How to Lose Weight? - Some Diet, Exercise and Homeopathy Tips for Losing the Extra Flab!

"Losing weight" seems to be on the New Year agenda of most people. Among 10 people I asked "what your New Year resolution is, more than 6 people answered that they want to lose weight and get into shape! Well, not a bad trend, right? But why today particularly the younger generation admires being thin so much? Probably the ramp-models have the answer. The size zero is quickly becoming popular and even the middle aged moms are trying hard to fit in the jeans of their twenties. Is it the right thing or we need to think more?

Let's see-
One thing is sure that having extra flab on the body is not a healthy sign. Flab means fat, not muscle. Therefore, losing this flab should be the priority no doubt. Lesser the activity level, more one should worry for the flab. Yes! Read the sentence carefully. Today scientists have found a great positive relation between health and activity level. Regular the exercise, lesser are the chances of ill-health relatively irrespective of your weight. 

But one should also understand here that more the weight, lesser is the activity level in many cases (due to inability to move faster) and this further contributes to high fat. How to halt this vicious cycle? Can we?

The answer thankfully is YES!

If you were lean, thin and healthy in your twenties, you have every right to remain so in your mid-forties and thereafter too. What exactly goes wrong? Many women think that childbirth is the culprit that contributed to their flab. Many men think their highly stressful job is the reason. But the fact is that despite child birth and stressful jobs, there are men and women that can maintain ideal body weight and live healthy life. So, why can't we? We can too!
What can be done?

• Steer clear of myths-

(1) We should follow strict diets if we want to lose weight- The foremost pre-requisite to idealize your weight and health is not to fall prey to the rumors. You must have seen (or done yourself) many people staying just on either bananas, hot water, soups, or 'just' vegetables for days together! This is one of the top myths that eating less will reduce your weight. It will not. It will just weaken your immune system and make you vulnerable to graver diseases. So firstly, stop any such staple diets if you are following. Our body needs enough quantity of all ingredients of diet including carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals, and trace elements to be able to cope with the wear and tear. Only-carbohydrate or Only-protein diets might help for a temporary duration to reduce weight (you tend to reduce muscle mass too during the process and not just fat). But once you wean off these diets, you tend to put on more weight, because obviously you cannot follow such stipulated diets for life (I hope you do not; otherwise...hats off to you!)

(2) Having just 2 full-meals per day- Many elderly are happy because they feel we are eating just two times a day and not recurrently. This is another myth that makes us fat. When you leave larger gaps between your meals, you obviously tend to eat lot more than can be properly digestible. Therefore, the excess sugars and proteins tend to get converted into fat and it deposits beneath your skin and in the arteries (leading to atherosclerosis)

(3) Eating fat-less diets can reduce weight- remember that fat is also an essential element of diet. Just we need to take it in stipulated quantity not to exceed beyond limits. Have seen many patients who deprive themselves of fat completely. What they get in turn is the shriveled old-looking skin. Fat is the natural moisturizer and toner for your body and therefore essential. Just reduce the excess quantity you eat and it will not affect you detrimentally.

(4) Joining the gym is the only way to lose weight- well, here we are not belittling the importance of gym exercises but let's not make it the rule. There are many ways of exercise by which you can stay fit. Rather, in many cases, some of the gym exercises are harmful for certain people. People with joint problems and cardiac disease should exercise great caution while joining the gym. More than that, stipulated kind of exercises for weeks and months together reduce the interest. Instead, engaging ourselves in different types of exercises keep our motivations alive for longer (probably this is what we need the most). You can jog, swim, dance, or cycle your way to health!

• Treatment Regimes for losing weight-

(1)Lose your weight homeopathically-
We homeopaths always stress the importance of homeopathic treatment for weight reduction. Here I am not advertising any patent homeopathic medicine for weight loss. We are talking about classical homeopathy. Does it help? Yes, it helps in lot more ways than we anticipate. The major reason why homeopathic medicines help in weight reduction is their ability to act on mind.
"Mind" plays a very crucial role in maintaining or enhancing your weight. It is mind that makes you stressed and you tend to eat more or less. It is the mind that makes you dull to start your exercise regime. It is mind that encourages you too to take the issue of obesity seriously and do something constructive about it.

