Are Carbs Important for Weight Loss

Another great post from Hungry-Girl website.

Carbs can be downright confusing: Some sources claim that eating carbs can hinder weight loss and cause weight gain; others say carbs are a diet essential.
There are rumors out there that eating carbs can be detrimental to your diet. Low-carb diets have gone through periods of being super popular for weight loss. But here’s the deal:

Reality: Carbs Don’t Make You Gain Weight; Excess Calories Do

Carbs don't cause instant weight gain, but starchy carbs do have a tendency to be calorie-dense. And if you eat too many calories, you’ll probably put on weight, whether those calories are from carbs or another nutrient. Sure, it’s a problem if your diet consists only of carbs, but it’s also problematic if you’re skipping them completely. Carbohydrates play an important role in your diet; they provide energy to your body. The name of the game is balance: The USDA recommends that 45 to 65 percent of an adult’s daily calorie intake comes from carbs, with the remainder of calories coming from a mixture of protein and fat.
When it Comes to Carbs, There Are a Few Things to Keep in Mind

1. Not all carbs are created equal.

Certain carbs are better for your health than others. It’s important to limit refined carbs, which are prevalent in foods like processed white bread and cakes.
The process of refinement means the whole grains have been extracted, removing much of the fiber and nutritional value and leaving you with sugary carbs and empty calories.

A better way to fill your daily carb quota is with complex carbs, which are found in whole foods like oats, whole grains like brown rice, beans, green veggies, and potatoes. Fruits are also carbs along with nuts and seeds. Avoid bad carbs, and eat the good carbs.

I want to but in to this Hungry-Girl post and stress the point of refined carbs. Refined carbs are the enemy of any weight loss diet. These foods are not natural foods. They have been called "Franken-food". Like the monster in the story "Frankenstein" these foods are manufactured and have little or no nutritional value or simple "empty calories". Because manufacturers have been accused of feeding the public junk food many of the products like breakfast cereal and bread are now fortified with vitamins but these are chemical substitutes and there is no proof that our body can absorb them.

In the case of vitamins in bottles, it has been proven that most vitamins don't work or do very little good. The best way to get the vitamins our body needs is in the food we eat. Don't be fooled by advertising. These companies are only interested in your money.

Complex carbs are low in sugar and tend to be high in fiber. And fiber takes longer to digest than other carbs, so it keeps you satisfied and feeling full for a long time. That’s definitely true for me — if I snack on something like an apple, I’m much less likely to reach for a candy bar later in the day.

2. Even complex carbs can be calorie-dense, so watch your servings.

Always read nutritional labels, and practice portion control. One of my favorite ways to enjoy calorie-dense carbs in moderation is to bulk up the serving size with low-calorie foods like veggies: You get the health benefits of the carbs, plus a big portion and a low-calorie count!

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.

If you really want to lose your body fat than 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.

There are two e-books. “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 e-book. 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 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.

Why Do Humans Have Fat

Good question. Some body fat is necessary; we need it to cushion the organs in our body. Also, our body burns good fats as fuel to create energy.  Approximately  30% of all the calories burned every day to create energy come from fat that you eat or stored fat that you body keeps in reserve.

So why is fat bad? you might ask. There is good fat and bad fat, I'll explain. Your body will try and process all the food and drink you consume, but some things that we eat can't be processed; it has no value to the body, so it's stored in fat cells. When your body processes food it separates it into food it can use and the waste it can't use, but if your body can't process something or you over eat and the body hasn't the time to process it, then it gets sent to fat storage cells before the body can process it.

Our ancestors needed this system of fat storage because Man  never knew when he would find food again. Because of the active lifestyle of our ancestors, always doing physical work, always walking about, there was never any thought about Man storing too much fat. Man was not designed to deal with excess body fat. Man was designed to store fat whenever possible for the purpose of survival. And yes we were given brains to deal with our evolution because over time we would evolve. But in spite of the brains we were given, we haven't done a very good job of maintaining our bodies. The body has no mechanism  to control our weight. We have no way of knowing that we are eating too much.

Our activity level is much lower than our grandparents even. Today we do most of our work with our mind's. Yes, we do small things to keep us active, but the average office worker is only on their foot about 4 hours a day.  So we do have to be more active all day long whenever possible. But that's not our only problem; American are in the habit of eating whatever and whenever they want. We have food available 24/7 and on average we consume twice the calories we should.

