Eating fewer, regular-sized meals with higher amounts of lean protein can make one feel more full than eating smaller, more frequent meals, according to new research from Purdue University.

“We found that when eating high amounts of protein, men who were trying to lose weight felt fuller throughout the day; they also experienced a reduction in late-night desire to eat and had fewer thoughts of food,” said Heather J. Leidy, an assistant professor of nutrition and exercise physiology at the University of Missouri who was a postdoctoral researcher at Purdue for this study.

“We also found that despite the common trend of eating smaller, more frequent meals, eating frequency had relatively no beneficial impact on appetite control. The larger meals led to reductions in appetite, and people felt full. We want to emphasize though that these three larger meals were restricted in calories and reflected appropriate portion sizes to be effective in weight loss.”

The findings are reported in this month’s issue of Obesity. This research was funded by the National Pork Board and the American Egg Board, and additional support was provided by the Purdue Ingestive Behavior Research Center and National Institutes of Health’s Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute.

“Our advice for people trying to lose weight is to add a moderate amount of protein at three regular meals a day to help appetite control and the feeling of fullness,” said Wayne W. Campbell, Purdue professor of foods and nutrition. “Egg and lean pork products are good sources for protein, and if they are incorporated at meals when people do not normally consume protein, such as at breakfast and lunch, they may prove to be a nice strategy to control weight; promote satiety, which is the feeling of being full; and retain lean tissue mass, which is essential for people as they age.”

Leidy said men were studied because they tend to eat more meat and are not studied as often as women. Twenty-seven obese and overweight men were divided into a high-protein group and a normal-protein group. They all consumed a calorie-restricted diet for 12 weeks – which was 750 calories less than their normal diet – an average of about 2,400 calories per person. The amount of protein varied between each group.

The normal-protein diet was composed of 14 percent of energy from protein, 60 percent from carbohydrate and 26 percent from fat, and the high-protein diet had the same amount of fat but 25 percent of energy from protein and 49 percent from carbohydrate.

For example, the normal-protein group’s main sources of protein at a breakfast would be sausage made from vegetable proteins. In comparison, the main source for the high-protein group would be sausage, also made from vegetable proteins, as well as an egg substitute and Canadian bacon. The high-protein diet specifically included 25 percent of total protein intake from pork and 15 percent from egg products. Both sources helped contribute the amino acids and nutrients people need daily, Campbell said. This amount of protein for the high-protein group was estimated at 200 calories per meal.

Another difference between the groups is that the normal-protein diet did not include proteins from flesh foods such as meat.

Beans, legumes and soy products also are high sources of protein, but they are not as prevalent in Americans’ diets as dairy and meat products, Campbell said. About 40 percent of the protein Americans consume comes from meat products such as pork, chicken, beef and fish, and another 5 percent comes from eggs and egg products.

“The studies have not been done to show the superiority of these proteins with comparable quantities consumed,” he said. “What our studies are showing is that by increasing protein in the diet with these food products, the benefits of higher protein intake are noticeable.”

Eating frequency also was tested because it is a common belief that eating more frequent, smaller meals a day can lead to weight loss. One of the reasons for this belief is that older studies suggest people who are overweight and obese tend to eat fewer meals.

“As a result, the idea was that fewer, larger meals were contributing or encouraging over-consumption and resulting in obesity and that the people who were more successful with weight control were eating smaller, more frequent meals,” Campbell said. “But our findings turn that on its head. There also seems to be a growing consensus that these other dietary habits may not be accurately reported because obese and overweight people tend to conceal how frequently and how much they eat.”

Eating frequency was determined starting at week seven for three days. Participants consumed the same amount of calories but with a different distribution: three times a day by eating every five hours or six times a day eating every two hours. The large meals were about 750 calories each. The smaller meals consumed every two hours were estimated at about 375 calories each. Participants also recorded their feelings about hunger and feeling full on a time-stamped electronic device every waking hour.

“First, although we found that daily hunger, desire to eat and preoccupation with thoughts of food were not different between the normal- verses higher-protein groups, the higher-protein group experienced greater fullness through the day,” Leidy said. “Second, we had more individuals struggle with complying with consuming six meals a day, specifically, of those in the study who were not compliant, 90 percent were specifically unable to follow the six-meal-a-day eating pattern. People told us anecdotally that they couldn’t stop work to eat a meal, even if it was small.”

It also is important to note that the more frequent meals were literally the main meals split in half, and the participants were not snacking, she said.

“The definition for a snack can vary, but it is usually accepted to be under 250 calories and between meals,” Leidy said. “Unfortunately, many people easily exceed that today when they combine oversized soft drinks and large portion sizes.”

