Obesity increases a person’s risk for developing several serious obesity-related health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, thyroid disease, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, and diabetes. In addition, childhood obesity affects more than 15 percent of the population under 18 years old classified as overweight. 3

It’s no wonder fad diets have become so popular as people look for the easy way out. In a time and age where many households are seeing both parents working, something as simple as sitting down for a home-cooked family dinner at 5:00 pm is nearly impossible nowadays. There is such an emphasis on competing with the Jones’, that people are often working harder and harder, longer and longer, to achieve financial success that has become the norm in our society.

The weight-loss industry is estimated to be a $50 billion a year industry. 4 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that at any given time two-thirds of all American adults are on a diet to either lose weight or prevent weight gain. Of those, 29 percent are men and 44 percent women. Yet only 5 percent of these dieters will be successful at keeping the weight that they lost off. 5

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) estimates that each day Americans spend an average of $109 million on dieting or diet related products, including tapes, videos, supplements, books, foods, and medications. 5

Often times people find themselves cycling from fad diet to fad diet because many of them show results initially, but most people bounce back to pre-diet weight or more once the diet has ended.

Ultimately, this cycle does not produce long-term results and often ends up with the person gradually gaining weight as their bodies re-adjust to the calorie deficits once the diet has finished. By fad-dieting, people often lose sight of their long-term goals for a quick fix.

The most healthy, in-shape people rarely “diet” as it is defined. These people eat a wide variety of food and as many as 6 meals a day and exercise at least 3-4 times a week — usually a combination of weight training and cardio activity. Many of them also allow themselves a “cheat meal” once a week, where they get to eat something a little less healthy.

Taking this approach can actually enable a person to safely lose between 2-3 lbs of fat a week, and research has shown that individuals who lose body fat slowly are much more likely to keep it off permanently. 6

Minor adjustments to your diet can also have dramatic cumulative results as long as a person is willing and determined enough to keep those changes over the long run.
Ditching soda, for example, for tea or flavored waters can often result in a loss of several pounds within just a few weeks. Substituting in complex carbs like oatmeal and brown rice for simple carbs like white rice and white bread, can also allow people to shed fat. In fact, finding foods that you can substitute for junk food is one of the most effective ways of cleaning up your diet and losing body fat for good. And you won’t starve yourself in the process or put your health at risk. 6

Finally, a very solid way to ensure weight loss is done safe and properly can be seen in a formula I often propose to people who ask on A1 forums. Eat 1 – 1.5 grams of protein for each pound of bodyweight. Eat ½ your weight in carbs (complex) each day. Eat 10 times your body weight in calories each day along with exercising 3-4 times a week. If you don’t see the results to your satisfaction, subtract 10% until you are reaching your goals.

1. Mokdad, A., et. al., Actual Causes of Death in the United States, 2000. JAMA, 2004; 291:1238-1245
2. National Institutes of Health: National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases. “Statistics Related to Overweight and Obesity: The Economic Costs.” win.niddk.nih.gov/statistics/index.htm
3. Ogden CL, Flegal KM, Carroll MD, Johnson CL. Prevalence and trends in overweight among US children and adolescents, 1999–2000. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2002;288:1728–1732.
4. Kovacs, Betty, MS, RD. Caffeine. www.medicinenet.com
5. AnswerFitness.com
6. Fad Diets: Why They are Bad and How to Spot Them. answerfitness.com

What is fat and what does it do?

Fat is a rich source of calories (9/gram) which provides the body with energy. Fat is found in most foods that we eat, especially from animal sources. The body needs dietary fats to give it energy and allow for cell growth. Bodybuilding is all about cell growth, so this is very important. Fats keep the body warm, are necessary for digestion/absorption of various vitamins and minerals, and play a key role in various hormonal functions (including testosterone and gh). In short, you (just like everyone else in the world) need to eat fats.

How many types of fat are there?

There are four general types of fat: saturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, monounsaturated fat and trans-fat. Both types of unsaturated fat are now recognized almost universally as being beneficial. They are found in plant sources such as avocados, flax seed and olives, and in some animal sources such as fish (salmon and cod, etc). All commercial fatty acid supplements are unsaturated fats. Saturated fats are less healthful. They are usually solids at room temperature and come from animal sources almost exclusively.

