Weight Loss Is Not a Spectator Sport

If I were only allowed to give you one piece of advice and no more, it would be to keep your weight loss efforts to yourself and just get on with it.

This piece of advice flies in the face of current thinking about weight loss and how you need the support of other people... you don't.

Actually the support of a loved one is priceless and it will undoubtedly help you in your efforts to lose weight and keep it off, as for everyone else I shall now explain why you are doing yourself no favours telling everyone that you are trying to lose weight and the same rule applies to groups of people.

Let's first have a look at why telling everyone you are on a diet or trying to lose weight.is a bad idea.

As soon as everyone knows you will have the same question levelled at you on a daily basis namely "How much weight have you lost" and when you give them the answer it will be met with the reply of either "That's not much" or "That's too much you need to be careful".

Do you really need this sort of pressure, as it can potentially trigger an emotional response which you will try to satisfy with food?

Be very wary of the well-intentioned friend or relative that tells you how tired you are looking since you lost weight, or some other well-intentioned but damaging comment.

What is actually going on with the friend or family member is you are making them feel bad about not losing weight themselves and they are running a little program inside their head that goes "If I can't do it I don't want you doing it".

This is a form of sabotage that you really could do without.

Of course if you are actually looking tired and feel as weak as water, then thank them for their concern and do something about it.

Now let's have a look at losing weight within a group of people.

As our evolution dictates we are a social animal, and within a group like it or not there is a pecking order or rank, it might not be said openly... but it is there all the same.

If you start losing weight faster than other members of your group, then you are potentially at risk of sabotage from the other members of that group until order is restored so to speak, again this is pressure you do not need.

On the other hand if you don't lose weight fast enough, then the only thing that will happen is the group will try to make you feel better about your failure... as if you didn't already feel bad enough.

Unfortunately you can end up feeling sorry for yourself and then use food to fill the void, all because the numbers on a scale didn't meet with someone else's expectations.

My challenge to you is to stop turning your weight loss efforts into a form of competition where you need to seek the approval of others.

Just get on with it quietly in the background chipping away at your weight until you get to wherever it is you want to be, by that time you won't care what anyone thinks or says.

Change the way you have done things in the past, what have you got to lose except weight.

Are You Fed Up Being Overweight? So Was I. 

My name is Grahame Cossum and I am the creator of the Weight Loss Made Easy program. I was 60lbs overweight following a serious accident until I created and implemented my unique weight loss program,I have now helped countless others to do the same. Please visit http://www.weightloss-made-easy.net to find out how I can help you to lose weight and keep it off without having to diet,pop pills or go to the gym,and it all comes with a money back guarantee.

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TOP 10 Common Mistakes in Weight Loss

As a personal trainer and a fitness enthusiast, I have seen people do ridiculous things, in trying to accomplish their weight loss goals. Human body is a complex machinery, which needs the right buttons to be pushed. Without extensive knowledge about human body and years of experience in training, you are unlikely to do everything correctly, right from the start. I have compiled a simple list of common mistakes in weight loss.

Do yourself a favor and gather the knowledge, before starting your weight loss journey!

1. Looking for advice from fitness magazines - majority of the articles written in health or fitness magazines are based on a goal to sell a product(supplements,pills,gym equipment) or advertise a service. Bringing you on the right track fitness-wise, is their least concern. In fact, they might mislead uninformed individuals to completely opposite of what they suppose to do in order to achieve a weight loss goal, just to keep you buying their miracle pills and powders.

2. Doing long hours of moderate or low intensity cardio - first of all it is very time consuming to run for hours each day. Secondly, extensive hours of cardio is much less effective than sprint training (HIIT). Running or biking over 45 mins starts a catabolic (muscle break-down for energy) process. Unless you are a professional marathoner, you don´t want to lose your muscle in the process of losing fat weight. For a complete beginner in sports, cardio is a good start, but don´t overdo it! Ladies and gentlemen, this is where "the more the merrier" does not apply!

3. Trusting your gym buddies - every modern gym is packed with wide range of personalities, of whom everyone has a different advice to share with you. although, the advice you get from your buddies at the gym might not be wrong, but it can get rather confusing to differentiate the right from wrong. Also, fitness tips from your gym amigos are solely based on their own personal experience. Fitness and weight loss is such an individual quest and has more than a handful of variables to take into consideration. What might have worked for one, might not work for you!

