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Busy Women Can Lose Weight Too

I make no claims about knowing everything there is about losing weight, but one thing I am certain off and that is Metabolism is the key to losing weight and having it stay off. If you can control that, then a really good weight loss program will certainly help you achieve your goal of a fitter and lighter you.

First off all you have to understand just exactly what the word Metabolism means, and how it relates to the human body. In this short article I will endeavour to explain it as simply as I can.

First off Metabolism is mainly divided into two categories.

1. Catabolism which breaks down organic matter, for example to harvest energy in cellular respiration. (Cellular Respiration is the set of the metabolic reactions and processes that take place in the cells of organisms such as humans to convert biochemical energy from nutrients and then release waste products).

And

2. Anabolism which uses energy to construct components of cells such as proteins and nucleic acids. (Nucleic Acids are some of the most significant molecules found in living organisms. Their role is to store and transmit genetic information to build proteins).

Some experts have classified hormones as anabolic or catabolic, depending on which part of metabolism they stimulate. The classic anabolic hormones are the anabolic steroids, which stimulate protein changes and muscle growth. The balance between anabolism and catabolism is also regulated by circadian rhythms (you can liken these rhythms to your body clock), with processes such as glucose metabolism fluctuating to match your periods of activity throughout the day.

Although fat is a common way of storing energy, in vertebrates such as humans the fatty acids in these stores cannot be converted to glucose through gluconeogenesis as these organisms do not have the necessary machinery to manufacture enzymes. As a result, after long-term starvation, vertebrates need to produce ketone bodies from fatty acids to replace glucose in tissues such as the brain that cannot metabolize fatty acids.

(Ketone bodies are three water-soluble compounds that are produced as by-products when fatty acids are broken down for energy in the liver and kidneys. Two of the three are used as a source of energy in the heart and brain while the third is a waste product excreted from the body).

Well there you have a very basic description of the metabolic processes that are taking place within your body all the time, even when you are sitting down doing nothing or when you are asleep.

Understanding these metabolic processes means you can lose weight without knocking yourself out. You certainly do not need to spend hours in a gym doing all those crazy aerobics and cardios. You can do it quite easily in the comfort of your own home in between TV commercials.

My advice to anyone who wants to lose those extra pounds and keep them off is simply this. All these different metabolic processes are what make your body the size it is. Controlling what you eat and how much will give you the body size you want.

Therefore program your brain to program your body. Get your body to listen to what your brain is telling it, and then find a really good weight loss/fitness program such as the one below. No matter how busy you are it should help you get started and it can’t hurt to try and achieve your goal.

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Beating the Postpartum Weight Loss Blues Part 2

When moms were asked what the most frustrating things are about losing weight after baby, they responded:

The lack of time and energy for working out
How long it takes to lose the weight
How much weight is still left after baby is born
The body changes that take place after pregnancy
Do these frustrations sound familiar? Facing reality of body after baby can be flat out depressing. So here are four easy things you can do to beat the postpartum weight loss:

1. Laugh. When was the last time you had a really good belly laugh? Laughter is great medicine. You can’t laugh and feel sad at the same time. Go ahead and try it. It’s impossible! If you have a toddler, tune into their jokes. Laugh when they laugh and you’ll feel better in no time. People don’t laugh because they are happy. They’re happy because they laugh.

2. Sing. There is a very successful businesswoman named Heidi Roizen who had an ah-ha moment about weight loss. When she stepped on the scale and realized she weighed more than her husband, she knew something had to change. She looked for music to help inspire her to lose weight but she couldn’t find any tunes with great lyrics. So she created her own! The CD is titled “Skinny Songs” and includes songs like “Skinny Jeans,” “Thin!” and “The Incredible Shrinking Woman.” Instead of soaking in misery, Heidi decided to sing and she succeeded in the process. When you sing positive songs, your postpartum blues will vanish.

3. Pray. Call on God to help you. When tough days came, I would pray something like this, “Dear God, I feel discouraged. I can’t seem to get everything done that I need to. I feel like a lousy wife and mom. Please help me know what I’m supposed to do next and help me to be more disciplined with my diet and exercise. Give me the solutions I’m looking for.” And do you know what would inevitably happen? My mood would lighten and I would get a better perspective on things.

4. Plan. Have something to look forward to. When you have an event in your calendar that’s fun on the horizon, it gives you hope. On the contrary, if you look at your calendar and all you see is grocery shopping and cleaning house, it can lead to despair! Make sure you carve out time for mini-weekend vacations and longer ones, dinner with friends, birthday parties, manicures, time alone, or movie nights. When you plan time for fun, you’ll be able to fight off those postpartum blahs.

So the next time you feel a case of the blahs coming on, remember to do these four easy things. When you laugh, sing, pray and plan, it gives you the power to overcome your weight loss blues.

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Get Slim With Atkins Diet Plan

The Atkins’ diet has been a craze for a couple of decades. Here’s how you can gain from it.

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All of you who are reading this article right now have definitely been on a diet at some point or the other of your lives. The battle of the bulge is an ongoing problem and we are always on the lookout for various means to win this war.