This study also follows an acute clinical study conducted in a laboratory setting by the same researchers that was published in Obesity in September. In that study, they found that higher protein intake promotes satiety and challenged the concept that smaller, more frequent meals increases the feeling of fullness.

Other research by Leidy and Campbell have shown that restricted-calorie diets high in protein also help retain lean body mass as people lose weight, which is critical for older adults, Campbell said. However, a loss in bone density for postmenopausal women was linked to eating high protein from meat sources.

“Unfortunately, older people are not immune to the obesity epidemic, and they also are likely to lose muscle as they age,” Campbell said. “The combination of overweight, over fat and under muscle is not a good combination for health or quality of life. One of the themes of our research group is to help adults successfully age, and we would like to evaluate the effectiveness of a higher-protein diet with these types of food in this age group while also monitoring key aspects of long-term health such as metabolic syndrome, which includes blood pressure and glucose and cholesterol levels.”

The most recent article was co-authored by Purdue doctoral student Minghua Tang, postdoctoral research associate Cheryl L.H. Armstrong and undergraduate student Carmen B. Martin.

Source:
Amy Patterson Neubert
Purdue University
Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness From Medical News Today

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com

The paper, published today in the International Journal of Obesity, was the result of a study funded by the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Nearly 500 participants from Kaiser Permanente in Oregon and Washington took part in the study, which measured whether sleep, stress, depression, television viewing, and computer screen time were correlated with weight loss. Several previous studies have found an association between these factors and obesity, but few have looked at whether these factors predict weight loss.

“This study suggests that when people are trying to lose weight, they should try to get the right amount of sleep and reduce their stress,” said lead author Charles Elder, MD, MPH, an investigator with the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, Ore., who also leads Integrative Medicine at Kaiser Permanente Northwest. “Some people may just need to cut back on their schedules and get to bed earlier. Others may find that exercise can reduce stress and help them sleep. For some people, mind/body techniques such as meditation also might be helpful.”

The study involved two phases: during the first phase, participants were asked to lose at least 10 pounds over six months. If they succeeded, they moved to the second year-long phase of the study, which tested a complementary acupressure technique against more traditional weight-maintenance strategies. Findings from phase two are not yet available.

During the study’s first phase, all participants attended weekly meetings at which they were weighed and advised to reduce calorie intake by 500 calories per day, adopt a low-fat, low-sugar diet with lots of fruits and vegetables, increase physical activity to 180 minutes a week, and keep daily food records. People who kept more food records and attended more meetings were more likely to lose weight during this phase of the trial.

Participants also were asked to report levels of insomnia, stress and depression, and to record how much time they slept and spent watching television or using a computer. The research team found that sleep and stress levels were good predictors of weight loss, but depression and screen time were not.

People with the lowest stress levels who also got more than six hours, but not more than eight hours, of sleep were most likely to lose at least 10 pounds. In fact, nearly three-quarters of this group moved on to the second phase of the trial, and were twice as likely to be successful as those who reported the highest stress levels and got six or fewer hours of sleep per night.

Participants who qualified for the second phase were divided into two groups: one received monthly guided instruction in the Tapas Acupressure Technique, which involves lightly touching specific pressure points on the face and back of the head while focusing on a problem (i.e., maintaining weight loss). The other group also met monthly with a trained interventionist and a support group, but used more traditional nutrition and exercise techniques to keep weight off. Both groups met for six months and then were followed for another six months to see which group kept more weight off. Results of that phase of the trial should be available in late 2011 or early 2012.

The study authors caution that their findings may not apply to all groups trying to lose weight. The authors also noted that the participants were highly motivated, and that 90 percent had attended at least some college.

These studies are part of ongoing research at Kaiser Permanente to better understand weight loss and the key factors to maintaining optimum weight. Another Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research study last year found that the more people logged on to an interactive weight management website, the more weight they kept off. Researchers at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research also found that keeping a food diary can double a person’s weight loss and that both personal contact and web-based support can help with long-term weight management.

Study authors include: Charles R. Elder, MD, MPH, Christina M. Gullion, PhD, Kristine L. Funk, MS, Lynn L. DeBar, PhD, Nangel M. Lindberg, PhD, and Victor J. Stevens, PhD, all from the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, Ore.

Source:
Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research
Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness From Medical News Today

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com

A recent study has discovered that daily intake of green tea extract may increase energy and aid with weight loss.

The scientists from the University of Medicine, Berlin, recruited ten healthy overweight and obese men to participate in the randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind crossover trial.

The men were randomly put into one of five supplement groups: Placebo, low-dose EGCG (300 mg), high-dose EGCG (600 mg), caffeine (200 mg), or EGCG plus caffeine (300 mg/200 mg). They took the supplements for three days, then had seven days of washing out their system before moving to the next group. All had attended each group by the end of the study.