A better choice would be to ask a professional such as your local gym instructor or consult an online fitness trainer.

4. Weighting yourself every day - you must realize that losing weight is not a linear downhill process. Your total body weigh consists of bone, fat, muscle and water weight. About 70% of your body consists of water. Water weight fluctuates daily, because it depends on carbs and minerals intake, also alcohol and coffee might have a major impact on water retention. Regular exercise helps to denser your bones and build lean muscle, which in turn adds in to your total body weight on the scales. Fat metabolism is a fairly slow process and weighting yourself in once a week is more than enough. 0.5 - 1 kg of fat loss per week is completely healthy and safe. But don't get disheartened if your weight on the scale stays the same - trust your eyes instead and look in to the mirror. You might have been building muscle and losing fat at the same time!

5. Relying on exercise only in your weight loss journey - exercise accounts for only 50% of your fat loss endeavor, just as important factor is your diet and nutrition! You absolutely can not continue to eat like a pregnant woman on her 5th month. Losing weight depends on your calorie consumption vs daily energy expenditure. Use a fitness calorie calculator in order to establish your daily energy needs. Then shoot for eating 200-500 kcal less than your daily caloric requirements. Just as important is where those calories come from. You need all the macronutrients (proteins, carbohydrates, fats) along with your vitamins and minerals in a diet plan.Consult a fitness trainer or nutritionist to help customize personal nutrition plan for you.

6. Panicky avoiding all kinds of fats in your diet - although it is so last century, some people still avoid all fats in their diet as a religion. There is a wide belief, that fats you take in go straight around your stomach, hips and other unwanted areas. This can not be farther from the truth. Healthy fats (omega fatty acids) from nuts, vegetables and fish oil are used by your body in a variety of ways - for functioning of your skin, respiratory system, circulatory system, brain and organs. Consuming 20-30 % of fats from your daily caloric needs actually helps you to burn more fat!

7. Doing only cardio in your exercise program - you will get results doing only aerobic exercise for a while, but I can guarantee that you will hit a plateau, where cardio just helps you to maintain your current weight. For faster and continued results it is wise to incorporate a weight training workout into your exercise routine. Lifting heavy weights at least 3 times a week, forces your body to produce high amount of anabolic hormones (most important being testosterone and growth hormone), which will literally shed the fat from your body 24 hours a day. Weight lifting plan should incorporate multi-joint mass movements, such as squats, deadlifts and presses.

8. Doing crunches and sit-ups for flat stomach or six pack abs - a widely common mistake in "trying to get flat stomach." This idea is based on a simple logic, that you burn fat from the specific area of your body which you are working. The truth is, there is no such thing as spot fat reduction. Have you ever seen a guy who has fat jelly arms and legs, but has a perfect six pack? I don't think so! Fat is not distributed evenly all over your body. Based on bone structure, genetic makeup and body type, some people have more jelly around their stomach, hips, legs or bum. Stomach being the most common place as it is the center of gravity on the body. You can do sit-ups for fun and entertainment value, but remember, they do not give you the desired results.

9. Being hungry like a wolf all the time - losing weight does not necessarily mean you have to be hungry all the time, or worse, starve yourself. To keep the metabolic machinery up and running on full throttle, you should eat frequent meals (every 3-4 hours) throughout the day. Instead of 3 big meals, divide them into 6 smaller meals! That way, you NEVER feel hungry and still keep losing weight.

10. Trying to do the transformation all alone - since transforming from fat duckling to skinny swan is a long journey of many emotional ups and downs, you should let all of your friends and family to know about your goal. They can support you once you start falling off the track. They can motivate you not to give up. Best bet would be to find a person of similar goal and train with them or hire a certified fitness trainer to work with you. A lil pressure from society, friends or trainer can actually motivate you to push yourself out of comfort zone and stop you from giving up. Determination, focus and willingness to succeed, is all it takes!

More information from personal trainer at estoFitness.com

Visit estoFitness.com to claim your personal Fitness Workout and Nutrition Plan along with your very own personal trainer as as guide an mentor. Start your journey for a fitter life today!