Meat and dairy products have saturated fats. Many studies have linked saturated fat consumption to high blood pressure, high cholesterol and heart disease. While these are typically in individuals who are either genetically inclined to these illnesses or are sedentary (or both), it should still be taken into consideration when planning one’s diet. Trans fats are terrible for the body. They are created unnaturally and should be avoided. Discussing the evils of trans fats is beyond the scope of this article.

But wait, shouldn’t I be cutting fats from my diet?

Only if your diet is based upon fast food and processed garbage. Most bodybuilders don’t get enough fat. Fat is usually the first calorie source eliminated from a cutting diet. This is unfortunate because it wreaks havoc on the bodies digestive and endocrine (hormone regulating) systems. Since fat has more calories than carbs or proteins people usually like to take it out. At one time, bodybuilding circles were well aware of the benefits of fat consumption. The illustrious trainer Vince Gironda put his disciples on high fat, high protein, low carb diets. They consumed lots of dairy and meat, especially organ meat.

While many people have challenged these ideas, they were often ironically practicing what Gironda was preaching. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s diets consisted of whole eggs, hamburger patties and cottage cheese for two-three meals per day, all of these being high fat foods. Most bodybuilders eat far too many carbs and not enough fat. The body doesn’t need so many carbs- after all, it just gets converted to sugar and either burnt within half an hour or stored. I have seen guys think that pouring baby sugar (pure dextrose) into their post workout shakes, then twenty minutes later eat two baked potatoes thinking that this will make them “anabolic”. It won’t, it will just make you fat. After all, didn’t we just learn that it is fat that produces more testosterone? High fat diets are much more anabolic than high carb/low fat diets.

How and why should I supplement essential fatty acids?

It is quite possible to eat enough fatty acids in a balanced diet. But for many people these is one thing lacking, omega fats. These are found most commonly in salmon and flax seeds. For many people, these foods are either too expensive or too inconvenient. So purchasing supplemental pills will make a big difference (any reputable company probably makes a perfectly good option). Taking one cap of flax seed oil and one cap of fish oil with three to four meals per day should probably do it. Also, side benefits of supplementing this is increased memory and cognizance.

I know an elderly person whose short term memory improved noticeably when supplementing fish oil pills. Also, some studies have shown people who added flax seed oil pills to their diets lost body fat. While this seems counter-intuitive, think of it this way- if your body isn’t getting all the resources that it needs (ie, essential fatty acids) it will probably not function properly and do things that you don’t want, such as storing additional body fat.

I personally eat a lot of EFA’s in my diet naturally. I eat a lot of salmon and other fish, as well as only cooking with olive oil. I also like to put ground flax seed onto my food to give it a sort of nutty taste. I keep ON’s flax seed oil supplements in my home and eat them fairly regularly just to be sure that I am getting enough. Since my job is very mentally demanding, I also take fish oil pills when I feel strained or like I am forgetting things.

Basically, essential fatty acids are called essential for a reason. The body needs them for a number of purposes and there is no way of getting around eating them (unless you want to walk around like a malnourished zombie with hormonal problems). For those specific fatty acids which are difficult to consume in foods, there are a number of inexpensive and effective supplements available on this site. There is no reason or excuse not to take advantage of them.

What is getting in shape?

Getting one’s self “in shape” is the very definition of a broad and almost purposely vague goal. It is a “commitment” that lacks structure, guidelines, and does not clearly define any notion of what “success” will truly entail. Quite simply: it’s a cop-out.

Before the journey has even begun, these people have already set themselves up for their failure. Yet every January millions across the world will jump off the sofa, stare directly at their reflection in the mirror, and make the same solemn pledge to themselves, “I don’t care WHAT it takes — I’m getting into shape this year!”

Fast-forward to six weeks later, and they’re; over-trained, undernourished, and feeling like a failure.