The results showed that a daily dose of 300 mg of EGCG led to a 33% increase in fat oxidation, whilst a dose of 200 mg caffeine was linked to a 34.5% increase. When male subjects were given a combination of EGCG (300 mg) and caffeine (200 mg), fat oxidation increased by almost 50%, added the researchers.

Green tea catechins have been studied extensively for their potential in aiding weight loss, with the compound epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) highlighted as the key element.

James Betz, founder and CEO of world leading bioceutical firm, Biotivia, said: “We have been researching the weight loss potential of green tea extract for a couple of years now and this study highlights research we have been working on with our weight loss formula, Bio Shape.”

Bio Shape represents a new and powerful multi-faceted approach to the complex and difficult challenge of weight loss. By attacking the two root causes of weight gain, appetite and metabolism, Bio Shape is able to help those people who want to lose at least 15 pounds or more.

Bio Shape combines the six most effective and scientifically proven weight loss extracts into one product with a far higher potency and purity than any other supplement.

Consisting of resveratrol, Fucoxanthin, Organic green tea, chromium, Garcinia cambogia and Gymnema sylvestre, this potent combination works synergistcally with the body to help suppress appetite and aid in weight loss.

Betz continues: “If you are interested in increasing your daily energy level, or an aid to losing weight, Bio Shape could be of substantial value. Bio Shape is most effective in combination with a program of reasonable physical exercise, and dietary restraint.”

Source:
Biotivia LLC

Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness From Medical News Today

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/214011.php

Does eating a big breakfast help weight loss or is it better to skip breakfast altogether? Available information is confusing but new research published in BioMed Central’s open access journal Nutrition Journal clears a path through these apparently contradictory reports.

Dr Volker Schusdziarra, from the Else-Kroner-Fresenius Center of Nutritional Medicine, conducted a study on over 300 people who were asked to keep a journal of what they usually ate. Within the group sometimes people ate a big breakfast, sometimes small, and sometimes skipped it all together.

Schusdziarra said that “the results of the study showed that people ate the same at lunch and dinner, regardless of what they had for breakfast”, this means that a big breakfast (on average 400kcal greater than a small breakfast) resulted in a total increase in calories eaten over the day of about 400kcal. The only difference seen was the skipping of a mid morning snack when someone ate a really big breakfast, however this was not enough to offset the extra calories they had already eaten.

The group addressed previous research, which suggests that eating a big breakfast reduces total calorie intake over the day, and showed that this data is misleading. This earlier research only looked at the ratio of breakfast calories to daily calories and in Schusdziarra’s study this ratio seems to be most affected by people eating less during the day. In other words their breakfast was proportionally, but not absolutely, bigger. So it seems that there is no magic and that, unfortunately, in the fight for weight-loss, eating a large breakfast must be counteracted by eating substantially less during the rest of the day. In order to lose weight sensibly NHS guidelines suggest restricting calorie intake, cutting down on saturated fat and sugar, and eating 5-a-day fruit and veg.

Impact of breakfast on daily energy intake – an analysis of absolute versus relative breakfast calories Volker Schusdziarra, Margit Hausmann, Claudia Wittke, Johanna Mittermeier, Marietta Kellner, Aline Naumann, Stefan Wagenpfeil, Johannes Erdmann

Nutrition Journal
All articles are available free of charge, according to BioMed Central’s open access policy.

Source:
Hilary Glover
BioMed Central

Nutrition / Diet From Medical News Today

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/213870.php

As any fitness expert will tell you, losing weight comes down to two main factors: consuming less calories and exercising. This is so true that if someone significantly increases the amount of exercise they do but maintains the same caloric intake, they will almost certainly lose weight anyway. Forget all that you’ve heard about fad dieting – the safest and smartest way to lose weight is through combining diet with exercise.

One of the best forms of exercise to perform if you are trying to lose weight is strength training. Contrary to what you may think, strength training may be more important than aerobic exercise for weight loss because although it increases muscle tissue, strength training burns more fat than aerobic exercise. Of course, this is not to say that people who are overweight should not perform aerobic exercise – as aerobic exercise has its place in any exercise routine. However, strength training should also be included in your routine as well.

Many people – particularly women, shy away from strength training exercise as they think that strength training will cause them to “bulk up” and look unnatural. The image that many people have about strength training is probably an unrealistic one for most people. Unless you are a serious bodybuilder, you will probably not gain the amount of muscles mass that most bodybuilders have. It is important to emphasize, therefore, that if you are trying to lose weight, strength training exercise will help you to maintain the lean muscle mass that you already have underneath your body fat while you are in the process of losing weight. In the end what you will have is a greater proportion of lean body mass to body fat. This means you will be thinner but you will have the muscle and strength that you had when you were overweight.

