Weight loss Tip 1
When eating out, always choose the smallest portion size available.
When we choose larger meals, most of us tend to eat past the point of hunger and in doing so consume more kilojoules than we need which contributes to weight gain.
Remember that if you are still hungry after choosing a smaller meal, you can always fill up with something else and enjoy a wider variety of tastes in the process.
Weight loss Tip 2
If we absolutely must eat chips, opting for straight-cut and fatter chips instead of crinkle-cut and thin chips will help minimize fat intake.
Straight-cut and fat chips have less surface area than crinkle-cut and thin chips so hold less fat.
Extra fat equals extra taste, but if we want to lose weight we have to make some sacrifices!
Weight loss Tip 3
Try drinking a glass of water before a meal.
If you tend to overeat at certain meal times (like dinner for example), try drinking a medium to large glass of water 10 to 15 minutes before you sit down to that meal.
Drinking water before your meal will partially fill your stomach and may reduce your hunger levels, because often when we think we are feeling hunger, our body is actually telling us that it is getting dehydrated and needs some water.
Weight loss Tip 4
Offer to be the "designated driver" more often.
If you go out for dinner and drinks with family and friends, offering to be the designated driver will save you hundreds of kilojoules because you can't drink as much alcohol.
In addition to drinking fewer kilojoules, you'll probably eat less as well
because alcohol often makes us "let our guard down" and eat when we are no longer hungry.
Weight loss Tip 5
If you often find yourself reaching for chocolate or lollies in between meals, try eating a handful or two of mixed, unsalted nuts instead.
For best results, mix your own and include nuts that you don't necessarily eat on their own. Eating mixed nuts together means you won't even notice the ones you don't normally eat.
Although some nuts are relatively high in fat, the fat they contain is good fat that our body needs to stay healthy. And because they are so filling, you will probably end up consuming far less total calories than if you ate a less healthy alternative.
Wednesday, 28 July 2010
Best Weight Loss Program Available
You don't have to starve yourself in trying to lose weight.
It's obvious you are on the big side but you can still shed some weight with peace of mind. Determine how much weight you want to lose. You can also set targets for yourself by checking your weight daily if you are doing a seven 7 day weight loss program.
This works well as you know how you are doing. One of the best natural and easiest things to do is to reduce your fat intake. Eat less of fatty foods and watch your diet. No matter what program you are on, take lots of water regularly as this allows for free flow of liquids in your body system. The truth is water helps more than the usual juices we all take and soft drinks. You can also do regular and daily exercises; this helps you to burn unnecessary fat in your body. You can also indulge in some high intensity interval training which will stimulate and double your body mechanism.
Split your food intake between carbohydrate and proteins. If you are doing all these and still you are still on the large side, then it means either you are doing the wrong program or you are still eating your fatty based foods. You can also reduce your weight by taking foods that have less sugar in them. Major problem with overweight people is the problem of diabetes and high blood pressure. So help your self by taking the best and right program.
It's obvious you are on the big side but you can still shed some weight with peace of mind. Determine how much weight you want to lose. You can also set targets for yourself by checking your weight daily if you are doing a seven 7 day weight loss program.
This works well as you know how you are doing. One of the best natural and easiest things to do is to reduce your fat intake. Eat less of fatty foods and watch your diet. No matter what program you are on, take lots of water regularly as this allows for free flow of liquids in your body system. The truth is water helps more than the usual juices we all take and soft drinks. You can also do regular and daily exercises; this helps you to burn unnecessary fat in your body. You can also indulge in some high intensity interval training which will stimulate and double your body mechanism.
Split your food intake between carbohydrate and proteins. If you are doing all these and still you are still on the large side, then it means either you are doing the wrong program or you are still eating your fatty based foods. You can also reduce your weight by taking foods that have less sugar in them. Major problem with overweight people is the problem of diabetes and high blood pressure. So help your self by taking the best and right program.
Wednesday, 16 December 2009
Three Easy Ways to Lose Weight
Three Easy Ways to Lose Weight
Adopt These 3 Daily Eating Habits and Lose 24 Pounds of Body Fat!
Daily eating habits are crucial to weight control. We don't become overweight because we have the occasional eating binge. The extra calories we eat on these occasions do less damage than we think. The truth is, we gain weight because of our daily eating habits. It is these daily high-calorie food choices that do the real damage. So one way to reduce weight is to choose lower-calorie foods for your everyday meals or snacks. Here are three examples:
(1) Lose an Easy Six Pounds of Fat
Choose:
1 cup skim milk (90 calories).