Her lies the problem. To stay healthy and keep a healthy weight you have to burn the calories you eat. Simply right? Not really. If man had a fresh food diet and only fresh food like vegetables, fruits and lean meat and some whole grain like brown rice and there was no other food; than Man wouldn't have a weight problem. As long as you were moderately active you couldn't eat enough to gain weight. But today we eat all types of food that give us no nutrition; the body can't process this type food and stores it as fat. We consume too much fatty foods that overload the Liver, so if the Liver can't process all the fat  it passes through into the blood stream and clog up the arteries.

To be healthy and stay healthy you have to stick to a fresh food diet. Look up "The Mediterranean diet" and look for the food pyramid that shows all the choices. If you eat healthy you will lose body fat over time. By walking more, and I recommend the 10,000 step a day program for beginners that don't exercise regularly,  you can lose the weight quicker. But losing weight does take time. Don't get discouraged, stick to the program and don't cheat. Cheat days only ruin all the good that you've done.

The Atkins Diet is an alternative. It's a little more restrictive, but it works. Check out both those, they are the best one I know.

If you really want to lose your body fat than 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. 

There are two e-books. “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 e-book. 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 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. 

What Is A Calorie, Anyway?

I write about calories all the time and we read about calories constantly but do you really know what a calorie is? If you're going to cut your calories to lose weight you should 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. 

The No-Diet Weight Loss Program

Didn't think you could lose weight without dieting. The short answer is "You can".

By adopting sensible eating habits and practicing portion control, you can eat nutritious foods so that you take in as many calories as you need to maintain your health and well-being at your ideal weight. Often, weight loss occurs on its own simply when you start making better food choices, such as avoiding

processed foods,
sugar-laden foods,
white bread and pasta (substitute whole-grain varieties instead),
foods with a high percentage of calories from fat,
alcoholic drinks.

While nothing is absolutely forbidden, when you do succumb to temptation, keep the portion size small and add a bit more exercise to your daily workout.

O.K., I'm not crazy, give up alcohol "TOTALLY", WHAT.

TRUTHFULLY, I did give up beer during the months I was losing weight, but after I reached my normal weight I did go back to an occasional beer. I had to cut out wheat which means gluten-free and that's why I didn't drink beer. Wheat is in almost everything made in a bakery and in beer. But your in-luck because gluten-free is the "IN" thing now. There's a lot of gluten-free foods in the grocers. If you want a flat mid-section you might want to try gluten-free. If you can pick a low-carb diet, it's the carbs that contain processed wheat and low-carb means meat, vegetables and fruit and there's no-wheat in that, but gluten-free bread is made from rice flour and so are other carbs like breakfast cereal, crackers and cookies even pasta that are gluten-free. Dietitians now think that processed wheat is just as bad for you as smoking. It will spike your glucose levels followed by a glucose level crash that will immediately cause cravings for more food. It maybe the worst food you can eat. And to top it off, the foods with processed wheat are all high in calorie. The perfect storm to ruin your diet. 

By replacing some unwise food choices with healthy ones, you'll be cutting back on calories. If you add some moderate physical activity, you have the perfect weight-loss plan without the need for special or inconvenient (and often expensive) diet plans.

An example of a successful no-diet weight loss program

A 45-year-old woman complains that she has gradually put on 12 pounds over the past year. In the last month, she's faced a stressful work deadline and added another 4 pounds to her frame.

This individual's goal is to lose the 16 pounds she has gained. Since her weight has been gradually increasing, she knows that she is consuming more calories than she is burning, especially with her sedentary job. She decides that a weight loss of 1 pound per week (equal to a deficit of about 3,500 calories, or cutting 500 calories per day) would be acceptable and would allow her to reach her goal in about four months.

She decides to make some changes that will allow her to cut back an average of 250 calories per day.

Skipping a large glass of sweetened iced tea will save about 200 calories.
Substituting mineral water for the cola she regularly drinks during meetings can save another 150 calories.
Foregoing her morning muffin snack (or eating only half a muffin) can also save 250 calories or more.
To reach her goal of a 500-calorie-per-day savings, she adds some exercise.

Getting up early for a 20-minute walk before work and adding a 10-minute walk during her lunch break add up to a half hour of walking per day, which can burn about 200 calories.

On weekends, she plans to walk for 60 minutes one day and spend one hour gardening the next day for even greater calorie burning. If walking for 60 minutes is too much, two 30-minute walks one day would burn the same number of calories.

Twice per week she plans to stop at the gym on the way home from work, even if only for a half hour of stationary cycling or swimming (each burning up to 250 calories).

