Top Three Tips To Losing Your Belly

January has finally come - The month we all dread, cause lets face it. We are faced with that annual obligation to make some sort of self improving change, or resolution as more commonly referred to. So I thought that we could all use some extra tips on how to lose that extra belly fat that we are to resolve this year.

Number One - Many so-called "health foods" are actually cleverly disguised junk foods that can actually stimulate you to gain more belly fat... yet the diet food marketing industry continues to lie to you so they can maximize their profits. All we need to do is stay away from what we know is bad, and watch what we eat - overeating and binge eating are our worst enemies.

Number Two - We should all start with the most obvious, a little extra cardio always helps to burn the fat. I prefer to jog. some to bike, but there's also skiing, canoing, walking, sports and everything under the sun that makes you sweat. All followed up with lower to upper abs exercises to emphasize the stomach muscles.

Number Three - STICK TO A PLAN! This is the hardest but most effective thing we can do! running Monday Tuesday is great! but not if we watch football every other night. Doing eighty five crunches last night is working well towards the cause... but far from productive if its only a bi Tuesday routines.

Losing the belly fat and gaining those six pack abs truly isn't the easies thing to do in three weeks. But we all know its achievable. We need to watch what we eat - exercise and stick to that routine that's sticky noted to our bathroom mirror. With all that in play, we're bound for success!

Check out my blog for what I use for my ab routine.

http://drewsabs.blogspot.com/

Making Sense of the Weight Loss Game

Do you have a goal to lose weight this year? One of the greatest challenges in life is weight loss and the struggles to finally win the battle of the budge. The fuss over weight loss has turned up many diets and fads. This article will look at one certain weight loss diet that has gained in popularity in the weight loss scene.

Why Do We Gain Weight

When a person eats bad carbohydrates and fats they feel hungrier, compelling them to eat more than they should, which produces obvious weight gain. When you eat right, you become healthier and can usually enjoy weight loss faster!

So, Whats New

If you are like many you are probably sick of trying new diets that do not work! What allegedly makes weight loss with the South Beach Diet different is that you discover a new way of life. Weight loss is really about learning to rely on the right carbohydrates and fats. Learning a new way of eating enables you to live contently without eating the bad carbohydrates and fats.

Dr. Agatston, a cardiologist, initially developed the weight loss diet for his chronically overweight heart patients. Soon, thanks to his patients' results, Dr. Agatston's diet became quiet the thing in the Miami weight loss scene.

When the book was released in 2003 it started flying off the shelves. Dr. Agatston has further released two more cookbooks and a healthy food guide. The initial book was released in soft cover in 2005. The success of these books has been phenomenal.

Here is a daily sample of a South Beach Diet.

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs, 1/2 cup sliced tomato, and Coffee.

Lunch: Turkey slices and low fat cheese on 2 cups mixed greens with 1 1/2 tbsp low sugar salad dressing made with olive or canola oil. Caffeine-free diet soda, water or tea.

Dinner: Baked salmon with lemon slices and steamed broccoli, or large vegetable salad with 1 1/2 tbsp low sugar salad dressing made with olive or canola oil, Caffeine-free diet soda, water or tea.

If you are looking to tackle weight loss this diet may be one to check out. Unfortunately, one of the toughest aspects of weight loss is the ability to stay disciplined. No matter what weight loss program you choose, stick with it!

Get the facts about Weight Loss visit http://Weight-Loss-Exposed.com where you will find valuable weight loss tips, resources, and helpful Weight Loss information.

High-Speed Blenders And Weight Loss

Designer smoothie bars are almost as common as coffee shops these days. It's little wonder too. Where else can you get a healthy snack that contains so many nutrients all in one glass? The answer is: at home. With a high speed blender, it's easy to re-create those fancy, nutrition filled fruit smoothies at home. Chances are, you'll save a lot of money too.

In addition to paying much less, there are several compelling reasons for making your own smoothies with a high speed blender. Consider the following benefits:

* You can give your dieting efforts a healthy boost. Mixing fruits, vegetables, yogurt, soy milk, or other ingredients in a high-speed blender releases the vitamins, minerals, and fibers which they contain. This allows for much quicker processing by the body. The result is a fuller feeling in a shorter time, meaning you are less likely to overeat. It also means more of those nutrients are able to be absorbed by your body. Plus, you have control over the amount of fat and sugar that goes into your recipe.

* It's easier to get your RDA. It can be tough to eat your RDA (recommended daily allowance) of fruits, vegetables, and other nutrients. Using a high speed mixer makes it simple to get many of your nutrients all in one tasty go. A smoothie is also much easier to consume on the run than a handful of blueberries. Plus, you can add boosters like wheat-grass, flaxseed, bran, wheat germ, protein powder, ginseng, and many other nutritional supplements.

* Good nutrition is linked to better mental health. If you are struggling with obesity, you may also be experiencing symptoms of depression. Depression has been linked to being overweight. Doctors encourage people who are seeking treatment for mood disorders to eat a healthy, balanced diet. This is because physicians know that good nutrition can help improve mood by restoring chemical balance to the brain. What better natural depression treatment than a home-made smoothie? There are few easier ways to increase ones intake of fruits and vegetables, plus healthy staples like yogurt, milk, soy milk, and fresh cheese, than to mix them in a delicious smoothie.

* You can experiment with your own ingredients. Whatever fruits and vegetables you like can be combined for a tailor-made snack or meal. You can choose from either fresh or frozen. Fresh fruits and vegetables tend to be slightly higher in vitamins. However, frozen are also healthy, and will add a hearty texture to your concoction.

Sometimes people get discouraged with their efforts to make smoothies at home. Often this is because they are using an ordinary food processor rather than a high speed blender. While food processors may do an adequate job of mixing, they are not made for pureeing and grinding as blenders are. The results from blenders are more appetizing. They also tend to release the vitamins and minerals more quickly.

So forget about those expensive juice bars. Creating your own delicious masterpieces at home may lead to better mental health and put you on the fast-track to weight loss.