Unfortunately, many people who go on rapid weight loss programs will usually lose a good deal of their muscle mass along with the fat they lose. It’s important to note that a significant loss of muscle mass can lead not only to lowered metabolism and a loss of bone density as well.

Conversely, strength training exercise will not only speed up the rate at which you lose weight, it has numerous other health benefits as well, including:

1. Builds and strengthens your bones – which protects you from osteoporosis
2. Increases your endurance – giving you more energy for your activities
3. Tones and sculpts your muscles – giving you a better looking physique
4. Increases your self-confidence – the better you look the better you feel!

If you are considering beginning a strength training program, don’t think, however, that you need to workout in a gym for hours at a time to get the benefit that strength training offers. Significant benefits can be gotten with consistent workouts lasting about 30 minutes each time and performed 2 -3 times per week. An easy way to begin is to train with simple weights in your home.

The most important thing you will need to keep in mind about weight loss is if you want to lose weight effectively and keep it off, including some form of strength training exercise in your routine is essential not only to your overall weight loss program but also to your general health and well-being and the way that you age as well.

Furthermore, by combining strength training exercise and taking full control of your eating habits, you will begin to lose weight the best way possible – safely and steadily.

Getting the weight off fast is so desirable that many of us are willing to sacrifice health and ignore common sense in the hope that some new weight loss program or scheme will work. This pipe dream can unfortunately outweigh the negative consequences. So let’s examine the downside of dieting.

What Is An Unhealthy Weight Loss Program?

• Any weight loss program that is not nutritionally sound;
• One that works against what the body naturally needs like vitamins, minerals, and a minimum number of calories a day;
• One that requires you to go without eating (for example, fasting or meal replacement drinks);
• One that puts your body into an unnatural state, such as starvation or ketosis.

Your body can only lose a few pounds a week on a consistent basis. If you lose more than that initially, it’s likely just water loss. So any weight loss program that promises you will lose five pounds a week, or 25 pounds in 3 weeks, is guaranteeing you will be losing water and muscle mass not fat.

Almost every popular weight loss program out there falls into one of the following diet categories: low calorie diets, meal replacement drinks, packaged foods, unbalanced nutrients, and ketosis diets. Let’s see how they stack up.

LOW CALORIE DIETS
Whenever you drastically reduce your calories, the body enters an unnatural state and its defenses kick in. So when calories drop below, say, 1000 calories a day, your metabolism will shut down in an effort to conserve energy. And weight loss with a sluggish metabolism is very difficult.

Your body will start using muscle tissue to provide energy, which again leads to a decrease in the metabolism. Taken to an extreme, the body will break down its vital parts (such as the heart muscle) trying to meet its energy needs.

In addition to these drawbacks, trying to maintain the weight loss over time is nearly impossible because your body is now used to making do with very few calories. Going back to “normal” eating causes the weight to pile back on.

For this reason, low cal weight loss programs rarely work over the long haul.

MEAL REPLACEMENT DRINKS
One of the most unnatural things for your body is to go without solid food, which is what meal replacement plans ask it to do. Some people think that dieting will be easier if they aren’t confronted with daily food choices and the pounds will just fall off. This may be true while they are on the liquid diet. But what about afterwards?

Where will the good eating habits come from after you’ve lost the weight? This is something that takes time, practice and knowledge. Dieters need to establish a healthy attitude towards a life-long eating plan. And no “fad” weight loss program or liquid lunch can help you with that.

Getting hooked on meal replacements can become a destructive way to view food. It often leads dieters to fear food or binge to “feed” their cravings after a long period of deprivation. And that’s just the psychological side of the equation.

The lack of fiber in such weight loss programs can be a threat to good physical health. And when the body is denied enough solid food, the intestines go into overdrive absorbing calories and nutrients. This helps you during the diet period, but later it makes it much easier to regain the weight.

Another yo-yo weight loss program that hurts you in the end.

UNBALANCED NUTRIENT PLAN
Be cautious about any weight loss program that has strict rules about good foods and bad foods. Sure, high fat and high sugar foods might be considered bad for the waistline, but moderation not abstinence is key to success.

Why? Because eating the same foods every day (say, grapefruit or high protein meals) is going to result in two things: nutritional imbalance and boredom.

All foods are made up of the same nutrients in different amounts: fat, carbohydrates, and protein. It is the right proportion of these nutrients that will bring about weight loss – not the avoidance of “bad” foods and the consumption of only “good” or magical foods.

In the world of dieting, no one food or nutrient group is magical. Variety and moderation are the keys to a healthy diet and a successful weight loss program.

