Everyone really knows how to loose weight: eat right and exercise. If it were really that simple, though, no one would be overweight, because each time a person decided to lose weight, it would happen with no problems. Diet books and programs all seem to shout that their way is the best and only way to lose weight and keep it off. Were told that low-fat is healthy and a great way to lose weight, only to then be told that low-carb is the only way to go. Its no wonder people are confused, and heavier than ever!

Figuring out how to loose weight by dieting is tricky. Do you start eating only X amount of calories per day without worrying about what kind of foods youre eating, or you do stick to a very detailed eating plan that allows only certain kinds of things? Do you want to go low-fat, low-carb, vegetarian, or just eat a variety of foods in moderation? Youll find an expert that says every one of these ways is the correct and healthy way to do it and that you should avoid the others. Getting a straight answer is difficult.

The problem with all these people trying to tell you how to loose weight is that people read their books and follow their plans and either stay fat or lose weight and then gain more back. Its hard to pick the right plan when it seems that every plan fails at least some people. The important thing is to choose a healthy way of eating. Moderately low-carb diets can be healthy, as can low-fat diets.

When youre figuring out how to loose weight, try a diet that seems reasonable to you. Expect any type of diet to require a little bit of adjustment time in the beginning. But after a few days, you should get used to it. You should choose an eating plan that youll feel good on. If youre physically ill, very edgy, or feel too full or even starving all the time, that diet isnt right for you. You dont have to suffer to lose weight, no matter what some of the experts will tell you.

Of course, if you feel great on a diet but arent losing weight, its probably not the right eating plan for you either. When youre learning how to loose weight, and it is a learning process for each person, you might have to experiment with your diet quite a bit at first to find a happy medium that lets you feel satisfied with the food you eat but lets you lose weight, too.

While the main reason youll lose weight is because youre eating fewer calories, some types of food have different effects on different people. This is why some diets might work great for some people, but not for you, regardless of the calories. The trick is learning how to loose weight in a way that works best for you, whether or not it works for anyone else.

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You and I both know that with a little self-control, exercise and eating healthy we can experience a fifteen pound weight loss fairly quickly. The real challenge comes from keeping it off permanently and staying healthy in the process. We also know it’s easier to say it than it is to do it.

What you may not know is you may have some preconceived ideas about how to do it and the fact is those ideas are false. It’s not your fault you believe them, because they have been preached for so many years, by so many people. These legends have taken on a life of their own, when in fact they need to die and be buried forever. This article will give you the true way to shed the extra fat and keep it off.

1. Legend–Skip Breakfast to lose weight: Not a good idea!
In order for you to lose weight quickly and safely you must eat breakfast. This is what will kick your metabolism into high gear for the day after resting all night. Skipping it also means your body will draw the energy from lean muscle not the excess fat.

2. Legend: Low carbohydrate diets will make it easy to keep off the weight: Partly true, but because your body needs carbohydrates for your energy and the building of muscles you may cause more damage to your overall health. In other words you could negate the good you have done with the weight loss.

3. Legend: Eating what you want when you want it as long as you exercise: Not True! Just because youre exercising to burn the calories does not mean you can go carte blanch when you eat. It’s important for you to eat the right foods such as veggies, fruits and lean meats. When you practice the right diet you will keep the weight off naturally and safely.

4. Legend: Restrict your calories to keep weight loss down: Partly true again. You and I both know that true weight loss comes when we reduce the amount of calories we eat. Calories we won’t burn! But if you reduce your calorie intake way under what you need, for your body to function properly, you are asking for trouble. It’s important for you to know how many calories your body needs to stay healthy.

There are many more legends or myths that need to be buried, but its beyond the scope of this article. Losing weight the right and healthy way doesnt take an IQ of 160 to figure it out. Nor is it difficult once you set your mind to it.

Look, let’s face it! There is only one way to lose 15 pounds and keep it off permanently. You and I both know what it is. It is a combination of self-control, eating healthy and exercise. Weight loss is not a game, for some of us; it’s a matter of life and death. Which one is it going to be for you?

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Healthy Weight for Life: The 5 stages of lifestyle change
Michael Hallinan

So youre determined youre going to do something about your weight. But what? Losing weight is not in itself a behavior. Releasing fat pounds is an outcome of many behaviors that add up to consuming more calories than your expending. (Yes, theres a genetic component too, but you cant change that.)

