Category: Weight Loss

Sleep and Weight Loss

Even if you’re eating right and exercising regularly, you may not be able to achieve weight loss just yet. Achieving weight loss isn’t easy. But it can be harder to achieve it if you have unhealthy sleeping patterns.

Recent studies reveal that there is a strong relationship between sleep deprivation and weight gain. However, it is still unknown why it actually occur. One of the things that have been found is that people who sleep less than six hours each night experience an increase in their BMI and in their weight than those people that get seven to eight hours of sleep per night. Getting enough sleep is crucial to your weight loss efforts.

Sleep vs. Weight Loss

Our bodies run on a 24-hour cycle, which is called a circadian rhythm. Our circadian rhythm regulates our temperature, hormone secretion, and brain chemistry production. When our circadian rhythm is out of whack, so are the hormones that regulate whether we feel full or hungry. All of our normal cues for eating are altered. When we are tired or extra fatigued, we don’t always make the healthiest food choices. We might decide to have a bowl of ice cream right before bed in order to relax. We might decide to have a candy bar in the middle of the day because we are feeling sleepy and want a quick snack to get a rush of energy. These unhealthy choices can really destroy our weight loss efforts.

Alleviate your stress!

We live in a very hectic world with many responsibilities. Trying to juggle work, family, chores, school and recreation, it’s no wonder that so many of us don’t make sleep a priority. There is always so much to do that we tend to put off sleeping to do other things. We also live in stressful times and often our mental stress prevents sleep, even when we do manage to set aside seven to eight hours. This can be detrimental to our weight loss efforts. Try doing yoga or other relaxation exercises to reduce your stress level. Exercise is an amazing stress reliever and if weight loss is your goal, you should be exercising regularly anyway.

Get more sleep.

Here are some steps you can take to help regain some control and minimize the likelihood that lack of sleep will sabotage your weight loss efforts. Try to set a regular sleep schedule. Aim for seven hours of sleep each night, and make sleep a priority. Eat regularly; at least three to four times each day. Instead of using food to wake you up when you’re feeling sleepy, take a power nap of about 20 minutes. If you feel like you need an energy boost, eat a piece of fresh fruit or half of a sandwich made with lean protein.

How Much Weight Loss is Healthy

Lose up to 10lbs in 10 days! “I lost 25lbs in just 30 days!” Weight loss with a deadline, they are all over the place. The advertisements suggesting weight loss in a time frame are confusing regarding what can realistically be accomplished in a given time frame. For some, they give false hope, and they will have multiple attempts at losing weight. For others, they give up all together.

So what is a good goal to set for healthy weight loss? Well, let’s discuss what weight is and what exactly it is that you really want to lose. You can also talk to LIVE’s online trainers to discuss your personal situation.

Body Mass- the total amount of weight minus fat stores. So lean mass includes muscle, bones, organs and healthy tissue.

Body weight-the total amount of weight of a person. There are 3 main types of weight that you will lose or gain. Muscle, fat, and water.

Muscle weight Muscle weight is the amount of lean body mass that a person carries. It uses a lot of calories to maintain itself. If the calories are not there, the muscle weight will decrease. So the more muscle weight you have, the more calories you need to maintain it. This is why it is important to make resistance training and exercise part of your program to lose weight, and Live’s personal training and diet programs can give you the support and education you need to be successful. People who workout, regardless of wanting to build muscle or lose fat, need to eat more healthy calories than when they were sedentary!

Fat weight – This is the amount of adipose tissue, or fat, that a person carries. Body fat does not need calories to maintain itself. It is stored calories that a person has already ingested and is burned as energy as a result of exercise. We need a certain amount of fat to be healthy. These percentages will vary between men and women but healthy ranges for men will fall between 4% and 15% and for women 10%-20% of total body weight.

Water weight – Water weight accounts for the levels of hydration in our body. This weight can fluctuate 5lbs in a single day based on hydration levels. If you have ever been sick and lost weight very quickly, it was most likely water weight. The contestants on the Biggest Loser TV show, lost up to 20lbs in 1 week, and it was most likely some fat, but a lot of water weight too. The reason NFL football players weigh in and out of each summer practice is because the are being monitored for hydration levels as they can lose 3-5lbs in a single practice session. And finally, this is the weight you will lose and gain rapidly with low carb fad diets.

So how much weight can you lose safely and keep it off? 1lb of fat equals 3500 calories. That is about 2 days worth of food for most of us. To lose weight and keep it off, a calories deficit of about 500 a day is acceptable. This means if you eat 2000 calories a day, you should burn through 2500. So by the end of the week 1-2 lbs of fat loss is considered healthy, achievable and maintainable. Muscle is what we want to gain so we can burn more calories and raise our metabolism. We will all gain muscle differently based on a number of factors including genetics, training regimen and supplementation. A good number to target is about 1-2 lbs a month. The reason for this is because it is difficult to put on muscle and lose body fat at the same time. So you have to have a strict calorie balance so you can gain muscle weight without gaining fat weight too.