Instead of:
1 cup whole milk (150 calories).
Save
60 calories
Do this once a day and save: 21,900 calories per year.
This is equivalent to: 6.25 pounds of weight
(2) Lose Another Easy Six Pounds of Body Fat
Choose:
6 oz light, fat-free yogurt (80)
Instead of:
6 oz full-fat yogurt (190)
Save
110 calories
Do this 4 times a week and save: 22,880 calories per year.
This is equivalent to: 6.5 pounds of weight
(3) Lose An Easy Eleven Pounds of Body Fat
Choose:
3 Cups Airpopped Popcorn (90)
Instead of:
3 Cups Microwaved Caramel Popcorn (280)
Save
190 calories
Do this 4 times a week and save: 39,520 calories per year.
This is equivalent to: 11.3 pounds of weight
Adopt These 3 Daily Eating Habits and Lose 24 Pounds of Body Fat!
Daily eating habits are crucial to weight control. We don't become overweight because we have the occasional eating binge. The extra calories we eat on these occasions do less damage than we think. The truth is, we gain weight because of our daily eating habits. It is these daily high-calorie food choices that do the real damage. So one way to reduce weight is to choose lower-calorie foods for your everyday meals or snacks. Here are three examples:
(1) Lose an Easy Six Pounds of Fat
Choose:
1 cup skim milk (90 calories).
Instead of:
1 cup whole milk (150 calories).
Save
60 calories
Do this once a day and save: 21,900 calories per year.
This is equivalent to: 6.25 pounds of weight
(2) Lose Another Easy Six Pounds of Body Fat
Choose:
6 oz light, fat-free yogurt (80)
Instead of:
6 oz full-fat yogurt (190)
Save
110 calories
Do this 4 times a week and save: 22,880 calories per year.
This is equivalent to: 6.5 pounds of weight
(3) Lose An Easy Eleven Pounds of Body Fat
Choose:
3 Cups Airpopped Popcorn (90)
Instead of:
3 Cups Microwaved Caramel Popcorn (280)
Save
190 calories
Do this 4 times a week and save: 39,520 calories per year.
This is equivalent to: 11.3 pounds of weight
Lose weight without going on a diet?
It's not too good to be true. You don't have to follow a strict diet to get the ball rolling; making these easy but effective changes really can help you lose weight.
1. Learn to Read Labels
To lose weight it is essential to pay attention to food labels. Counting calories is impossible without this skill. You should know how to find a food's caloric content and its serving size. Comparing labels among different foods and beverages is crucial for making the healthier choices required to lose weight.
2. Snack Smart
You can help prevent overeating and maintain blood sugar levels by eating something about every three hours. Getting too hungry will backfire on your efforts to eat healthy and practice portion control. Aim for a healthful, satisfying snack, such as an apple and some reduced-fat cheddar cheese. Eating more may seem counterintuitive, but smart snacking will help you lose weight.
3. Eat More Grains and Produce
Whole grains and fruits and veggies do more than provide nutrients that improve your health and reduce disease-risk; they can also help you lose weight. They're naturally low in calories, so you can eat more of them and have less room in your diet for less-than-healthful foods. Plus, the fiber in whole-grain foods and produce will help you feel fuller longer (which helps you control portions and avoid overeating) and as a result, lose weight.
4. Eat Enough, Often Enough
One of the worst ways to lose weight? Meal skipping. Many people think skipping meals is a great way to cut calories, but in the end, they fail to lose weight. You'll be more likely to overeat or even binge (when you finally do eat) if you do not eat regular meals. Plus your body may go into "starvation mode" if don't eat enough, causing you to maintain (or even gain) rather than lose weight!
5. Drink Plenty of Water
Water helps you lose weight in several ways: If you tend to have a problem with "water weight," drinking more water can help alleviate bloating. Replacing high-cal drinks such as soda with water cuts hundreds of calories. You shouldn't wait until you're feeling thirsty to drink water; thirst can be mistaken for hunger, causing you to overeat. Proper hydration improves your sense of well-being, which will keep up your motivation to lose weight.
6. Get Moving
It is virtually impossible to lose weight and keep it off without exercising regularly. Start out today by taking a brisk walk or riding a bike. Work your way up from 10 minutes to 30-40 minutes a day, most days a week, and you could reap health benefits and weight loss results in a matter of weeks. Plus, exercise boosts your metabolism, making it even easier to lose weight.
