Many people feel they need professional help losing weight. If youre one of them, youre not alone, and you can find that help if you know where to look. The first and most obvious place is at your doctors office.

Ask him or her about the best and safest way to lose weight. Your physician should give you a healthy diet plan to follow or one for you to use as an example, too start eating better, so you can shed some pounds. Your physician will probably be thrilled to hear that youre ready to take your health in hand and lose some weight.

You might be tempted to ask for help losing weight in the form of diet pills and weight loss medications. This is a valid way that some people lose weight when they cant seem to do it alone. Ask your doctor if this is a good option for you.

Your doctor will know your medical history and your current health and be able to advise you in which medications might be an option, or explain why you shouldnt bother taking the medicine. Dont be discouraged if your doctor is against the idea of prescribing weight loss medicine. Millions of people have lost weight without taking pills or using other aids, and so can you.

Other professional help losing weight that you can find besides your doctor could be a counselor or psychologist. While this isnt an often recommended step in losing weight, for some people it can be an important one. Some people have trouble losing weight because they eat compulsively, and very often this has roots in an emotional or psychological cause.

Its very difficult to eat healthy or even just stop overeating if you have emotional triggers that cause this compulsive behavior. Talking to a counselor or a psychologist can help you get to the root of whats causing your eating problems, and put one step further down the road to healing yourself emotionally while youre getting healthier.

Your local health department or hospital might offer you help losing weight through various programs about nutrition and exercise. Ask about their different programs. Most people who run such programs are happy to talk to you about them and help you get started on the right track.

If you can afford it, a visit to a nutritionist or dietitian can really offer you help losing weight. These experts on food, eating and nutrition can put together an eating plan thats designed to be right for you and the foods you eat.

Never more will you have to worry about finding those exotic ingredients in that popular diet plan. Theyll use your food choices and modify them into a healthy diet that will let you lose weight. Youll know its safe and healthy if it comes directly from an expert, rather than a guru who wants to sell a diet plan. A few visits with a personal trainer can also offer you help losing weight by ensuring youre exercising correctly.

As you have read professional help losing weight is a viable option for everyone who is willing to seek it out. Don’t hesitate! Get the help you need.

Tags: Aids, Compulsive Behavior, Counselor, Current Health, Diet Medications, Diet Pills, Dietitian, Doctors Office, food choices;, food;, Further Down The Road, Healthy Diet Plan, Local Health Department, Losing Weight, Medical History, Medicine, Nutrition, Nutritionist, Personal Trainer, physician, Psychological Cause, Psychologist, Roots, Taking Pills, Weight Loss Medications, Weight Loss Medicine —

Get Your Baby Off to a Healthy Start–Begin Before It’s Born!
Larry Denton

Did you know that every year nearly one million American women deliver babies without receiving adequate medical attention? Or that babies born to mothers who received no prenatal care are three times more likely to be born at low birth weight, and five times more likely to die, than those whose mothers received prenatal care?

If you are pregnant, there are programs in your state, that can help you deliver a healthy baby. These programs offer medical care, support and advice for pregnant women, and information about health insurance and other services you and your baby may need. For information about prenatal services in your community call (toll free) 1-800-311-BABY (1-800-311-2229). For information in Spanish, call 1-800-504-7081. Or to gain the information you need to have a healthy baby contact your state or local health department.

There are five vitally important things you can do to have a healthy pregnancy and deliver a healthy child. First, see a doctor or other health care provider from the start of your pregnancy. Prenatal care is medical attention given to the expectant mother and her developing baby. It also involves the mother’s caring for herself by following the health care provider’s advice, eating nutritious meals, getting plenty of rest, exercising sensibly, and avoiding things that could harm her or her baby.

Secondly, don’t drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes or take drugs during your pregnancy. There is simply NO safe level of alcohol consumption if you are pregnant. One drink may be too many, since any alcohol you drink enters both your and your baby’s bloodstream. Alcohol usage during pregnancy may cause fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), in which babies suffer from physical, behavioral, and mental problems.

As for drugs, even some legal, over-the-counter medications–antihistamines or pain medications that contain ibuprofen–can be harmful to a developing fetus. Don’t take ANY medication without first consulting with your health care provider. Be careful of vitamins, as well. Although you may need more iron, calcium, or folic acid, too much of other nutrients can harm your baby. Again, consult your doctor.

A pregnant smoker is at higher risk for problems during her pregnancy. Babies born to mothers who smoke have a lower average birthrate, an increased rate of premature birth, and are at greater risk of death from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), than babies born to non-smokers.

Studies have shown that women who quit smoking early in their pregnancies can reduce the risk of damage to their baby. Even quitting in the last month of pregnancy can help your baby by increasing the amount of oxygen available to him/her at the time of delivery.

The third crucial thing you can do to have a healthy baby is to eat healthy foods–particularly fruits, vegetables, low-fat milk, eggs, cheese and whole grains. A healthy baby really starts with healthy foods. When you are pregnant, everything you eat or drink nourishes your baby as well. That is why it is so very important to eat a healthy diet. A pregnant woman only needs about 300 extra calories a day to meet her needs and provide her baby the necessary nutrients. Therefore, your goal should be to highly nutritious foods while avoiding excessive calories, fat, sugar, and sodium.

A fourth way to help have a healthy baby is to take care of YOUR health and exercise sensibly and regularly. Exercise promotes muscle tone, strength and endurance–three qualities that can help you better carry the weight you gain during pregnancy,
prepare you for the stress of labor, and make it easier to get back in shape after your delivery. You can’t beat walking or swimming or overall fitness during pregnancy. Again, as with most pregnancy related topics, check with your doctor before starting any exercise routine.

Finally, have your baby checked by a doctor or health care provider right after birth and throughout childhood. It is important to keep your health care appointments for both you and your baby, to get the proper medical attention you may both require.

Best wishes for an uneventful, healthy pregnancy and a happy, healthy new “bundle of joy” in the near future.

About the Author

Larry Denton is a retired history teacher having taught 33 years at Hobson High in Hobson, Montana. He is currently V.P. of Elfin Enterprises, Inc., an Internet business providing valuable information on a variety of timely topics. For a ob/gyn office full of advice, resources and suggestions about delivering a healthy baby, visit http://www.PregnancySense.com

Tags: Alcohol Consumption, Alcohol Usage, American Women, Antihistamines, ANY medication, Author, Bloodstream, Devel, Drink Alcohol, Drugs Pregnancy, Elfin Enterprises Inc., Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, folic acid, Health Care Provider, Health Insurance, Healthy Pregnancy, history teacher, Hobson, ibuprofen, Important Things, Internet, Larry Denton, Local Health Department, Low Birth Weight, Medical Attention, Montana, Nutritious Meals, Pain Medications, pain;, premature birth, Prenatal Care, Prenatal Services, Smoke Cigarettes, sudden infant death syndrome, V.P. —