A lot of people will hear me say that Stress and weight loss go hand and hand or that stress is the “Yin” and weight loss is the “Yang”. Because weight loss has so much to do with how you feel on a daily basis.

It is said that Yin and Yang balance each other out, like day and night (meaning there is no day without night). So how you manage your stress, while being on a diet is the key to losing weight. Without proper stress management there is weight gain, yet when stress is managed properly weight loss can be achieved. In this article I will explain exactly what stress is and how it effects your diet. Lastly I’ll give you some surefire ways to keeping that stress in check:

-What is stress? Stress is force exerted on a material object.

In the human body stress can be two things. It can be Cortisol or Adrenaline and both are excreted to protect the body. Adrenaline gives your body that get up and go energy and cortisol is like a “lookout man” that alerts your body when it’s under a lot of stress. The one we don’t want to produce to much of is cortisol because this is the hormone that tells our bodies were low on sugars today, or were low on calories today, or our anxiety is high today. Each time stress is reported the body compensates for this stress. Emotional eaters eat if the stress is emotional related and dieters eat if the stress is diet related.

Why?

Because our bodies need to end the discomfort of the stress. (Food causes tiredness and usually puts us right to sleep, allowing our bodies to relax and feel good) So, after a few of these stress then food acts happen, a habit is formed. (Now a overeater is born) Also to make things worse your body stores this food as fat as a surviving mechanism.

Ways to Control Stress When Dieting:

• Eat More Than 2-3 Times A Day. People with high stress levels need to keep feeding the body. People who stress a lot can’t afford to skim on the calories.
• Vitamin B, Relax, and Get Your Sleep. Some people cut out on sleep to compensate for other things they need to do. Yet sleep is the one thing that should remain consistent. Also because of our higher demand for energy we need a little more nourishment (primarily vitamin B).
• Stop Dieting And Live. I stop dieting a long time ago and started living. I’m a pro crossfitter and in the best shape of my life, because I stick to some solid nutrition guidelines and after that I just let all hang out.

When you set out to lose weight, you can get discouraged before you even start due to the overwhelming options and possibilities. Take a deep breath, and before you start to spend money on things that promise you success, read this article for some solid advice that can help you lose weight.

A great weight loss tip is to trick your mind into exercising without realizing. Often times, even the word exercise can inspire avoidance and hinder your motivation. Rather try and come up with some sort of physical activity that you actually enjoy doing. This will allow you to burn calories without the stress of the gym.

When keeping a food journal to help you lose weight, beyond simply writing down the foods you have eaten, try and provide accurate caloric totals for those foods and subtract each from your daily limit on a running basis. Knowing how many calories you have left before reaching your limit can often help you avoid snacking and help you stay on track before the damage is done.

Include protein with each meal or snack. Try to eat three to four ounces of healthy protein, such as lowfat cheese, chicken, peanut butter or fish with each meal or snack. Protein works in your body to slow down digestion. This helps you feel satisfied longer and will keep you from reaching for unhealthy snacks.

A great weight loss tip that people should really understand is that losing weight is not a quick process. People often abandon their diets because they are not seeing the results they want quick enough. Understand that losing weight does not happen overnight and try and keep yourself motivated throughout your diet.

One weight loss tip that people often overlook is to create realistic weight loss goals. If your goals are too ambitious or the time you have given yourself is too short, you are much more likely to abandon your efforts when you do not get the results you want.

• Record all of your favorite television shows and only allow yourself to watch them when you are exercising. This can be a great motivator to exercise more, which in turn will help you to lose weight, because you will be eager to start working out just so you can watch the next episode of your favorite program.
• Take up swimming. Exercising is one of the best ways to lose excess weight, but many people hate it because they don’t enjoy getting covered in sweat and fear that they are damaging their joints. By taking up swimming, which is a low impact exercise, you can avoid any damage to your joints and you will not get covered in sweat as the water will help to keep you cool.
• After each meal, eat a mint. The mint will trick your taste buds; they will think you are finished eating. Any gum, mint or toothpaste, with a fresh taste, sends a signal to your brain that dinner is over. Since you can no longer taste your food, you will no longer crave it.
• A great tip for people who are looking to lose weight is to share food while eating out. Restaurants today offer huge portions that are really more than one person should eat. So make a habit of sharing an entree and appetizer with friends and family whenever you go out to eat.
• One tip that anyone who is trying to lose weight should consider is to add foods to their diets rather than subtracting food. Rather than eating tiny portions of your usual foods, try adding healthier foods that you enjoy. This will give you greater nutritional benefits while keeping you full at the same time.
• When beginning a weight loss program do not cut your calorie intake dramatically. Your body needs fuel to function properly and will feel drained if you do not take in enough calories. This will limit your ability to exercise and may lead you to grab an unhealthy snack out of desperation.

