Healthy Weight Loss

There are many things that you can do to lose weight. Not all weight loss ideas are healthy. To lose weight in a healthy way, you need to eat small healthy meals every 2 to 3 hours. You also need to workout so that your body burns the calories that it takes in. The equation to lose weight is quite simple. Burn more calories then you consume during the course of a day. If it is so easy, why do more people lose weight? One of the hardest things for most people is to workout on a regular basis. They can change their eating habits to see weight loss, but in the end, they do not see the results that they would like without including a workout plan along with their diet. This is an easy workout plan to include in your weight loss plan. It is set up for anyone to do.

Instructions

1 Set aside an hour everyday to workout. This can be either in the morning or in the evening after dinner. Time is not important when it comes to getting your workout in to lose weight. The most important thing is to get your workout in everyday so that you are burning calories to lose weight.
2 Stretch at the beginning of every workout that you do to lose weight. This is important for a couple reasons. By stretching before you workout, you get the blood flowing to the muscles that you are about to use in your workout. When you stretch, you will also help to prevent any injuries from happening during your workout.
3 Do about 40 minutes of cardio. This can be done in a couple of ways. The important part of doing cardio to lose weight is to get your heartbeat up. You can ride around your town on your bicycle. Walking or jogging at a steady speed will also work for your 4 minutes of cardio in your daily workout. To lose weight, you will need to do this part of the workout everyday.
4 Part of working out to lose weight is to do some resistance training. You do not need to go to a gym to lift weights if you do not want to for this part of your workout. Day one you can do squats and lunges to work on the muscles of your lower have. Do three sets of twelve to lose weight. On day two, you can get 5 or 10 pound dumbbells and do some bicep curls and other arm lifts. Keep alternating days between arm and leg workouts. Doing this on a consistent basis will help you to lose weight.

Oolong tea and weight loss are two things that seem to go hand in hand, especially lately. It seems that people are realizing that when it comes to tea, green tea isn't the only one that has weight loss benefits. So does oolong, black tea, even white tea.



Coincidence? Not quite. All of these teas originate from the same plant: Camillia Sinensis. Green tea, for example, is picked and dried, whereas oolong tea is oxidized and then dried, which is why it's darker.



Let's explore the weight-loss benefits of oolong tea. And, in case you're wondering what the tea truly is... it is what they typically serve with your meal in Chinese restaurants throughout the US.

Instructions

1 Oolong tea is super healthy and is rich in polyphenols. These have the same function in your body as antioxidants. Since tea has virtually no calories, the polyphenol makes it a good beverage for dieters. And since it is also high in polyphenols, that also makes it nutrient dense. A diet that has a high nutrient density is said to promote weight loss. The polyphenols are also responsible for blocking dietary fat from getting absorbed into the body.
2 Another benefit of oolong tea is that it contains some caffeine, a stimulant that has long been touted for helping with weight loss. Oolong tea doesn't have as much caffeine as coffee, so it is much gentler on the body.
3 Besides the caffeine, there are other ways that it can help you lose weight. Studies have also shown that oolong tea increases fat-burning capabilities and boosts metabolism.
4 Drink several cups of oolong tea a day, eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly--and you'll be well on your way to effective weight loss and a healthier body.

Appetite Suppressant

Water tricks the body into thinking it's not hungry. When dieters consume greater amounts of water, they eat less. Water temporarily reduces even real hunger feelings, so dieters don't need to eat as frequently. Drinking water with a meal reduces the room in the stomach for food, reducing the amount of food eaten.

True Hunger

Because dehydration is such a common issue, many people mistake thirst for hunger. The best way to combat needless eating is to drink a glass of water and wait 30 minutes before munching. If the hunger pangs stick around, grab a bite to eat. However, in many cases, the glass of water will eliminate the urge to eat.

Waste Removal

Water is necessary for proper digestion. By drinking plenty of water, the stomach and intestines digest food at a quicker rate than if the body doesn't have enough water. Kidneys depend on water to help flush out waste into the urine. When the body is free from waste, the liver is able to flush out fat at an optimum level.

Water Retention

Drinking plenty of water reduces the amount of water the body retains. When the body is dehydrated, it holds onto water, trying to store it in case of emergency. However, when water replenishment is continuous, the body doesn't hold onto excess water, since it is readily available.

Exercise

Water is a necessity for those who work out. Dehydration reduces strength and endurance during workouts, so fitness requires plenty of water consumption. When trying to lose weight, exercise plays an important role, and drinking water will make or break an exercise routine.

Mindless Munching

When a dieter consciously makes an effort to drink more water, mindless munching drastically decreases. Every time there is an urge to snack, a bottle of water comes to the rescue. Sipping on water continuously makes avoiding snacks easier. Once drinking water becomes a habit, snack avoidance is much easier, leading to more significant weight loss.

Overall Health

When the body is at its peak, fat burning is optimal. The human body consists of roughly 60 percent water. When dehydrated, every system in the body suffers, from temperature regulation to mental clarity. It is imperative that the body has the appropriate amount of water to ensure that everything, including fat burning, functions as it should.

