An idiot proof diet? It’s so simple!

This is an extremely popular diet among those who are planning to slim. This diet is also called the Fat loss 4 idiots diet. Why such a weird name you ask? Well this diet is so simple and easy to follow that even an idiot can get through it without any trouble. However, the scientific element is not so easy. This diet is based on the whole shifting calories method.

The shifting calorie method is no new discovery. The shifting calorie diet works on the principle of our metabolism getting used to the type and quantity of food we intake. It is true. If you give your body a certain amount of time, your body will get accustomed to the diet you are following. That is the reason why you manage to lose weight when you follow low-fat, low-carbohydrates and low-protein diets. Do it long enough and your body will get accustomed to it and you will shed no more weight. Our bodies have been made in such a way that our metabolism adjusts fast enough to the changes we make, be it eating less of carbohydrates, fats and proteins or eating a different quantity of food as compared to before.

In order for any diet to work, it needs to keep the metabolism of our body at a very high level. Is your diet is giving you a slow metabolism, it just means it is going to take all that more time to burn down your fat. You need a high metabolism in order to burn out more fats. Another minus point about slow metabolism diets is that once you are off the diet, you gain back all the weight and even faster.

The perfect diet would be, one that keeps changing your metabolism, giving your body no chance to get used to it. That is exactly what the shifting calorie method is all about. You keep changing your eating routine and that indeed leads to high metabolism which then reacts into weight loss. Makes sense doesn’t it? The idiot proof diet is formed along the same lines. The diet offers you a different list of rules to follow. The diet encourages you to eat 4 meals a day. The type of food you eat at every meal will be rotated ensuring that your metabolism is high and your fat is being burned out.

The good news about this idiot proof diet is that it involves no exercise at all. I’m sure I’ve captured your full attention here. Yes, indeed no exercise. This diet does something special; it claims to help you lose 9lbs in just 11 days. Awesome isn’t it? On an average, many people who have done this diet have lost up to 9lbs in 11 days. That too is good enough.

The idiot proof diet is everything it claims to be. But remember you are only going to get results if you stay committed to the plan. You need to follow it strictly and religiously.

How to Lose Weight with an Exercise Bike Program

Your pants are a bit tight, you can't seem to stop eating junk, and you're tired all of the time. It's time to get healthy and lose weight. Combined with a more sensible diet, an exercise bike can help you achieve the results you want.

The Diet.

So many people go wrong here. Forget fad diets, forget starvation. Slow and steady wins the race. Try changing one thing about your diet. Limit yourself to one soda a day. Stop skipping meals. If you always clean your plate, start leaving one or two bites. A total change in diet is work. If you go for a radical change, you are setting yourself up for failure. You'll be surprised how well small changes work.

The Right Bike Determines Your Success

This is a critically important part. There are literally hundreds of exercise bikes available. You have to be honest with yourself to discover the one that will work best for you. If you talk yourself into some fantasy world where your exercise plan is going to work this time even though there's nothing different, you're going to be disappointed. If you think ahead, you will buy the right bike for your needs. You will end up with a successful long-term exercise routine.

Think back to your last exercise routine attempt. Why did you stop? Did you suffer an injury? Did you get bored? Was it just too hard to do every day? Was it hard to find the time? Answer these questions truthfully. If you don't figure out where you went wrong, you won't be able to come up with a solution.

Avoiding and Working Through Injuries

If an injury caused you to stop working out, how did you sustain your injury? Becoming physically fit is supposed to help you prevent injuries, not cause them. There is an exercise bike for someone who has been injured working out. It's called a recumbent exercise bike. It's the kind found in a lot of health clubs. It has a large, bucket seat, and you sit back and low to the ground. It is perfect for people beginning a new exercise routine. It's also very good for back problems as it forces you to keep good posture. It puts no pressure on your joints, and you can keep working out even if you have minor injuries.

Overcoming Boredom

Did you get bored the last time you tried to workout on a regular basis? If you did, you are likely to get bored again. With exercise bikes, the solution is usually a bike with several different levels and riding programs. You can get bikes with different difficulty levels. This means that when it becomes too easy for you to pedal, you simply move up to the next level instead of having to ride longer (which just isn't likely to happen for the person who is easily bored). You can also get different programs. Programs give you variety and goals. They make you pedal harder, simulate conquering hills, and even sprinting for short periods.