Thomas Fox researches fast speed high performance blenders in respect to weight loss and depression and if there is one, what the relationship is between food, allergies, asthma, depression, obesity, stop-smoking and workplace productivity. More information can be obtained at http://www.123vita.com/35.html

Effective Weight Loss Guide That You Always Forget

Keeping off unwanted pounds is never a walk in the park. There is always something or someone out there that will ruin your weight loss plans for you. Therefore, it is crucial that you find other ways to step-up your existing program for shedding excess weight. Here are a few tips that can give you more thrust on your weight loss plans.

Small Frequent Feeding Is The Key

By limiting your food intake to only three times in a day, you allow your body to starve needlessly between mealtimes. In turn, your body will react as if there is a mini-famine going on, so it will shift into mini-survival mode, meaning it will reduce your metabolic rate to conserve energy.

In contrast, by eating 5-6 small meals in a day, your metabolic rate will be revved up; burning more calories and helping you lose weight. Remember, the trick is to eat small amounts of food without allowing your body to feel starved; so do not overfeed yourself during mealtime.

List Down The Food You Eat

You are what you eat. So by writing down everything that passes through your mouth, you will have a better chance of getting to know yourself. At the end of the day, you will be surprised at what type of foods you eat. As an added enlightenment, your list will allow you to realize how much money and effort ultimately goes down the sewer; this will compel you to spend less on junk or unnecessary food items.

Never Skip Breakfast

Whatever you do, never forget breakfast. Why? Because it will allow you to fire up your metabolism early on in the day. That means you will have longer hours to burn off calories. If you skip breakfast, on the other hand, your body will try to conserve more energy by slowing down metabolism.

You will also find that having breakfast will spare you from hunger pangs later in the day; this will allow you to be more careful or discriminating on your food choices which means you will have a lesser tendency to binge on food.

Walk By The Minutes, Not Distance

Usually, fitness experts suggest that thirty minutes of walking is enough exercise for most people. In reality, spending this amount of time walking is only good if you want to maintain your present weight. If you really want to lose weight, you need to do more than the usual thirty minutes. Adding fifteen minutes more to this exercise regimen, making it forty-five minutes, will allow you to burn more calories; that is an additional 300 calories, which can translate to about thirty pounds in one year.

Use Smaller Plates

This is one of the best ways to trick your appetite. You see, scientists have found out that a person tends to eat more when a bigger quantity of food is served, while lesser food on the table would mean lesser food intake. Using this data, you can cheat your appetite by serving food on smaller plates. This way, your plate will always look as if it is filled to the brim, but the actual amount of food in front of you is less than you imagine.

Take Your Time When You're Eating

It takes time for a train to travel from Station A to Station B. In the same manner, the distance between your brain and your stomach will require several minutes before your whole system will realize that you are already full and that you do not need food anymore. Studies have shown that it takes about 20 minutes before the brain will realize that you are indeed stuffed. By eating slowly, you allow your brain to catch up with your body signals which makes you feel satiated.

Indeed, doing the usual weight loss plans may not work for you. Nonetheless, instead of making excuses, you should let your creative juices flow. Losing weight demands a high level of creativity, so you should never leave your weight loss plans at the mercy of fortuitous events. You can boost your efforts by using products like Zylorin. Click on http://www.zylorin.com/ for more details about this supplement.

Janet Martin is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and published author. Many of her insightful articles can be found at the premiere online news magazine http://www.thearticleinsiders.com

Burn Calories Diet - How You Can Keep Off Excess Pounds for Good with the Burn Calories Diet

If you're like most of us, you've probably tried at least half a dozen diets, only to lose a few pounds and then put them right back on. The sad fact is that the majority of these diets are not only unhelpful, but some can even be harmful. The secret to permanent weight loss is to find a diet and exercise program that both burns calories while increasing your metabolism. Let's discuss why.

Let's talk about what happens when most people try to lose weight. They'll start on the program, and they'll lose some pounds. But eventually the novelty wears off, and they go back to their old eating patterns. As they do, the old pounds and sometimes more return. But why does this happen?

It's because the philosophy of traditional dieting is to get the body to use its stores of fat. The diet does this by basically starving the body. What most people don't realize is that this is actually harmful to the person who wants to gain a healthy body, because this trains the body to burn muscle rather than fat. The weight that's lost is usually just water loss.

Consequently, in short order, the weight returns, and usually brings a few more pounds with it, as the person goes back to eating again. Many dieters feel a tremendous sense of failure at this point. Don't! It's not your fault! It's the diet: It's simply cannot keep pounds off because of what it does to the body.

So how do we avoid this trap? By finding a diet that both burns calories while at the same time raising your metabolism. This is a method that will train your body to prefer the burning of fat rather than muscle. The result: You lose pounds without causing damage to your muscles and ultimately, you're more likely to keep the pounds off.

The best way to approach weight loss is to take a holistic approach to losing weight. Exercising to burn calories, diet plans to guide your eating habits, and making sure that you don't slip back into old habits are all important parts of the weight loss process.

Patience is also key in effective weight loss. Yes, it's true that noticeable loss can occur often faster than you might think, don't expect too much too quickly. We're talking major changes to your body and your life, and it will take time.

What this means is to be kind to your body. Don't over-exert yourself in exercise, and don't starve yourself. You might think you're hurrying the process along, but in reality, you're just making it less likely that the weight loss will be permanent.

Remember, in the end, success depends on you. A good calorie burning diet plan can help tremendously; a comprehensive weight loss plan with the diet AND exercise guidelines are even better. But no matter which diet plan you choose to use, remember to burn calories, increase metabolism, and patience will see you free of all those excess pounds for good.

If you find this article useful, then sign up to our exclusive newsletter now at http://www.DontCallMeFat.com and learn how you can achieve that perfect body the faster and safer way!

You can also find out more about the topic discussed above by visiting Burn Calories Diet.

Worried About Weight Loss After Pregnancy?

Well you can now stop worrying about all those extra pounds that you will put on during pregnancy. New generation moms can easily get back their pre-pregnancy figure within a year.. With the right daily regime, workouts and a good diet; now getting pregnant does not mean getting fat.