And homeopathy helps in all these aspects to shape your mind and make it do what needs to be done. It is not exaggeration. Have seen absolutely lazy patients take up exercise regimes scrupulously once they are on constitutional homeopathic treatment, because of the ability of homeopathic remedies to act on higher planes. Same goes true for maintaining ideal diets.

The homeopathic medicine also helps the person to tide over the hormonal imbalances that contribute to excess weight. Therefore, when a patient of hypothyroidism and/or polycystic ovarian disease starts homeopathic treatment, the apparent edema on the body disappears gradually and makes the patient fitter to achieve his or her goals.

(2)Exercise-
As discussed above, there is no option to exercising your way to health. If someone tells you to follow a regimen that excludes exercise for weight loss, they are lying to you! Try to inculcate variations in your regime not to get bored and feel energetic for years to come. Adding this component to your day to day life is the most rewarding experience you can give your body, mind, and spirit. Couple it with relaxing techniques and your benefits get doubled!
Some auxiliary tips for losing weight-

1. Drink at least 8 to 10 glasses of plain water per day
2. Have enough fiber, for it will boost up bowel health and avoid constipation. Also it is one of the sure shot ways to delay ageing
3. Recognize bodily deficiencies and seek natural supplementary help from an expert
4. Eat frequent small meals (preferably 2 to 3 hourly)
5. Be consistent in your regimens. To make that happen, set smaller goals and reward yourself when you accomplish them
6. Some meditation techniques help a great deal in stabilizing one's absurd eating behavior and providing the essential motivation to do your best
7. Steer clear of the myths and don't fall prey to heavy advertising of patent diet pills, unless you verify their authenticity via an expert

May the year 2011 bring lots of happiness, health and fitness for you to stay for life!

Dr Shreya Deshpande is a senior homeopathic consultant of India and is running Online Homeopathic Consultation at http://www.drshreya.com. She has penned several articles and papers regarding homeopathy and is a popular homeopath and a health counselor globally. Watch her health blog at http://www.drshreya.blogspot.com for interesting health info!

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6 Healthy Foods to Eat to Lose Weight Fast Without Exercise

Looking for an easy way to reduce your tummy and lose weight fast without exercise? If you want to get rid of your belly fat, you might consider eating more of these 6 healthy foods to eat to lose weight:

1. Eggs! Yes, cereal is fine. But a heartier meal will help control your feelings of hunger as the day progresses. Eggs have protein! And the scientists at Indiana University concluded that dieters who ate their largest portion of protein in the morning, felt full far longer than those who consumed most of their protein at lunch or dinner. For the rest of the day, you'll be far less likely to overeat. If you want to hold off hunger, try to get at least 20-30 grams of protein with breakfast.

2. Apple. An apple a day can not only keep the doctor away. But, it will keep the fat from your belly! Researchers at Penn State recently found that if you eat a large apple just before a meal you will take in between 175-200 fewer calories during the meal. A large apple has about only about 120 calories. Here's a weight loss secret: Not only does the apple's fiber make you feel more full. It requires way more chewing than other foods. So, you'll think you're eating more than you actually are!

3. Grapefruit. If you ate half of a grapefruit 3 times a day and didn't change anything else about your diet, you could lose 4 pounds in 12 weeks! Thats what scientists at Louisiana State University discovered recently. The high level of acidity in grapefruit actually slows down your digestion rate which will help you feel full longer.

4. Coffee. Its true! Coffee gives you a boost of antioxidants. Not only that, it helps to increase metabolism and reduce your appetite. The Journal of Physiology and Behavior published a study that said the metabolic rate of caffeinated coffee drinkers was up to 16% higher that the decaf drinkers. Why? Because caffeine increases your heart rate, acting as a stimulant to your central nervous system. But don't order the venti. The best way to enjoy the benefits of coffee for weight loss is to enjoy several small servings of 8 ounces or less during the day.

5. Pork Chops. Here's a secret tip to lose weight: Selenium is an essential mineral that helps you preserve muscle while shedding pounds. Sure beef and chicken have selenium. But, pork chops have 5 times as much selenium as beef and twice as much as chicken.