7. Practice Portion Control
Measuring food may seem like a drudgery, but it will prove invaluable in your efforts to lose weight. Start out by comparing a measured standard serving of foods to your typical helping. You may find you usually consume two or even three times the recommended serving. In time you will reprogram your brain to eyeball portion sizes, a key skill for losing weight.
8. Write it Down
What's the first thing I think anyone who wants to lose weight should do? Keep a food diary. All you have to do is jot down what, when, and how much you eat in a notebook, or you can do it online at a Web site like Calorie Count Plus. A food diary will give you a clear picture of your current eating habits so you can identify the changes you need to make to lose weight.
http://weightloss.about.com/od/getstarted/tp/8-Easy-Ways.htm
Friday, 30 October 2009
The Ultimate Weight Loss Product Guide
Are you one of the many who may be tempted by advertisements for diet pills and other weight loss products promising easy, quick ways to lose weight? Were you aware that a simple 30 minute infomercial can cost anywhere from $80,000 to 120,000 dollars to make. Pretty crazy don't you think? Yet time and time again you see countless weight loss infomercials selling product after product.
Fad Diets and many diet pills are pitched by persistent advertising and many people, possibly even you will join the parade of followers. Yet 95% of the time, these weight loss products will prove to fail you once again -- leaving you with nothing but charges to your credit card and set-up to regain all those pounds. So why are people constantly and willingly paying their hard earned money for these weight loss products?
"Stop Throwing Your Hopes Into Every Weight Loss Product That Comes By"
We want you to stop being their guinea pigs and understand and realize just how many of these diet pills and other weight loss companies are cashing in at your expense. To help you avoid getting "trapped or suckered" into believing or choosing a weight loss product or service that does nothing but contribute and add to the problems.
Stop Getting Taken! The following factors are exactly what many weight loss products and services use and exploit in order to get you to buy into their utterly false claims...
Factor 1 -- HOPE
Hope is a good thing, you need hope. But the problem is that many times you have such high hopes that you put those hopes into anything, regardless if its legit or not. By putting your hopes of weight loss into products and services that are not providing the necessary means you need, your ultimately setting yourself up for failure and your hopes will get crushed. Have hope, just make sure you put your hope into the right service and don't let your strong sense of hope blind you into not seeing the red-flags and other lies.
Bottom Line -- Don't let your strong sense of hope make you believe things that are not true!
Factor 2 -- Emotion
Lets face it, your weight and appearance can be a touchy, emotional subject. And it should be, its your life! But how many times have you seen a weight loss infomercial where someone breaks down into tears while talking about how miserable they were when overweight and how deeply happy and relieved they are now ... and how they owe it all to that particular weight loss product or "revolutionary system." The product is doing this intentionally!
Weight loss products know you're emotional about how you look ... they also know that when your emotional, it causes you to act on impulse. They have a better chance to "hook- you" when you're emotional and "touched." Products try to stir up your emotion in an effort to get you to act impulsively and buy into their claims. You should be emotional about your health and the way you look, but don't let them use your emotion against you. Don't let your emotion blind you into not seeing the red-flags and real reason that they're really there -- to get the "2 easy payments of $39.99" out of you!
Factor 3 -- Marketing Savvy & Media
Just because you're constantly seeing weight loss ads and commercials for diet pills and the new "xxx diet" does not mean it works and is credible. Just because you see a celebrity hosting the weight loss infomercial or program (who has been generously paid off ... do you really think a movie star is going to do an infomercial for free?) does not mean it's effective. What it does mean is that they have thousands, if not millions of dollars to pay for advertising and marketing so they can get their product in front of you, be it radio, television, internet etc. so they can constantly "pitch you."
How affective is marketing? Recently, a diet pill company was making the bogus claim "take our weight loss pill and you can eat what you want and burn fat as you sleep" and made $152 million in profit over 3 short years by doing radio commercials at over 600 stations across the country! That is until the Government stepped in and cracked down! And all the restaurants that are adding the "new xxx diet approved" menus, all they're doing is trying to make money too! Restaurants know that people are willingly paying, so why wouldn't they add low carb diet dishes (even though the number of calories in these dishes are alarmingly high and will cause you to pack on pounds!)