However the right diet does not mean that you start dieting right after you deliver. Whether or not you are breast feeding, the first few months you should concentrate on nourishing yourself through a proper diet. You can start exercising along with a good diet intake. After a couple of months, your body returns to its normal level and then you can start your loosing weight. You can take weight loss tips from new moms who have lost weight after pregnancy.

How Many Months Before I Return To My Normal Weight?

Weight gain during nine months is in the normal limits (20 - 30 pounds) then you should be able to lose weight in less than a year. This process takes time but ensures that your weight loss is at the right pace and safe. Post pregnancy period usually leaves the new moms low on self esteem. Some would be still coping with massive weight gain; some would constantly worry about milk stains on their clothes. Many women might not get enough time to take even a proper bath. Women do tend to get depressed for these reasons and do not know how cope with the change in their life. Many women constantly worry about sex after long nine months. They do not feel very comfortable indulging in intercourse as their body is out of shape.

These problems can be easily dealt with if you work towards your goal with a healthy weight loss regime. Pregnancy weight loss should be planned in consultation with your doctor. You should also keep in mind your physical condition before making a diet or exercise plan.

Exercising Helps

As a balanced diet plays a vital role in weight loss, exercise also plays a major part. Exercising however should not be started without the doctor's consultation. Exercise helps in post pregnancy weight loss. It also helps to increase your self confidence and lends you a hand if you are dealing with depression. Exercising affects breast milk is a myth and you should not bother about it.

Weight Loss Through Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding also helps moms' lose weight. Breast feeding releases hormones which help your body to return to its normal level which in turn helps you regain your normal weight.

Breastfeeding is not a fool-proof method of weight loss after pregnancy. In most cases, women start losing weight only after they stop breast feeding.

Also relying on breast feeding may make you careless towards your diet and workout routine.

You can go on a low fat diet even if you are breast-feeding. Do ensure that you are taking at least 1800-2000 calories per day.

Remember that your body has gone through a lot of strain and changes. Post pregnancy care is very important for your body to heal and also to ensure weight loss after pregnancy.

Weight loss tips are very much in demand. Weight loss is an area of concern after the pregnancy period. A lot of weight gain during pregnancy, can scare women to go for crash diets. But with the right daily regime, workouts and a good diet, weight loss after pregnancy can be achieved.

Cardio Can Kill

I'm not a big fan of long cardio, especially extreme bouts of cardio - i.e. running marathons.

Just this past weekend a 41-year old man died running one of the Toronto marathons. Last year, same thing. These are not the first, nor will they be the last men to die running a marathon.

And for what?

To run an irrelevant distance for no reason at all. I don't see any logical reason for most people to run a marathon. Particularly when you are a 40-year old father of a young family. You can be fit and healthy with far less exercise time, as long as you train with far better exercise choices.

Sure, you can say you are pushing the boundaries of your human performance...but I doubt that is any consolation for the family of thes two men.

No matter how "type A" someone is, or how driven they are to perform in a marathon, simply being able to run a marathon proves nothing. And it can have disastrous consequences. Not too mention the many smaller negative consequences of:

a) A waste of hours of your life spent away from your loved ones while you pound the pavement

b) Sore knees, chronic back pain, and blistered feet

c) Money and time wasted in the physiotherapist's office

d) An improperly trained body (i.e. weak back of the body, no upper body strength, overuse injuries)

e) A level of fitness that has limited carryover to real world needs (carrying groceries & other objects, outsprinting an attacker, manual labor, etc.)

So please, if you insist on running marathons, do yourself and your family a favor and:

1) Get a full physical from your doctor. This goes without saying for anyone on an exercise program over the age of 30, but running marathons is another reason not to neglect your physical exams.

2) Pay close attention to your body during the race. Wear a heart rate monitor, and exercise conservatively, drink the right amount of fluids (but not too much as that can be the cause of death in long runs), and just plain be careful. A marathon is hardly a reason to risk your life.

Now, here's more bad news.

Cardio has been killing fat loss programs for decades.

Why?

Because almost all of the exercise science studies performed in the 70's through the early 90's were done on distance running.

From there we got the messages that:

i) To lose fat, you had to do long, slow endurance training. Clearly, we know this is false. Nutrition is the most important aspect of fat loss.

ii) That we should eat a high-carbohydrate diet. This message, while generally true for endurance athletes, was broadly applied to fat loss. So we were subjected to that hideous low-fat, high-carb phase in the 90's where we were urged to eat Snackwell low-fat cookies with no regard to the sugar and calorie content.

iii) Beginners should get out on high-volume, walk-run programs. Now while it is important to get people out and exercising, high-volume activities for underprepared beginner muscles are going to cause injury fast. And that's what happened to most people that tried to take up running.

iv) Too many cardio enthusiasts had the wrong mentality of, "If I go for a 5 mile run, I can have some juice and cookies as a reward". Needless to say, that didn't help anyone lose fat.

The end result?

This high-cardio, high-carb approach to fitness and fat loss left many men and women with thunder thighs, saddle bags, and chronic running injuries.

Fast-forward to this decade, and the mainstream media is finally starting to see the benefits of strength training and interval training for both fat loss and the cardiovascular system.

Not too mention people are finally getting their nutrition right. And it's so simple:

- lots of fruits and vegetables (rarely does anyone get enough)

- lean protein

- healthy fats

- fiber-rich low-glycemic carbohydrates

So eat right, train right, and be safe.

Sincerely,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS

Author, Turbulence Training

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Mens Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit http://www.TurbulenceTraining.com

Family Fitness

Family fitness is fun! So, how do you get your family off the sofa and encourage them to get moving with you? It can be a simple task if you find an exercise program that the entire family can enjoy!

We all know that too many Americans are overweight and even more that dont follow a regular exercise program. It is up to mom and dad to initiate some movement within their own household. Theres an old saying that the family that plays together, stays together. This is the approach you should take to get your family moving! Its not exercise, its time to play!