A good way to compare weight loss results between men and women is to calculate the percentage of weight lost and compare those results. This will also account for the fact that men tend to weigh more than women as well as the fact that men tend to lose weight faster. Women naturally have a higher percent of body fat than men, making it harder for them to lose weight. These facts are taken into account in reality shows such as The Biggest Loser to make it fair between the contestants.

Instructions

1 Weigh yourself, before you start your weight loss, in the morning with light clothes on. Take note of the number in pounds and be sure to use an accurate scale. Have a member of the opposite gender do the same.
2 Weigh yourself, after you have met your weight loss goal, in the morning with the same clothes you wore to measure your weight initially. Take note of this number and have the member of the opposite gender from before do the same.
3 Subtract your final weight from your initial weight to get the number of pounds lost. Do this for the person from the opposite gender as well.
4 Divide the number of pounds you have lost by your initial weight. This will give you the percent of weight you have lost. For example, if you initially weighed 200 pounds and you lost 20 pounds, you have lost 10 percent of your body weight. Do this for the person of the opposite gender to calculate their percent of weight lost.
5 Compare results of percentage of weight lost to see who lost more of their initial starting weight. This number reflects more accurately weight loss than just comparing the pounds lost.

Did you know that your morning cup of coffee can actually be a weight loss aid? The caffeine in coffee gives your metabolism a boost and can make you more likely to have the energy to partake in calorie burning activities. Caffeine is also a moderate appetite suppressant, and can help curb cravings. If used correctly, coffee can be part of a healthy weight loss program; keep reading to learn how to make it work.

Instructions

1 Eat well balanced meals for weight loss; coffee and caffeine, while appetite suppressants, should never be used in order to make it easier to skips meals. Drink a cup of coffee with breakfast and lunch, or in between, and you will fill up faster.
2 Drink lots of water while using coffee for a weight loss aid. Caffeine is not unhealthy in moderate amounts but it is dehydrating; drink lots of water in order to counteract this. Proper hydration also curbs cravings and will encourage weight loss as well.
3 When you are using coffee in your diet, mind what you are putting into your coffee. A diet coffee does not have lots of sugar, caramel, chocolate, or cookie chips in it. If you have to, use low fat creamer, and minimal or imitation sugar. A double chocolate whipped mocha is not conducive to weight loss!
4 Exercise. Caffeine and exercise compliment one another and together make for fast weight loss. Add a healthy amount of coffee and exercise to your diet and you will be dropping weight in no time.

Using acupressure for weight loss is easy. Releasing certain pressure points will aid in your quest for weight loss. Incorporate acupressure into your diet and lifestyle changes for rapid success!

Instructions

1 Become familiar with your body, hand, foot and ear reflexology maps.
2 Use the body reflexology map to locate the acupressure points for water retention, adrenal glands, kidneys, stomach and large intestine.
3 Use the the ear reflexology map to locate the appetite suppression points.
4 Use the reflexology hand map to locate the great eliminator point on the web between your thumb and index finger.
5 Study all of your reflexology maps and the corresponding points. Become familiar with key points and focus areas.

Pressure Points

6 Do full hand and foot massage on both of your hands and feet. Take your time, go slowly and enjoy the sensations.
7 If you encounter tender or painful points, stop and locate what body organ or system is indicated by looking at your reflexology maps.
8 Hold the pressure points that are tender for 30 seconds and then release.
9 Now do the individual acupressure points for water retention, adrenal glands, kidneys, stomach, and large intestine.
10 Move to your ears and find the pressure points for appetite suppression.
11 The last point will be the great eliminator. Use this point sparingly as it releases toxins very easily. Too much pressure on this point may cause you to feel ill due to the amount of toxins released.

Other Things to Consider

12 Successful weight loss incorporates a healthy diet, exercise, and other lifestyle changes into the program.
13 Acupressure for weight loss alone does not work. Be sure you are eating a healthy diet that includes the recommended daily amount of fruits, vegetables, protein and fiber.
14 Drink a minimum of eight glasses of water per day.
15 Stay away from sodium, carbohydrates, and fats.
16 Get out and exercise. Walk around your neighborhood, take up a sport, or join a local gym.

Some people may be reluctant to lose weight because of worry regarding loose skin after weight loss. You may have heard stories of people who have undergone tremendous strides to lose weight only to gain an abundance of unattractive loose skin. If the prospect of having loose skin is preventing you from losing weight, stop your worries, because according to certified personal trainer Tom Venuto and certified fitness instructor Karen Sessions, if managed properly, you can lessen the potential of creating loose skin.

