Quick Weight Loss Methods Can Work For Some

Dieters are often tempted by the words “quick weight loss” or “lose weight fast.”  Many trendy weight loss programs promise that you will lose weight quickly and keep it off.  The problem is that many of those fad “crash” diets aren’t realistic and don’t work.  But that isn’t necessarily because quick weight loss is bad.

Losing weight quickly can actually be part of a healthy weight loss plan.  If you want your weight loss to last, however, the fast weight loss phase has to be part of a larger, more comprehensive approach that includes long-term lifestyle changes to help you maintain your slimmer physique. As a rule-of-thumb anyone can loss about 5% of their weight real fast by going on fad diet that's mostly all liquids. As long as you put some nutrition in your liquids like "Ensure" you can do a liquid diet for one week and you will lose some weight. The thing is that you won't lose any body fat. Most of what you lose will be the stores food in your digestive system. It's just a way you can clean yourself out. 

Quick Weight Loss Methods

So how do people lose weight quickly?  Common methods include low calorie diets (LCD) and very low calorie diets (VLCD).  Dieters should know the difference before they choose a weight loss plan. 

• Low Calorie Diet:  Weight loss programs that provide 1,000 – 1,200 calories per day for women or 1,200–1,600 calories per day for men are considered to be low calorie diets.  According to the Weight Control Information Network, these diets often include regular foods that are sometimes combined with meal replacement shakes or products.
   
• Very Low Calorie Diet:  VLCDs are often liquid diets or diets that include little or no regular food.  Very low calorie diets provide up to 800 calories per day. These diets generally require medical supervision and can only be maintained for a short period of time.  Patients who are obese may work with their physicians to lose weight on a VLCD, like Optifast, to improve their health.

Popular Diets to Lose Weight Fast

You’ll see some trendy low calorie diets, including the M-Plan Diet and the 3-Day Military Diet advertised online and in fashion magazines or tabloids.  Their attention-grabbing strategies often appeal to dieters who are looking for something new and something easy.  The plans are generally not backed by legitimate weight loss companies, physicians or registered dietitians and they are usually not effective for long-term weight loss.

But some low calorie diets are endorsed by brands that you’d recognize.  Nutrisystem, for example, has Fast 5+ Kit to help new dieters lose five pounds in their first week.  During that week, dieters follow a structured eating plan that provides approximately 1000 calories.

Dr. Anthony Fabricatore is the Vice President of Research and Development for Nutrisystem.  He says that the Fast 5+ Kit is meant to be part of a long-term plan. He explains that “after the first week, customers transition to the calorie level that is tailored to their estimated metabolic needs to support a continued 1-2 pound loss per week.”

But Nutrisystem is not the only commercial diet program to include fast weight loss as part of the first weeks of the plan. Diets like Atkins and The South Beach Diet also include a low calorie stage in the beginning to boost your weight loss. 

If you have excess money and don't want to take the time to research the liquid diets that you find online, than try something like Atkins and see if it works for you. Most of these diets can have you losing weight almost immediately, but your not losing fat. Unless you're losing body fat the weight will come back soon after you return to your normal diet.

Why (Some) Quick Weight Diets Work

So why would a dieter follow a short-term, low-calorie diet if their rate of weight loss is ultimately going to slow down?

  According to Fabricatore, short-term quick weight loss can provide a boost to dieters. In his experience as a clinical therapist he sees dieters gain two specific benefits. 

• Quick results.  When people start a diet, they invest time, money and effort.  If they get a quick return on their investment, they are more likely to continue to invest and stick to their plan for a longer period of time. 
   
• Positive beliefs. When a dieter believes that they can lose weight, they boost their chances of reaching their weight loss goal.  It’s a concept that psychologists call self-efficacy; the belief that you can carry out a specific task.  A week of successful quick weight loss can help you to boost your belief system and build self-efficacy.

Quick Weight Loss Drawbacks

Low calorie diets and very low calorie diets are not for everyone.  Very low calorie diets are only appropriate for people who are under medical supervision. In most cases, they are used with people who are obese or whose health is at risk because of their weight.  Low calories diets, like the Fast 5+ Kit by Nutrisystem, are not always medically appropriate for dieters with diabetes or other medical conditions. Don't get sucked-in to a trap that makes you believe you have to buy something to lost weight. As long as you take a nutritional drink like "Ensure" every day, you can lose weight your first week on a chicken soup diet and I just made that up. The cabbage soup diet was very popular for quick weight loss a few years ago and it worked, but you still have to get some nutrition or you lose your energy and become weak.