So how can this be prevented? How do they stop the cycle? What can a person do to help their friend and/or loved one from falling into this trap? Simply follow these steps:

Step 1 – Sit down with them and plot out reasonable, tangible goals, as well as how to accomplish them.

When first beginning this process of getting in shape, the majority of people are willing to give 110% to the effort. They’ll run out and join the first gym they pass, purchase workout clothes or packages, “health food” bars, and any other number of items that they heard will “really work”. This may be the first, and only time that their eyes and ears are truly open and ready to soak in your knowledge.

If this same vigor and energy was channeled correctly, a person could set themselves up for success well into the new year… and beyond. In order to help them with that cause, point them in the following directions:

Diet

Unless you are a certified Clinical Nutritionist or an accredited Dietitian, yourself, the first step toward success would be to point this person in the direction of a health food professional (note: just because your diet worked for you doesn’t mean it’s what they’re looking for).

When first starting a fitness regimen, the hardest part is figuring out exactly what to do. Seemingly every program contradicts three others. So while a health magazine may advocate eating X amount of protein a day, a person could find 11 other programs that will give completely different protein requirements. A competent health food professional will help answer these questions, diffuse some common myths, and can help point them in one singular direction.

In summation: Don’t confuse someone who may be looking for an excuse to give up (Note: if they can’t afford a health food professional, just recommend they center their diets on foods packed with the following keywords: Antioxidants, Vitamins, Minerals, Fiber, Mono or Polyunsaturated Fats, and Probiotic Cultures — the time-tested “shop in the outside aisles of the supermarket” theory).

Rest / Recovery

Much like how a new trainee will do all the pre-planning, to get into shape, at 100 MPH, they’ll also likely hit the gym with the same drive and determination… for the first few weeks anyway.

How many of you remember your first weight training program? Chances are you’re still not following it today. In many instances, people succeed at fitness in spite of what they’re doing at the gym. Enough can not be said about the importance of recovery. Good old fashioned sleep, and high quality foods really are the “secret” formula that every person seems to be so unwilling to commit to.

No matter what their goal; losing weight, shedding body fat, gaining muscle, building explosive strength, those results will be achieved in the kitchen and in the bedroom — NOT at the gym.

In summation: Fitness is a marathon, not a sprint. How can one progress if they START off working out 6-7 days a week?

Step 2 – Explain to them just how serious, and hard this journey will be.

If getting into shape was easy, then there would not be a billion-dollar fitness industry operating in the United States.

Someone who is new to this game can not even begin to fathom how much effort, and hard work, is required to achieve their dreams of getting into shape. But, after sitting them down and forcing them to plan out a reasonable goal (along with smaller progressions and achievements to pass along the way), they are now going to be more readily able to handle the ugly truths of what they are about to attempt.

As an experienced trainee, it is your job to warn this person about the possible dangers, setbacks, and hazards that they will experience on their long road to better health. For every person like you, who is ready and willing to help them succeed, there are five people who want to see them fail just as badly. Whether it be a caring family member who doesn’t know any better, or a jealous co-worker who is not ready to make a healthy commitment themselves, there will be a lot of temptation to overcome.

In summation: Let them know that it’s okay to fail. Millions have tried what they are about to do, and nobody did it perfectly the first time out. If they are prepared to let themselves fail, then they will finally be ready to succeed.

Step 3 – Be willing to make just as many sacrifices as they are.

When someone begins a fitness journey, it can be a very isolating and solitary experience. While achieving a goal will lead to the highest of highs, any failure will lead to the lowest lows. These negative feelings are only magnified when it seems like no one else cares if they continue on or quit.

To help combat this, you have to be willing to sacrifice and make the time to always be there for this person. In the words of Bill Withers:

Lean on me, when you’re not strong
And I’ll be your friend
I’ll help you carry on
For it won’t be long
‘Til I’m gonna need
Somebody to lean on

Achieving a better-looking body, losing a few pounds, or recovering from a debilitating illness, all of these are valid reasons to start a fitness program. They will all require different paths, and a plethora of different choices to be made. Regardless of the reason, they will all lead to a higher quality of life. Which, at the end of the day, is why we really should all be doing this.