Realize, that just because you see a weight loss product time and time again on the television or radio does not mean it will be effective in losing permanent weight. All these weight loss companies are trying to do is get their product in front of you over and over so it will be there when you're ready to buy. Many people make the mistake of assuming a product is credible simply because it's constantly on television.
Factor 4 - Repetition
Diet pills and other weight loss products figure they more they can get in front of you, the more likely you're going to buy it when that time comes. Lets face it, if you were interested in building a deck, when that time comes don't you think your going to choose the "smith deck company" that you saw time and time again on TV. Most people will simply use the one that's most convenient and right there. Many times people just pick the first product or service that comes to their head and have high hopes that everything will just work out. Unfortunately, many times it's no different with weight loss products.
This is exactly why you see the same infomercial every day, every hour of the day for like 1 month straight ... and then all of a sudden it's gone. They get in, make their money on desperate people looking to lose weight, and then they get out! And if you see it again in like 3-4 months down the road, this means they made a lot of money on it previously and are back to make more. They wouldn't be there if they weren't making money - period!
The product is trying to pound it into you head and keep coming at you because they know, the more you see it, the more likely you will be to buy it. Don't get suckered! Just because they are always there, does not mean it will help you.
Factor 5 - Pressure
This is a big one. The bottom line -- when people are pressured they act impulsively. Often times you put way to much pressure on yourself. In today's society so much emphasis is placed on health and appearance. People feel pressured to look a certain way and this is certainly the case with being overweight as people will do anything to lose weight. Weight loss products go out of their way to put additional pressure on you, knowing that it will cause you to act and buy. Many of the weight loss infomercials are very good at the art of getting you to believe that ... "finally this is it, the only product that's going to change your life!" The truth is that all they're doing is adding additional pressure.
Bottom Line -- Don't let the pressure you feel to lose weight allow you to buy into and believe false claims. A sense of urgency to lose weight is good, but don't feel so pressured that it causes you to act impulsively and spend your hard - earned money on the first thing you come across that sounds good. When you feel pressured, it will allow you to start believing and putting your hopes into things that are not true because you feel like "I need to do something about my weight and I need to do it now!" Weight loss products know this and that is what they are wanting you to do. Don't allow it and don't allow yourself to be one of their guinea pigs! It will just cost you in the end!
General Rules To Keep In Mind When
Dealing With Weight Loss Products
Be Realistic -- If there was a way to "lose 30 pounds in 30 days and keep it off" or "eat what you want and still lose weight" don't you think that we would all look like supermodels?
Use Common Sense -- If there were magic diet pills or easy way to lose weight and keep it off, don't you think the top movie stars and celebrities who make millions and millions of dollars would have it.
Allow Yourself To Believe Both Sides -- If you're going to make the mistake of believing the lies and fabrications many weight loss products are telling you, at least allow yourself to believe that they may indeed be "lying and deceiving you" as well. It's only fair that you allow yourself to look at both sides as this will help you to form a better judgment.
"If It Was That Easy..." Lets face it, if it was as easy as all these health and weight loss infomercials and ab contraptions make it, the statistic of 95% failing would not exist! There would be no problems. Don't believe their lies and fabrications
Kenny Leonard is the President Of Excel Media and the creator of The Ultimate Weight Loss And Fitness Bible. The much talked about Weight Loss Bible is authored by Mari Kudla, who is the 4th ranked IFBB Fitness Professional And Figure Model in the world. She has been featured and contributed in numerous world wide media weight loss giants such as Muscle & Fitness Hers, Oxygen, and Flex magazines -- just to name a few. Her new book, "The Ultimate Weight Loss And Fitness Bible," has said to make weight loss ..."amazingly simple to understand and easy" More info at http://www.ultimate-weight-loss-bible.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kenny_Leonard
Fad Diets and many diet pills are pitched by persistent advertising and many people, possibly even you will join the parade of followers. Yet 95% of the time, these weight loss products will prove to fail you once again -- leaving you with nothing but charges to your credit card and set-up to regain all those pounds. So why are people constantly and willingly paying their hard earned money for these weight loss products?
"Stop Throwing Your Hopes Into Every Weight Loss Product That Comes By"
We want you to stop being their guinea pigs and understand and realize just how many of these diet pills and other weight loss companies are cashing in at your expense. To help you avoid getting "trapped or suckered" into believing or choosing a weight loss product or service that does nothing but contribute and add to the problems.
Stop Getting Taken! The following factors are exactly what many weight loss products and services use and exploit in order to get you to buy into their utterly false claims...