First, you should pay close attention to what everyone in the family likes to do. For example, if both you and your spouse are tennis fanatics, tennis should definitely be on the exercise agenda. If your son is an avid golfer, you need to learn to swing! If your daughter is a devoted jogger, guess who needs to jog too? Find out what everyone in the family likes to do (and you probably already know) and then do it as a family!

Your familys fitness is important and the fitness schedule should be something that you will stick with throughout the year with a plan B if the weather prohibits the ability to follow through with one of your preferred activities. Make sure that everyone in the family gets to choose an activity to insure overall enthusiasm and participation from everyone! While planning your Family Fitness plan, you need to start planning some major changes within the kitchen and refrigerator as well. Its a good time to throw out all of the stale chips and make a commitment to replace the unhealthy choices with healthy alternatives!

Vegetables like carrot sticks, celery sticks, and fruits like apples, bananas, seedless grapes, fig newtons as well as air-popped popcorn, graham crackers and pretzels are excellent choices that children and teens will grab without a second thought if you make them available. Fill your fruit bowl, refrigerator, and cabinet with the healthier snacks and watch how your entire family doesnt even notice a significant difference. While youre at it, fill the refrigerator with bottled water and a variety of fruit juices. Diet sodas are loaded with sodium so toss them out the door too!

You can make some subtle changes that your family will appreciate you for later in life. Now is the time to make a healthy change for you and your family. Dont even mention the changes in the kitchen. Your children and teenagers will likely just grab something when they are in search of a snack. If you announce that the family is going to start eating more nutritious meals and snacks what kind of appeal does that have to the child who was raised on chicken tenders from Burger King?

Healthy living is maybe the greatest way to care for your family. It starts with you and most likely, your children will continue to do what they learned to do at home once they spread their wings and fly solo. Make sure you provide the healthy start they need to carry with them a lifetime!

Terje Brooks Ellingsen is an internet publisher. His website nv-Fitness4Life.com offers valuable free information for all who are interested in fitness issues, for example family life fitness and exercise. Check out Fitness4Life now.

The Truth About Quick Weight Loss

With extended work days and working hours becoming more the norm than the exception, the fast food industry is doing booming business. While this is great for restaurant owners and investors alike, it is not very friendly to the waistlines of thousands of overweight and obese adults.

Though fast food is one of the top culprits, unhealthy eating habits, in general, are the source of this obesity epidemic. Saturated fats and refined sugars lead to bulging waist lines, a problem which leaves hose affected searching for the quickest ways to obtain their weight loss and fat reduction goals.

Other factors that pay a part in weight gain include genetics and slowing metabolisms, especially as you age. As you get older, your metabolism tends to slow down, making it even more difficult to keep the pounds from creeping on. This, combined with poor eating habits and lack of exercise, is of great concern if you are trying to combat obesity.

One of the first things that many people who have to lose is to search for a method of quick weight loss. And knowing this, literally thousands of weight loss products are on the market, with more being introduced on a daily basis. The business of weight loss is a multi-billion dollar a year business.

However, the simple truth about quick weight loss is that it does not really exist. If you are trying to lose weight quickly, realize that losing weight is a process that takes time and effort. Weight loss pills and diet gimmicks will only discourage and only lead you to giving up in the end. It is best to learn healthy eating habits and incorporate regular exercise into your lifestyle.

How much weight you lose and fat you burn is dependent upon numerous factors. Some of these factors include your health, weight, daily calorie intake, age, gender, stress level, and lifestyle. And despite all the hoopla surrounding quick weight loss, it is best to think of losing weight as a gradual process. Those who lose weight successfully and keep it off long term are the ones who implement lifestyle changes - healthy eating and exercise. The sooner that you realize there is no quick fix for losing weight, the closer you will be to attaining your weight loss goals.

With all of that said, check with your doctor or dietitian to help you get started. Losing one and a half to two and a half pounds per week is very reasonable and a totally achievable goal. If you are thinking that is too slow, just think about it like this - that amounts to six to ten pounds a month and up to fifty two pounds a year, and all without making drastic changes or using dangerous diet drugs.

If you're looking for more fat loss and weight reduction tips, be sure to visit our Guide to Fat Loss blog at: http://guidetofatloss.blogspot.com

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Walking for Exercise and Health - A Premier Weight Loss Exercise

Walking is an exercise essentially all fitness and health care professionals recommend. It is compatible with nearly every weight loss fitness program. And it's easy to do. In fact, walking is something I bet you already know how to do.

Okay. That was a bit of a joke. Yet even though we learned how to walk as toddlers, there is a correct form and style to walking for exercise and health. So I'll give you some tips on form to help you avoid common mistakes that can aggravate your back.

Before I cover that, walking is not only a super way to help you lose weight; it will help you control your weight throughout your life. And walking does wonders for your overall health.

For example, as part of your regular weight loss fitness program walking can help:

• Burn calories and keep weight off
• Reduce blood cholesterol
• Boost bone strength
• Lower blood pressure
• Increase cardiovascular endurance

Here's a bonus for you: An eight-year study of 13,000 people revealed those who walked 30 minutes a day had a significantly lower risk of premature death than those who rarely exercised. Now that is good news!

All you need to get started walking for exercise and health is comfortable clothes and shoes. It's wise to invest in quality shoes designed specifically for walking. Go to a running store and get a pair. Your feet, knees and back are all worth it.

It's best to walk slowly for the first three to five minutes to get your muscles warmed up. Actually, warm-up is important for any exercise you do.

As to form . . . keep your head and torso erect, and your arms swinging comfortably back and forth. Don't hold your arms up and in front of you. For some reason many people think this is correct and it's not. Your arms should swing to fit your pace: Faster pace means bigger arm swing. It also helps you move faster.

As for your stride length, it's governed by speed: The faster you walk, the longer your steps. Be careful when you get to walking really fast, say 4.2 mph or faster. There's a tendency to lean forward. This will probably result in a misaligned head and torso which affects your center of gravity.

