Saturday, December 15, 2007

Weight Loss vs Fat Loss

Weight Loss V.S. Fat Loss
When people feel overweight or out of shape the first thing that comes to mind is the need to lose weight. Weight loss is highly publicized and used frequently by many people when attempting to get slimmer. What is weight loss?

Weight loss is losing body weight. That is simply what it is. It can be weight loss from water, fat, muscle, excreted feces, or a mix of all of them. Obviously, the main goal of weight loss is to lose fat. Fat loss is what everybody wants but is not what everybody first thinks. Here’s the typical person’s thought: “I’m fat…I need to lose weight.” Rather than thinking that they need to lose fat they state that they need to lose weight.

Although weight loss is good, losing muscle will not be beneficial in any way. One needs to be VERY careful in starting any plan that promises “weight loss”, especially guaranteed results fast. Those programs can and will hold to their promise at the expense of healthy muscle. Muscle is a very important element in losing weight and staying healthy. You don’t want to lose any! There are also comfort zones in weight loss.

Another cheap tactic marketers use for weight loss is the promises of quick pound reduction. Diets, such as the “master cleanse” are known to make one lose an immense amount of weight. Most of the weight is gained back very quickly once the individual returns back to normal eating. Cleansing diets are effective in causing weight loss but the primary purpose of cleanses is to cleanse! Losing weight on those diets is not the focus and will only be temporary.

Losing fat should be the top priority in any person’s mind who wants to lose weight. Fat loss will not only make one healthier but their results will look better. Losing 20 pounds of muscle will make you saggy and lose. Losing 20 pounds of fat will make you look firmer, leaner, and much healthier. I don’t know about you but I rather lose the fat and take a little longer than lose 20 pounds of muscle and look like my great grandfather.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Comfort Zones in Weight Loss

When it comes to life there are always comfort zones. There also are always the same people that stay in their zones and minorities who wander out of their zones further expanding their zones. Which person are you?
Does your comfort zone have anything to do with health and fitness? Absolutely! If you can’t give a diet a chance then you’re hiding behind your own current diet which may or not be damaging you. 

Many people do not like the idea of counting calories. It gives the notion that you’ll have to count everything you eat and you’ll end up eating like a robot. Although this can be true at first, when you adjust to it, it is really easy. I, for example, have become so accustom to counting calories and looking at labels that I know how many calories there are in general foods. Of course, if there are some specific foods that are loaded with some “secret” ingredient it may have more calories than I estimate. However, I probably wouldn’t be eating something that I knew was filled with calorie dense ingredients. 

Changing lifestyle habits may seem hard but they will benefit you in the long term. Imagine implementing one healthy habit every week. In a year how much healthier do you think you’ll be? Simply by venturing out of your comfort zone a week at a time you can be living an extremely healthy life! 

Many people refuse to continue with diets or don’t even start diets at all because of comfort zones for weight loss diets. They have vivid memories of their past when they could eat anything they wanted to eat. They could go have fast foods, get groceries at the local gas station, etc. Returning back to old comfort zones and staying there is simply being a coward! I have had many times when I thought of simply going back to eating whatever I felt like. However, I didn’t and I have grown as a result. 

Controlling your internal desires for things that are not good for you is very important. Not just in weight loss but in everything in life. It’s strange but the more I look at it the more I begin to realize that the ability to lose weight has a lot to do with the ability to live life. Some people work hard and reap the benefits while others settle for what they got and move on day by day wishing for some magic pill to come around and take away their problems.For more tips check out a system on how to lose weight fast for free.

Weight Loss Diet

Weight Loss Diet Tips
You're at the local book store and must choose between the "low fat high protein diet" and the "eat anything you want diet". What's a dieter to do?

Weight loss has become almost as confusing as any other thing that is confusing...isn't that confusing? What was once a simple thing has now turned into a massively complex thing that now requires the person advising others to have some medical scientific background. Ever since money has come to play in weight loss diets, things have just been getting more and more complex.

The solution? Eat less! Every guide on how to lose weight fast will usually require one to eat less. Unless it, of course, is a raw vegan diet in which eating even 3000 calories a day of fruits and vegetables will still make weight loss easy!

Nevertheless, like most people, eating less food will promote weight loss. However, the types of food consumed must be watched. What types of food one eats is very critical for weight loss diets. Having only 1000 calories from donuts will not be healthy and will promote many diseases long term.

A healthy weight loss diet is one which will promote longevity, health, and prevention of many diseases. Losing weight shouldn't be your main priority. Your main priority should be to regain your health. Eating a more natural diet is the most important aspect of weight loss. Having processed foods is absolutely awful for your body. The human body is built for foods that occur in nature. It is not built for foods that occur in nature and are chemically altered to taste better!

Any diets success is built upon the foods that it contains. So, when looking at a diet always look at the foods that it promotes. "Weight Watchers" is a diet which promotes some foods, however, look at the foods they sell at the store. Microwavable products? NO! Microwavable products are filled with unnatural preservatives and are altered to last many months. Remember, the more natural the better. Look at some diets that promote unhealthy foods. Sure, you can lose weight but how long will you be able to keep up having greasy sausages and bacon?

It's interesting to note that I've tried many many weight loss diets and the one that I enjoy the most is the Raw Vegan Diet. Let me say, I am NOT promoting the Raw Vegan Diet. That type of diet is very extreme and most will not have the will power to do it. However, I have increased energy levels and feel great all the time.

Anyhow, for most people, picking a diet of more natural foods is good enough for weight loss. Also, cutting around 500 calories a day will also speed up the weight loss and return your body back to its optimal natural state that it was meant to be at before being filled with preservatives and altered foods that caused it to blow up.

Check out another article on Healthy Weight Loss Program

Healthy Weight Loss Program

Healthy weight loss is achievable through many options. You could burn it off through exercise, naturally lose weight through a healthy diet, or incorporate both to have the best results. 

When it comes to natural program on how to lose weight fast, everybody knows that you have to eat less. The question is, how much less?

Healthy Weight Loss Program
The most recommended amount of calories to cut is approximately 500. Find out how many calories you burn a day (http://health.discovery.com/tools/calculators/basal/basal.html) and simply subtract 500. Eating that many calories a day will not result in immediate weight loss but will cause you to have healthy weight loss. When doing this people usually will lose around 2 pounds a week.
The big problem with not counting how many calories you eat is that you could end up eating more or less. Eating less is good isn’t it? Cutting up to 700 calories a day is the maximum limit. Any more than that and your body will NOT lose weight the way you imagine.

Eating low calories will slow down the metabolism. Your metabolism will get used to eating less every day and end up burning that amount. This adjustment to your low calorie level will happen, whether in 3 weeks or 7 months. Even if your cutting only 500 calories a day! Your body is made to adapt to eating habits.
Of course, cutting calories will do nothing for you if you’re eating unhealthy foods. Healthy foods not only help with weight loss, they also are…HEALTHY!

Cutting calories, whether only 500 calories or the specific way I do, is the healthiest way to lose weight. It is far superior to pills, surgery, and any other quick fixes available.

When you cut calories you are experiencing what it is like to aim for something that is reachable. And you know that when you succeed it’ll be YOUR FAULT, not some expensive pills.