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Quick Tips for Your Weight Loss Success

Facts at your fingertips

• Know your BMI. Your BMI, or body mass index, is a way to gauge whether your weight is healthy, and knowing your number can help you determine whether or not you need to lose weight. The simple calculation takes into account both your height and weight, which is why most experts consider this a better guideline than the old "ideal body weight" tables.

• Look to your resources. Information can be your weight-loss ally. Find answers to your questions, locate medical specialists, or do some research into permanent, healthy weight loss. Surf the web, pick up some new books, or check out a videos.

• Is medication right for you? Maybe. For people who are clinically obese and have unsuccessfully tried to lose weight before, prescription drugs may help. In particular, drugs are an option to consider when a weight problem is compounded by other health conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes. Talk to your doctor; to get more information on weight-loss drugs right now.

• Know an apple from a pear. People tend to put on weight in certain places. Some of us accumulate fat around the middle -- an apple shape. Others gain pounds around the hips and lower body -- think of a pear. In general, being pear-shaped brings less health risks than looking like an apple.

Lifestyle changes

• Make healthy choices the rule. The decisions you make all day and all week have an impact on your weight. Simple changes such as swapping lunch with a friend for an exercise date and always bringing a pair of walking shoes whenever you travel can turn you into a naturally lean person.

• Plan ahead for successful weight loss. Losing weight doesn't just happen. Planning ahead -- from choosing a meaningful start date to getting a physical exam and learning to counter would-be diet saboteurs -- makes the best weight-loss strategy even better.

• Add some activity. There's no getting around it: if you need to lose weight, you need to get moving. Changing your eating habits alone just isn't enough. And the benefits of moderate exercise are pretty impressive. Simply increasing the amount of activity you get every day can improve your sex life, lower your risk of stroke, and even improve your memory.

• Make your own way to weight loss. Instead of constant dieting, stop and listen to yourself. You may find that outside of the dieting mindset, food can be a friend instead of an enemy. Jean Antonello did just that and lost 30 pounds, which she has never gained back.

Take active steps

• Don't "diet." Most of the eating plans referred to as "diets" aren't designed for long-term weight loss. If you want to slim down for good, think of eating in a whole new way. For example, focus on what you can eat, instead of what you can't. And aim for gradual success rather than overnight skinniness.

• Stay the course when dining out. Don't let restaurant dining be an excuse to throw in the towel. Choose from cuisines that are typically lower in fat such as Chinese, Vietnamese, and Japanese. Opt for vegetarian dishes, or order grilled fish instead of steak. And ask waiters about "hidden" high-calorie ingredients such as cheese, oil, or butter.

• Institute a ban on all excuses. We've all made excuses for avoiding exercise, eating that last cookie, or putting off weight loss for "just one more week." Unfortunately, rationalizing won't get you any closer to your goal.

• Get the facts on weight-loss supplements. Drugstore shelves overflow with tempting weight-loss aids promising a quick fix to your extra five or 10 pounds. But not all commercial supplements aimed at weight loss are effective -- or safe. Protect your health by choosing wisely, and get the facts before swallowing any pill or drinking any tea.

• Aim for your optimal heart rate during exercise. When working out, you'll want to keep your number of heartbeats within a certain range -- too low means you're not working hard enough, too high is too strenuous. Get the most from exercise, safely.

• Head off childhood obesity. Overweight kids are likely to become overweight adults. Parents can help by gauging portion sizes, offering healthy snacks, and encouraging activity.

For more information on weight loss, obesity and lifestyle changes you can visit following link, Weight Loss

Stay fit = Stay Healthy

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Change Your Mindset to Achieve Permanent Weight Or Fat Loss

I firmly believe that if people were honest with themselves most would say "I wish I had more muscle", "I wish I had less fat around my belly" or "I wish my butt was firmer". Some women still think adding muscle to their frame will make them appear bulky but I know of very few that wouldn't want to add more muscle to their bodies especially their legs. That rock hard chiseled muscle look is what attracts the opposite sex. I think most people have heard physical attraction is first when you initially meet someone so what gives a better first impression than a lean hard muscular physique?