Factor 1 -- HOPE
Hope is a good thing, you need hope. But the problem is that many times you have such high hopes that you put those hopes into anything, regardless if its legit or not. By putting your hopes of weight loss into products and services that are not providing the necessary means you need, your ultimately setting yourself up for failure and your hopes will get crushed. Have hope, just make sure you put your hope into the right service and don't let your strong sense of hope blind you into not seeing the red-flags and other lies.
Bottom Line -- Don't let your strong sense of hope make you believe things that are not true!
Factor 2 -- Emotion
Lets face it, your weight and appearance can be a touchy, emotional subject. And it should be, its your life! But how many times have you seen a weight loss infomercial where someone breaks down into tears while talking about how miserable they were when overweight and how deeply happy and relieved they are now ... and how they owe it all to that particular weight loss product or "revolutionary system." The product is doing this intentionally!
Weight loss products know you're emotional about how you look ... they also know that when your emotional, it causes you to act on impulse. They have a better chance to "hook- you" when you're emotional and "touched." Products try to stir up your emotion in an effort to get you to act impulsively and buy into their claims. You should be emotional about your health and the way you look, but don't let them use your emotion against you. Don't let your emotion blind you into not seeing the red-flags and real reason that they're really there -- to get the "2 easy payments of $39.99" out of you!
Factor 3 -- Marketing Savvy & Media
Just because you're constantly seeing weight loss ads and commercials for diet pills and the new "xxx diet" does not mean it works and is credible. Just because you see a celebrity hosting the weight loss infomercial or program (who has been generously paid off ... do you really think a movie star is going to do an infomercial for free?) does not mean it's effective. What it does mean is that they have thousands, if not millions of dollars to pay for advertising and marketing so they can get their product in front of you, be it radio, television, internet etc. so they can constantly "pitch you."
How affective is marketing? Recently, a diet pill company was making the bogus claim "take our weight loss pill and you can eat what you want and burn fat as you sleep" and made $152 million in profit over 3 short years by doing radio commercials at over 600 stations across the country! That is until the Government stepped in and cracked down! And all the restaurants that are adding the "new xxx diet approved" menus, all they're doing is trying to make money too! Restaurants know that people are willingly paying, so why wouldn't they add low carb diet dishes (even though the number of calories in these dishes are alarmingly high and will cause you to pack on pounds!)
Realize, that just because you see a weight loss product time and time again on the television or radio does not mean it will be effective in losing permanent weight. All these weight loss companies are trying to do is get their product in front of you over and over so it will be there when you're ready to buy. Many people make the mistake of assuming a product is credible simply because it's constantly on television.
Factor 4 - Repetition
Diet pills and other weight loss products figure they more they can get in front of you, the more likely you're going to buy it when that time comes. Lets face it, if you were interested in building a deck, when that time comes don't you think your going to choose the "smith deck company" that you saw time and time again on TV. Most people will simply use the one that's most convenient and right there. Many times people just pick the first product or service that comes to their head and have high hopes that everything will just work out. Unfortunately, many times it's no different with weight loss products.
This is exactly why you see the same infomercial every day, every hour of the day for like 1 month straight ... and then all of a sudden it's gone. They get in, make their money on desperate people looking to lose weight, and then they get out! And if you see it again in like 3-4 months down the road, this means they made a lot of money on it previously and are back to make more. They wouldn't be there if they weren't making money - period!
The product is trying to pound it into you head and keep coming at you because they know, the more you see it, the more likely you will be to buy it. Don't get suckered! Just because they are always there, does not mean it will help you.
Factor 5 - Pressure
This is a big one. The bottom line -- when people are pressured they act impulsively. Often times you put way to much pressure on yourself. In today's society so much emphasis is placed on health and appearance. People feel pressured to look a certain way and this is certainly the case with being overweight as people will do anything to lose weight. Weight loss products go out of their way to put additional pressure on you, knowing that it will cause you to act and buy. Many of the weight loss infomercials are very good at the art of getting you to believe that ... "finally this is it, the only product that's going to change your life!" The truth is that all they're doing is adding additional pressure.
Bottom Line -- Don't let the pressure you feel to lose weight allow you to buy into and believe false claims. A sense of urgency to lose weight is good, but don't feel so pressured that it causes you to act impulsively and spend your hard - earned money on the first thing you come across that sounds good. When you feel pressured, it will allow you to start believing and putting your hopes into things that are not true because you feel like "I need to do something about my weight and I need to do it now!" Weight loss products know this and that is what they are wanting you to do. Don't allow it and don't allow yourself to be one of their guinea pigs! It will just cost you in the end!