Follow the tips laid out in this article and you’ll be able to start seeing results while you look for even more ways to make weight loss a permanent part of your life. Stay positive, and the weight will drop off. Your weight is something that you can control, so stay motivated to meet your goals.

The holidays present a special time for all of us and also one that is challenging. With so many temptations that abound, it’s no wonder that this time of year people gain weight. On top of that, people tend to become more sedentary this time of year. Probably because it’s cold outside and the weather may not be good. Many times it’s simply people just wanting to stay in and relax from all the stress they’ve dealt with during the past year.

Whatever the reason is, people need to make an effort to getting through the holidays in relatively good shape. Having said that, what people need and what they want are two different things entirely. If you could simply change that thought pattern then you’ll be on your way to getting and staying in shape.

Now let’s see how you make it through the holidays without getting fat. I’m not even talking about using will power, either. It simply doesn’t work. That’s because your subconscious mind will take over. What you need is a plan of action, especially one based on the want factor.

Think about this for a second, okay? What is it about getting and staying in shape that’s really important to you? It’s got to be so powerful of a feeling that it permeates throughout your body. It could be health, though most people will gravitate towards looking great so others will take notice. That includes looking good for someone you especially like.

It could also be that you want to fit into certain size clothes. Now, list several reasons why you want to focus on eating healthy and exercise more. This will be your driving factor to getting and staying healthy. Imagine what you will feel like when you are able to get to where you want to go. What will your daily life be like? How will others around you respond to the new you? Simply hold into your mind that thought of your life when you are healthy and fit. Make the image so powerful as if you were actually living it. Imagine all you had to do to get to where you are at in that image. Then do it.

When you are having a holiday dinner, make sure to plan it ahead and see how you can make adjustments towards keeping it healthy. Part of what you’ll have to do is research healthy holiday dinners. Use smaller plates to serve your dinner on. This will create the illusion of abundance. There are many other “tricks” you can do too.

If you are going to someone else’s house for the holidays, try to find out ahead of what is being served. That way you can make adjustments to what you can eat. If you can, send them a recipe of certain dishes that may be appealing. Make sure you don’t step on any toes here. Don’t be overt about it. This is their party/dinner. Help if you can or if they ask for it. Remember, you want to keep it fun and lively.

Find time to keep your body moving throughout the day. If you can, get a little bit of exercise several times a day. Even 5 minutes will help. Just increase the intensity. Stay away from snacking junk. Instead, go for fresh fruits, veggies, and nuts. Drink plenty of water. And you should be able to survive the holidays coming out fairly healthy and fit. Now, have fun!!!

When on a diet and weight loss regime, it is often hard to see progress. This can lead to you feeling demotivated and wanting to give up. Seeing your progress as time goes by will make all those hours of healthy food and half killing yourself on the treadmill worth it. Here I will explain the different ways you can monitor your progress over time.

The first method of tracking progress is to take pictures of yourself topless in the mirror. Doing so once every 2 weeks in the same pose, in the same position, will enable you to see yourself progress as time goes by. This will be a great motivator and will make those hours of hard work feel worth it.

For best results I recommend taking a picture of:

-Front torso in relaxed state
-Front torso with abs tensed
-Relaxed shot from the side

Taking these pictures every fortnight will enable you to compare as time goes by and you will see that progress, the idea of taking photos will also be a great motivator for you to work hard for the next time you take a photo.

Another very simple way to measure your fat loss progress is to take regular measurements of your body. This requires no fancy equipment, simply a measuring tape. Even when you think you are making no progress, you may actually have lost some weight and measurements are a great way to prove this.

Places to measure include:

• Chest- Measure around the chest in line with your nipples, be careful not to pull the tape too tight as this will effect the results.
• Waist- Measure at approximately half an inch above your belly button around your waist.
• Thighs- Measure around the largest part of your thigh
• Calves and forearms- Measure around the biggest part of your forearms and your calves.

A simple way to track the progress is to take measurements every couple of weeks and I would recommend placing the measurements into a simple spreadsheet, or simply making a table so that you can easily see your progress as the weeks and months go by.

