Lose Weight the Healthy Way
Marlene Mathis

It’s definitely no fun to lose weight — put it back on, lose weight, put it back on, and so on. Just as you learn the rules of a new diet, you find yourself trying to get around them. What if all you had to do to lose weight was to eat less?

You may think it can’t be done. However, experts say it can. Of course it sounds simpler than it is, but it’s no more difficult to commit to healthy eating habits than it is to follow the diets most of us have tried.

In the end, it will actually be easier because you will feel less restricted as you begin to learn how to eat right instead of how to follow the rules of the newest popular diet. Here are a few tips to help you started:

• Eat smaller portions, including items with protein, fat, and fiber in each meal. This combination is the one that researchers have found effective in helping to keep hunger pangs away.

• Drink two full glasses of water with each meal. It will help you feel full and keep your body hydrated.

• Eat breakfast. This critical meal jump-starts your metabolism for the day. But avoid empty calories like those found in doughnuts, many cereals, and sugar-laden pastries. They will only leave you feeling tired and hungry by mid- morning. For best results, eat items with plenty of protein and fiber.

• Don’t count calories or weigh food. Simply use the palm of your hand as a portion control guide. Most of us are fully aware of what a ‘too large’ portion looks like. We also know how it makes us feel. You should never feel bloated or stuffed-eat only until you are not hungry. You really aren’t giving up anything if you save the rest for later. If it helps, think of it as taking a break when you set food aside for another time.

• Give up something. It might be your nightly glass of wine, chocolate bars, or regular soft drinks. Then, commit to doing without the item for one full year. You’ll find that you’ll feel better without the sugar, caffeine, or alcohol. You certainly won’t miss the calories as your waistline begins to shrink.

• Identify your comfort food. What is it that you reach for in times of stress? Pizza, fried chicken, or a burger with fries all seem to top the list of foods people reach for when feeling down, anxious, and tired. Instead of reaching for food to comfort you, engage in a favorite activity. Go golfing, take a walk through your neighborhood, or hop on your bicycle for a quick spin.

• Be aware that food is often used as substitute for other types of satisfaction. Take a look at your job, your family life, and your spiritual connections. Work to improve areas that are causing you discomfort and you will see the desire for unhealthy food fade away. Maybe it’s time to start looking for a new job, go back to college, or find a church.

Taking control of your weight is more about taking control of your life than anything else. Don’t allow yourself to make decisions based on food. Why be chained to someone else’s diet rules when you know yourself better than anyone else. Put that knowledge to work, and watch your weight disappear.

If you want to make weight disappear faster, and to help keep those pounds off, be sure to exercise regularly. Walking 30 minutes daily is something most people can achieve and keep it up right into the senior years.

Marlene Mathis is webmaster at Ana Health, the comprehensive health information resource. Subscribe to her ezine Health Vista at http://www.anahealth.com.

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For many men who are overweight, one of the most emotionally sensitive aspects of being overweight is their man boobs, or ‘moobs’ as some people call them. This can really be damaging to any man who has had this problem. There can be a positive connection between man boobs and weight loss though.

Too much fat isn’t the only problem. Very often men lose muscle in their chest and that muscle turns to fat. When that happens their once tight and toned chest can start to look a little more ‘ladylike’ then they would want.

Another cause for man boobs is poor physical fitness and eating habits. When you gain weight, you gain it everywhere. That includes your chest. This can happen to women too but often they don’t mind as much. For men who are sick of having too much flab on their chest one of the best things to do is change your lifestyle.

Eating less and exercising more can really help a lot. Incorporate weight training into your routine and focus on your chest, back and arms for maximum results. Remember,though, there is no such thing as spot reducing. You can’t just lose fat in your chest, you will lose fat all over your body, which is fine since you probably have excess fat in many areas of your body.

Don’t expect changes right away either, it is a process. But the sooner you start, the sooner you can see the results.

Something as simple as eating less fried food, pizza and drinking less soda or alcohol can help a lot and those changes are easy to make. No one (well maybe someone is, but I’m not) is telling you that you can’t ever eat another pizza or that you have to be perfect.

Start small. Just cut back on some of your more common food indulgences. That is a good start. Once you start seeing some results, pick another thing to cut back on. Keep doing that until you have a healthier relationship with food.

If the idea of going to the gym and putting in an hour at a time is too daunting, then don’t worry about it. Just start slowly, similar to the same process you using with your food. Start slow.

If the gym isn’t in the cards than just walk up and down your stairs, take your dog for a walk, go for a bike ride or play tennis. It doesn’t matter what it is, just get your body moving and you will start to see some results after a fairly short time.

Even after you have lost your weight you may still have some extra skin and you may want to get surgery to reduce the excess skin. That is a common issue people who lose weight face, no matter where on the body that weight loss is the most pronounced.

start with some common sense weight loss first, eat better and get more exercise. From that point on, if you still aren’t satisfied with the way you look, you may want to talk to your doctor.

For many men though, they can see a significant positive impact just by getting in better shape and there is a positive correlation between man boobs and weight loss.

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There are many ways to lose weight and the most popular one involves eating more of proteins and fats with a little carbohydrates in between. A good example of this is the South Beach Diet, which has been proven to be good for the heart and body.

For those who have never done it, this is done in stages. The first part is done over a 2-week period and the person will refrain from eating food such as bread, potatoes, baked foods, fruit and the consumption of any kind of alcohol. The individual may have an occasional serving of low fat yogurt or milk.

When the individuals stomach has adjusted, it is time to bring in some of those that were taken out back into the diet. These include tomatoes, fruits and onions.

If the person is able to do this properly after another two weeks, the third part will basically be making sure that the current diet does not change. Those who are able to stick to the program as written in books and other related literature will be able to lose weight in no time.

Does this require exercising to help in losing weight? People who have been interviewed have claimed that this is not needed to get rid of those extra pounds. This is because the body will be forced to burn more calories because of the limited intake.

There was a time that the South Beach diet was not that popular among vegetarians since the individual will have to eat meat in small servings. There have been changes and people may now take advantage of this regimen.

There are cookbooks and other related information on the Internet that the person can make at home to be able to lose 8 or more pounds just like regular people.

The number of pounds that an individual can lose will vary. This really depends on the individuals genetics since there are people who are fat and thin. It is best to consult a doctor first to make sure that this type of diet is safe for the person to try.

If this kind of diet doesnt work, the person should not worry. This is because there are still others out there worth trying that can help the individual attain the desired weight. If at first the person succeeds, one should not give up and try again.

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