Also, as you walk faster, don't make your stride so long you have to lean forward to keep up. This strains your lower back. Plus, it usually hunches your shoulders which increases the tension in your upper back.

Regardless of your height, find a comfortable stride length. Keep your torso erect. And get relaxed as you walk - working hard but relaxed. When you've built up to the point you can walk a couple miles with relative ease, mix it up a bit.

You can do interval training as part of your walking program; add in some hills (this increases cardiovascular endurance and really tones your legs); or even do circuit training.

Here's another important walking tip for your weight loss fitness program: When you've finished your walk, take time to cool down and stretch. Walk slowly for three minutes or so and then stretch. Taking a few minutes to stretch after you finish walking is very important because it helps prevent sore muscles.

Looking for more good ideas on exercise programs for weight loss? Or how about some free diet meal plans? You'll find all this plus tons of helpful weight loss tips and how to asses your health risk due to weight when you visit http://www.WeightLossAnswersOnline.com

Conquering Migraines: Advanced Biofeedback Boasts Permanent Success Rates of 90%

A corporate promotion meant more money and more stress for John R. Unfortunately, his migraines went from occasional to every Saturday morning for 4 months in row. Then they just stopped due to neurofeedback.

Neurofeedback is a form of biofeedback that works with brain function. I havent had a migraine since my 3rd session. Im continuing the training for a while longer because I dont want to have a migraine ever again.

Migraines normally run in families and Johns siblings get these headaches too. The migraine statistics are dismal. Headaches are the most common complaint physicians hear. About 20 Americans suffer from migraine headaches, but only half of these people call their headaches migraines. Of the 12% of people who get migraines, women are victims 3 to 1 over men.

Symptoms typically include horrible throbbing pain in part of the head. Nausea is common as is a sensitivity to light or sound. The pain can last for hours or days. Migraines may begin in childhood and can last throughout the life span.

An episode often begins after an accumulation of stress and then a release from stress. The ebb and flow of the autonomic nervous system is disrupted and the relaxation wheels grind. The brain stem and trigeminal nerve conspire to constrict blood flow out of the brain. An engorged blood vessel in the brain pounds against a meandering cranial nerve causing the throbbing pain. A visual aura only occurs 30% of the time but for some people that is the primary symptom.

Migraines are usually triggered by an accumulation of idiosyncratic factors. These can range from weather to wine.

Migraineurs are often highly responsible people and somewhat tightly wound. There is little point in telling them to relax. They must first learn how.

Biofeedback has been recognized for decades as an effective technique to aid migraine headache sufferers. The basic method is to teach relaxation with hand warming. Greater blood flow to the hands brings the warmth.

During the fright r flight response, blood moves away from the periphery. The opposite autonomic nervous system mode is rest n digest. Here our skin tone goes from pale to florid.

The biofeedback remedy is trial and error practice in raising your finger temperature by watching a thermometer. The goal is the facility to achieve 94.5 within 5 minutes. This does take diligent practice. Few people keep it up without lots of skillful encouragement. It works for 50% of the people or 50% of the pain depending on what the study measured.

With advances in technology have come efficiency of time. And efficacy in degree and proportion of successful results.

Now there are two kinds of neurofeedback training that have made stopping migraine headaches quite possible for over 90% of those with this debilitating disorder. The combination of methods has not been tested.

Biofeedback begins with monitoring. The first method uses an infrared sensor to detect heat radiation emanating from the forehead.

Why are human foreheads bare of hair? To cool the large cerebral cortex in the front of our skull! Learning to increase blood perfusion to the frontal cortex is acquiring biofeedback control over regional cerebral blood flow. When viewed with infrared photography each session appears to brighten the entire forehead.

Think of infrared training as brain strengthening. Sessions spent raising the infrared temperature seems to stimulate neurocellular activity. The activation becomes greater self-regulation over the cortical migraine generator.

The effect looks like enabling the brain to turn off the migraine switch. More practice at brain brightening gradually builds the ability to turn away a migraine before it gets started without conscious effort. This can interrupt a current raging migraine within 20 minutes. Clients often say It just kinda pooped out.

In the main study of 100 migraine patients, 94% got at least 50% reduction in pain after 6 half-hour sessions. During these sessions, the client looks at either the biofeedback numbers or their favorite movie. Above a moving threshold the movie plays.

The second form of neurofeedback uses an EEG or electroencephalograph to read brain waves. This micro-volt meter detects tiny brain emanations on the scalp and displays the information for biofeedback of brain activity. Every time a neuron fires it is a chemical and an electrical event.

As in all biofeedback, displaying a biological process leads to control of that function. With self-awareness comes self-regulation. All healing is self-healing where self-information is the remedy. The practitioner merely holds up a high-tech mirror and does some coaching. Home training units are now available.

The most advanced forms of brainwave biofeedback requires no special effort. You simply listen to your favorite music. If you want, you can look at a dynamic graphic. The information comes from brief pauses in the music and graphics corresponding to moments of higher brainwave turbulence.

Interrupting a brainwaves surge promotes peace of mind. So does continuous playing of the music during relative lulls in the constant mental storm as read by the EEG. The pauses are set to come often enough to be informative and transformative while still being a pleasant experience. It is like learning to drive a car steadily within the lane when there are rumble strips on both sides. Then narrow the lane. The software has 18 lanes at once spanning the brainwave spectrum.

Neurofeedback makes the central nervous system more internally efficient. Rather than closing down at lower speeds, the mind becomes better coordinated and more complex.

The real problem are the ruts and patterns we develop to over control ourselves. Any fixed brainwave pattern is a loss of freedom, a reduction in flexibility and less resilience for the entire system.

Turning down the idle speed allows a brainwave reorganization and self-repair where extraneous habits are discarded. To drop needless surging is a permanent release. To cease wasting energy is a welcome unwinding that is recognized and retained naturally.

These remedies work to create significant and often total relief for a very high proportion of clients. And when it works, it seems to work for good. Both forms of neurofeedback typically produce permanent freedom from future migraines.