By making just some of the dietary cutbacks mentioned and starting some moderate exercise, this individual can easily "save" the 3,500 calories per week needed for a 1-pound weight loss, leading to a healthy rate of weight loss without extreme denial or deprivation. Furthermore, her changes in diet and lifestyle are small and gradual, modifications that she can maintain over time.

I think there's a mistake in the math. It looks to me like she's cutting more then 1000 calories a day. Stopping at the Gym might be beneficial but personally i think extra walking may fit into her schedule easier then getting a Gym Membership. I'd rather see her walk an extra 30-minutes after work and do some extra walking on the weekends. 

You can see how losing weight can be easy just by cutting out your bad habits like sugar in your tea or coffee, donuts or rolls, no muffins or other sweet stuff and do some extra walking. Sometimes it really doesn't take much, but you do have to think about anything your going to eat or drink.

If you really want to lose your body fat than 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. 

There are two e-books. “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 e-book. 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 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. 

Should I Go Gluten-Free To Lose ?

There are many opinions on this subject. If there's no medical reason, why do it. If you read the post below from VeryWell.com you'll find that gluten is used in man-made foods. It's there to enhance the taste.

Gluten is a protein naturally found in many grain-containing foods, a simple product of food chemistry: gliadin and glutenin combine to form gluten, which is responsible for many of the wonderfully tasty properties foods like bread and pasta provide.

Only about 1 percent of Americans have celiac disease, a rare autoimmune disorder, and about 6 percent have a gluten sensitivity; both lead to a variety of gastrointestinal symptoms.

If you don't have celiac disease, are there benefits to going gluten-free? The True Health Initiative Council of Directors weigh in.

Joel Kahn, MD, FACC
Clinical Professor of Medicine (Cardiology), Wayne State University School of Medicine

If you are not celiac you should enjoy, not avoid, whole grains. Published data in large studies identify that whole grains

improve heart health and lower the risk of heart attack
lower Type 2 diabetes risk
reduce cancer risk
support optimal body weight, and
promote a long life free of chronic diseases.

The recommendation of both the USDA and the Harvard School of Public Health is to fill 25 percent of your plate with whole grains and I agree. It's likely that increased whole grains in the diet often replace calorie-dense processed foods low in nutrients. The health implications of eating more whole grains in place of nutrition-poor options and the potential to reduce rates of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity are enormous.

I prefer organic grains whenever possible because of reports of using Roundup before harvesting to prevent spoilage.

P.K. Newby, ScD, MPH, MS
Principal and Owner, The Nutrition Doctor; Adjunct Associate Professor of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health

The prevalence of celiac disease and related gluten disorders has risen in recent years, and many have jumped on the gluten-free bandwagon as a result.

Are you among them?

The simple fact is that whole, unprocessed grains that retain their nutrients and fiber are part of a healthy diet for most people. Indeed, many Americans don’t consume the amount recommended for optimal health and disease prevention—and going gluten-free makes it even harder. As a result, those supplanting whole grains with other foods can end up having a less nutritious diet, perhaps forgetting about non-gluten containing options like quinoa or amaranth. Moreover, there is no evidence to show that gluten-free diets are particularly beneficial for weight loss, though you can lose weight on any diet as long as calories expended are fewer than those consumed.

Considering how what you eat makes you feel is always important, so if you’ve noticed a correlation with gluten-containing foods, it’s worth paying attention: gluten-related disorders are uncomfortable, and under-diagnosed. But seeing a physician for clinical testing, keeping a food diary, and thinking about your diet as a whole should be the first steps you take before cutting out entire food groups that might otherwise make it harder for you to eat a nutritious, balanced, and diverse diet.

Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD
Nutrition Expert

Even though it is hip to go gluten-free, many people who are doing so don’t need to follow this type of restrictive diet plan. A gluten-free diet eliminates gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, barley, and is the primary mode of therapy for anyone with celiac disease. It is not a weight loss plan nor will it boost energy or treat autism.

However, some people have non-celiac gluten sensitivity and have shown improvement by limiting gluten in their diets. If you have symptoms associated with gluten ingestion, try eliminating it and see if the symptoms subside. Be forewarned that gluten lurks in all kinds of products and going gluten-free can be challenging and expensive.

It’s best to consult your healthcare provider if you suspect you are intolerant or sensitive to gluten to rule out celiac disease before going gluten-free, too.

You've read the "pros", now read the "cons". Many of the foods containing grain, like bread and pasta, don't use whole grains. They use a manufactured version or "processed flour" or "processed wheat" that has been stripped of any nutrition that you would normally find in wheat. And if you notice in the labels that everything from donuts to cake, bread, pie crust, and any other bakery goods or snack food like chips all contain processed wheat flour.