The problem is that most people have the desire but very few follow through and do something about it. IF they do something about it, its usually short lived. If you go to a gym I encourage you to look around at the people working out around you. Does that guy or gal on the stair-master look the same as he did last year? How about the guy working on his biceps and flexing after he does a set? Probably so. That is because they do the same thing workout after workout. They keep thinking the same way so they keep getting the same results. Nil. The first step in changing your physique is changing your mindset. You change how you think and I guarantee you you will make huge gains in strength and big strides towards your efforts to the body you desire.

You must understand and accept that what got you the body you have today, assuming it needs work, will not get you where you want to go with your physique. Very few people make a goal and actually stick with it. So, your understanding and accepting that you must change your mind set must be coupled with their will be obstacles that come up. Plan for these. Its part of life. Just remember to zig after zagging. Remember few people make a goal and achieve it in a linear fashion. Its extremely rare but those that stick to it and continue to overcome obstacles eventually achieve what they set out to.

Once you have changed your mindset, and have written down your goals, which I certainly hope you do if your serious about achieving them, the next thing I would encourage you to do is keep it simple. Most people have really complicated diets and workout routines. The basics have worked for years and years and they will continue to work. That means you don't need a bunch of supplements and a fancy gym to get in really good physical shape. Fruits, vegetables and a solid workout routine with the right intensity will usually get you the body you desire. Throw in plenty of motivation, a written plan and consistency and before you know it you'll be shocked at what you achieved in a short amount of time.

If you drop out or "fall off the wagon" get right back on immediately.

I'm the owner of an outdoor fitness boot camp in Fresno, California. I help people lose weight, empowering them to feel great and boost their self confidence.

[http://thetriplethreatmuscle.com]

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Everything You Wanted to Know About Weight Loss Products!

With body beautiful getting to be such a priority with everyone, age-group not withstanding, there is a lot of attention being diverted to products that aid quick weight-loss. However, social media pressures and healthcare advisors have been at logger-heads over the 'hype' surrounding many of these weight loss products flooding the market today as the former focuses primarily on the trimmer, shapelier new you which the latter group feel is only a way of building up towards higher sales, even at the cost of the consumer's health as not all quick weight loss aiding products are without side-effects.

Thus, in this customer beware age, it is a matter of common sense as well as looking out for your own interests when scouting the market for any weight loss product that is not completely natural or hundred per cent free of harmful side-effects.

A variety of new-age weight loss products offer easier solutions to starvation diets for the fitness conscious

Size zero may be your dream number and those skinny blue jeans hold their own mute appeal hanging as they do in a dark corner of your closet; but, would you really want to compromise on your overall health and stamina by using dubious fast weight-loss promising products? A resounding no is the answer from the majority of pro-fitness consumers of health drinks and regular exercisers as recent media reports have clearly outlined that in the US alone, out of an estimated 50 million people trying to shed those excess pounds, only a measly 5 per cent have been successful.

Healthy mind in a healthy body: latest weight loss products and promises

This fact alone is enough to convince the thinking masses about there being no grantees with the high claims of quick weight loss products and diet, exercise and stress-free lifestyles playing a crucial role in helping weight loss and maintenance under the guidance of a fitness counsellor along side that of metabolism determined by an individual's genes.

This is why many patrons of health clubs and those trying out alternate therapies for weight loss, though curious about the scope of weight loss products, are still cautious about using them on themselves. While many new weight loss products have celebrity testimonials and people with amazing bodies advertising them, the high costs for most of these are often cause potential customers to reconsider purchasing them besides the initial doubts about the product's efficacy.

Some popular weight loss products in the market today: scams or solutions?
You decide!

o Diet Patch - was quite a craze in the early and mid 1980's but was taken off the market by the FDA as these proved to be ineffective.

o Magnetic Diet Pills - claim to flush out the fat from the body; no one's found any certain quantifiable results of this.

o Guar Gum - said to be an appetite suppressant comes with the side effect of causing internal obstruction.

o Electrical Muscle Stimulators - induce a relaxing effect that gives a 'feel good' effect, but scientifically offer no proven results for weight loss.

o Weight loss earrings - claim to work through the principles of acupuncture therapy by suppressing the appetite; experts recommend hiring the services of traditional acupuncture therapists for actual results.