No matter how selfish our initial fitness intentions may be, there is always someone else out there pulling for you. Whether this is a son who wants his father to be around for the birth of a grandchild, a couple that has been married for 50+ years, or even a friend who would give anything to see this person be happy — there is always someone out there who is pulling for someone else. Hoping, even praying that this person will make the sacrifices required to stick around on this earth for just a little while longer.

In summation: No one should be forced to undertake this life-changing effort alone.

I would like to start off saying that what works for others may not exactly work for you (or even me, for that matter), but it’s still a good idea to experiment to find out what that one thing that works for you is.

General Training Tips And Strategies

1. Never skip a day in you’re training, unless you have a pretty good excuse to. Even then, you might want to start off with the body part(s) you missed when you start up again(better late then never). This way, you can help keep you’re training on a pretty good hand, instead of waiting a whole nother week to stimulate the musscles you didnt get to train that day(s).
2. Always stay consistent. Change is good when you’ve hit a platue, but to much change could be a bad thing. Try sticking with the same routine for a couple weeks before changing, especially if you’ve made good progress on it.
3. It’s a good thing to train with a spotter, as you’re not afraid to give it youre all, knowing that when you cant lift anymore, or if you get stuck, you’re spotter can help you, especially with forced reps(scientificly proven that two forced reps at the end of you’re last set or two boosts you’re testostorone by 3000-4000%).
4. If you lift all year long, you might want to consider training in different sequences. For example, you could do one or two(i prefer two) six week hypertrophy frazes, followed by a week of a transitional fraze, followed by a max strength or maybe a power fraze, with a week of transition, then maybe going to a two week endurance fraze, or even back to the hypertrophy frase. Do a little research, then make you’re own depending on you’re own individual needs. Feel free to experiment, just remember that when you go into you’re transistion week, lift moderately light weight, as you want to recooperate somewhat before trying something new without stopping overall.
5. There are plenty different ways of training. You could try doggcrap(which i hear is extremly difficult to do, so take caution), giant sets, or just lifting for fun. Just be sure that what ever you do, you’re more concentrated on what you’re doing rather than the girl doing squats right next to you. Just try to connect with you’re self as you lift(mind muscle connection).
6. For those trying to loose weight, but are not sure when to do their cardio, i’ve learned the best time is right when you wake up. Just stretch to warm you’re self up a little, and go jogging around the block a few times. You can also just go straight to the gym.If you take protein shakes, it’s best to drink one right before you do your cardio(I personally like to take whey, plus some casein, just to hold me up until meal 1).
7. I always thought you should drink protein before you go to bed, but I never did. once I started, I noticed It was a little easier to gain some weight. I like to end my day with a little whey protein, to start the synthesiss, then I down at least 50 grams of casein. It might be hard to go to sleep with all that fluid in you’re stomach , but you get use to it.
8. I usually try to train a lacking body part twice a week, and when I do this, I try to center it around my off days, this way I don’t overtrain myself. For those who are confused, I’ll do biceps on tuesday, take wednesday off, then hit them again on friday. It’s worked pretty good, but I wouldnt recamend doing this with a large bodypart. I dont thank anyone’s legs could recover in just threedays, even with an off day.
9. For those who dont take supplements, It’s never to late to try them. Just make sure that you read what you buy, and also ask a physician before taking it. Some people might not like the idea of that(I certainly don’t), but some of those supplements could hurt you if you’re body isn’t in good condition. I dont think high blood pressure or abnormal heart beats are going to mix well with creatine or fatloss pills. Always better being safe than sorry.

For those wondering what kind of protein they should choose from, you should always start off with pure protein, just until you learn more about what companies add in it(dextrose, creatine, so on). Speaking on a personal experience, I once took some protein with added creatine, and I couldn’t stay out of the bathroom!!! I’d recamend bying the little jugs first (2lbs. instead of 4lbs), until you find which one you like the best. And when you find it, stick with it.

