It’s truly amazing there is anything anybody can agree on when it comes to what we eat. It seems as though we are bombarded with new scientific findings and new diet plans on a daily basis. To make matters worse, it often seems as though this information is contradictory. What’s a person to do? Well, you can rest easy, because there are some basic principles of eating that haven’t changed, and aren’t likely to change.

Let’s start with calories. A lot of fad diets do what they can to confuse the issue. They talk of “negative calorie” foods, or how special foods can burn fat. However, it all comes down to this: calories are energy. Therefore, if you want to lose weight, then you have to take in fewer calories than you burn.

If you want to gain weight, then you do the opposite. Also, if you restrict your caloric intake too much, your body will go into starvation mode, and will burn off calories much more slowly, making it harder to lose weight (if that’s your goal). So, that means you shouldn’t go too low in how much you eat, but rather take a sensible approach to your diet.

The other important aspect of calories is that all of them should count. That doesn’t mean you should count your calories and become obsessed with them. What it does mean, however, is that all of the calories you take in should have some nutritional value, or that they should count for something. That means getting rid of any empty calories. One of the biggest culprits here are sweetened soft drinks. these often are loaded with sugar and have zero nutritional value.

Now let’s turn to the fat in our diets. It wasn’t all that long ago that food manufacturers decided to roll out low-fat versions of many different products. This was in the hopes of capturing a share of the health-conscious market. While it is a fact that fat has 9 calories per gram (protein and carbohydrates only have 4), not all fats are the same.

For example, it is widely accepted that there is no healthy amount of trans fats; therefore you should do your best to completely eliminate them from your diet. Saturated fats are the next worst, but you can have some in your diet without too much worry, though you should limit them. Then there are the two categories of healthy fats: monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. You can’t necessarily eat as many of these as you want, but if you are going to be eating fats (and you should get some), then these are the better choices.

All eating really comes down to these two basic things: calories and fat. What diet plan you follow doesn’t matter as much as how you eat. So, when choosing an eating plan, be sure to look it over and that it also takes a sensible approach. When you do this, you will not only feel better about being on a healthy plan, you will also be much more likely to stick to it.

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If you are asking yourself, “How do I go about losing weight the right way?”, you are asking a very good question. Losing weight is a process that takes time and dedication. too may people think there is, or should be, a magic pill for losing weight and that they won’t have to work at it.

Some things you may already know about stress and gaining weight, stress makes the body produce a hormone called Cortisol. Cortisol increases fat stores around your mid-section putting you at risk for heart disease and diabetes.

Learn some techniques to decrease the stress in your life. Meditation is a good technique to use to decrease stress. Yoga is another good way. Actually, just getting some regular daily exercise will go a long way to decreasing your stress level.

Try to think more positively about your life and your weight loss. If you do then the extra pounds will disappear in no time.

Getting enough sleep at night is also a big part of losing weight the right way. If you are always tired and dragged out then try getting an extra hour or two of sleep at night. The human body needs 7-9 hours of sleep per night and when you do not get it your metabolism slows down to a not so steady crawl and your body does not work the way it should. Those of us who work the night shift really have screwed up metabolisms. Working nights is very stressful on the human body. We were all meant to sleep at night not during the day.

OK, so, you have done all the things listed above and find you still cannot lose the weight. Are you drinking enough water? If you think that you drink enough fluids every day then let me ask you, do you drink regular pop, diet pop or other sweetened drinks? If you do you need to stop. Regular pop, diet pop and other sweetened drinks are called empty calories because they have absolutely no nutritional value. The only thing they do is increase the amount of fat you have. Did you know that if you do nothing else but stop drinking pop you can lose 38 pounds in just a year? No, I am not kidding!

Hold on, back up, did you say diet pop? Yup, diet pop is ‘sweetened’ with artificial sweeteners and is basically considered poison by the medical community. Diet pop actually tricks your body into staying fat. When you drink diet pop the brain expects nutrition and when it realizes you were only joking, the brain signals the stomach that it is still hungry and you end up eating more to compensate the empty calories you just put in your body.

Stick with the water and maybe some green tea. The green tea gives you an added benefit of antioxidants that are so important for your health and it tastes great, too.

So try to decrease the stress in your life, divorce it if you have to, get more sleep at night, exercise and give up the pop. This should help you in losing weight the right way.