Riding programs might not be enough for you. You might need a bike that you can hook up to your television that simulates riding through different courses. You can take a leisurely ride through a park or compete with other computer riders on a difficult obstacle course. These bikes might cost more up front, but if you don't invest in a bike that will let you sustain your workout, you're wasting money on anything less.

The coolest thing for game addicts who get bored is an interactive bike that plugs into a Sony Playstation or Playstation 2. It makes over 50 games interactive. Whatever is happening on your bike happens on the screen in bike, car, and similar games. There are all types of similar bikes available.

If you plan on listening to music or watching TV while you cycle, be sure to pay attention to features that will make the exercise bike quieter. It's also a good idea to get a quieter bike if you live with other people. For all you know, your workout time is going to be 5AM or midnight. A quieter bike won't disturb other people in your home.

Don't Try to Be Lance Armstrong Yet…

"People beginning exercise programs are sometimes too ambitious."

It's good to be excited, but you have to remain realistic. If your last exercise program failed because it was just too much work, don't make the same mistake again. Fight the urge to overdo your first workouts. It is critical to your long-term success that you start out slow. If you go from no exercise at all to 5 to 10 minute exercise bike workouts with little resistance, you are much more likely to avoid injury, soreness, and most of all, early feelings of defeat. If you aim too high - expecting to go from a sedentary lifestyle to 45 minute workouts immediately, for example - you are setting yourself up for failure. When you don't reach your unattainable goal, it is more likely you'll quit altogether to alleviate the feeling of failure that much sooner.

The perfect bikes for people who get a bit over-excited are exercise bikes with built in riding programs. You simply start out at the lowest level, and the bike determines your workout. You program in a small goal (10 minutes, 50 calories, or .25 mile) and when you reach that goal, your workout is over.

Finding the Time

You do have time to burn fat and calories on an exercise bike. No matter how intense your schedule is, there are people busier than you who find time to make an exercise routine work. They are not better than you. They don't have more than 24 hours in a day. They simply figured out how to make it work. You can, too.

It can be as simple as the time of day you chose to workout in the past. There is scientific evidence that people who are "morning people" or "night owls" are physically different. Different people have energy at different times. Think about when you work best. If you wake up without an alarm clock ready to go, you should exercise first thing in the morning. If you are a night owl, you should consider working out at night. You might find that you are one of the people who tire yourself out enough with a night workout to sleep like a baby.

You Can Do This!

Losing weight is not a punishment. You are smart enough to know how to eat a little better and become more active. If you are honest with yourself, you will choose the proper bike. You want to look forward to the workout itself. Don't get caught up in which bike burns more calories. Find an exercise bike you will enjoy riding. Figure out the time of day that's best for you to exercise. Make it like getting dressed or bathing - it's just something you do every day. You don't have to train for the Tour de France. You just have to get on and do something every day. Ten minutes a day will yield results. Bookmark this article for future motivation, find your exercise bike, and get busy!

Can breathing help you lose your weight?

We all know that obesity is on the increase, we see it every day on TV and in magazines. The problem seems to be spiraling out of control. Common sense tells us that weight gain is just down to the plan and simple fact of eating too many calories and the wrong food choices but this problem can also be because of low self esteem and being in situations where you are under constant stress and use found the wrong food both as a comforter and a quick energy pick me up.

So what can we use to turn that to turn your weight gain around? What if I told you that you could make a big difference to your health from the proper breathing technique both in increased energy and relieving yourself in stressful situations?

We all know the benefits of the proper breathing technique. If you’re breathing improperly your body isn’t gaining the full benefit of the lungs and you body suffers in the same proportion. This problem gets worse when you consider that most people also don’t exhale properly and a lot of waste products and gases are left to accumulate there.

This sluggish feeling can start a vicious where the victim goes from having no energy to snacking on sugar filled pick me ups, which contain extra calories, which add to the weight gain, which add to the feeling of a lack of energy and the cycle goes on and on!

By using the proper breathing technique you can increase your intake of oxygen to the body. Because oxygen is so important, (we can live for a couple of days without food and water but only minutes without air, we can see how much our bodies rely on it) All the organs require oxygen to function properly even the process of digestion needs oxygen to process the food and burn up the waste products.