In addition, transitioning off of a low calorie diet can be problematic.  After quick weight loss, dieters must either switch to a more traditional diet or go back to their old eating habits.  People who go back to their old eating habits are likely to gain the weight back.  And dieters who move to a traditional diet can be disappointed when their weight loss slows down or stalls.  But, Fabricatore says that this disappointment can be prevented if a dieter has clear expectations about the transition from the beginning of the diet. 

And lastly, quick weight loss diets, alone, don’t provide dieters the opportunity to learn important healthy habits that they need to sustain their goal weight for life.  This is why transitioning to a longer term traditional weight loss plan is important. When dieters invest in a well-balanced comprehensive long-term weight loss plan – that may include a fast weight loss phase – they learn healthy habits like portion control, finding time for exercise and moderation.  Ultimately these are the skills that will keep them lean for life. 

If you really want to lose your body fat than look for my Ebooks at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet.

There’s two ebooks.  “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $1.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my Ebook. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new ebook is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. Smashwords is offering a discount coupon for my book. Use the code at checkout and the price drops from $3.99 to $1.99. If you are a Kindle user, the ebook should be uploaded on Amazon this week. As it becomes available on other sites I'll post it.

What is a Calorie?

I write about calories all the time and we read about calories constantly but do you really know what a calorie is?

A calorie is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius. Calories in food provide energy in the form of heat so that our bodies can function. Our bodies store and "burn" calories as fuel. Many dieters count calories and try to decrease caloric intake to lose weight.

The Definition of Calorie vs. Kilocalorie

When the word "calorie" is used in nutrition settings, by dieters or simply by consumers who are talking about food, they are usually using a casual definition of calorie.

But they are actually referring to kilocalories. This is how the two terms are different.

The definition of calorie (cal), or small calorie, is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celcius.
The definition of kilocalories (kcal), or large calorie, is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water by one degree Celcius. A kilocalorie is equivalent to 1000 small calories. Kilocalories are sometimes called "food calories" or simply shortened to "calories" when referring to the energy in food.
Another unit of measurement used to quantify energy is called the "joule." One small calorie is equivalent to just under 4.2 joules. A kilocalorie (kcal) is equivalent to approximately 4.2 kilojoules.

What Is a Calorie?

You may think that calories are only important to dieters. We often hear that people eat fewer calories or burn more calories with exercise to lose weight.

But calories are important for everyone. A calorie isn't actually a thing, it's a unit of measurement. A calorie measures the amount of energy in the food and beverages that we consume. We all need this energy to live and stay healthy. Everything we do relies on the energy that comes in the form of calories.

The food we eat becomes the fuel that runs our bodies. Healthy food provides calories (energy) and important nutrients to build strong bones and muscles. Drinks also contain calories. But not all calories are healthy. Sodas, for example, are often referred to as "empty calories." That means that they provide calories but have no other nutritional value. That's the kind of calorie that adds fat to your body.

How Calories Create Weight Gain

Calories in food provide essential energy, but if you consume too many you will gain weight. Excess calories are stored as body fat. Your body needs some stored fat to stay healthy. But too much fat can cause health problems.

So how do you make sure that you don't eat too many calories? It's important that you understand your caloric needs. That is the number of calories your body needs to perform basic metabolic functions and daily physical activities. You can calculate your caloric needs using simple formulas or online calculators. Search "How many calories do I burn?"

The daily recommended caloric intake for the average American can range from 1,000 to 3,000 calories per day. But that number is a general estimate and the number can vary based on a number of variables.  Your specific, individual calorie needs depend on several factors such as your activity level, metabolism, age, sex, medical condition, and amount of body fat. It's so complicated that no one should compare themselves with another person. No two persons will burn the same amount of calories.

Calories in Food

Different types of food provide different levels of energy. That is, the three macronutrients are not all equal in the number of calories they provide. Each gram of protein and carbohydrate provides 4 calories, but each gram of fat provides 9 calories.

Because fat provides more calories per gram, many dieters and healthy eaters try to limit the amount of fat in their diet. But some types of fat are necessary for a healthy body. Polyunsaturated fat, for example, helps you to maintain a healthy heart. And even though carbohydrates provide fewer calories, some carbs are not as healthy as others. Refined carbohydrates, for example, are considered empty calories.