General Rules To Keep In Mind When
Dealing With Weight Loss Products
Be Realistic -- If there was a way to "lose 30 pounds in 30 days and keep it off" or "eat what you want and still lose weight" don't you think that we would all look like supermodels?
Use Common Sense -- If there were magic diet pills or easy way to lose weight and keep it off, don't you think the top movie stars and celebrities who make millions and millions of dollars would have it.
Allow Yourself To Believe Both Sides -- If you're going to make the mistake of believing the lies and fabrications many weight loss products are telling you, at least allow yourself to believe that they may indeed be "lying and deceiving you" as well. It's only fair that you allow yourself to look at both sides as this will help you to form a better judgment.
"If It Was That Easy..." Lets face it, if it was as easy as all these health and weight loss infomercials and ab contraptions make it, the statistic of 95% failing would not exist! There would be no problems. Don't believe their lies and fabrications
Kenny Leonard is the President Of Excel Media and the creator of The Ultimate Weight Loss And Fitness Bible. The much talked about Weight Loss Bible is authored by Mari Kudla, who is the 4th ranked IFBB Fitness Professional And Figure Model in the world. She has been featured and contributed in numerous world wide media weight loss giants such as Muscle & Fitness Hers, Oxygen, and Flex magazines -- just to name a few. Her new book, "The Ultimate Weight Loss And Fitness Bible," has said to make weight loss ..."amazingly simple to understand and easy" More info at http://www.ultimate-weight-loss-bible.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kenny_Leonard
Is Your Goal Really Weight Loss?
Are you ashamed of your weight? Do you have a goal weight that you want to reach through weight loss? I’d say so, it’s been pushed into our brains many times over and over again that “weight loss” is what we want to accomplish. There are weight loss guides, weight loss supplements, and many other things that push “weight loss”. Many people even set their goals to be at a certain weight. Additionally, the medical community has developed an “ideal weight” chart, which can further add to the confusion about weight loss.
Now, let me ask you a question. Is your goal really weight loss? Unless you are trying to make a weight class for wrestling or some other sport with weight classes, you may think that your goal is weight loss, but it really isn’t. You are trying to lose that flubbery stuff attached to your body called FAT. Correct?
So then, why do we measure our progress by how much we weigh? Why do we step on the bathroom scale and hope that those numbers will be lower than before? You see, our weight is affected by more than just how much fat is on our body. Some other factors include water, muscle, glycogen, and obviously if we have eaten anything earlier or used the bathroom lately.
Our water weight fluctuates constantly. For instance, when we exhale water vapor comes out. When we sweat, we are sweating out water. There are also many more factors that can affect the amount of water in our body. Water is what usually causes those random gains or losses of a pound or two in weight that can make you happy or sad. It is almost physiologically impossible to lose a pound of fat in one day.
One reason the low-carb or no-carb (also called ketogenic) diets are so attractive is because of the large initial loss of weight. However, this weight is not necessarily fat. When carbohydrates are restricted the body has a backup store of them located in the liver and muscles in the form of something called glycogen. The human body can store approximately 400 grams of glycogen. In larger individuals this number can increase. In addition to this, for each gram of glycogen stored in the human body, 3 grams of water are also stored. If you figure it out, this would equate to about 1600 grams (3.5 pounds) of glycogen and water.
When you stop or limit your consumption of carbohydrates, your body starts using its glycogen stores. After a couple of days that 1600 grams (3.5 pounds) of glycogen and water are gone. Also, as an adaptation to the restriction of carbohydrates, your body produces these things called ketones. Ketones also appear to have a diuretic effect, which would mean an even greater loss of water.
In addition to water, if you have been working out lately to speed along your “weight loss” (you mean fat loss, right?) progress you probably have gained some muscle doing so. This gain in muscle can also affect the numbers you see on the scale. Muscle is also more dense than fat.
You may be wondering how you are going to measure your progress now that the scale doesn’t mean as much as it used to. Well, there are several methods to measure your body fat percentage. None of these methods are 100% accurate, but they will be much more useful than the use of a scale.
One of the simplest ways is to use a caliper. You can usually find these at your local sporting goods/fitness shop. If you can’t find them locally, you can order them off the internet. Calipers measure the thickness of a skin fold on your triceps. Then there are directions that come with the caliper that show you how to use the number you get to derive your body fat %.