These tips have helped me, and hopefuly, they’ll help you. But the best thing to do(I do it at least six hours a week), is to look up information about building physiques and look at scientific information. This will difinately help you become what you want to be, no matter what you’re goal.

So keep lifting, and never give up. It might take some time, but with hard work and a determined mind, you’ll get there. Who knows, maybe you’ll be the next Mr. Olympia!

Have you ever done something just because someone pressured you into it, or they made you feel self concious. Maybe it’s something simple as loosing a few pounds, or even gaining some. Then again, it could be something very big, or even dangerous.

Growing up I was pretty overweight. Being the only kid in kindergarden who’s 4′9 and one-hundred-eighty pounds wasn’t the easiest thing. The part I hated most was being shaped into a bully. I had no friends, no one liked me. I was told by a bunch of six year olds tht I needed to go on a diet. Sound like fun?

Well, I was like this until my sixth grade year. My dad came home one day with a weight bench. He said that he needed to get into shape, but if I wanted to I could use it too. I was pretty excited, as I had always wanted to lift weights. I had always seen people with big arms, and wanted to have those too.

I started bench pressing. Thats the only thing I did for a very long time, as that was the only thing I knew you could use to get big(I didnt know much about weightlifting back then). I liked the idea of being able to increase the weight every other week(I could only lift the bar when i started). I also liked the one-seventy I started to see on the scale. Most people would say that ten pounds is nothing, but I thought it was the best thing I had ever done.

At the end of sixth grade, I decided to start running. I got tired of being called nasty names(all of what start with fat and are to inapporiate to list), and of being known as one of the biggest kids in the school, as most kids were skinny. At first, I hated it, but after about two months, I started to love it. It was my favorite thing to do. I started to feel realy good about doing it, as I got a huge runners high when I was finished(not really a high, just the release of natural endorphanes that make the body feel good). I even stoped weightlifting just so I could run that much longer.

School started, and nobody knew who I was. I was 5′6 and one-hundred-fifteen pounds. Try that as a transformation! However, there were two things that started to realy bother me. The smallest(but probably the biggest one) was that I was actually blackingout at least three times a day(worst being seven, in which I had the corner of a table smash into the part of my spinal cord that goes into my head), and the biggest(but also the stupidest) was the fact that everyone was telling me that I was to skinny. That was confusing. They were even starting to call me names and make jokes about how skinny I was. so I stoped running and started to weightlift again.

I had a hard time getting big until my eight grade year. One of the kids I always made fun of became by best friend. We had private competitions together to see who was the strongest. I was always stronger than him until he gave into peer pressure and started doing steroids(at the age of fifteen). Seems hard to believe, but thats what happended. People where noticing how much stronger than me he was getting, and urged me to do something about it. They had me to go so far as to benchpress everyday for a month straight(worst thing I’ve done to my body so far). After all that I was majorly depressed.

I found it hard to deal with all the stresses that all of these things caused me. I started smoking and doing drugs(peer pressure had it’s way in that too).

Skip ahead two years: My back feels like Im at least thirty, I wake up in the morning with sore knee joints, my sternum still feels like someone hit me with a bat, and my inner chest is aggervated by all the countless hours of running I did. Just wait until I’m in my late thirties(god help me). I’ve stoped smoking, and I workout on a regular basis, but not stupidly like I use to. Best part is, I dont do what the kid next to me is feeling, I do what I am feeling. And most of all, I couldn’t care any less about what people thank about me anymore. I’m still disapointed at myself for whasting three years of my life caring about what others said about me, and being pressured into doing things I didn’t want to do, but I guess I had to learn the hard way. And i can’t wait to send a movie of me winning Mr. Olympia to all of those who called me fat(being only sixteen, I still have a long way to go).

So remember, you dont have to be pressured into doing something you dont want to do. Dont listen to what other people have to say about you, especially youre friends. Besides, if there really going to tell you what you need to do, their not really youre friends anyway.

Just remember this: The next person who calls you fat may be the next fat person looking at you’re picture in a modeling magazine(even if Its ten years from now).

And for those who want to know: I am now about 150lbs, with about 16-inch arms.