So are all calories the same when it comes to weight loss? Experts generally agree that a calorie is a calorie. It doesn't necessarily matter where your calories come from. To lose weight, you need to consume less and burn more.

However, some calories provide special weight loss benefits. For example, calories from protein are helpful in building and maintaining muscle. When you have more muscle, you are better able to stay active during the day and burn more calories. And calories from foods rich in fiber help you to feel full and satisfied throughout the day so you eat less and slim down.

Learn to Count Calories to Lose Weight

Experts estimate that if you consume approximately 3,500 excess calories you will gain one pound. So to lose one pound, you need to create a calorie deficit. You need to decrease your caloric intake by 3500 calories or burn an extra 3500 calories. You can also combine both methods to reach the correct calorie deficit.

You can reduce your caloric intake by 500 calories per day to lose one pound each week. A 1-2 pound decrease in weight is considered a healthy and sustainable rate of weight loss. The most important thing to remember is to not cut calories too drastically. Going on a very low-calorie fat diet can put your health at risk and cause health problems.

Sounds simple, right. They're wrong. That theory was adopted back in the 1950's and since than we know that it's not that simple. All calories are not equal and that's because we have processed foods today. Back in the 1950's no one ate processed foods and except for pestacides, most produce was organic.

Today, most processed foods or manufactured foods can't be processed by the body, so the body stores those calories as fat.

If you really want to lose your body fat than look for my Ebooks at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet.

There’s two ebooks.  “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $1.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my Ebook. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new ebook is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

Want To Live Healthy?

You can stop getting colds twice a year, stop feeling run-down and tired. You can have more energy, lose body fat and be a happier person just by changing your diet. Sounds crazy? It the truth.

The science is clear: Eating the right foods can lead to a longer, healthier life.

Yet some people, as they get older, find it harder to eat right. This can happen for many reasons: Maybe they don’t feel like eating. Maybe they have trouble cooking or eating. Maybe they don’t know what’s healthy.

Maybe they do and they just don’t like the idea of kale.

“You know what? You can live a long, healthy life and never eat a piece of kale,” says Cheryl Rock, a professor of family medicine and public health at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine.

She’s all for finding food that you like -- healthy food -- and building on that.

“If you’re eating foods you like, then you’re more likely to stick with it. You won’t force it down for four days and then go out for a double cheeseburger,” Rock says.

It’s more than just finding the right foods. Michele Bellantoni, of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, points out that you need to eat them in the right amounts, too.

“It looks like the optimal calories [for most older adults] will be 1,800 [a day],” she says. “And for successful aging, we think about the entire body, rather than just specific organs.”

Many foods are especially good for certain parts of your body. Bellantoni suggests starting with 1,800 calories, then splitting that up with proteins for your muscles, calcium for your bones, and a basic heart-healthy diet.

That approach can do a lot of things for you:

Make sure you have salmon and other fish like trout and herring. They’re high in omega-3 fatty acids, which help reduce the risk of heart disease and slightly lower blood pressure, among other benefits. Shoot for two servings a week.

You should also know that the fiber in veggies -- also found in whole grains -- helps lower your odds of cardiovascular disease. It also helps digestion and regularity, which often are a problem for older adults.

Remember that no one food is going to help your heart, any more than just one would help your brain or your bones or your muscles or any other part of your anatomy.

You need a complete, healthy diet.

“If you’re eating a lot of fish but, in addition to that, you’re living on ice cream and candy and stuff like that,” Rock says, “it’s not going to save you.”

It Can Help Your Brain

A loss of memory, a big worry among some older adults, has been linked to, among other things, a lack of vitamin B12. You can get that in:

• Meats
• Fish
• Milk products
• Some breakfast cereals

Alzheimer’s disease has been linked to chronic inflammation, which can be caused by foods like white bread, french fries, red meat, sugary beverages, and margarine.

The science is still emerging on the relationship between some foods and brain health. Check with your doctor or dietitian.

“There was some issue with the Food and Drug Administration disallowing food claims for memory loss,” says Adam Drewnowski, the director of the Nutritional Sciences Program at the University of Washington.