There is more than one type of weight you can lose or gain making this a vague topic to quantify. This is why they use the term “weight” on TV and in advertisements when referring to an abundant amount of weight loss quickly. Set realistic goals, and if you are consistently changing your body composition by losing fat and putting on some healthy muscle you will eventually look and feel the way you want to, you will have done it the right way, and will therefore be able to maintain the new you for life!

Copyright (c) 2007 Charles Carter

Weight Loss Supplements Are Ideal For You

Weight loss supplements are often used to aid a persons efforts to reach the correct weight without losing out on vital nutrients with the lower food intake.

Weight loss supplements may be indicated when the patient is too obese to effectively exercise but is not in a condition that warrants surgery to reduce food consumption. Excess weight may put so much pressure on the joints that normal activity is hampered and the individual is unable to lose weight. This cycle of being unable to move and consequent weight gain can be reduced with the use of weight loss supplements. In case you are suffering from any medical condition related to blood sugar or pressure, your doctor must be informed of medications that you are consuming. These medicines should preferably be used only for a short period till enough weight loss is achieved to allow physical movement. After that, the patient should opt for alternative methods to achieve the targeted weight.

Inhibitors

Weight loss supplements that work as lipase inhibitors act on food and move through the digestive tract at a fast rate. Some patients complain of a lack of fullness despite the quantities that they eat. This disorder can be controlled with the use of medicines like these. This can lead to increased bowel movements that are sometimes uncontrollable. An alternative has the capability to suppress the hormones that signal the feeling of hunger. You must avoid eating unless your body requires it to allow either of these options to work on your system binge eating can lead to distress events if you are using lipase inhibitors. You can run the risk of losing out on vital nutrients on a daily basis with the hormone suppressant. Ensure that you take the advice of a physician in diagnosing whether you need supplements and the food supplements you should take to remain healthy.

Side effects

Weight loss supplements come with side effects. Apart from diarrhoea and nutrition loss, some of them impact the memory of the user. Some medicines have been linked to heart attacks because of the unhealthy increase in energy expenditure that it creates and puts an unnatural strain on vital organs. Muscle cramping, constipation and difficulty in sleeping are some of the common side effects. Though the medication may not show adverse reactions in the short run, the stress on the system due to poor rest and impaired nourishment are likely to have long term effects. These will show up in the form of reduced immunity and longer recovery from minor ailments.

Diagnosis

Your physician will take a complete physical examination and check your vital signs before deciding on the suitable weight loss supplements that you can try. The physician will advise you on the right eating patterns to be followed and ask that you take regular checks of certain vital parameters to rule out the possibility of undesirable effects. Weight loss supplements are to be seen as medicines with chemical formulations that interfere with the bodys natural flow. Long term use is recommended only if you are under regular care of a physician. Though there are many over the counter formulations, do not try them without checking their safety and efficacy with an expert.

The Importance of Fiber In Weight Loss

Fiber is commonly divided into two types,soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber dissolves in water and is usually found in fruits, vegetables, wheat, and oats. Insoluble fiber tends to exit the body largely unchanged, and is found in foods like seeds, nuts, and celery. Consumption of both soluble and insoluble fiber is vital to a healthy diet. While you may have heard of the importance of a high fiber diet for colon health, there are many other health benefits.

For people with heart disease or elevated cholesterol, fiber can help reduce cholesterol levels and decrease the risk of possible cardiac events. In fact, a study from The Journal of the American College of Cardiology, noted that women consuming higher fiber diets have a decreased risk of heart attacks, and coronary artery disease, compared to similar women who consume less fiber.

Health Benefits of Fiber

Blood sugar control: Soluble fiber may help to slow your body’s breakdown of carbohydrates and the absorption of sugar, helping with blood sugar control. Heart health: An inverse association has been found between fiber intake and heart attack, and research shows that those eating a high-fiber diet have a 40 percent lower risk of heart disease. Stroke: Researchers have found that for every seven-grams more fiber you consume on a daily basis, your stroke risk is decreased by 7 percent. Weight loss and management: Fiber supplements have been shown to enhance weight loss among obese people, likely because fiber increases feelings of fullness. Skin health: Fiber, particularly psyllium husk, may help move yeast and fungus out of your body, preventing them from being excreted through your skin where they could trigger acne or rashes. Diverticulitis: Dietary fiber (especially insoluble) may reduce your risk of diverticulitis – an inflammation of polyps in your intestine – by 40 percent. Hemorrhoids: A high-fiber diet may lower your risk of hemorrhoids. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS): Fiber may provide some relief from IBS. Gallstones and kidney stones: A high-fiber diet may reduce the risk of gallstones and kidney stones, likely because of its ability to help regulate blood sugar.

Aim to get fiber from whole foods, rather than processed foods that claim they have added fiber added. Try adding a few of the following foods and your body will thank you.