PACKAGED FOODS
To stay at your ideal body weight, you have to learn how to make proper food choices. By following a packaged food weight loss program you are postponing the inevitable, and spending plenty of $$$ in the process.

Another problem with this kind of weight loss program is that the foods provided are not always healthy. Read the package label and you will see chemicals, preservatives, sodium, sugar and saturated fats. And when all you can eat is packaged food, how do you plan meals with other people? Going out to restaurants and parties and enjoying family meals becomes a big hassle.

Your weight loss program then becomes a burden, not only to you, but to those around you.

KETOSIS DIETS
Ketosis has been defined as: “An abnormal condition marked by excessive production of ketone bodies. Often caused by high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets such as the Atkins diet.”

Atkins and certain other weight loss programs are based on the principle of restricting carbohydrates to the point that the body enters into ketosis. On the surface, a ketogenic diet seems to work for two reasons: First, you’ll lose large amounts of weight, which is very pleasing to the dieter. Secondly, you don’t experience hunger.

But there are serious drawbacks. Your weight goes down due to water loss (which occurs when you restrict carbohydrates) and a loss of lean muscle tissue. This is NOT true, lasting weight loss.

The loss of appetite comes from having ketones building up in the body, which can harm your health. Side effects of a ketosis weight loss program can include fatigue, kidney stones, gout, and muscle loss. The longer you follow such a diet, the greater the risk to your health.

Clearly not a wise choice of weight loss program, not for the short term or the long.

WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM QUESTIONNAIRE
There are always new weight loss programs coming onto the market and going in and out of style. To evaluate if a weight loss program is healthy and sensible for you, ask yourself the following questions:

• Is the plan nutritionally sound?
• Will it help improve my weight, metabolism, cholesterol level, blood pressure, energy level, and general ealth?
• Will I be eating real food and not have to buy special formulas, drinks, etc?
• Will I be eating a wide variety of foods rather than just a few “diet” foods?
• Am I allowed to have some treats and eat my favorite foods?
• Can I eat out in restaurants, have a glass of wine with dinner, or some dessert?
• Can I follow this weight loss program without it interfering with my lifestyle?
• Can I lose weight without feeling hungry?
• Will l develop eating habits for life-long weight control with this weight loss program?
• Is this the last diet I will ever need to finally reach and maintain my ideal weight?

I recommend this strength training strategy not just to men but also to women. Too many women think that strength training is just for men. And even when women do lift weights they usually do it in a “girlie” way. Instead of lifting heavy weights for muscle they lift a small amount of weight a lot of times for this mythological thing people call “toning.”

“Toning” does not actually exist. It’s a myth. Muscle can only get bigger or smaller. It cannot get “toned.” That doesn’t actually mean anything. The top way to grow your muscle (which is the purpose of strength training) is to lift heavy weights. Why? Because the body responds to these heavy weights by growing more muscle. Lifting light weights many times is actually an awful way to go about strength training.

Yes ladies, I’m telling you that you should train like a real man. You should lift heavy weights for a small amount of reps. In fact I recommend only doing one set of about 8 reps for each muscle area. How much weight should you lift? As much as you can lift without injuring yourself! The more weight you lift the more it will stress your body and the more likely your body will respond by growing new muscle.

That new muscle is the key to your fat burning power, particularly in the long run. Most diets fail because they do nothing to speed up your metabolism. In fact most diets actually slow down your metabolism with restricted calorie intake. But by adding new muscle to your body you are actually speeding up your metabolism in a way that will make it easier to burn off fat and to keep it off! You know how everyone says that it is so difficult to maintain fat loss? That’s because most people who lose weight starve it off but don’t do anything to really change their bodies at an intrinsic level. When you add muscle to your body you are becoming fit in a much more permanent way then you are by starving fat off your body.

What about that common fear among women that they will become “too muscular.” This is a mostly nonsensical fear. It takes a lot of weight lifting to get to the stage of being muscular in a manly way for a woman. And if you do see yourself beginning to develop more muscles than you would like (as unlikely as that is) you can always begin to slow down or stop your strength training. If you get to that point then you are likely set with your muscle needs anyway. But again, these circumstances are unlikely to develop anyway. Do not let this irrational fear stop you from doing what you need to do to improve your health.

It is recommended that you choose an online diet program that includes a free strength training program. Probably the best example of that is The Day Off Diet which is includes an excellent strength training program (free of charge) with it’s diet program (which is also very effective.)

I would advise anyone seeking to lose weight to substitute the term ‘healthy weight loss program’ for ‘rapid weight loss program’. I hope, the following short discussion will explain my position to some extent.