The best product i have got mad results off of is n.o. shotgun. I was taking muscletech’s nitrotech hardcore, but the added dextrose gave me the runs realy bad. And the best workout that I’ve had is when I do squats with benchpresses every other day (I’m just trying to get strong right now, and I’ve gained fifty pounds on my bench and fourty on my squat in about a month).

After two years I finally took the risk and got a miracle surgery.

But when I started rehabilitating I realized there were some serious problems from all the years of not using my body:

1. My left hip would not rotate out.
2. Bumps of bone from all the disuse had formed in my neural foramens and were itching nerves — especially nerves that went to my bowels.
3. I could barely rotate to the left at the waist
4. I had become fat and weak .

I would like to say that I had an angel come and touch me and I was healed in an instant — but as it turns out — it took two years of consistent effort to get back to normal.

I was blessed with other forms of help too — a great therapy team for the first three months that educated me on exercises and stretches and one therapist who even wrote up a protocol for me to follow after leaving, many persons and articles on the internet educated me on supplements and treatments, and thirdly my family doctor performed osteopathic manipulation on my spine almost weekly.

But I did not become “normal” again until I started doing my therapy protocol FOUR TIMES DAILY.

This is why I feel chronic problems can be addressed best by consistent and persistent, yet educated effort — whether it be obesity an injury or any other chronic problem.

So stay motivated and surround yourself with those who love you — because those are the ones that will keep you motivated to put up such a persistent fight and triumph — and always remember that God loves you too!

More and more spend hundred and even thousands of dollars yearly on weight loss supplements in the hope of speeding up their metabolism. The main desire is to be attractive and accepted but it is becoming a more difficult goal to achieve. The fitness industry is booming but still a lot of people are unable to cut those fat in spite of all the exercise and diet efforts. In America, more than sixty per cent of adults are overweight and thirty per cent are considered obese. This is because: one, a lot of weight loss products promises unrealistic goals; two, dietary supplement manufacturers rely on the overweight person’s failure to survive; and three, the information about the supplements in the market are just written by themselves just to make a sell.

Although the Food and Drug Administration has successfully banned illegal marketers, some products are still available. Consumers can be deceived of the labels which claims caffeine or ephedra fee not knowing that these supplements composes of other ingredients that may pose the same health risks. These include heart and digestive problems, headaches, insomnia, and even psychological side effects.

Other supplement manufacturers say that their products contains EGCG which is a phytochemical ingredient found in green tea. This so-called component claims to speed up metabolism but in reality poses to reduce the risk of cancer. Some studies denote that it could slightly increase the potential to burn calories and now can be found in many weight loss supplements. It has good points on the other hand since the body might conform to EGCG after a period of time. Eve the weight loss benefit could sum up to 60 to 70 calories a day. This helps prevent excessive weight gain.

A few other significant effects of weight loss supplements is that it may contain ingredients that makers claim will prevent the absorption of carbohydrates. One good example is Chitosan, which appears most promising, which in fact shows no positive result in fat absorption. It could even take up to seven months for men to lose just a pound of body fat and for women, there is no fat loss at all. Thyroid supplements act as thyroid replacements help regulate and optimize the thyroid at a higher level. This they say makes the body feel like a couch potato and won’t perform the job it has to.

Since the number one reason why people eat is because they feel hungry, there is another type of ingredient that manufacturers made which increases the feeling of being full and decreases appetite, Guar Gum. However, recent studies show that it has no meaningful benefit at all to weight loss. It is ironic that manufacturers mix Psyllium that has the reputation of reducing eating and aiding weight loss for initial studies so far do not support this claim although it helps control blood cholesterol and sugar.

One of the latest innovations in the fat loss industry is by way of skin absorption. There’s a Cutting Gel, which is an epidril product by far the best selling in fat loss creams technology. Rub it where you want the fats cut. For now, it will seem safer to advise the age old remedies to excessive weight gain and that is to invest on walking shoes instead of diet supplements, go to the park and do brisk walking, go to the gym, and have a well balanced diet instead.