Another way to track your progress is to weigh yourself regularly. I recommend weighing yourself once a week, and I recommend doing it first thing in the morning wearing the same clothes every time so that there are no weight fluctuations due to heaviness of clothing or added food and water weight that you gain as the day goes on.

Remember you are aiming for around 1lb to 2lbs weight loss each week and so if you see this reflected in your weigh ins then you know you are on track!

The last way to track weight loss progress is through the monitoring of your body fat percentage. You can buy scales that do this, but they are very inaccurate and so I wouldn’t recommend using them. A great way to monitor body fat percentage is through buying a pair of calipers.

The change has to start in the household, please DO NOT blame your child for their weight issues, instead follow these tips on how to help change the behavior.

1. Be supportive - do not say negative things about their weight instead be supportive and encourage a healthier lifestyle; not just by talking about it, but by living it.

2. Listen to your child’s concerns about their weight - Kids are smart, they know they have a weight problem so talk to them about their feelings regarding it

3. Bring more fruits and vegetables in the house - Allow your child to shop with you and pick out their favorite ones. If they are more concerned with the sugary food aisle, then just bring home the produce that you know they will eat before you start introducing too many new foods.

4. Purchase fewer soft drinks and processed snacks - Instead purchase water, fresh vegetables such as carrots, cucumber slices, nuts, raisins, sunflower seeds, low fat milk, and fresh fruit.

5. Skip the fast food lane - Start experimenting with some new recipes that you have been dying to try. Just because the fast food lane exists, it doesn’t mean we have to utilize it. Did you know that just ONE visit to a fast food joint could rack up an entire days worth of calories. Cook at home and make it family time where you can discuss their day, school, goals, or homework.

6. Don’t discourage your child if they hesitate on trying a new food at first - Some kids need to see a food over 10 times before they will eat it.

7. Do NOT use food as a reward. Food is fuel for our bodies; it is not a reward nor a punishment of any kind. By promising dessert if they finish their broccoli is only sending out mixed messages and making the vegetables seem less valuable.

8. Be active together - Incorporate active chores such as washing the car, vacuuming, or sweeping the sidewalk. Plan active trips like a family bike ride, a walk through a local park, a trip to the zoo.

9. Set a good example - Your child will follow your lead. If they see you are being active and putting your health first, they will start to do the same. Don’t talk the talk unless you walk the Walk.

10. Encourage your child to join a sport - it doesn’t have to be a school sport, try an event at the local community center or an after school class that peaks their interest. This opens up time for you to communicate what your child likes to do; do they like to dance, gymnastics, run- there are all kinds of activities available to fit their interest.

For the first time in history we will outlive our own child, which is a sad fact so we have to take control of it NOW. We must take the control back from food. The more junk we feed our children the closer to disease we are pushing them. Let’s start being the healthy role model in our families that they need.

Many of us, when we embark on a weight loss programme end up feeling depressed and suffer from fatigue. This can be caused by various factors, the reduction of calorie intake, withdrawal symptoms from sugar, junk and processed foods and emotional decline as we banish the foods which we used to eat for comfort and stress relief.

There are numerous ways that we can relieve these symptoms, and they all involve one important step and that is to boost our energy levels. When we feel physically good, our energy levels will be high. If we are feeling happy, inspired, content and healthy, we will find it much easier to avoid unhealthy habits and be able to maintain our new healthy eating and exercise regime.

Here are some excellent examples of how to boost our energy and lose weight:

Deep breathing

Breathing deeply is an excellent way to energize our body and boost our energy levels. We should take a few slow, deep breaths several times a day by drawing air in all the way down to the bottom of our lungs so that our abdomen, then chest expands. When our lungs feel full to capacity, we should then exhale until we have expelled all the air we have just taken in. After a short pause, we should then repeat three or four times. We should immediately feel the benefits of feeling more alert and an increase in energy levels.

Exercise

Exercise is one of the best ways to boost energy, burn calories and lighten our mood. If we have not followed a rigorous exercise programme before, we should check with our doctor first and once we have the go ahead, we should then decide what type of exercise we would like to do. Perhaps we would like to run, jog, cycle, swim, dance, or do aerobics. We should choose any physical activity which we enjoy doing and gives us pleasure, and then include them into our daily routine.

Laughter

Laughter and happiness is an excellent way to resolve emotional and physical issues. The more we smile and laugh, the better we will feel. Laughter promotes a flood of feel-good endorphins which helps to lift us out of any emotional turmoil, and when we are feeling happy, we will be subjected to an immediate energy boost.