You, like so many others in today’s society, are concerned about losing weight. Like so many others, you are looking for some sort of rapid weight loss program or plan. Rapid weight loss, also often referred to as quick weight loss or fast weight loss, involves, as its name implies, losing weight in a short period of time. Claims of such programs often cite fantastic results in anywhere from two to seven days.

In the United States, approximately two-thirds of the adult population is overweight or obese, and hundreds of thousands of these Americans are understandably interested in rapidly losing that unwanted weight. Many simply wish to lose weight before an important event, like an upcoming vacation or a wedding, while others are willing to accept the fact that permanent, healthy weight loss is a lifetime commitment.

While it is certainly simple to understand how you can want to lose weight as fast as possible, to tell the truth, you really need to proceed with caution. Although it is possible to lose weight, or at least a small part of it, in a relatively short period of time, you should realize that there are dangers and problems associated with doing so.

One of the many dangers of rapid weight loss is simply that which is inherent in some of the many measures that some people take. For instance, it is common to hear of individuals who have decided to fast, i.e. not to eat, while trying to achieve a rapid weight loss goal. Going without food, for even a short period of time, can be dangerous to your health. It deprives you of many nutrients necessary to health and will shortly cause your metabolism to slow down. At that point, initial weight loss will cease if it hasn’t already. At some future time, when you return to your normal consumption of calories, as most dieters do, your body will burn fewer of the calories you take in, and the excess will be stored as fat…more fat than would have been accumulated before the rapid weight loss program.

This results in a condition in which the person now weighs more than they did before the weight loss program or diet. They attempt to lose the weight by going back on the same diet or a similar program. This time, the weight loss is harder to accomplish, the basic metabolic rate may diminish more, and the person will eventually go off the diet and gain more weight! This is a cycle often referred to as yo-yo dieting, and, as you can see, it is a self-defeating situation.

During an extreme diet, one in which as little as two to three pounds a week are lost, the dieter can experience the loss of lean muscle mass. Lean muscle mass is the ‘incinerator’ which burns excess calories, and its loss can only make healthy weight loss even more difficult. Additionally, with less lean muscle, the person is less likely to feel like engaging in activity which could help burn fat.

While an actual rapid weight loss ‘danger’ is relatively small though quite genuine, the results, or lack of same, when combined with the loss of needed nutrients do not really seem worth the effort or risk. However, be aware that in the presence of some clinical conditions or while attempting to achieve rapid weight loss through extreme measures, the danger to health, and even life itself, can be quite real.

A WEIGHT LOSS SOLUTION
A better alternative to simply ‘going on a diet’ is to cut back on the food that you do eat, particularly empty foods such as those sweetened with sugar, or heavily processed foods, or to just make sure that it is healthy foods which you are eating. Through limiting of your calories, you ought to be able to accomplish some sort of weight loss in the time that you were wanting to. However, it is very important that you do stick to a healthy eating and living plan.

EXERCISE AND HEALTHY EATING AND LIVING
Along with healthy eating and living practices, another important component of weight loss should always be exercise. Unfortunately, many individuals do not realize that it can take up to one week or more to notice any signs of results from exercise, and very obvious results will possibly take weeks or even months. However, in the long run, exercise, combined with sensible diet, proper hydration (plenty of water), and rest will result in a more permanent and more healthy weight loss experience.

Note, by the way, that those beginning an exercise program, particularly one which includes a strength training component…as it should…might actually notice a small weight gain at first. This is perfectly normal and is merely the result of adding lean muscle mass, which is healthier for the body, and this will help burn fat and calories. The scary part for the individual is that lean muscle mass often increases faster than they are losing fat, hence the temporary weight gain.

With all that having been said, the good news is that the more weight you need to lose, the sooner it is that you may actually start seeing results from a combined program of regular exercise and healthy eating and living.

While exercise should certainly be a major part of any plan for losing weight in a healthy and permanent manner, it is very important that you not overdo it. This is especially important if you haven’t previously had a regular exercise plan. Running on the treadmill for two hours, instead of twenty minutes, may burn fat faster, but, at the same time, it may also land you in the hospital. It is much better to begin at an extremely safe level and gradually work your way up to more difficult workouts than to start at some higher point just because you can and either give up because maintaining that pace is just too difficult, or because of some exercise injury.

DIET PLANS AND WEIGHT LOSS PRODUCTS
Another problem that should be considered when discussing rapid weight loss, is the taking of medications or weight loss products…particularly those sold off the supermarket shelf or through some magazine ad or an Internet website. The good news is that while some of these products do work a little, and some are even safe, you may not be able to tell what you are getting for your money or what it will do to your health in the long run. These products, such as the Alli diet pill, work best, if at all, when used in combination with a regular program of exercise and proper nutritional practices anyway. If, however, you are already doing that, it is fairly certain that you are losing a safe amount of weight at a healthy rate without having to pay for an additional helper which has no permanent health benefit and stops working as soon as you stop using it.