6. Full-Fat Cheese. It sounds counter intuitive doesn't it? But its true. You no longer have to eat the flavorless vacuum sealed low fat cheeses. There is far more protein in full fat cheese. And if you eat a controlled amount, you'll actually feel fuller as a result. Full-fat cheese is a great snack for weight loss.

These 6 healthy foods to eat to lose weight will help you get rid of your belly fat and even lose weight without exercise! If you want more great tips to lose weight you might want to grab a FREE copy of 'The Digest". Its your quick-start weight loss blueprint. Get it for free here: http://tipstoloseweightguide.com/free

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9 Simple Practical Tips to Healthy Weight Loss

Do you want a healthy weight loss plan, but don't know where to start? Are you concerned about how healthy your weight loss plan is? This article will reveal 9 strategies to help with your weight loss, easily and healthily.

1. Neither crash diets nor sudden bursts of exercise are very good, or effective for losing weight healthily. Your body is more receptive to slow changes, both in exercise and food. If you haven't exercised for a long time it isn't advisable to start by running a marathon or swimming the English Channel. Not unless you want a visit from the doctor or worse still, an ambulance. On a serious note, doing too much too soon can prove to be very difficult. If you are struggling you are more likely to become easily disheartened and de motivated.

2. Food is your body's energy source and excess energy is stored as fat. To lose weight, your body has to get rid of this build up of fat. Therefore you need to increase your energy levels (exercise) and decrease your calorie intake (food). Make these changes slowly but surely. Small alterations to your diet and exercise can have a significant effect. If you were to eat an extra cake every day, you will naturally gain more weight. It stands to reason, then, that if you eat one less cake every day, that you will lose weight.

3. Somebody who continues with the same diet but increases the amount of exercise they take will lose weight. Anyone who maintains the same amount of exercise but reduces the amount of food they eat will lose weight. So with a reduction in food intake and an increase in exercise the results will be both noticeable and encouraging. Anytime you exercise more than normal, you will use up excessive energy and fat even if it is only brisk 15 - 20 minute walks. An exercise bike in your living room can be used while enjoying your favourite TV programs. These are just small changes, but you will witness significant results when they are made regularly. You don't need to join a gym unless you really want to. Just subtle changes are all that you need to make. At weekends, why not walk to the shops and leave the car at home. Take the dog for more walks. He will thank you for it and you will get more exercise as well. Walk up and down the stairs in your home 5 or 10 times in one go a couple of times a day.

4. Permanent, but gradual, changes in your diet are required to succeed in losing weight for good. As a good example, if you use full fat milk, why not exchange this for semi skimmed, and eventually fully skimmed milk. If you take sugar in tea or coffee, gradually reduce the amount you take, or replace it with artificial sweeteners. At first this may seem unappealing, but believe me when I say that when you effect this transition, you will never want to drink full fat milk or take sugar ever again. Although these changes are slight and may take a few weeks to become comfortable with, they will remain in place for months and years.

5. Healthy weight loss isn't possible by eating lots of food that includes biscuits, chocolate, sweets and cakes. This doesn't mean that you can't eat them ever again. You must limit the amount that you have. Small quantities for a special occasion are acceptable. But don't overdo it.
6. Read the labels on food items when doing your grocery shopping. Noticing the amount of calories, sugar and fat that certain foods contain, will help you to cut down. Reducing your intake of calories by 300 - 500 a day can result in a loss of one or two pounds a week. This would be a loss of about 3 stone or more in a year. Slow but sure.

7. Trim all fat from any meats that you have. Stay clear of fried foods and fast foods.

8. Reduce the amount of alcohol you drink. Eliminate it if possible.

9. Prepare your own lunch for when you are at work so that you know just exactly what you are eating. Replace sweet things with fruit. Eat wholemeal bread. Use low fat spreads in your sandwiches. Use salads as fillers. These small changes are going to impact on your weight loss immensely.

The slimmer healthier body you have always wanted is just a few steps away if you follow the proven strategies in this article. Healthy weight loss needn't be just a fantasy or only for the chosen few. Use these strategies and very soon you will be the envy of everyone you know.

Cathy Dymond has put together a complimentary report on weight loss that will help you solve your weight loss problems quickly and permanently. To access it instantly, please visit [http://www.yourweightlosssecrets.com]

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