When done gently, both forms of neurofeedback are safe and harmless, even for sensitive people. The other effects of neurofeedback are all benefits such as lower stress, better sleep and reduced mental chatter. Adverse effects are rare, minor and self-limiting, generally caused by pushing the system, such as blindly doing too much too soon.

Neurofeedback is highly effective in empowering the migraineur to stop getting horrible headaches. John R. found the experience of neurofeedback to be utterly calming. I feel sharper and definitely less anxious. And I havent had any more headaches, not even a hint of one. Its nice having all my Saturdays back.

Gary Ames is a licensed psychologist specializing in neurofeedback. He has a private practice near Philadelphia, PA. He also provides home training options.

Gary Ames, 28 Rock Hill Road, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004 610-668-3223 or toll-free 866-562-4868.

The Number 1 Weight Loss Technique That Nobody Knows About

There is a simple way to aid your weight loss process that everyone either forgets, passes over, or just plain doesn't know about. It's free, and only takes minutes a day. What could be so simple yet nearly guarantee a level of success in conjunction with a good weight loss program?

It's simple. Just keep a food journal.

Did you know that most people have no idea how many calories they consume in a day? Even professional dietitians and doctors often underestimate their daily caloric intake by as much as 20%! How is this possible?

The culprit lies in the "sneaky" calories that reside in things like 3 extra taco chips, an extra mouthful from your spouse's plate, or a few M&M's grabbed on the way out of the kitchen. Totaled together, these overlooked activities can add up to several pounds in mere months.

Consider it this way: A typical taco chip has about 8-10 calories in it. Eat 5-6 extra chips per day, and changing nothing else, you could gain up to 6 pounds over the course of a year! And you probably never even noticed what you were doing.

The simple thing is this: most people watch what they eat at mealtimes, which is great. But people often fail to notice the "in-betweens." By keeping a strict food journal and writing down everything you eat, you will become aware of all the little extras that are piling up and ruining your weight loss efforts.

In conjunction with proven weight loss programs and dietary changes as well as an increase in exercise, keeping a food journal can almost guarantee that you will lose weight.

Finding the calorie counts in the foods you eat can be as easy as looking at the nutrition facts on the back of the box. Finding calorie counts for fast food and other "non-listed" foods is as easy as searching Google.

Of course, you should invest in a good weight loss plan to help you begin to make better food choices.

For more information on the absolute best weight loss programs that will jump start your fat loss goals, visit BestQuickWeightLossPrograms.com.

Fitness guru Cynthia Blake is a writer for http://www.BestQuickWeightLossPrograms.com

South Beach Diet Meal Plan - Getting Into Wholesome, Nutritious, And Complete Weight Loss Program

With south beach recipes meal plans, it would be more flexible and convenient for you. They would not be focusing on traditional and strict rules on the proper weights and measures of what food meals to eat. They don't have rigid guidelines that you would be following; instead they would be all about nutrition intake designed for losing weight. South beach diet meal plans will be carried through the three phases, with the first two aiming for the weight loss program while the last phase going about maintenance guidelines which you would be using for your own decisions to create your own meal plan.

The first phase

The first phase of south beach diet meal plans asks you to restrict amounts of carbohydrate intake. During this phase, more intake water than the normal recommended eight glasses of water a day is suggested. With the absence of carbohydrate intakes of your body, water in the cells of your body drains fast. This happens because your body needs to use the fats stored in its cells in substitution of the carbohydrates. That is the reason why drinking large amounts of water is vital. Also, you have to be careful in intakes of other beverages. Sodas are not allowed, as caffeinated drinks are. Decaffeinated ones are allowed however.

The second phase

In the second phase of the meal plans, recipe with whole grains are already allowed. You can introduce this recipe on the day meals, with salad and whole grain pitas as your best meal plan throughout the afternoon. While at dinner, it would be easier to create meal plans as healthy meat, tofu dishes, and vegetables are allowed. You must also remember using those healthy substitutes such as olive oil, canola oil, and peanut oil, or non-fat/low-fat dairy products, as well as all-natural sweeteners.

The third phase

The third phase is the easiest part of making south beach diet meal plans. There are no particular restrictions and limitations. You only have to adopt the first and second phase concepts of the healthy foods. You can do your own recipe as long as you keep away from the foods that are not allowed for the south beach diet recipes. You can mix and match so preparing meal plans during this stage would not be boring for you.

Once you have adapted to the style of south beach diet, it would be easy maintaining your meal plans all through the years. Results of this diet may not be as what you think it would be, but when followed properly and religiously, they would be effective. South beach diet meal plans are healthy and nutritious, so this program is after the real requirements of your body while effectively losing that weight over time. So, if you need real, nutritious diet meal plans, south beach diet program is for you.

To learn more diet tips to lose weight, visit http://www.burn-fat-lose-weight.info

Whey Protein and Weight Loss

Whey protein and weight loss might seem like water and oil; they just dont' go together. This is probably because for years protein supplements were the preferred choice of only elite bodybuilders. We pictured these athletes bulking up by adding extra protein to their diet.

Bodybuilders bulk up by lifting weights and not by consuming protein. If all you did was add more protein to your diet you would gain fat and not muscle. However, if you are eating the proper amount of lean protein as part of a balanced daily diet you can turn your body into a fat-burning machine.

Whey protein is found in many weight loss products and meal replacement food items. It is the whey protein isolates that are especially desirable for weight loss because of their low-fat and low-carbohydrate content. When you combine the proper amount of whey protein and a well-rounded exercise program you will build lean muscle mass. This muscle will burn more calories and start melting away your excess body fat.

You would probably agree with most other dieters that it is hunger that usually wins out over your desire to lose weight. Calorie-restricting diets have this very natural effect on our bodies. Severely reducing calories is never successful for long term weight loss. But hunger makes creating a moderate calorie deficit difficult. Whey protein has been shown to combat these feelings of hunger by promoting hormones responsible for appetite suppression. This can significantly contribute to your weight loss program by preventing late night snacking and even binge eating at the end of the day.