The program first requires your focus and dedication, so therefore you need to be prepared in both mind and of course body. It is highly advised that you first visit your doctor for a check-up before embarking on any weight loss program.

It is important that when starting on any weight loss program, one should be positive enough to work for the results. Some people get impatient easily but long term effects are assured as long as one sticks to the weight loss plan at hand.

Stretch, stretch and stretch some more. Before actually doing those exercises and working out those muscles, a little stretching is needed in order to avoid any injury or soreness in your body.

It is also not advisable for anyone to try too hard. Everything should be done in moderation. Find the level of exercise and training that suits you. It should be enough for you to be comfortable in but not too convenient that it will not be much of a challenge.
The first week

The first day of the program involves a long and steady walk in a little over twenty minutes. After the walk, follow it up with a good stretch. This takes so little of your time for the first day. In less than an hour you have taken that first step to a weight loss program that could work to your advantage.

By the second day, it is good to focus on an upper body workout. This maintains your strength to be able to go through the whole program for the week. On the third day, a brisk walk or jog for ten minutes is in order. For beginners, a lower body workout should be done in the evening.

In the fourth day, a good rest is in order, as well as a good stretch. This lag time should be used wisely though to sort out any negatives in your mindset. The fifth day starts with a good ten minute walk. Exercise the lower body in four sessions of workouts, follow this up with another ten minute walk, and another four sessions of lower body workout.

The sixth day should be spent on a low impact exercise such as swimming. To avoid boredom, do not be afraid to try something new. The last day of the week is a time to solicit the support of the people you care about. Spend time with them or get them to be with you in your long walk. Again, follow up your walk with a light upper body workout.

This is just the beginning though. If by this first week you are able to stick to the program, you have a great chance to further boost your weight loss and stay with the plan until you achieve your desired result. Try as much as possible to be unlike the people who give up easily just because they could not see the result they want at the time they want ?like this moment, today, now! Patience is a virtue. The same way it took your body time to gain all that weight, think about it as the time your body will have to exert just to get rid of it.

Today, weight loss surgeries are gradually gaining recognition when it comes to losing weight. Many health experts contend that people who are excessively overweight or has slower metabolism would normally require some surgical operations.

Surgery at Present

The greatest progress in the care of the surgical patient has taken place since the beginning of the present century. An increasing knowledge of disease and disorder as a result of research has permitted the development of many diagnostic aids. Some of these depend upon roentgenograms, laboratory procedures such as chemical, bacteriologic, and pathologic determinations, as well as monitoring devices and computer aids.

Hence, the result is that the diagnosis of disease and disorder is made with more exactness and certainty than was possible from the simple clinical examinations of previous days.

That is why people who wish to undergo weight loss surgery should no longer be afraid of the procedure because high clinical standards are now being implemented in every surgical operation.

The Concept of Weight Loss Surgery

Health experts contend that weight loss surgery is a major surgery. One of the most common reasons why people would like to lose weight is to enhance their physical attributes. However, it should not be the underlying motivation that they should undergo the process of weight loss surgery.

What people do not know is that weight loss surgery is especially generated to help obese people live longer, healthier, and better.

That is why it is important for an individual to meticulously analyze his or her situation, do some research about the process, and analyze if weight loss surgery is the ultimate choice for his or her physiological condition.

Moreover, it is important to gather further information about weight loss surgery by consulting an experienced and knowledgeable bariatric surgeon or even just an expert family physician who knows the ins and outs of weight loss surgery.

In addition, the patient should also consult the other health experts such as the psychiatrist and dietician with regards to some psychological advices on long-term goals after the operation.

Generally, patients who have undergone weight loss surgery are said to be successful if they were able to lose 50% or more of their extra body weight and will be able to maintain that condition for the next five years or so. However, the results of the operation may still vary depending on the clinical information of the patient and the skills of the bariatric surgeon.

Normally, the patient will be able to lose at least 30% to a maximum of 50% during the first six months after surgery; and within the year after the operation, the patient has the potential of losing weight up to a maximum of 77%.

Best of all, people who were able to loss weight through surgical operations can actually maintain a continuous weight loss of up to 50% to 60% in the next 10 to 14 years after surgery.