Instructions

1 Lose weight slowly. Even though you may want to shed pounds quickly, you must not lose more than 1.5 to 2 lbs. a week. If you lose more than that, you risk losing muscle.
2 Avoid starvation diets. If your body goes into starvation mode, it will hoard fat. Fad or crash diets will slow your metabolism, leaving you with muscle loss and loose skin.
3 Practice good nutrition. Food is not your enemy when you are trying to lose weight. You just need to select the right kinds of food such as whole, natural and unprocessed foods.
4 Eat smaller meals more often. Smaller meals will shrink the stomach and increase metabolism, which leads to weight loss.
5 Drink plenty of water. A good rule of thumb is to take your weight and divide it in half. That number is how many ounces of water you should drink daily. If that is not possible, then try to drink at least 60 oz. a day.
6 Engage in resistance training. Do some light training four days a week. This will build muscle under your skin. The muscle will replace the fat and prevent sagging skin.

Your first thought when the number on your scale becomes static is, "Where did I go wrong?" You are faithful to your diet, rarely cheat and never skip an exercise session, but your weight loss has come to a halt. Do not blame yourself; this is normal for many dieters. You have reached a weight-loss plateau, the point at which your body experiences a reduction in its energy requirements.

Instructions

1 Learn what caused your plateau before choosing the appropriate method for getting through it. In February 2009, the "British Journal of Nutrition" published a study of obese participants placed on a supervised program that included diet and exercise. For each of the study's participants, the researchers noted a reduction in thermogenesis following a period of weight loss. Thermogenesis is the metabolic process of calorie burning. Metabolic reduction leads to a resistance to additional weight loss, known as the weight-loss plateau.
2 Rev up your metabolic rate and overcome your plateau by decreasing calories or increasing physical activity, according to MayoClinic.com. In addition to losing fat when you diet, you also lose lean muscle tissue. Any reduction in lean tissue creates a corresponding decrease in your metabolic rate, which slows down or halts your weight-loss efforts.
3 Eat 200 fewer calories per day to establish a new metabolic balance. Do not reduce daily caloric intake if you currently consume less than 1,200 calories, as this will induce the sensation of hunger.
4 Increase protein consumption. Lean meat, fish and poultry require more energy to complete the digestive process; they speed up your metabolism and increase fat burning. Substitute a protein-based breakfast, such as eggs, in place of cereal. Any alterations you make in your diet have an effect on your metabolic balance that can help you to overcome your plateau. Be careful not to exceed your calorie limit when making dietary changes.
5 Increase lean tissue mass to speed up your metabolism and the number of calories burned. However, increasing muscle takes time and a serious dedication to strength training. Aerobic exercises, such as walking, biking and swimming, provide a much faster way to burn calories and get you past your plateau. According to the MayoClinic.com, an increase of 15 to 30 minutes in your exercise routine will provide the extra calorie burn needed to restart your weight loss.

Overview

Coconut oil

Coconut oil

Discovering Coconut Oil Benefits

The many people that use coconut oil on a daily basis, ingesting 2 to 3 tablespoons per day, report reaping several benefits from it. Increased energy levels, softer skin, healthier hair and a decrease in sugar and carb cravings. While there are several products on the market that can make these same claims, what is it that sets coconut oil apart from them?

The Coconut Oil Difference

All oils have chains of fatty acids. While most have what is called LCTs, or long chained triglycerides, coconut oil has MCTs, or medium chain triglycerides. So how does this translate into weight loss? LCTs are not as easily digested, but instead are stored in the cells as fat. MCTs, which are in coconut oil, are digested before they go deep within the digestive tract. As they burn up fast, they can not be stored as fat. Even though coconut oil has a high caloric content, they are calories that are used quickly as energy and are not stored. Eating fats throughout the day (2 to 3 tablespoons of coconut oil) results in a feeling of fullness, which is of a major advantage to one dieting or controlling weight. According to Bruce Fife, naturopathic doctor, and author of "The Coconut Oil Miracle" (2004), coconut oil has also been shown in studies to raise thermogenesis of the body, which increases the body's metabolic rate, burning more calories.

Not All Alike

The weight loss benefit of coconut oil does not simply come with ingesting it. Its intake needs to be combined with a proper diet that cuts down on processed foods and sugar. There is a difference in coconut oils, also, and if you choose to begin taking it daily be sure to use virgin coconut oil, as it has not been processed. The processing takes away many of the nutritional benefits.

Additional Benefits

While increased energy and weight control are often enough to convince people to begin a coconut oil regimen, there are added benefits that have been reported from ingesting it. Skin issues, such as rashes, scrapes and burns, that have not responded to other forms of treatment, heal and fade with repeated intake of coconut oil. Cracked lips, toothaches, and sore throats have also benefited from direct contact with coconut oil. What in coconut oil is attributed to these benefits? The primary MCT in coconut oil is called lauric acid. Lauric acid is also found in mother's milk, and according to Dr. Mary Enig, a PhD and nutritionist who has participated in and reviewed many studies on coconut oil, it has antiviral and antibacterial properties and contributes a great deal to health and wellness (see Resources). Coconut oil is the one natural substance that contains the highest amount of lauric acid, next to mother's milk.