can lose weight and get in the best shape of your life within weeks after delivering a baby. Download our special report at http://www.healthy-after-baby.info/

Before and After Pregnancy Pictures can be viewed on our website.

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August 13, 2007

The Trauma of Weight Gain

Filed under: Weight Loss — Health Information @ 2:59 pm


Weight gain can occur for many reasons, however the affects of drastic weight gain can be extremely devastating.

In the United States today, three quarters of the population are overweight to some degree or obese. The numbers of overweight people are staggering, and they are rising every year. Of the three quarters of the population, approximately one third are children under the age of eighteen.

Being overweight can be devastating, especially for children. They are teased more often which can lead to low self esteem, anger, and depression.

School systems around the country have recognized that the problem is growing. They have initiated changes in the menus that they serve to include healthier choices. Many schools no longer serve cheeseburgers and fries or even pizza. They, along with pediatricians and nutritionists have created menus that the children will like however they do not contain the fat and calories of previous menus.

Everyone agrees that it is difficult to lose weight. There are thousands of fad diets, and diet pills and supplements available on the market today. All claim to be the fastest weight loss product available. Many of them do work, however, once you stop taking them, you will gain the weight back and in many cases, more weight than you lost.

Experts agree that this occurs because the necessary dietary choices and exercise routines were not made. You cannot sustain weight loss if you do not change the dietary habits that caused you to gain weight to begin with.

Loosing weight is not an overnight process, nor will it only take two weeks. It took time to gain the weight it will take time to loose it.

Physicians, nutritionists, fitness trainers, and nearly every other professional in the health care industry agree that there is a certain routine that you must follow in order to lose weight.

‘ Set realistic weight loss goals for yourself ? do not set your goals to high, when you do this, you are risking failure if you do not achieve your goal.

‘ Make healthy menu choices both at home and when you dine out. ? Consult a nutritionist to assist you in creating a menu that you will like.

‘ Introduce an exercise routine that is not too strenuous and stick with it. ? Many fitness centers have personal trainer that can assist you creating the perfect routine for you.

‘ Walking around your neighborhood for half an hour a day ? this is not only good for your health, it may also relieve a lot of stress and help you sleep better.

Losing unwanted weight can be a very difficult process, however it can be done. You not only have to commit yourself to loosing weight, you also have to create a program that works for you.

Learn how to avoid excessive weight gain and how to better maintain a healthy body weight at: http://www.weight-loss-resources.net Weight Loss Tricks

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August 12, 2007

Tips for Preventing Weight Re-gain

Filed under: Weight Loss — Health Information @ 3:29 pm


Anyone who has tried to lose weight knows that the battle isn’t over once the weight is off…maintaining that weight loss can actually be the tough part!

Researchers with the National Health and Examination Survey (NHANES) recently completed a study in which they investigated the factors which affect weight re-gain in people who have lost a substantial amount of weight. (Results were published 6/12 online with the print article due to appear in the July issue of American Journal of Preventative Medicine.)

The findings were interesting.

All of the 1310 US adult study subjects were individuals initially considered overweight or obese but who lost at least 10% of their body weight. This amount of weight loss can result in substantial health benefits, such as reduced risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Results showed that weight re-gain was associated with a sedentary lifestyle, i.e., those who had greater “couch potato-like” habits, losing a greater percentage of initial weight, shorter time to lose weight, attempts to “control? weight, and not meeting the recommendations for physical activity.

Due to the type of study design used in this work, it is not fair to say that these factors cause individuals to re-gain weight. What one can say is that these factors are associated with failure to maintain weight loss.

If you are interested in this topic, and excellent book to read is Anne Fletcher’s Thin for Life. She interviewed people who have lost weight and kept it off, and shares their stories of why they were so successful. In addition to an active lifestyle, those who maintained their weight loss also kept careful track of their weight. If they noticed the number on the scale increasing, they immediately shifted into ‘emergency diet mode.? Armed with these findings, preventing weight re-gain is inevitable!

Sue Roberts, MPH MS RD/CN is a certified nutritionist and registered dietitian.

Get a copy of her FREE ebook, “The Secrets about Weight Loss Supplements: What You Need to Know” at http://www.YourOnlineNutritionist.com

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August 9, 2007

What Are The Benefits Of Low Fat Diets?

Filed under: Weight Loss — Health Information @ 3:39 pm


There are a number of low fat diets that people can sue to lose weight. Each diet differs in the amount of fats that you are permitted to consume each day. These diets range from moderate to extreme low fat diets. There are diets that eliminate certain types of fats while maintain the presence of others. For example there are diets that force the dieter to cut out all saturated fats and then others eliminate cholesterol.

People are often confused about which of the many low fat diets that they are going to follow. They are not sure of the benefits of each of these diets and they sometimes opt for a less complicated form of dieting. However, choosing a low fat diet does not have to be as confusing and complicated as your might first think. The key to choosing a low fat diet is to choose one that provides no more than thirty percent of total calories from fat. The maximum number of fats that you are permitted to eat will depend on your starting weight and the number of calories that you are permitted to eat in total for one day. Cutting back on the amount of fat that you consume in your diet will automatically reduce the number of calories that you are consuming on a daily or weekly basis.

Another one of the many low fat diets that is on the market today is one that is low in saturated fats. Saturated fats have been known to increase blood cholesterol more than other forms of fats. Reducing saturated fats to less than ten percent of your total fat intake will lower your cholesterol and will help you to lose weight quickly and effectively.

If you are not sure which of the low fat diets that you want to start following you should consult a medical professional to help you figure out which diet is best for you.

For lots of information on low fat diets and other weight loss related topics, visit A1 Weight Loss Info at http://www.a1-weight-loss-info.com

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