Along with exercise, our diet and nutrition also plays an important role in reducing our weight. Hence, this obsession persists in all of us to undertake some form of dieting. But going on a diet is definitely not an easy thing. What to eat and what to stay away from is always a perennial problem.

One of my friends told me that she ate the normal menu which she cooked for the family, but her weight loss recipe is “portion control.” This is a really simple diet plan. In this plan, you cut down on the portion of food you consume. For example, if you usually have two pieces of toast for breakfast, you should eat only one piece. If you normally eat two cups of rice for lunch, cut it down to one cup. In this way, you are automatically reducing your calorie intake by half.

Another popular method of dieting is to stop all intake of fatty foods and sugar. In this diet, you cut down on your oil, butter and ghee intake which automatically reduces your fat deposits.

While I was leafing through a magazine, I read about one of our Hollywood celebrities following the Atkins’ diet. This immediately aroused my curiosity about the diet. Though I have heard about the diet many times, I had no inside knowledge about it. So, I immediately set to work on it and found out certain basic facts’ about the Atkins diet which I want to share with my readers.

The Atkins’ diet made its first appearance in 1972 and was invented by its namesake, Dr Atkins. According to him, this method enables us to lose weight by inducing a change in metabolism. Our body burns both fat and carbohydrates to provide energy. If we reduce the intake of carbohydrates significantly, our body starts burning only fat to provide energy. This method is called “lipolysis”, which in turn induces ketosis. In ketosis, our body burns fat as fuel. Atkins also felt that ketosis will affect insulin production which will result in less fat being formed. And, once your body enters ketosis, your cravings for carbohydrates will reduce significantly which, in turn, will reduce your body weight.

The major difference between Atkins’ diet and other types of diet is that, while most diets restrict calorie, intake, the Atkins’ plan encourages us to eat more. While most of the diets recommend low fat, high carbohydrate intake, Atkins’ does just the opposite. Instead of carbohydrate and sugar, this diet wants us to consume plenty of fat and protein.

The core principle of the Atkins’ diet is that, by limiting carbohydrates, our body is forced to burn its stored fat, rather than carbs for fuel.

The Atkins’ diet has a four carbohydrates stage plan induction, ongoing weight loss, pre-maintenance and lifetime maintenance. With the help of these four stages, you can reduce as well as maintain your weight throughout your life.

Induction – phase 1: This phase lasts for two weeks, by the end of which you can obtain significant results. Another point is that, in this diet plan you can begin at any of the phase. But it is recommended to start with induction. As you cut back on your carbohydrates significantly in this phase, you will jump start your weight loss programme. In this phase, only 20 gm of carbohydrates are allowed and hence your weight loss is significant. As you drastically cut down on carbohydrates your body shifts into high gear and starts burning fat. This takes about 48 hours to occur and you may feel hungry and irritated for the first three-four days. But don’t worry, as soon as your fat starts getting converted to fuel, you will feel fit as a fiddle. Induction will strengthen your immune system and also improve our long-term health.

Ongoing Weight Loss (OWL) phase 2: In this phase, the weight loss pace slows down as you add nutrient-rich carbohydrates to your diet. During this period, you will boost your body’s ability to burn fats as well as understand your body better. You will find the right amount of carbohydrates which you can consume and still lose weight. Your body will also prepare itself for permanent weight management. The amount of carbohydrates which you can eat is increased to 25 gm per day for the first week and increased in five gm instalment for the next few weeks. If your weight loss is significant, you can increase your carbohydrate intake. A person has to be on OWL till he or she is within three-five kg of their goal weight.

Pre-maintenance – (phase 3): Pre-maintenance is a practice run for lifetime maintenance. In this phase, you are fast approaching your target. As long as you continue to lose weight, you can increase your weekly allotment of carbohydrates by another 10 gm. You will be in this phase till you reach your goal and stay on it for one month. The ultimate goal here is to achieve a state of balance called Atkins’ Carbohydrate Equilibrium (ACE). The ACE is your individual level of carbohydrate intake wherein you neither gain nor lose weight.

Lifetime maintenance phase 4: In this phase, you have to focus on your individual ACE and strive to stay within two kg of your ideal weight for the rest of your life. By following a sensible eating plan, you gain energy, better health and confidence in yourself.

By following these four phases, you not only achieve your dream weight but are also able to maintain it throughout your life. You can learn more about this diet by reading the book, Dr Atkins’ New Diet Revolution. But, as with any other diet, this plan also has its pros and cons. The good point is that this diet recommends exercise as a vital part of the weight loss programme. Another point to be noted is that you cannot start on carbohydrates after you lose weight as this will result in your gaining back all that you have lost.

Medical experts advise that people who have gout, kidney problems, diabetes or are pregnant women should not follow this diet plan. As this diet is very stringent, do consult your doctor/dietician for proper advice.

Your dietician will provide you with a proper menu chart as to what should be eaten, in what quantities, etc, based on your eating habits and general lifestyle.

Happy dieting and hoping to see slimmer and fitter readers.

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