So as you can see if your bodies not getting its quota of oxygen you can never expect it to perform to the best of its abilities.

Plus the benefits of breathing exercises are that you can do them anywhere (even if you’re sitting in traffic) and you don’t have the added expense of exercise equipment or gym membership.

Are you looking for fast weight loss?

Except the sun and the moon, everybody seems to be in a hurry!

We can predict by mathematical calculations the time of sunset after 1000 years and the time of moonrise on the same day. Through calculations, we can predict it today! The natural forces are not in a hurry! Everything is unfolding as it should! In a set pattern! Nature evolves with a method and it is in not in a hurry to prove and disprove anything!

You don't learn something from nature, though you are a part of the nature! When you disobeyed the laws of nature and went on an eating spree, you never thought of the consequences—that your body will grow and expand like a Bo-tree one day. Now you want a fast/ quick weight loss program!

Better late than never! You have woken up at the right time! Can you ever achieve by weight loss that picture-perfect figure, that was you 20 years ago? Your goal is achievable, provided you make certain firm decisions!

A morning-walk schedule is best to start with! On the first day, you may feel tired! On the second day, you may feel extremely tired! On the third day, you are bound to have joint pains! On the fourth day, your weak will power, may advise you—okay, please skip today's schedule -sleep for another two hours! And you have ignored this advice and had a pleasant walk- your will power is gaining ground and stabilizing!

When you are walking alone, thus, you know that you are walking. There is another type of walk, one in which you do not know that you are walking, and yet is a double-benefit scheme! Your ever faithful dog! Dog ownership nearly doubles the amount of time you spend in your walks!

By now, you must have shed some grams of your weight, if not some kilograms! Well done! You can think about the realms of higher adventures now! Read and understand the texts like Ashtanga Yoga and Bikram Yoga. The procedure is foolproof ! Ashtanga Yoga was authored by a realized soul and hence, undoubtedly faultless!

Our eating menu need not be that extensive and contain matchless spices! Just go back to your own history - human history! Life at the earlier stages was not all that complicated! How did our ancestors cook before the advent of fire? Look at the animals -they eat raw, that which is available in nature and according to their own nature! Only man has taken to the habit of cooking! Do animals have these many diseases and so many hospitals? Therefore the cases of obesity among birds and animals are rare!

Discover yourself! Ponder deeply! Fast and quick weight loss is a possibility within your range!

Five Simple Steps to Losing Weight

If you are carrying around a few (I use that term loosely) extra pounds like most of us are, you all know all the reasons why we should take the weight off. It will reduce stress on our heart, reducing the chance of heart disease, cancer, possibility of diabetes; feel better, look more attractive, etc.

There are a lot of reasons why, but it can be a real pain to finally get that weight off. You push really hard, make a little progress, get side tracked, and bam you are heavier then you started.

It’s maddening. Enough with that hassle, I have put together 5 simple steps to actually losing weight and keeping it off. These steps can be applied to anything, but we are focusing on weight loss here.

1. Know What You Want
2. Know Where You Are
3. Track Your Results
4. Make Course Corrections
5. Being held Accountable

Now all your extra weight will effortlessly melt off. Yeah right! A simple list of 5 items is not going to do it, so let me explain the intricacies of the 5 items and where the hang up normally occurs when applied to losing weight.

1. Know What You Want

This one is dead simple. Most people that want to lose weight have an idea of how many pounds they would like to lose or how they would like their body to look. I think we can safely say if your body started looking the way you wanted it, you would know, even if you didn’t have it completely mapped out and detailed.

2. Know Where You Are

This is the big trip up. It is almost always overlooked and is the number one reason for the up and down Yo Yo effect we experience with losing weight. We are unhappy with how our body feels and how it looks and it is painful to zoom in and get an accurate picture of where we are. Unfortunately, we have to know where we are, to be able to accurately judge the results we are getting.

You are on a trip to San Diego, California. You would like to start your trip from Phoenix, Arizona, but you really don’t know where you are. No problem. You get an Arizona/California map and find that a simple 6 hours trip west on interstate 8 will get you to San Diego. Six hours later, you have no clue where you are and it is definitely not warm San Diego. You feel defeated and you want to give up! Do you blame the car? The stupid maps? San Diego? Yourself?