Dexter Figg is a full time professional freelance writer and is based in India. He and his wife (Post-graduates in English Literature) work from their home-office setup from 9 to 5 India time, Monday to Friday. Being in the business of writing for the past 6 years and with over 15 years of work experience behind them they have written on various topics for the web and print media. They have together created over 24,000 SEO articles, and created winning content for many sites across the world.

If the information for the article is on the net, in publications in libraries or someone somewhere knows about it â€" rest assured you will get 100 percent original articles free from any amount of plagiarism.
Details of their work can be seen at their website http://www.ewriterz.com. Looking forward to seeing you there.

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Become Slim By Thinking Like A Slim Person

Those naturally slim people, you know the ones, they never need to worry about food or their weight and they certainly never need to go on a diet. They never stray too far from their best natural body weight and they never have to worry about becoming overweight.

These 'slim for life' people simply think in a different way to the rest of us - they don't crave unhealthy foods, or eat too much of them, and they never view eating healthy food as some sort of punishment. They also don't see exercise as a chore or avoid it. They just enjoy eating healthy foods and being physically active, or they barely think about these things at all as they are just a normal and natural part of their everyday lives.

If we could install the brain software of one of these naturally slim people into the brain of an overweight person that person would soon drop the weight and become a slim person. The opposite applies in that if we could drop the mind software of an overweight person into a naturally slim person the slim person would soon become overweight.

It is because of the different thought patterns and processes deep in the subconscious inner mind programming of these people that they are naturally slim. How great would it be if we could have this exact same brain software so we could too be like them and not have to worry about food or our weight? We wouldn't have 'impossible to resist' cravings for junk food, and we wouldn't usually be trying to avoid exercise. We could lose that excess fat weight that is piled up on body and keep it off this time...forever.

Well, the good news is we now have the knowledge and insight into how we can alter the inner patterns of thinking in our brain to help us achieve things in life. Not only our weight but also finances, relationships and even our health can be improved by upgrading our mind 'templates' that have been formed over many years and our experiences in life.

Sometimes if we become overweight and feel 'stuck' in an unhealthy and unhappy body we can be pretty sure we are carrying around some 'junk' thinking which is not serving us well. This is in regards to misinformation and inherited wisdom about nutrition, dieting and exercise along some good old self-delusion thrown in for good measure.

The weight loss industry would have us believe that the latest diet fad will fix our problems and we might lose some weight in the short term. But 95 percent of the time any weight loss we might achieve with a short term 'fix' will come back again with some extra to boot.

Unless you fix up the roadblocks and obstacles in your mind that are the ROOT cause of you becoming and staying overweight no diet or exercise is going to work for the long-term. You will just derail yourself time and time again no matter how many of diets you begin.

You don't have to go down this dead end path ever again. What if you could look back and say to yourself "Wow, I was there but I'm sure glad I'm not now, and I know in my gut that I never will be again". How good would that be huh?

Well, you can have that. I can show you the way out with simple but proven tools and strategies that will let you be that naturally slim, fit and healthy person. And it won't just be something 'you do' it will be something - someone 'you become'.

Imagine how good that will feel? To simply BE that person you have always wanted to be - that naturally slim person who effortlessly eats right, exercises, who lives healthy...consistently and guess what? WHO ACTUALLY ENJOYS IT!

Sure, it will take a little effort, a little commitment and a little investment. After all no one is going to come up and tap you on the shoulder with a magic wand and poof...you are magically transformed. That's not going to happen...not any time soon...not ever.

Once your implement proven strategies it will take you from a place of struggle and the on-going battle with yourself to the place where there is no more struggle and you will lose weight in an easy and effortless way. And there won't be a diet plan in place.

So, it's time for YOU to step up for YOU. You must be the one who commits to YOU to follow a step-by-step, proven process to weight loss success, so that you can totally transform... and lose that weight permanently. I promise you will never regret it.

The idea that your subconscious mind may be actively blocking your conscious efforts to lose weight can be hard to swallow at first. So in addition to revealing my top 4 secrets to effective weight loss, I have included in my free report "Visualization Secrets For Weight Loss Success" a section on how mastering your subconscious mind through visualization can make all the difference to your level of weight loss success.

You can download that report here: http://weightlossmotivationbible.com/freereport

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