Whey protein and weight loss have also been linked because of whey protein's ability to prevent stress eating. Maybe you've eaten a handful of cookies and afterward realized that you weren't even hungry at the time. We've all done this and many times it is related to stress. That is why stress and obesity are closely related. Whey protein stimulates the production of a natural relaxation hormone, serotonin. Serotonin lowers anxiety levels and helps stop us from stress eating. For many people, this alone will help them lose weight and body fat.

We are well aware of the rise in obesity and diabetes. Whey protein and weight loss have been researched to determine if whey has an effect on insulin sensitivity. It does appear that whey protein improves insulin sensitivity and aids in weight loss through this mechanism.

If you are going to lose weight exercise will be an important part of the process. Whey protein helps you maximize the weight loss benefits of exercise. Research has shown that whey protein helps you gain lean muscle mass when you work out and this muscle increases your body's ability to burn fat.

Based on scientific research and the experience of many successful losers of body fat, a whey protein shake might be a great-tasting addition to your list of foods that will help you lose those extra 10 pounds.

Dr. Steve Tuggle is a practicing dentist, certified personal trainer (ACE, ACSM), certified wellness coach, life coach, ordained minister, and internet entrepreneur. You can learn more about how to improve your health and wellness at http://www.elite-wellness-coaching.com

For more information on whey protein and HOW TO LOSE BELLY FAT visit http://www.elite-wellness-coaching.com/whey-protein-shake.html

Medifast Diet and Fat-Burning State

The medifast diet is a very safe and effective diet and weight loss program. The main reason for this is because it gives enough nutrition while at the same time induces your body into a mild fat-burning state.

What is the Fat-Burning State?

When you are on the Medifast 5 & 1 Plan, your daily calorie intake is very low at around 800 to 1,000 calories. This causes your body to enter a fat-burning state - a "mild ketosis". In this state, your bodys fat releases free fatty acids, which are transformed by the liver to an energy source - the ketones. This mild fat-burning state helps the body achieve fast weight loss while preserving muscle tissue. It also helps eliminate physical hunger and provides sufficient levels of energy at the same time.

The fat-burning state is not harmful to your health. It is just a normal way that your body uses to manage energy. You get enough protein intake on the Medifast 5 & 1 Plan so that you are protected from losing muscle tissue. Regular exercise also helps in this area.

Are you in a fat-burning state?

You will know that you are in the fat-burning state if you feel less hungry and more energized, and start losing weight at a steady rate. It usually takes about 3-5 days, after you start the medifast diet, for you to move into the fat-burning state.

Do I need to use ketone test strips?

It is not recommended that you use ketone test strips while on the medifast 5 & 1 plan because:

1) With medifast program, you are only in a mild fat-burning state. The ketone test strips are meant to be used for a much stronger fat-burning state as you would be in a low carbohydrate diet.

2) The ketone test strips can give you inaccurate results if you are not using them consistently very day - the same way at the same time.

Jodi Thompson runs a few websites on weight loss and diet programs, including medifastworks.com To learn more about medifast diet program, tips, and stories, visit medifastworks.com

How to Naturally Lose Weight Fast - 5 Secrets

Losing weight has become a national obsession, and with good reason: we all want to look our best. We do it for health, we do it to look sexy to the people to whom we feel attracted. Sure, diet pills from the big drug companies might or might not work, but who knows what they are doing to our bodies: just look at the fen-phen debacle of the late-1990s.

Happily, there are ways to naturally lose weight while avoiding potentially dangerous diet pills manufactured by drug companies. Here are 5 secrets for how to naturally lose weight fast:

Secret #1: Know your calorie math: Put simply, over a given period of time you will lose weight if you burn more calories than what you take in. Pretty simple math, right? The unfair thing is: some people have a naturally slower metabolic rate (the rate at which your body naturally burns calories). That is why you have thinner friends who can eat twice as much as you eat without gaining a pound. However, even they are not exempt from the calorie math. So, start becoming acutely aware of how many calories you are taking in per day versus how many you are burning through exercise. If the math adds up, you will be subtracting pounds from your rear, thighs and tummy before you know it.

Secret #2: Drink more water: Water is the natural way to flush your system clean. As you begin to lose more weight, your blood will be flooded with toxins rejected from the cells in your body. Drinking more water will help flush these toxins out. Water also helps with basic cellular functioning and, importantly, metabolism.

Secret #3: Get a pedometer: Pedometers, or step counters, are really great little inventions. Just attach one to your belt in the morning, reset the counter to zero, and go about your day. At the end of the day, remember or write down your "score" (number of steps). After a few days, you may find yourself trying to outdo your own high score! A pedometer makes it easier to visualize the connection between your daily activity and your calorie burning. Pedometers start at around $1.

Secret #4: Cut out dessert: People who try to diet usually end up gaining all of the weight back within a few weeks. Reason: when we deprive ourselves of food, we end up craving it more and then end up blowing the diet. Try this: instead of going cold turkey on sweets, just cut out your after-dinner dessert. Even shaving those extra 200 calories from your daily diet means taking in 6,000 fewer calories a month!

Secret #5: Learn which snack foods are good for you: Snacking is one of the biggest enemies of a weight loss plan. Eating healthier snacks can actually make you want to eat less. Reason: your body craves healthy food. When you eat right, you will be less hungry.

Losing weight naturally is the best way to go. As you lose weight, you will feel better and you will look better to those to whom you are attracted. By understanding the connection between caloric intake and calorie burning, you have the right foundation in place for seeing significant weight loss.

Looking to burn more fat, faster? Try a proven eating plan invented by a professional bodybuilder: http://www.No-Fat-Yes-Muscle.com/

What Are You Eating?