So what, you might ask? Processed flour is just another food stuff with no nutrition that will elevate you blood sugar levels the same as "refined sugar", which by the way is another manufactured product.

When you actually eat the plant food, "like organic rice", you get all the nutrition in the grain. Any grain that has been refined or processed has had the nutrition stripped during the processing.

So "going gluten free" for most people on that type of diet is simply a way to avoid processed flour and if you want to lose weight differently avoid processed flour and only eat whole grains like rice or Quinoa.

I write several blogs and ebooks, check out some of my other sites.

idropped40pounds.wordpress.com
howbaddoyouwanttoloseweight.blogspot.com
blogonweight.blogspot.com

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. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my ebooks.

There are 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.

Your Pants Don't Lie

I read several posts every day and the one I thought was the best one today was on Wordpress.com. The author BandedGirl writes about her battle with weight and her last post is worth a read. "Your pants Don't lie" and I copied a small part:

"so after all these things happened, i gave up
i started eating more
drinking more
not exercising
eating more than i know is right
and stopped believing in myself
what is the end result..
my pants not buttoning do NOT lie
it speaks the truth
it is UP to me to get back on track
i can say and write what i want to
but until i do..actually do something about it..
my pants will continue to tell the truth.."

Just that small part of her post gives you an insight into her battle with weight loss. Many of the celebrates that advertise those weight loss products on TV looked good for a while but most of them have gained the weight back. It's easy to start to cheat after you started to lose weight. You can liken losing weight to stop smoking. There's a type of addiction to some foods mostly because of the food additives manufacturers use in their products.

That's why the only way to lose weight permanently is to learn to eat differently. It's the food we eat that adds the weight. Eating all natural food like fresh fruits, vegetables, and fresh meat and seafood will change the way you metabolism works and your body will start to burn your body fat.

Losing weight is about losing body fat. Don't worry about the pounds, worry about the inches around your waist. As your waistline slims down other body fat will also shrink

If you really want to lose your body fat than 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.
There are two e-books. “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 e-book. 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 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.

Can You Just Cut Back On Alcohol Or Quit?

When I was actively working on losing my body fat I did have to  practically stop all alcohol. Alcohol has too many calories. If you have been drinking at a level that is considered high-risk or heavy drinking, you may want to consider making a change in your drinking patterns -- or quit altogether. But which is the best choice for you? Should you try moderating your alcohol consumption, or should you try to quit?

Some studies show that alcohol in any quantity will shut-down your metabolism and keep you from burning calories. How long will the effects of alcohol last? I don't know I never saw or read anything about quantity or time. If your interested do some research, I'm sure there's information out there. 

Many people do learn to moderate their drinking and are successful in returning to a pattern of low-risk drinking.

Just as there are support groups for those trying to quit drinking, there are support groups for those who are trying to cut down or moderate their drinking.

When Cutting Down Doesn't Work

If you try to cut down, but find that you cannot stay within the limits that you set for yourself, it may be best to quit instead. One of the main reasons that people decide to quit drinking and seek help to do so is because they find they have lost the ability to control the amount they drink.

You are the person who is in the best position to make the decision of whether to cut down or quit. If you can consistently drink one or two drinks and no more, then you may be able to cut down to a low-risk drinking pattern. But if you find that those first two drinks usually trigger an urge for more and you rarely drink only two, chances are moderation is not an option.

When Quitting Is Advised

There are other reasons that quitting drinking may be a better option for you than moderation or cutting down, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA):

• If you have been diagnosed with an alcohol use disorder, or you currently have symptoms of alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence.
• If you have certain medical conditions, such as cirrhosis of the liver, hepatitis C, chronic pain, certain heart conditions, or mental disorders such as bipolar disorder.
• If you are taking certain medications that can negatively interact with alcohol.

• If you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant.

Other Reasons to Quit

If you are planning to make a change in your drinking, it is best if you discuss the decision with your healthcare provider. According to the NIAAA, even if you do not fit into any of the above categories, your physician may recommend that you quit drinking based on other factors, such as:

• A family history of alcoholism
• Your age
• If you have had alcohol-related injuries
• Alcohol-related sleep disturbances or sexual dysfunction

It's Your Decision

Whatever your decision - to cut down or to quit drinking - there is support available to help you met your goals. If you decide to quit, you may want to seek help. You do not have to do it on your own.

If you really want to lose your body fat than 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. 

There are two e-books. “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 e-book. 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 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.