Employing these easy inexpensive actions into our daily routine will form a foundation to helping us to lose weight and maintain our weight loss forever.

It’s no secret that the faster your metabolism, the more calories your body will naturally burn, and the easier it will be to lose weight and fat. Nutrition plays a very important role in determining how fast or slow your metabolism is. By doing a few simple things with your nutrition, you will be able to use turbo charge your metabolism, naturally burn more calories, and reach your weight loss and fat loss goals quicker.

The first thing you can do to turbo charge your metabolism is to eat 5-6 meals a day. These meals should be smaller than meals you may normally be used to. For men I would suggest between 400-500 calories per meal and for women 250-350 calories per meal. Obviously these are only generalizations and you may have to adjust according to your individual situation. By eating 5-6 smaller meals each day, will undoubtedly speed up your metabolism and get your body naturally burning more calories.

The second tip ties in somewhat with the first and pertains to meal frequency. You want to be eating about every 3 hours or so and try never to go more than 4 hours without eating. By eating every few hours, you keep your body constantly working to digest the food you have consumed and thus expend calories. By eating every few hours, you will facilitate this process keeping your metabolism churning and burning calories. When it comes to eating every few hours, you must be prepared. Get into the habit of carrying fresh fruit, protein bars, meal replacement bars, ect. to fill in the gaps when you can’t have a whole meal.

A last tip to turbo charge your metabolism is to progressively decrease the size of your meals. Earlier I mentioned eating 5-6 meals a day each consisting of 400-500 calories for men and 250-350 calories for women. One slight variation of this is to have your first meal of the day be the largest, have meals 2-5 be average size, and have your last meal of the day be the smallest. Progressively decreasing the size of your meals so you eat your biggest meal of the day first and your smallest last will help you to increase your metabolism.

Take these tips and put them to use. They will allow you to turbo charge your metabolism and subsequently enable you to burn more calories and reach your weight loss and fat loss goals in less time.

One of the most prevalent modern health issues is obesity. It affects a large percentage of the world population that it has now reached a point when it can no longer be overlooked. In order to counter the many threats of obesity, many contemporary methods have been contrived by industry experts who painstakingly seek to provide a way out of this dilemma.

But as what they say, it never hurts to look back especially in terms of life threatening health concerns. With that said, here are some Weight loss tips from the bowels of history that are slowly gaining much respect and consideration from present day health practitioners and researchers.

Ma Huang: Chinese Weigh Loss Herb

Considered as one of the oldest civilizations, China has been the cradle of many ancient health practices and natural treatments. One of these ancient Chinese treatments that have been recognized by the 21st century man is Ma Huang. Believed to have unique properties that can directly and indirectly fight obesity, Ma Huang has inspired following from a niche market who are intent in losing excess pounds. The substance is said to have thermogenic property which aids in burning fats and enhances the processes of digestion and metabolism. Moreover, it has also been found out that Ma Huang increases the pulse rate which facilitates perspiration- a process that flushes out excess fluids.

Acupressure

Another noteworthy entry from the list of ancient weight loss ideas, acupressure is yet another facet of the vast Chinese medicinal culture. Experts have recognized that this treatment can be used in dealing with obesity by targeting one’s appetite, digestion, and metabolism. Through specific pressure points, it is believed that acupressure can get rid of negative emotions which are highly correlated with unhealthy eating. By eliminating this harmful inclination toward unconstructive feelings, the person suffering from such condition can discover a healthier relationship with food. The most widely used pressure points in dealing with weight concerns are Appetite Control Point, Spleen 6, Spleen 9, Stomach 36, Liver 3, and Large Intestine 11. Each of these pressure points is located in a particular part of the body’s exterior.

Hoodia Gordonii

A type of Hoodia, the Hoodia Gordonii which is derived from cactus is said to contain natural appetite suppressant. For thousands of years, it has been used by the San Bushmen of the Kalahari for their tribe’s hunting expeditions and is considered to have a certain molecule that is many times more active than glucose. Such composition causes the midbrain to think that it’s full even when no food intake has been made.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Credited to the Egyptians and is said to have been used as medicinal source for as early as 3,000 BC, apple cider vinegar is a proven and effective cleansing agent.

Hypnosis

Otherwise known as the ancient practice of Mindfulness, hypnosis can allow a person to gain awareness and eliminate his or her dependent on food when dealing with stress or depression.

Weigh loss practices and diet solutions always have their pros and cons, therefore enough knowledge and expert advice is needed so as to avoid unfavorable and unforeseen side effects.