What are you eating? High fattening foods (even only once a day) can destroy any weight loss that may have occurred during your low fat eating. Fast foods, fried foods, foods and sodas high in sugar are detrimental to weight loss- Avoid them! Even if you only eat these kinds of foods once a day, they can really hinder weight loss efforts. Try to eat well-balanced meals with protein, carbohydrates and a small amount of fats. One good example would be: 1) Protein- a chicken breast or fillet of fish, 2) Carbohydrates/Fat- a small salad with vinegar and olive oil (the oil will be your fat for the meal) 3) Carbohydrates- a small baked potato or a serving of rice (either should be plain- no butter!).Meal Replacement Powders (MRP) such as Met-Rx, MyoPlex, Atkins Shakes, Balance 40-30-30, Ultramet or Complete Protein Diet are excellent fast meals, or snacks, that are effective when added to your eating plan. (All of which are carried by MaxLabs). MRPs are an excellent way to get a high protein, low calorie meal into your diet once or twice a day. This will keep you from eating fattening foods that hinder weight loss. (Plus these products yield many vitamins and minerals).

I eat low fat foods at the restaurants I visit. Why is this bad? An example of how normal food is bad, bad, bad!

You proceed to your favorite restaurant for: a salad with dressing, no fat pasta with sauce, a cola, and some bread! First, the dressing from the salad is usually 100% fat so there is 15 grams of fat. Second, the pasta is easily stored as fat because it is a starchy carbohydrate. (Starchy carbohydrates are easily stored as fat unless you are on a serious exercise program). Should we mention the sauce that was on the pasta (mostly fat as well- lets store that on the hips!)? The bread well, you guessed it, high-glycemic foods such as this are hard to burn off too! That cola you drank (depending on the size) had anywhere from 40 grams to 100 grams of sugar (which almost always turns to fat if not burned off with exercise). Did you have refills? CONCLUSION: You can see how what most people view as eating low fat, can be detrimental to a diet!

When are you eating? Do you eat more at night or during the day? If you eat at night right before bed, you have a greater tendency to store that food as fat! Try to eat your biggest meal at breakfast, a medium meal at lunch and a light dinner. Drink MRPs in between meals or as meals by themselves. Try not to eat within 3 hours of the time you go to bed. The metabolic process slows down drastically when we rest. If there is food in our stomach that has not been fully digested by the time we go to bed, there is a strong possibility that food will be stored as fat!This means that all the hard work you did during the day may be negated by storage of fat at night!

Are you skipping meals?If you skip any meals, you have a great chance of storing your next meal as fat. People who do not eat very often, "train" their bodies to believe it will not be eating for a while. Therefore, the body stores everything we give it for its future energy needs. In other words, the body stores much of what we eat as- .you guessed it, FAT! Do not put your body in a "starvation mode"; eat 3-5 very small (almost snacking) meals a day! This will boost your metabolism and allow your body to better burn off the things you eat.

Here is an example:

You get up in the morning get ready for work and rush out the door without eating breakfast. A hectic day leads to a late lunch at 12:30. You eat what you believe is a low fat, well-balanced meal. Now think about this, you have not eaten anything for around 18 hours (since dinner the night before). 18 hours, thats huge! And, believe me, your body knows this! So when you do eat, even if you do eat low fat, your body is going to store everything you eat, because you have trained it to know that there is a strong possibility it will not be refueled again for another 18 hours.

Another thing to consider is that our bodies can only digest so much food at a time. Consider this: person A is eating 1500 calories a day and person B is also eating 1500 calories a day. Both person A and person B have the approximately the same body structures and chemical make-up. Person A eats 5 meals consisting of 300 calories per meal and person B eats 3 meals at 500 calories per meal. Person B puts a lot of stress on his body because his body has a hard time digesting 500 calories at a time while person As body has no problem digesting 300 calories at a time. For this reason, person B cant lose weight while person A does lose weight by eating the exact same amount of calories. The reason for this is person B usually stores a little of each meal as fat because his body just cant handle digesting 500 calories at a time.[500 & 300 calories were just examples used for simplicity]

Are you exercising? This obviously has a great impact on weight loss. The more you exercise, the greater your metabolism is boosted! Also, what type of exercise are you doing? The best is to get 3 days of aerobic-type exercise (30-45 minutes per session) and then to get 3 days of weight lifting. Most women (and some men) do not want to lift weights because they dont want to look big and bulky. But getting big is very, very tough to do. With exercise, most people will end up just looking lean (this is good). The bottom line is that weight lifting is one of the absolute best ways to boost your metabolism and get your body to burn calories. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY TRUE! Plus, the more muscle you add to your body, the more calories you burn just sitting still. This is because one pound of muscle burns more calories than one pound of fat.

Are you drinking lots of water? This aspect of weight loss is often under-looked. Drinking water is very, very important to weight loss. Many people are under the impressions that they "retain water" and this is the reason they are overweight. RUBBISH! Water is a major contributing factor in aiding the weight loss battle. Drinking plenty of water is a vital component for weight loss.

How much weight are you trying to lose? The less weight you are trying to lose, the harder it may be. For example, if you are only trying to lose 5-15 pounds, every little thing you do will matter more to you than to someone who is trying to lose 50-100 pounds. As we get closer and closer to our ideal weight, our body tries very hard to hold on to those pounds. Now this doesn't mean we should take it easy if 50-100 pounds is your weight loss goal. It just means that usually the last pounds are harder to bring off than the first ones.

These are just a few of the topics you should look into, and obviously, these things vary from individual to individual. I also recommend for you to get a good multi-vitamin or antioxidant. The healthier your body is, the more efficiently it will get rid of those excess pounds. Also, educate yourself. There are about 10-15 very good health/fitness magazines out there to keep you well informed about fat loss, burning of calories, exercise programs and descriptions of what/when/why to eat.So learn, learn, learn, and as you build your knowledge base you will begin listening to your body and watching for signs that tell you "This works" or "This does not work".

Many people have a hard time losing weight, and this too is natural. It is the natural tendency of your body to hold on to extra calories and fat for future energy use. You have to shock it into losing. Thermogenic products like Max Ten, Max Fifty or Max Sports Fuel help significantly, but sometimes it takes that extra effort (the extra mile, the extra workout, one less soda a day) to get yourself moving in the right direction.

Loren Bailey is the webmaster and content advisor for MaxLabs.com, HighFiberFoods.net and other health related web sites.