Now what if I told you, you were actually in New Your City, not Phoenix, Arizona. A 6 hour car ride west from New York City will never get you to San Diego. If you took the time to accurately find out where you were, you would have been able to choose the appropriate means to get to San Diego and have an expectation as to how long it would take. This is the same with weight loss and our personal physical condition. In our minds, we think we are starting in a different physical condition then we really are. When the results don’t follow the illusion in your mind, we get upset.

3. Track Your Results

This is conceptually simple. If we have no clue as to WHAT we are doing, how do we know what is working? It might be a simple to do, but is also simple not to do. In the end, most people never track their results.

4. Make Course Corrections

We love to do this one. We have it hands down. It is like step 1 of knowing what you want. We try the new food diet, the super sit up machine, and the cardio hip hop power energy yoga fat burner class. We might be great at switching it up, but without knowing where we are starting from and a history of tracked results, we have no clue as to what we should change or even which direction we should go.

5. Being held Accountable

No, not accountability! That is an evil word. I don’t want someone to know what I am doing, or more importantly what I am not doing. So, why do we resist accountability, your secret weapon to weight loss? Because it works! If you know someone is going to be watching, you would follow through or at least feel very uncomfortable not following through.

Accountability when used wisely is the ultimate turbo booster to your weight loss. Since you are going to be accountable anyway, you might as well get something out of it. Using accountability up front, you can achieve the body of your dreams. If you let your body hold you accountable, it will throw on fat in places you don’t want it to be.

The biggest obstacle to weight loss is not taking any action. It doesn’t matter how good the plan is, it is worthless if you don’t follow it. So what do I do now?

A Workout For People Who Don't Want To Work Out

There's a good news for people who want to watch their weight without giving up watching TV. Now there's a new workout for couch potatoes and people who think they're too busy to find time to stay fit.

With time at a premium, many Americans are turning to creative forms of exercise. In a recent survey conducted by Harris Interactive for the North American Spine Society, three out of four people said they used the stairs rather than the elevator at work, 58 percent said they started parking their cars far away in parking lots and almost half reported walking while on the phone.

At the same time, however, 46 percent of people described themselves as couch potatoes--a major contributing factor to being overweight. Many adults say they have procrastinated working out in order to do other activities, such as watching television, sleeping in, doing household chores or working.

Approximately three in four adults say they would exercise more if they could fit it into their daily routines, however, and a majority of adults say they would exercise more often if they could do it at home. Among non couch potatoes, 80 percent would like to get more exercise, but say they don't have the time.

Meanwhile, more than 4 million Americans suffer from this problem. One out of four Americans over 30 will have recurring back pain, and one in 14 will seek medical care for back or neck pain this year, totaling almost 14 million visits per year. Back pain is the second most common reason that people visit a physician. Back and neck pain result in more lost workdays than any other condition. Due to absenteeism, medical and other related expenses, the cost of back injuries exceeds $80 billion each year in the United States. Exercise is one way to avoid back problems.

That's why it's important to find time to incorporate exercise into your daily routine. In addition to things such as climbing stairs and parking farther away, there are a number of fun ways to make your daily tasks opportunities to exercise:

• Feet Alphabet. This exercise can be done anywhere you are sitting, except while driving. It should not be hard to find a place. Simply write the alphabet in the air with each of your feet and ankles. You can do the letters in capitals or small letters and, for that matter, in any language you would like. Doing this two or three times on each ankle will begin to strengthen the ankle and maintain or improve motion.
• Doing the Dishes Neck Circles. This exercise is easily done while doing the always fun task of washing the dishes. As you are standing there at the sink, slowly rotate your neck in a clockwise position, trying to extend the tip of your head out as far as possible. After three or four rotations, repeat the exercise in a counter-clockwise position. Remember, these rotations should be done slowly and in a pain-free range of motion. Besides increasing the flexibility of the neck, these exercises can pass the time of doing dishes.
• Overhead Laundry Toss. Put the laundry basket directly in front of you and have the washer or dryer directly behind you. Grab a piece or two of dirty clothes, reach over your head slowly and drop the laundry into the washer. Again, start with dry clothes, then progress to wet clothes from the washer into the dryer.
• Remote Wrist Lifts. This can be done on any Sunday afternoon watching multiple football games. Simply take the remote control (use the biggest one you have from the pile of remotes) and, while sitting watching your favorite team or movie and with your arm pointing toward the TV, aim the remote at the ceiling, moving your wrist only. Hold it there for 10 seconds, then aim it at the floor, again only moving the wrist. Repeat this three to four times during every commercial. Be careful not to accidentally change the channel when doing this exercise or it may irritate people who are watching TV with you.