“I would not want to identify a specific food that prevents memory loss. I probably would tell someone that if you want to be functioning well, then some fruits and antioxidants will do better for you than another slice of cake.”

Antioxidants, found in many vegetables and in fruits like blueberries, help reduce inflammation. They also help you get rid of damaging stuff created when you convert food into energy.

It’s important to realize that good brain function may be as much about what you don’t eat as what you do.

“Your brain runs on blood flow, just like your heart,” says Rock. “So if you’re eating a lot of saturated fats, it makes it less likely that you’ll have those nice clean arteries to supply that brain tissue with blood.”

Make sure you have tomatoes, blueberries, green leafy veggies like spinach and kale, turmeric, and nuts (especially walnuts).

You should also know that those omega-3 fatty acids, found in salmon and other oily fish, are inflammation fighters.

Okay, you might not know what inflammation really is. You don't have to know. All you need to know is that inflammation is what ages your body and many people right now are walking around with a body that's 20 years older than they really are. In Great Britain doctors tested hundreds of people all age 38 and found that some body a body older than their real age and some had bodies younger. 

The doctors determined that some of the aging process is because of DNA but most of the aging process is due to lifestyle. How active you are and how you eat.

Eating the right food can help your muscles

They’re always breaking down and getting built back up again. That’s just the way your body works. As you get older, you need more protein for that rebuilding process.

“So if you don’t eat enough protein, you’ll be breaking down more than you’re rebuilding,” Rock says.

Make sure you have low-fat or fat-free yogurt, cheese, milk, lean meats, fish, other seafood, and beans.

You should also know that eggs are an excellent source of protein and don’t have the saturated fats that meat have. Don’t worry about the cholesterol in your eggs, Rock says. It’s not absorbed well by your body, anyway.

It Can Help Your Bones

Older adults need calcium, because it promotes healthy bone growth. Getting enough vitamin D is important, too, because that helps you absorb calcium.

It’s not always easy.

“The risk for low vitamin D in older adults, that’s kind of a challenge, because it’s not like there’s lots of foods that are high in vitamin D,” says Stephen Anton, from the Department of Aging and Geriatric Research at the University of Florida.

Calcium is also difficult for many older people to absorb, yet too much can cause constipation. It’s something you need to discuss with your doctor or dietitian.

Make sure you have yogurt, low-fat cheeses, and milk for calcium. Few foods naturally carry vitamin D. Calcium and vitamin D are in fortified foods.

You should also know that in addition to being a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, canned salmon is full of calcium and has some vitamin D.

If you really want to lose your body fat than look for my Ebooks at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet.

There’s two ebooks.  “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $1.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my Ebook. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new ebook is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

                   

I Just Finished My Second eBook

I just finish a second ebook by ray0369 It's all about getting healthy. Why we add body fat?, Why we have trouble losing weight?, What happens to us if we don't lose that fat, and how we can be trim, slim and healthy at any age. This ebook is very affordable and will be available at all the online bookstores next year. Go to any of the websites and search the title to find my Ebook. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans or meal plans. Look for my ebook. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K. next year. Today it's available on the "Smashwords.com" website. On the front page type "getting to a healthy weight" in the search block at the top of the page. You can read a sample.

Bad Habits Stop You From Losing Weight

Quit smoking. Lay off the junk food. Stop being a couch potato. Don’t stay up too late.

Sounds simple enough: If you have a bad habit, break it.

But “simple” doesn’t necessarily mean “easy.” You’ll need a good strategy.

Swap Bad for Good

It’s important to add good habits to replace your bad ones. Otherwise, the stuff you want to stop doing will probably come back. For instance, you go to Starbuck's in the morning to meet friends, that's not a bad habit, it's what you order that can make it a bad habit. You want to replace the Latte with something that doesn't have calories. Black coffee or tea with non-fat milk. You might not eat breakfast, but Latte's have lots of calories and they're empty calories.

If you smoked, people who quit smoking can replace it with eating too much. Packing healthy snacks can be a good replacement. Bring fruit or nuts with you to work, don't buy junk from the snack machine. 

It might be great that you turn off the computer in time to wind down and fall asleep, but if you replace that with looking at your phone or watching TV, that’s probably not going to help. Instead, try meditating, writing in a journal, or reading something on paper. (Light from a screen can keep you awake.) Use a book or something printed on paper to help you fall asleep.