If you think you are interested in using a weight loss product, like a diet pill or a cleanse, to help you lose weight, it is important that you do the research first. This should, at the very least, involve reading reviews of the product to learn about its effectiveness, and discussing it with a qualified healthcare professional.

It is extremely important that you proceed with the utmost caution if trying to achieve rapid weight loss still appeals to you. Although unexpected events or appearances will occur without much notice, most individuals have at least a month’s worth of time before attending a large event such as a wedding or even going on a vacation to someplace where they wear bikinis all day. As soon as you become aware of your upcoming event, you are advised to start trying to lose weight then in a healthy and sensible manner, if you are interested in doing so.

An even better tactic might simply to be to adopt a healthy lifestyle of proper nutrition combined with exercise. Then you won’t ever have to worry about such events, and you won’t have to ‘diet’ or try some other means of achieving rapid weight loss.

You may have it all figured out by now, after checking with your friends, the media and finally that fickle fiend known as the bathroom mirror, that a regular exercise program is the only way to fly when it comes to permanent weight loss. That entails working out or otherwise flexing your physical and psychological muscles on a regular basis, perhaps three times a week, or maybe even once per day.

But therein lies the rub. How do you get started? How often do you exercise? Most importantly, if you’ve been very sedate or at least somewhat off your feet for awhile, what’s the safest way to begin an effective, weight-loss centered exercise program?

Beginning a Righteous Program – Realistically
First of all, follow the old saw about consulting with your doctor. Don’t start thinking you can just begin running around the block. That’s why the medical profession exists, to advise and keep you safe. Your doctor will recommend specific types of exercise tailored to fit your own individual lifestyle, personal health needs and concerns. But you don’t need to make it entirely clinical when you begin an exercise program.

Most importantly, you need to pick something you’re going to stick with. What do you like in the way of sports? If you’re people-oriented, you should look into joining a team sports program of some kind in your area, one created for adult participation. You can look for a local softball league, take a beginning aerobics class at a fitness center, or play regular games of basketball at a gym with your buddies. And then there’s golf, the perennial favorite of people who want to perform fun and interesting mild exercise. All you have to do is motivate yourself and perhaps some friends to get started. Or if you’re a loner, you can take up an individualized sport such as bicycle touring, which can also be done in small groups, or laps swimming at your community pool.

And if you like to be around a humungous amount of people, how about mall-walking, one of the latest in adult and family mild fitness trends, or the more traditional act of partner dancing, which you can do at all kinds of gathering places such as local taverns, senior centers, community halls and social clubs. There’s an almost infinite number of places you can go and groups you can join. Just pick one, and remember to start out with a breezy, fun and easygoing attitude. You’re not punishing yourself; you’re picking up on a lifelong habit of moving your body for health purposes. You’ll feel better, look fitter and maybe meet new people while you’re dropping those needless extra pounds.

But be realistic, and work with your doctor. You want to aim for something fun that you’ll keep committing to doing regularly. If it’s something you hate, perhaps such as running on a track, climbing stairs or using what seems to you to be boring exercise equipment, forget it! Don’t spend all your money on something you can’t keep doing because you feel guilty, or think you have to punish yourself into exercising. Be sure you like what you’re going to do before you get started. Simply walking around the block is a very inexpensive and potentially fun way to go from a sedentary state to a beginning new level of much better health and fitness. You must start with something easy and simple if you haven’t been exercising for decades, and you should gradually increase your level of activity as you feel comfortable with it. Move by inches, not by miles.

Are you a morning or an evening person? If you’re the former, plan to work out in the morning, and if you wake up later in the day, do your routine more near twilight. Also, as your doctor will tell you, start with a small window of time, perhaps only fifteen minutes at first, and slowly increase it every other day or so. In order to achieve a higher level of fitness and to lose weight, you must perform whatever exercise you choose at least three to four times a week. This is better at first than every day, as a rest may be needed between workouts to give your aching muscles a chance to soothe themselves and heal before you bravely saunter forth again or head back merrily to the gym.

Eventually, you can try exercising every single day, anywhere from twenty minutes to a full hour. But especially at first–and that may be for several months–don’t push yourself too hard. Don’t go all out, and get frustrated because you can’t keep it up. You don’t have to be a college athlete, and you can seriously hurt your heart by pushing too hard or overdoing it. Remember, you’re doing this for fun, for health reasons and to feel good about yourself. Don’t try to become an “athlete” unless you think that will be something you’ll want to commit to on a much more rigorous schedule. Later!