These are just some ideas from "The Couch Potato Workout: 101 Exercises You Can Do At Home!" by Joel M. Press, M.D., president of the North American Spine Society and medical director of the Spine and Sports Institute at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. "The Couch Potato Workout" describes numerous practical and functional exercises people can do to build strength, balance and flexibility as part of their normal daily routine.

Three Powerful Motivation Tips For Ripped Abs

Can you see your self walking down the street at your favorite location looking and feeling great?

Or as you walk along the beach and you notice people glance over there shoulders to admire your beautiful ripped abs that belong to you. Feeling so confident in your self that your vacation seems perfect like a dream. You pinch yourself and realize that you have arrived.

Everyone in this green earth would love to have six pack abs and be fully healthy. Can everyone achieve this goal? Yes. We people where created for excellence so yes, anything is possible. Although some may find it difficult to reach personal goals, anything is possible if you have an optimistic and positive outlook on life.

"Life is not fair" We can begin our day very positive, but by the end of the day if you are not fully focused of your objective and constantly thinking of your aspirations you can be a victim of procrastination. We as humans tend to enjoy the path of least resistance. Justifying our excuses and having procrastinations of our objectives. Nobody said that being discipline was easy.

As a matter of fact here are some examples of things we tell ourselves unconsciously that keeps us from hitting our goals:

"I would love to workout, but I don't want to be sore for tomorrow's barbeque."
"I will have a free day this weekend therefore I will stuff my face with cookies and milk."
"I love the gym, I just don't have time to go anymore."

The interesting thing is that we make ourselves believe such things. When in reality it is just bogus. The secret to success is not overworking but being in control of your thinking and outlooks in life. Whether you are looking to lose a few pounds or get in shape for bodybuilding competition, please under any circumstances don't let yourselves of any excuses. Here are some helpful mindsets that will help when you get back on track when you feel you are buying your excuses:

One: Always tell your friends and family about your goals. Telling your acquaintances about your goals is great. Some will take you serious and some won't. But the reasoning behind this is that they can help you be on track. When you are genuine with people they respect that, and sometimes are willing to help you out.

Two: Setting goals with a partner or friend. Often times having a workout partner or a dieting parter will make things better for everyone. Besides a little competition, a little encouragement from a workout buddy makes a huge difference. Pick someone that you enjoy being with and someone that you know will help you when you feel a bit down on your self. Friends are incredible at picking one up and making us feel great.

Three: Writing down your aspirations and visions. Get a notepad right this moment, and jock down all of your goals and aspirations. On a piece of paper make a line down the middle. In one side have your "goals" and the other have "aspirations" example. Goal #1 Lose 10 pounds this month. Aspiration #1 Lose 10 pounds so I can buy a new pair of jeans, and so on. Make sure they are in detail and also try to make them very personable. Soon you wil develop these mental changes that will change your life forever subconsciously. Also Take note of the times you are at your lowest in energy and pull out your sheet and read those to you out loud. Might sound kind of weird but it works. Professional athletes do it everyday. Why not you?

Getting in top shape is harder than it looks. It takes discipline and full commitment. Its rewards are priceless and the amount of confidence you get when you are watched or check out is amazing. Or even if you simply just want to live an incredible healthy lifestyle and carrying on that mindset to your family and kids, is absolutely worth it. Stay focused, stay in the fight and we will see you in the beaches of the world sporting your ripped abs.

5 Healthy Foods That May Be Making You Sick!

There are many of us who are dieting and trying to live a healthy lifestyle. We exercise and go out of our way to eat the best foods we can. Most of us already know that white sugar, white flour and trans-fats are not the best health choices, especially if we want to keep our weight down.