Make sure you enjoy your new healthy habit. If you hate running on a treadmill, chances are you won’t stick with it. If you don’t like broccoli, there’s no point in loading your plate with it because you won’t enjoy it. When you're looking to replace a bad habit make sure this is something you like.

Change one habit at a time. Trying to do too much at once can be overwhelming. It can make you feel like you don’t know where to start, so you don’t start at all. As you meet each goal, try to add another one.

Don’t rush it. Chances are you didn’t develop the bad habit overnight, so give yourself the time to develop the new one. It can take 2 to 3 months for a habit to really take hold.

Track Your Progress

Keep a daily record of the changes you make. If you haven’t met your goals for the week, think about what went wrong, then adjust. If you’ve met your goals, give yourself a little reward. Seeing things add up -- like your work-outs or the days since you’ve had a cigarette -- can motivate and encourage you.

Forgive Yourself

Setbacks are normal. Don’t beat yourself up. Think back to when you first started, look at your daily record, and remind yourself of how far you’ve come. One slip-up doesn’t wipe all of that out. Pick up where you left off.

Breaking a bad habit is about the journey, not the destination.

I wanted to change what I eat and I changed all at once to a fresh food diet. I wasn't going to buy anything anymore that had a label. Everything fresh. Meat,fruit and vegetables, I even started to buy bread from a bakery fresh baked.

I found out that it takes a lot of will power to change everything all at once. For most people, it might be too hard, but it worked for me. After you make the change, you can't look back. I know it might sound easy, because there won't be any calories to count or special diets to follow. That's true, but that also means no canned or bottled drinks except for water. You can't drink anything with calories. 

Coffee and tea is fine, but don't add calories. Don't make foods with gravies or sauces. Eat fresh means to eat the food as close to it's natural state as possible. Yes, you can season your food but use spices but no added sugar. 

The part that I found the hardest was "eating out". That can be challenging. For the longest time I was eating dry salads with vinegar or lemon juice and a glass of water. You have to be careful ordering salads. Don't order a salad with cheese or meat. You can change a 300 calorie salad into a 800 calorie salad real quick. Chef salads and Taco salads are the worst. Some can be more than 1000 calories.

I know it sounds crazy to only eat salads when you're in a restaurant, but meats in restaurants are usually soared in marinates which is bad for your diet and sometimes bad for your health. Restaurant chains will use marinate to tenderize meat and add flavor and that's when it become a high-calorie dinner. Fish can be a better option, if they will serve it without a sauce or any gravy.

I found that eating "fresh" meant a lot of home-cooked meals and that's the hardest part.

If you really want to lose your body fat than look for my Ebook at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet.

“How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $1.99. Go to any of the websites and search the title to find my Ebook. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

Reasons Why Your Diet Isn't Working

You're doing everything right and your diet isn't working. You're not eating a lot, but you're still gaining weight. Is it your fault? Are you doing something wrong? Did you choose the wrong weight loss plan?  Are you simply meant to be overweight?  The answer to all of those questions is probably no.

No matter what diet you're on, no matter which weight loss expert you follow or workout program you practice, the secret to weight loss success is finding the right energy balance.

You've got to burn more calories than you consume. But it's more complicated than it sounds, because there are many factors that affect both your energy input (calories consumed) and your energy output (calories burned). 

Reasons that Your Diet Isn't Working

There are many factors that affect your daily calorie intake.  Any of them could be the reason that you can't lose weight.  Most likely, the problem is a combination of several factors.  Evaluate each of them to see where you can make adjustments.

• Hunger  Is your diet starving you. That's not the way to lose your body fat.
• 
  
• Boredom  Many people snack from boredom, especially at night. Healthy snacks are good, but never snack at night. Those calories will go straight to your fat cells.

• Low-fat pitfalls  Foods that are high in fat contain more calories.  But many times these foods are more satisfying than low-fat foods that are high in sugar.  So what's the better choice? You can find low-fat, low-cal foods like non-fat Greek yogurt, but it's still a good idea not to eat at night. Usually I get hungry at night because I didn't eat enough protein during the day. I'll do Yoga at night and the urge will pass and I forget about it.