The good thing is that this gives you lots of places to start moving toward your goal of losing weight. The challenge is sorting through them all and finding what will work best for you. So heres the question: What are you most ready to change?

Behavioral researchers have identified five stages in behavior change:

1. Precontemplation: Youre not even considering it. No way youre gonna give up your pizza and beer. Gym-going is not for you. Why walk when you can ride?

2. Contemplation: Well, maybe you could live without pizza and beer *every* week. Gym is out, but you always liked swimming, maybe a pool. The walk in the park with your friend was pleasant last weekend, maybe you could do it again.

3. Preparation: Next week youre going to skip that pizza. You found out the local Y has a pool and their family rates are affordable. You talked to your friend about doing more walks sometime.

4. Action: Two weeks and no pizza. You joined the Y and youve swum laps there a couple times. You and your friend have gone walking the past three Saturday mornings.

5. Maintenance: The weekly pizza has been a thing of the past for six months. Swimming is so much a part of your daily routine that you dont feel right if you skip it. Those Saturday walks are dont-miss tradition.

In fact, this readiness to change model is behavior-specific. That is, you might be in the action stage with the pizza but still in precontemplation on that exercise stuff. Youre not likely to be very successful if you flog yourself for not swimming laps every day, what you want to do is move yourself to the next stage: List the pros and cons of regular exercise and guess what, youre thinking about it and that means contemplation.

So think about the behaviors you can change to lose weight. What stage are you in for each of those behaviors? In each case, what can you do to move yourself to the next stage? What are you most ready to change.

We explore readiness to change in my free teleclass, The Real Skinny on Weight Loss: Dont Diet, Do It. You can get details and register at www.teleclassinternational.com/catalog.phtml?keywords=MH-RS

About the Author

Michael Hallinan overcame a lifelong obesity, and the midlife discovery of health and fitness so changed his life that he established a coaching practice specializing in helping others find their own healthy way to a healthy weight. For more helpful tips, subscribe to the Healthy Weight Newsletter. For past issues and to subscribe see
www.healthyweightcoaching.com/Ezine.htm

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Introduce A Weight Loss Video To Your Weight Loss Plan

Some people feel self conscious when they work out at a gym–or simply do not enjoy running, walking or bicycling in their neighborhoods. If you would prefer to exercise in the comfort of your own home and not have an audience, then a weight loss video is for you.

In choosing a weight loss video that is appropriate for you, consider how much weight you need to lose, how many pounds you want to lose per week, and how much time you have to devote to exercise. Be realistic and honest with yourself!

You then need to choose the weight loss video or DVD that is right for you. Be aware that there are plenty of videos that say that they are suitable for beginners when in fact they are too complicated. If you are not a beginner, then the search for the right video is simple, but if you aren’t, then it can be more difficult.

Of course, you will need to do your research. One option is to check fitness websites to find out what their recommendations are for novices. Another option is to read reviews in a variety of fitness magazines.

Fitness magazines are a wealth of information. Read the reviews from fitness pros. These individuals know what they are talking about. They review workouts on a regular basis and assess them based on their level of safety and also based on skill levels.

The Internet also has lots of reviews on weight loss videos for you to peruse. Search around to read as many reviews as possible. Did the people who used the videos love it or not? Did they lose weight or not? How much weight did they lose? How long did it take for them to lose the weight?

The longer customer reviews are, the more beneficial they will be to you. Be aware however that not every review may be 100% accurate. The more you read the better all around idea you will get about the videos or DVDs in question.

It is extremely important that you are honest about your present fitness and skill level. If you have been living a sedentary life for quite some time, then you run the risk of hurting yourself if you jump right into working out to an advanced video.

On the other hand, do not assume that because you are skilled at one form of exercise that this automatically means that you will be skilled at another. For example, just because you have been running for many years does not mean that you will be as equally proficient at aerobics or yoga.

It is always best to start with an introductory video that matches where you are in your fitness level today. It is also wise to heed the warnings that all weight loss videos mention on the book and at the start of the video. The guideline states “Check with your doctor before beginning this or any other exercise program.” Being safe is always better than being sorry.

Even if you are a healthy person this is important advice! Those who have a history of health problems or conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetics; should never start to work out to a weight loss video before checking with their doctor first.

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