Brown rice, oatmeal

Berries

Chia and Flax Seeds

Apples, Pears, Mango

Black Beans, Red Beans, Garbanzo Beans

Edamame

Almonds

Realistic Weight Loss Goals How To Build A Strong Foundation For Long-Term Weight Loss Success

Formulating realistic weight loss goals is the first critical step you must undertake when starting a new weight loss or diet program. If you do not make a concerted effort to develop realistic goals for your weight loss and dieting you will, probably, create unrealistic goals. The consequence of unrealistic weight loss goals is you will not have a clear idea how to approach your weight loss and dieting, and as a result you will flounder and fail. Examples of unrealistic weight loss goals would be, “I am going to lose all the weight I need to lose fast!” That is a goal but it is unrealistic because there is no mention of how you will lose the weight and how much weight you want to lose. A second example of an unrealistic goal would be, “I will lose all the weight by reducing what I eat.” Again, that is an approach to weight loss but how much will you reduce, how will you measure the portions you eat and how long will you continue the reduction? Goals that are not specific and difficult to assess and monitor are recipes for disaster. The outcome of “goals” like these is that you will fall back into comfortable habits and soon you will become frustrated and then you are just a whisper away from complete failure. To maximize your success you must set realistic goals and when you do you will discover that success will come faster and you will achieve your goals easily.

When you set weight loss goals be sure to establish easily attainable short-term realistic weight loss goals. When I speak of short-term goals I am speaking about a goal you can achieve in the next week. Begin developing your short-term goals and as you do write down every action required for you to accomplish your goals. This list of goals and actions must be as specific as possible. When you decide on a goal make the goal as clear as possible because the more well defined your goal the easier it will be for you to achieve the goal. Developing a plan to attack the dieting process is of the utmost importance and setting realistic weight loss goals is fundamental to your success. To give yourself every opportunity to succeed make your goals detail rich, extremely positive and very clear. Anytime you sit down to create a realistic weight loss goal think of the goal as a piece of the most essential “roadmap” you will every use. A “roadmap” is useful because it contains all the information, details, and hints to get you from the starting point to the final destination. Your list of short-term realistic weight loss goals is that “roadmap” for your weight loss and dieting success. As you set weight loss goals remember that for the goals to be most effective they must be clearly defined, detail rich, and very specific. Once you have spent time understanding this step all you have to do is follow the path you have charted and watch your success grow with every week.

Planning and attention to details will bring success in any endeavor and weight loss is no exception. To be success with weight loss you must plan how to attack every obstacle every day. When setting goals for weight loss each goal must be expressed using very positive language. An example of a goal that isnt structured correctly is, “In the next seven days I will change how I eat and see if I lose some weight.” Getting to the point of knowing you need to lose weight is important but the way this goal is structured will lead to failure. The reason this goal will lead to failure is that it is not specific. In what ways will you change how you eat? How much weight do you believe you can lose? A goal that would be much easier to achieve would be, “In the next 7 days I will lose two pounds. I will achieve this by ” This goal has a definite starting point and finish and a plan to get from start to finish. Also this goal is positive, clear and specific. As you create goals that have a definite starting and endpoint point, when your goals are filled with details you will build momentum and you will experience success much easier and faster that you anticipated.

Im sure some people might think the goal of losing two pounds in a week is an easy goal however think about this, two pounds may not sound like a lot but to lose two pounds you must make some difficult changes in your life. These changes will affect of how, when and what you eat. These changes affect basic life patterns that you have developed over the years and are not easy to change. Always understand that you are making important changes in your life and the more time you devote to creating and detailing realistic weight loss goals the faster you will experience success

Creating the short-term realistic weight loss goals is crucial to your success. Therefore it is imperative you create these goals when you can devote all of your attention to this process. Since these goals are critical to your success you need to find a peaceful place where you can focus and be undisturbed. Ask yourself if can you achieve each goal in seven days? Through the process of creating the list of realistic weight loss goals you will see the path for your success very clearly. Always remember that the clearer and detailed your goals the more easily you will find success.

You want to lose weight and you must also want to keep the weight off. Your degree of success with long-term weight loss will be directly affected by the amount of thought, planning, and patience you put into developing your short-term realistic weight loss goals. Long-term weight loss is not the subject of this article but you need to begin planning to achieve it. A very helpful tool to use is visualization. Visualize who you want to be in one year. Allow yourself to feel the emotions you imagine you would feel after one year of successful weight loss. Create a detailed picture in your mind about everything in your life: the clothes are you wearing, what you are feeling, what you are thinking, and of course how you look. If you follow these simple steps everything is within your reach. All of your success will arise from your short-term realistic weight loss goals. Take the time to develop these goals and they will propel you into your new future. Do not allow doubt to exist in your mind. Everything is right in front of you and it is just waiting for you to grab hold it. Decide right now that you will be successful and begin your successful journey by achieving all your short-term realistic weight loss goals.