• Meal frequency Eating more often may help you to avoid binge eating at mealtime, but eating more often also increases your chances to consume too many calories.  If you eat 2-3 large meals during the day and snack often because you're hungry, try 4-5 smaller, calorie-controlled meals.  On the other hand, if you have a meal every three hours and you're not losing weight, you may be eating too often. I like the 5 meal a day plan, I don't get hungry if I eat every three hours, but you have to control the calories. I try and stay to about 300 calories per meal. You can do an internet search "300 calorie meals" and you'll find dozens of chioces.
• 
  
• Stress  Many of us manage emotions with food. Food provides comfort, often gives us a sense of control and is a source of enjoyment.  But those comfort calories add up. If you suspect that emotional eating is derailing your diet, consider healthy alternatives to reduce stress. Take yoga, or any physical exercise you can do for 30 minutes.
• 
  
• Fatigue  What do you do when your body begins to lag in the afternoon?  I don't know about you, but I head to the kitchen.  It's natural to look for energy (i.e. calories) when you need a quick pick-me-up. The problem is that when your activity level lags, the worse thing you can do is consume more calories.  Before you grab your late afternoon snack, ask yourself if you are responding to hunger or fatigue. If you're tired, take a 15-minute nap! If your at work, drink hot tea or coffee.

• Portion size  Almost all of us make portion size mistakes all day long.  If your diet isn't working think about keeping a food log, record all your food and drinks. Most people are making the same mistakes, They think they consume less calories than they really do.

Food choices When trying to lose body fat, make your calories count. Don't eat empty calories. Most of the time we consume empty calories in our drinks. Stop drinking anything that contains calories and stick to eating foods with high amounts of nutrition.

Workouts that are too hard  Believe it or not, but your workout might be the reason that you're not losing weight.  Some programs like CrossFit could actually be harmful to your weight loss program if it causes you to take too much time off or worse, causes injury.  Try to get some physical activity every day.  That means you should schedule easy and moderate workouts along with the high-intensity fat burners.

• Non-exercise activity level.  If your fat-burning Tabata workout exhausts you to the point that you spend the rest of the day on the couch, then you are not benefiting from NEAT.  Non-exercise activity thermogenesis can account for up to 2000 calories burned per day.  Make sure you keep moving all day long. Take the stairs, carry your own groceries, stand while you chat on the phone.  It all adds up. 
• 
  
• Stress-induced laziness.  Some people react to stress by moving.  But others take to the couch in times of trouble.  If you are going through a difficult time, give yourself permission to rest.  But try to incorporate easy workouts with a friend to gain support and stay active. 
• 
  
• Fatigue. The simple act of dieting can cause stress and fatigue. Even if your weight loss program is not at fault, daily exhaustion is likely to hinder your workouts and your NEAT.  Learn how to sleep better for weight loss. Take simple steps like charging your phone in the kitchen or changing the lighting in your bedroom to get a better night's sleep.
• 
  
• Physical factors.  Medical conditions, like thyroid disease, can affect your daily caloric expenditure.  Factors such as age and genetics also play a role in the number of calories you burn.  Talk to your doctor about factors that affect your metabolism. Sometimes there are things you can do to give it a boost. 
• 
  
• Body composition.  Muscle burns more calories than fat.  To increase your calorie burn all day, boost your lean muscle mass.  Eat enough protein to fuel your weekends and build strong muscle. Then complete regular strength training workouts at home or at the gym to get lean and buff.
• 
  
• Your job. Occupations that require you to sit at a desk will decrease your daily energy output. You're not likely to change jobs to lose weight, but you may be able to make simple changes in your office to increase your daily caloric burn.  Stand while you type, try asking your boss for a stand-up desk, skip the elevator and walk the stairs, turn sit-down meetings into walking meetings.  Some companies are even installing treadmill desks to help workers increase their daily activity level and improve health.
• 
  
• Exercise habits.  The way you schedule your workouts can make a difference in the number of calories you burn during each one.  For example, if you schedule a long run on a day after a tough boot camp workout, you may be too tired during the run to gain a real benefit.  Create a balanced exercise program to burn calories with consistent but reasonable workouts.
• 
  
• Exercise-induced eating.  Believe it or not, one of the most common mistakes that dieters make is eating too much and justifying the episode with exercise.  Heavy exercise programs will actually stimulate your appetite. So you justify that big lunch because you did a big workout. Workouts don't burn that many calories. On average a big workout will burn about 300 calories, the same as a small lunch. 

Is My Diet Doomed to Fail?