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Well, you may be thinking Here we are again. Where can I find out how to lose belly fat? My friend you are not alone. The CDC reported that in 2007-2008 about 1/3 of US citizens are obese and that number has increased 1.1% since 2007.

It is a fact; obesity is steadily becoming a world wide epidemic. In 2007-2008 over 72 billion citizens, world wide, were obese and again that number is climbing.

Overweight individuals are more prone to serious health problems such as cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, depression etc Health problems, that are a direct result of overweight, cost billions and billions of dollars each year. Need I mention the emotional damage and social stigmatization that is a result of overweight? I think not.

So, back to our original question, How to lose belly fat. It doesnt take rocket science to figure out that you have to cut back on your eating. It is essential that the calories taken in are less than the calories burned. If not, then you guessed it, weight gain!

Reducing the amount of calories you consume is essential. All pre-packaged food comes with a nutritional label. Take note of the calories, fat grams, carbohydrates etc in everything you eat. Also pay close attention to serving size.

Another tip on how to lose belly fat or any fat, for that matter; cut out the alcohol! Beer is loaded with calories that have no nutritional value. Not to mention the other detrimental effects alcohol has on your body. Alcohol causes liver damage; it causes inflammation of the pancreas. So, beware!

Sugar is not your friend. Be aware of the carbohydrate content in food or drinks. Look at how much sugar is in soda. Just cutting out soda alone will save you quite a bit of calories. If you take in too much sugar and dont burn it then weight gain ensues.

Weight loss is more than physical work. It involves mental and emotional dedication as well. You must make a commitment to attaining better health. It is also helpful to have a support system. After all you will be in this for the long haul.

Daily exercise is key to losing weight. After all, muscle burns fat and in order to build muscle you must use it! A high cardiovascular workout is a big help in losing weight. Examples of high cardio workouts are using the treadmill, circuit training, stair climbing, etc.

Cardiovascular exercise helps to speed up the metabolism. But is you really want to whittle down your belly, add strength training to your routine. You will be amazed at the results.

I wont lie to you; it is a long hard road. But your hard work will pay off. You will feel better physically and emotionally. And there is nothing more important than your health. So, what are you waiting for? Lose the tummy fat!

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How To Have a Budget – Friendly Healthy Eating Plan

With food prices soaring these days, is there way for you to eat healthy, without poring more holes in your pocket? Theres a actually a way for you to eat healthy and within your budget. Before you head off to the supermarket, sit down and write out a record first, and remember to stick to irrefutable. Shop just once a chronology, conformation out the sale coupons from the newspaper, but disregard the coupons for processed foods. Here are other applicable tips for eating healthy on a budget.

Money – Saving Basics For The Healthy Eater

Before you make the dash for the grocery, make sure you dont go shopping on an empty stomach. Eat a flashing snack or meal, so that youll emblematize play hardball to resist the temptation. Once youre in the grocery, look for sales or discount promos on fruits and vegetables, as immeasurably groceries get a bargain on these items, which they pass – on as savings to their customers. Buy a large bag of fruit instead of single, large response items which are priced per appulse. Also go for generic brand, which are labeled as the store brands, but are relatively priced less.

Get More Healthy Food Items From The Money You Spend

To make the markedly out of your budget, remember to get more healthy food items, as well as make significant changes in your food options. Here are some neighborly tips for buying healthy food on a budget.

– Buy in bulk an din season. Seasonal produce will offer more nutritional value, and are priced less too. Also make a food list thats based on sale or discounted items.

– Eat more beans. Beans are relatively affordable sources of fiber and protein, particularly the dry beans.

– Cut down on your purchase of alcohol and other carbonated beverages, because these proposal no nutritional benefits, and also cost a lot too.

– Worth meat alternative such as beans and tofu for your stir – fry, spaghetti and chili recipes, as well as use ground turkey meat in place of ground beef.

With the recession hurting our pockets, more and more people are constantly looking for ways to get more out of their money when they go to the grocery. However, health professionals worry that as the economy gets tighter, else people will factor making poor food choices, and will also turn to eating unhealthy fast food fare. But eating unhealthy food should not be the case, since theres a way for you to eat healthy without busting your budgets. All you need to do is buy smart, arrange bounteous budget – friendly decisions, and change some of your shopping and food – preparation habits.

24 Hour Fitness
http://www.www.24-hr-fitness.com

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