If you don’t want to go out and buy some calipers, there is a body fat % calculator on my website. The calculator uses the circumference of several parts of your body and then plugs them into a formula developed by the U.S. Navy to derive an approximation of your body fat %.
You can find this calculator here: http://www.weight-loss-resources.com/calculators/bodyfat.html
There are also much more accurate ways to measure your body fat % like buoyancy testing or the use of special lasers.
If you insist on knowing your progress by weight loss and want to use a scale, try to weigh yourself at the same time everyday. Probably the best time would be right when you wake up in the morning and before you do anything.
So, your new goal should be to shoot for fat loss and not weight loss. Don’t necessarily trust the scale all the time as it can be deceiving - your weight is affected by more than just how much fat you have gained or lost. In addition, it is almost physiologically impossible to gain or lose a pound of fat in one day.
Nathan Latvaitis runs a website at http://www.weight-loss-resources.com where you can find even more fitness/weight loss articles, product reviews, book reviews, calculators
Now, let me ask you a question. Is your goal really weight loss? Unless you are trying to make a weight class for wrestling or some other sport with weight classes, you may think that your goal is weight loss, but it really isn’t. You are trying to lose that flubbery stuff attached to your body called FAT. Correct?
So then, why do we measure our progress by how much we weigh? Why do we step on the bathroom scale and hope that those numbers will be lower than before? You see, our weight is affected by more than just how much fat is on our body. Some other factors include water, muscle, glycogen, and obviously if we have eaten anything earlier or used the bathroom lately.
Our water weight fluctuates constantly. For instance, when we exhale water vapor comes out. When we sweat, we are sweating out water. There are also many more factors that can affect the amount of water in our body. Water is what usually causes those random gains or losses of a pound or two in weight that can make you happy or sad. It is almost physiologically impossible to lose a pound of fat in one day.
One reason the low-carb or no-carb (also called ketogenic) diets are so attractive is because of the large initial loss of weight. However, this weight is not necessarily fat. When carbohydrates are restricted the body has a backup store of them located in the liver and muscles in the form of something called glycogen. The human body can store approximately 400 grams of glycogen. In larger individuals this number can increase. In addition to this, for each gram of glycogen stored in the human body, 3 grams of water are also stored. If you figure it out, this would equate to about 1600 grams (3.5 pounds) of glycogen and water.
When you stop or limit your consumption of carbohydrates, your body starts using its glycogen stores. After a couple of days that 1600 grams (3.5 pounds) of glycogen and water are gone. Also, as an adaptation to the restriction of carbohydrates, your body produces these things called ketones. Ketones also appear to have a diuretic effect, which would mean an even greater loss of water.
In addition to water, if you have been working out lately to speed along your “weight loss” (you mean fat loss, right?) progress you probably have gained some muscle doing so. This gain in muscle can also affect the numbers you see on the scale. Muscle is also more dense than fat.
You may be wondering how you are going to measure your progress now that the scale doesn’t mean as much as it used to. Well, there are several methods to measure your body fat percentage. None of these methods are 100% accurate, but they will be much more useful than the use of a scale.
One of the simplest ways is to use a caliper. You can usually find these at your local sporting goods/fitness shop. If you can’t find them locally, you can order them off the internet. Calipers measure the thickness of a skin fold on your triceps. Then there are directions that come with the caliper that show you how to use the number you get to derive your body fat %.
If you don’t want to go out and buy some calipers, there is a body fat % calculator on my website. The calculator uses the circumference of several parts of your body and then plugs them into a formula developed by the U.S. Navy to derive an approximation of your body fat %.
You can find this calculator here: http://www.weight-loss-resources.com/calculators/bodyfat.html
There are also much more accurate ways to measure your body fat % like buoyancy testing or the use of special lasers.
If you insist on knowing your progress by weight loss and want to use a scale, try to weigh yourself at the same time everyday. Probably the best time would be right when you wake up in the morning and before you do anything.
So, your new goal should be to shoot for fat loss and not weight loss. Don’t necessarily trust the scale all the time as it can be deceiving - your weight is affected by more than just how much fat you have gained or lost. In addition, it is almost physiologically impossible to gain or lose a pound of fat in one day.
Nathan Latvaitis runs a website at http://www.weight-loss-resources.com where you can find even more fitness/weight loss articles, product reviews, book reviews, calculators
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