Trying to find the reason your diet isn't working can be painful.  But if one of these factors is contributing to your weight loss woes, you need to address it if you want to slim down.  Get creative and try different tweaks. Everyone can lose weight, you have to find the right way for you.

If you have loved some weight but stopped losing, you probably have to adjust your calories again. As you lose you require less calories, so every 10 pounds or so that you lose drop the number of calories your eating by 100 and see if that works.

Losing body fat should be your goal. Read up on weight loss and losing body fat. It doesn’t cost money to lose weight. The internet is full of free information.

But the quickest way and cheapest way is to buy an ebook online and get everything you need in one short read. I have two ebooks on Amazon:

How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight

Getting To A Healthy Weight

Check out one of them, I think you can find all the info you need and plenty of tips on how I lost my body fat. 

Look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find these e-books. These books give you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans or meal plans. Look for my books at Amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com,

 iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

New Technology for Treadmills

Your heart rate will control the speed of the treadmill.

Sounds crazy, right? It's the newest thing in high-tech sports equipment. You can use the hand rails on the machine or your own chest monitor that plugs into the machine and than by adding a few numbers about your condition the machine will calculate your "target heart rate" and control the speed so your workout is at your target heart rate constantly throughout the the time programed.

Heart rate control and heart rate monitors are popular on many exercise machines including treadmills, elliptical trainers and stationary bikes.

• Heart Rate Monitor: A treadmill with a heart rate monitor reads your heart rate by connecting with pulse sensors on the side rails or a chest strap monitor. It gives you data but doesn't control your workout.
• Heart Rate Control: Heart rate control dictates the extent of your workout by controlling the exertion level of your treadmill.

Why Use a Treadmill with Heart Rate Control

To get an optimum workout, it is important to pace your exercise. You want your heart rate at the proper intensity level for an extended period of time. If your heart rate gets too high, your activity can become counterproductive. If it is too low, you are not getting any substantial health benefits.

That is why one of the most effective methods for fitness training is through monitoring and controlling your heart rate. This is particularly true when striving for cardiovascular goals. Whether you want to shed a few pounds, train for a marathon, or just feel good about yourself, heart rate training and control can optimize your workout.

Handgrip vs. Wireless Heart Rate Control

• Handgrip Control: Treadmills with handgrip heart rate control require holding on to the sensors located on the side rails. It is awkward for walking, and just not feasible for jogging. Only one type of heart rate control makes sense, and that is wireless.

• Wireless Control: With wireless control, you attach a strap around your chest, and your heart rate is fed to the console. This, in turn, controls the intensity of your workout by keeping your cardio exercise within a predetermined heart rate.

Getting in the Zone

Sally Edwards, author of "The Heart Rate Monitor Guidebook," discusses the value of heart zone training.

It works for 20-year-old athletes as well as 70-year-olds with heart trouble. The goal is to get into a particular zone. She identifies 5 zones:

• The Healthy Heart Zone: 50% to 60% of your individual maximum heart rate. This is a safe, comfortable zone reached by and easy walk. This is the best zone for people who are just starting to exercise. This zone has been shown to help decrease body fat, blood pressure and cholesterol.
• The Temperate Zone: 60% to 70% of your individual maximum heart rate. This zone provides the same benefits as the healthy heart zone, but is more intense and burns more total calories. Achieved through a faster walking speed or a slow jog.
• The Aerobic Zone: 70% to 80% of your individual maximum heart rate. This zone will improve your cardiovascular and respiratory system and increase the size and strength of your heart. Achieved through a steady jog.
• The Anaerobic Threshold Zone: 80% to 90% of your individual maximum heart rate. This is a high-intensity zone is achieved through a "burning" run.

• The Redline Zone: 90% to 100% of your individual maximum heart rate. This zone is the equivalent of running full out and is often used in "interval" training. This zone should be approached with caution and can lead to injuries when sustained for a long period.

Edwards suggests that after determining your maximum heart rate, you can improve your fitness by exercising in several different zones. You alternate in those zones to increase your cardiovascular fitness and vary your exercise regimen.

• I like this idea. I try and stay in my target zone every time I workout but it's not easy to hold the same heart rate for 30 minutes. But with this type of new technology in equipment everyone will be able to get more out of their workout.

If you really want to lose your body fat than look for my Ebook at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet.

“How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $1.99. Go to any of the websites and search the title to find my Ebook. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.