Unfortunately some of the foods that we think are healthy are ones that can cause a lot of trouble for our bodies, and even make us ill. Below is a list of some surprisingly unhealthy “healthy foods.”


Artificial Sweeteners
Many people who are dieting, whether it is low calorie or low carb diets, will opt for beverages with artificial sweeteners instead of sugar. Admittedly sugar is certainly a troublemaker and should be avoided, but artificial sweeteners are actually worse for you and could even be dangerous to your health.

All the artificial sweeteners are bad, but one of the worst sweeteners for us is NutraSweet (Equal, aspartame). There are over 92 different health related side effects associated with aspartame consumption, including brain tumors, birth defects, diabetes, emotional disorders and epilepsy/seizures. There are more adverse reactions to NutraSweet reported to the FDA than all other foods and additives combined.

A much better alternative to chemically derived sweeteners is stevia, which comes from a plant. It has been used for centuries with no know side effects. It can be purchased in most health food stores in the United States.


Sports Drinks
Although marketers would have us believe that sports drinks are what the body needs when exercising heavily, the truth is that sports drinks are filled with sugar (sucrose, glucose, and fructose) and salt (potassium and sodium) as well as artificial flavorings and colorings. Add a little salt to Cool-Aid and you have about the same thing. You would be much better off drinking spring water or diluted freshly squeezed juices while exercising.


Most Energy and Sports Bars
Most sports and bars are also filled with things that are not the best for our bodies, and are little better than candy bars. Many of them contain sugar or artificial sweeteners, chemicals, preservatives, and synthetic nutrients. Check the ingredients before you buy an energy bar. Try to find one that is made with whole foods, such as oats and flax seeds, fruits, and natural sweeteners.


Soy Products
This is one of the most surprising ones of all, after all soy has been used for countless generations in Asia. But the way we now use soy is very different than the way the Asians have traditionally used it. The ancient Asians knew that the soybean was hard to digest, so they had extensive fermenting processes that broke down most of the indigestible components, making it much healthier to eat. Examples of this would be products like soy sauce, tempeh, and miso. These were used in small amounts as condiments and flavorings, not as a meat replacement.

But the way we use soy as a meat alternative (texturized vegetable protein or TVP) can be very unhealthy, since soy contains large amounts of toxins or anti-nutrients. Some of the problems the anti-nutrients in soybeans cause are conditions of the pancreas, cancer and thyroid problems. Soybeans also can block the body’s absorption of essential minerals.


Granola (and Other Unprepared Grains)
For the last 30-40 years granola has been synonymous with heath food. But eating unprepared grains, or grains that have not been soaked, fermented or sprouted, has only come about in the last 50-100 years. People who lived before our time understood that unprepared grains could cause dietary distress.

There are anti-nutrients in grains (like there are in soybeans), such as phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors, that make them harder to digest. These antinutrients can cause serious problems like Crohn's disease, colitis, and even mental disorders. Our failure to prepare our grains properly is one of the reasons that celactic disease is so prevalent now.

So, stay away from the granola. Oatmeal is an excellent addition to our diets, but use whole rolled oats (not instant) and soak them overnight before boiling them for breakfast

Good breads to eat are those that have properly prepared grains, including whole grain sourdough and sprouted grain breads. You can usually find these in specialty grocery stores and health food stores.


If you are trying to lose weight and/or eat healthier, remember that just because a company markets a “healthy” product well or a health food store sells it, it doesn’t mean that it is really healthy for you. Do some research before you grab that sports bar, or better yet, reach for an organic apple, cherries, or some other natural (not processed) food. Your body will thank you and reward you for it.

All Calories Are Not Created Equal

Eat less fat. Eat more fat. 

Carbs are bad. Carbs are good.

Nutrition advice changes so often, no wonder so many people are confused.

But when it comes to calories, the advice to consume fewer of them seems set in stone. After all, "a calorie is a calorie"-Right?

Wrong.

For years, we've been told that if we "eat less and exercise more," we'll lose weight. That recommendation is based on the belief that we need burn more calories than we take in. But this doesn't tell the whole story.

As it turns out, it isn't the amount of calories you consume that really affects your weight and your health. It's the type of calorie.