Factors to Consider

As with the other weight loss management programs, there are many factors to consider before the patient should decide to undergo weight loss surgery.

Consequently, the actual weight that will be lost is reliant on the weight before surgery, surgical procedure, patient’s age, capability to exercise, total health condition of the patient, dogged determination to maintain the necessary follow-up nurture, and the enthusiasm to succeed with the help of their family, friends, and their colleagues.

If you have just put on a few extra pounds and want to avoid gaining more, these weight loss surgeries for better health may seem convincing. But, in addition to being convinced, you may also have to take some action to ensure that your weight does not creep upward.

Therefore, it can be concluded that losing weight is not just a question of deciding to be strong-willed and determined or upbeat and positive. Lifestyle changes are where it is at for long-term success with your weight especially after weight loss surgery.

There are a lot of weight loss products that offer that fast weight loss results, however, are these really guaranteed? Could these products live up to their assurance of a fit body?

In US, there is an estimated 50 million people who try to lose weigh, unfortunately, only 5 per cent are successful. One thing’s for sure, beware of fraudulent claims and extreme high cost because there is no magic to losing weight.

Samples of weight loss products in the market nowadays:

• Diet Patch ?this was already removed since 1990’s by FDA since they were proven ineffective.
• Magnetic Diet Pills ?allegedly flushes out fat, but not.
• Guar Gum ?causes internal obstruction.
• Electrical Muscle Stimulators ?no proven effect.
• Eyeglasses that Suppress Appetite ?These claims that the projected image on the retina decreases appetite. No proven fact.
• Weight loss earrings ?through acupuncture, suppresses appetite.

There are also examples of weight loss products:

Diet drinks that are mixed with beverages or food are used as meal substitutes. A downside of this is that once a person stopped taking the drinks, they would eventually regain the lost weight after a short period of time due to feeling of emptiness in the stomach. Another is diet supplements and medicines that also don’t work long-term. Over-the-counter pills that compose of phenylpropanolamine hydrochloride may raise blood pressure and palpitation. Ephedra on the other hand can cause serious side effects such as heart problems, seizure, stroke, and even death. E.g.:

• Herbalife Nutritional Program ?good as two meals, dieters may rely on shakes and follow artificial dieting methods and just don’t want food to work into their lives.
• Mega-Thin 100 Formula ?Its formula contains an anti-fat weapon, however, diet is not emphasized that’s why it’s concluded that it has an appetite suppressant.
• Nestle’s Sweet Success ?recommended to take three times a day and it does not promote healthy eating habits. Weight loss is difficult to maintain once intake is stopped.
• Ultra Slim Fast ?this plan requires regular exercise but does not teach good eating habits.
• Diet pills with Ephedra and PPA ?many of these have enclosed diet plans. Slimming can come from the diet plan and not the pill intake and there are risks of adverse side effects.
• Chitosan products ?contains fibers which were taken from shellfish that may cause diarrhea, bloatedness, and gas. This will only work if a low fat diet is practiced.
• Chromium Supplements ?laim that products will lower blood sugar, body fat and cholesterol but causes anemia and even memory loss. Studies show only minimal or no beneficial effect at all.
• Green Tea Extract Products ?known as strong anti-oxidants that help lower cholesterol and triglycerides, and promote weight loss, however, the caffeine content could cause insomnia and restlessness.
• Algae Tablets – Spirulina contains significant nutrients that can be an acceptable food when used as part of a varied diet but are very expensive.
• St. John’s Wort Supplement – Claims that it will suppress appetite and promote weight loss but it could lead to gastrointestinal discomfort, tiredness, sleeplessness, and arouse allergic reactions.
• Glucomannan Products ?claim that two capsules before each meal decrease food absorption. Known as food thickeners but not yet proven safe or effective. Weight loss will only happen if good diet plan is followed.

Even if you plan on using over-the-counter weight supplements or even participate in a weight loss activity, the verdict is that you still have to eat fewer calories than you burn to lose weight. When choosing a weight loss product or program, collect as much information as possible.