Easy Exercise Comes – Naturally
Americans tend to think of exercise as more their duty than as a part of their culture, or “way of life.” But it’s a true lifestyle preference. Throughout the world, many forms of regular exercise are taking hold of whole general populations. Take walking, for example. In Europe, people are flocking to their local well-developed public hiking trails, and there’s quite a few of those spread across the USA as well. Walking of a moderate type is called Volkssport in Europe, and it’s really been around for many centuries.

Easy-going exercise such as walking continues to stave off heart disease, osteoporosis, high cholesterol and many types of cancer, as well as taking care of most of your belly flab. It doesn’t sound like much, but it will really tighten your whole body up. Your legs will especially benefit, and your buns will automatically grow firmer as you stroll. Not to mention that the worst investment you need to make is a pair of comfy, sturdy sensible shoes, preferably made of leather or canvas with rubber soles.

You may think that yoga is some uncomfortable form of Eastern self-punishment and mysticism, but it’s not. Yoga is great for toning your body, as it’s extremely gentle when done correctly. It combines traditional breathing and relaxation techniques with simple stretching. It’s good to use yoga during a weight-loss program when you’re sedentary, as it’s very easy on your body, you don’t have to repeat the same exercises every day, and it requires a minimal time commitment.

Yoga can be used in conjunction with a more rigorous exercise program to help maintain your overall state of fitness. “Yoga doesn’t take over your life, it enhances it,” says Alice Cristensen, founder and executive director of the American Yoga Association.

Continuing Your Program – Goals and Motivation
Okay, so you’ve gotten started, but what does all this have to do with watching your weight? To keep on schedule with this as your original goal, you also have to keep that commitment to lose enough poundage to be a healthy, happy and physically fit person.

First of all, you have to figure out exactly what you’re expecting to accomplish. Are you looking for optimal health, or do you really want to fit into slinky clothes better? Either way, you’re going to have to set goals and try to attain them as you go. It helps to clearly keep in mind what you’re aiming for, and it helps to visualize yourself at your ideal weight several times a day. This image impresses itself upon your subconscious and inwardly motivates you to continue your program with a bulldog’s sheer tenacity and motivation. You want that; whatever happens, you don’t want to stress out and quit. Try looking at old photographs of yourself at your ideal weight and picturing realistically what you’ll look like when you’re back there again. Don’t expect the Fountain of Youth, but you’d be shocked how close you can get to your mental picture, and how good you’re going to feel as you move your body, eat less liberally and become fit and not fat.

Also, you should make a brief list of the five major reasons you’re embarking on an exercise and weight-loss program. Do you want to bring down your blood pressure? Does being fat make you feel too old? Do you want to attract someone new in your life? When you sit in your car, does your stomach practically turn the steering wheel? Make it a point to carry this list with you wherever you go, and when you get in the mood to quit and give up, whip it out and read it aloud, saying to yourself that this is what you really want.

The study found that naringenin, an ingredient found in citrus fruits aids the liver to burn the extra fat rather than storing it.

The study and its findings
Scientists from the Robarts Research Institute, at the University of Western Ontario divided the mice into two groups. Both groups were given the same high-fat diet but the food of one group was fortified with naringenin.

The researchers observed that the mice in the non-naringenin group became obese and developed high cholesterol levels. Also their insulin resistance increased which can lead to complications like heart disease and diabetes.

On the other hand the mice treated with naringenin did not suffer from any of the above symptoms. The ingredient naringenin corrected the triglyceride and cholesterol levels in rodents and prevented the development of insulin resistance, completely normalizing glucose metabolism in them.

“The marked obesity that develops in these mice was completely prevented by naringenin,” said lead researcher, Professor Murray Huff.

“What was unique about the study was that the effects were independent of caloric intake, meaning the mice ate exactly the same amount of food and the same amount of fat. There was no suppression of appetite or decreased food intake, which are often the basis of strategies to reduce weight gain and its metabolic consequences.”

More studies about preventive properties of Grape fruit
Grapefruit has long been linked with weight loss. However, the researchers admitted that the levels of naringenin used in the study were at higher levels than found naturally in the fruit. Hence, simply eating grapefruit will not reproduce the desired effect.

“We are examining the pharmacological properties of naringenin,” explains Huff. “The next step is to find out if naringenin prevents heart disease in animal models and to explore the feasibility of clinical trials to determine its safety and efficacy in humans,” he added.

While, this study investigated naringenin’s preventative properties, the researchers are now hoping to carry out further research to discover whether naringenin can be safely and effectively used in humans to combat obesity and diabetes.

The research was funded primarily by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario, and has been published online in the journal Diabetes.