It's true-the calories you eat are actually absorbed at different rates. And the different amounts of fiber, carbohydrates, protein, fat, and nutrients in these calories can have very different effects on your metabolism. There's no difference between a thousand calories of kidney beans and a thousand calories of a low-fat muffin-until they're metabolized.

As you can see, food isn't just a source of energy-it's a source of operating instructions for your body.

Calories 101

So what is a calorie anyway? Simply put, a calorie is just a unit of energy. When we eat food, chemical processes that make up our metabolism break this food down and turn it into energy. Burning this energy lets us do what we need and want to do-from breathing to running a marathon.

It's like your car: You have to put fuel in it to make it run. For people, food is our fuel. Calories are what help us "run."

The Dieting Myth

Just like high quality fuel is better for your car than the cheap stuff, some calories are better for our metabolism than others. That idea flies in the face of conventional diet wisdom, but it's true-and science backs it up.

For example, recent studies show that high-carb diets can boost insulin and blood sugar levels. The result? Weight gain (not to mention high cholesterol and triglycerides). On the other hand, people who eat a healthy low-carb diet that's rich in vegetables, whole grains, beans, and lean animal protein-but consume more calories than low-fat dieters-actually lose more weight!

As you can see, the kinds of calories you consume can have a big impact on weight gain, because different foods are metabolized in different ways. Food "talks" to your genes, giving your metabolism specific instructions-whether to lose weight or gain weight, speed up or slow down the aging process, increase or decrease your cholesterol level, and produce molecules that increase or decrease your appetite.

No wonder you can feel like you're doing everything right and still not lose weight!

The Whole Truth

If you want to lose weight and be healthy, you have to send your body the right messages. That means living in harmony with your genes.

This means different things for different people. Depending on our genes, some of us may need more carbs, protein, or fat than others.

But there's one basic principle that works of everyone: Base your diet on whole, unprocessed foods. Foods that are in their natural state talk to your genes the most effectively-and were designed by nature to keep you at a healthy weight.

Fast Weight Loss Diet Plans That Work

There are so many weight loss diet plans out there today, that it can be difficult to decide which diet to go on and get the results hoped for. There is no time to waste trying to find a diet that will work, especially when one wants to lose weight fast. Here are some brief descriptions of weight loss diet plans that are guaranteed to take the weight off when followed correctly.

The Juice Diet

The juice diet (also known as a juice fast), is one of the quickest and safest ways to lose weight. The diet requires that only fresh fruit and vegetable juices are consumed for a period of at least 7 days. However, if it gets too hard after a day or so, then the diet should be stopped immediately.

At least a week prior to starting the juice diet, certain foods such as sugar, animal products, fast and fried foods, caffeine, nicotine and alcohol should be eliminated or at least reduced. Doing so will not only begin the weight loss process, but it will also make it easier on the body during the juice fast.

After the fast is over, it is very important that only small meals are consumed, and that junk foods and animal proteins are avoided as much as possible, because some of the weight that was lost may come back.

The Raw Food Diet


The raw food diet is a healthy diet that can be made a permanent part of any lifestyle. The diet requires that at least 75% of the foods are eaten raw, and that all fast, processed and fried foods be avoided as much as possible. Animal proteins are also not encouraged on this diet, but it is up to each individual to decide what they eat for the remainder 25% of the diet.

The diet is high in vital nutrients, fiber, and low in calories, which makes it an ideal diet for fast weight loss. The fiber helps to clean out the digestive tract, which in turn increases the metabolism and helps the bowels to function normal again. This is absolutely essential for anyone who wants to lose weight fast and efficiently.

The Fruitarian Diet

The fruitarian diet is a temporary diet that can help in weight loss by cleaning out the body of harmful toxins and fat cells. The diet requires that fresh fruit is consumed for about 75% of the diet, and for the remainder of the diet, one can include vegetables and grains.





 The Green Smoothie Diet

The green smoothie diet involves drinking lots of green smoothies, particularly for breakfast, as well as throughout the day as snacks or along with meals. The diet requires that at least 1 quart of green smoothies is consumed each day along with other healthy foods.

The smoothies are made from ground nuts and seeds, fruits and lots of green vegetables to give them a rich green color. These smoothies may not be suitable for those who are not used to consuming lots of greens, as they can be bitter. However, more fruit can be added to make them sweeter and more appealing to the taste buds.

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