A true weight loss success story and an honest review of Atkins, South beach, Jenny Craig, Medical Weight loss and Weight Watchers.

I have struggled with my weight most of my life.  To top that off, I travel almost every week for work, and I spend more time in hotels and dining in restaurants than I do in my own home.  But I’m still losing weight.

In high school, I victoriously joined the varsity swim and dive team and lost sixty pounds while following a strict meal regimen and an incredible amount of daily physical activity, partnered with an unfaltering amount of willpower.  And as I’m sure you’ve guessed it, as most yo-yo dieters would empathize, that weight crept back up on me.

It’s important that both men and women struggling with their weight understand the diet industry.  This is a multi-billion dollar industry – annually.  If half the items worked as promised, we wouldn’t be overweight anymore.  The industry wouldn’t make billions of dollars any longer because there wouldn’t be a need for it.  And quite frankly, statistics of obesity rates in America would no longer be so atrocious (33% of adults, 17% of children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.)

I have come to learn there are no true quick fixes that are both effective long-term and sound for your body and health.  As my father has always told me, you did not put on the weight overnight, and so it will not come off overnight.  Unfortunately for most, this is an incredibly daunting and equally intimidating piece of information.   Below are some of experiences and opinions on several popular diets and various diet trends.

The Atkin’s Diet

I would first like to point out that this diet has now been revised, but the same rules apply: low carbohydrate, high protein.  I never noticed any significant weight loss on this diet, and I followed this regularly for months as it was not an option:  my parents were doing this, as well and I was maybe fourteen.  I remember how awful the cravings for sweets and carbohydrates were the first three to five days.  These were probably the most overwhelming cravings I have ever experienced in my life: my mother would make whipped cream with Splenda and sugar-free Jell-O for dessert, and it always felt like there was never enough.

In terms of eating on this diet, it makes me sick to relive the amount of bacon and beef I ate, every day, simply because it was “allowed.”  The ultimate goal of this diet was to put your body into ketosis, which is not a bad place to be, because it means your body is using fat for energy, but one of the by-products of ketosis is a molecule called acetone, that cannot be used.  It is typically the reason why people on low-carbohydrate, high-protein diets have bad breath, and if you’ve ever used a test kit strip to check out the amount of ketones your body is expending, this specific molecule is the reason the strip turns purple when you test your urine with it.

I can see this program working for a few weeks, at the most.  There is no plan for the long-term involved, absolutely no emphasis on physical activity, and unfortunately, with such tight restrictions on what you can and cannot eat (despite what this diet suggests, fruit and whole grain is necessary for specific vitamins and nutrients in your health), there is no longevity to sticking with this plan.

South Beach Diet

I read these books and fell in love with them.  I still cook meals from their cookbooks because they are healthy and delicious.  This diet was designed originally for patients with Diabetes and it works because you’re eating from the Glycemic Index.  The smaller the number on the Glycemic Index, the longer a food keeps you feeling full.  It also means your blood sugar level will not spike, and the idea behind spikes and lulls in your blood sugar level is simple: when your blood sugar level spikes and then suddenly drops, you will feel hungry because your body is signaling a low sugar level.  Eating according to the Glycemic Index, you prevent such spiking, which in turn keeps you feeling satisfied.

I loved that the South Beach Diet explained medical and biological facts in easy to understand, every day language.  This plan puts an emphasis on explaining the how and why your body works the way it does.  For instance, it explains why artificial sweetener, used in excess, is just as bad, if not worse, for your body.  It also explains the difference between fat, saturated, and unsaturated fat, and why using a full-fat version of an item would overall benefit your body as opposed to a low-fat or fat-free version of the same product.  However, as with most plans, it was much more difficult to live life day-to-day while following this diet than I would hope and I gained back every pound, and then some, when I stopped.

Jenny Craig

Now, I will admit that Jenny Craig probably has some of the best tasting frozen food I’ve ever had.  This program costs you based on the amount of weight you need to lose and the cost of food each week, which is actually fairly expensive.  You’ll also have to stock your fridge with fresh veggies and a few other staple items, which is going to add to the overall expense of losing weight.  The program is designed to teach you about well-balanced meals, as well as portion control.  And I do believe this is a valuable lesson for any overweight person: let’s face it, you didn’t get fat because you can handle your portions or you know what a well-balanced meal looks like.

This program fails, however, because you are doomed if you have to go out to eat for a celebration, or a work function, or just because sometimes, it’s nice to dine out.  I’d also like to mention that while the portion control is nice, unless you weigh 150 lbs., a single frozen meal is not enough to make you feel full, and while most people believe in order to lose weight, and “diet,” you’ll have to feel hungry, that simply is not true.

I wasted a lot of money on this program, which is regrettable.  I also did not lose nearly what I had anticipated, and while Jenny Craig locations do sell exercise equipment and workout videos, my consultant never once discussed physical activity with me.

Medical Weight Loss

Another program I regrettably spent far too much money on.  This is a diet plan with doctors and dieticians on staff to keep you motivated.  They do blood work, monitor your cholesterol, blood pressure, ketones, etc.  The up-side is getting to cook your own meals.  The downside is the cost of the program (again, you’ll pay per pound you’re hoping to lose) in addition to protein bars, snack foods, and various high fiber, high protein mixes designed to boost weight loss.  These items are pretty tasty, in all honesty, but you are required to eat three, every day, and most of these items are $14, for a box of seven.  So, it’s a very expensive plan.

I loved several of the technicians at the location I frequented.  I did lose weight, as well, but there is a specific list of food you can eat, how often per week you can it said food, and there is not much wiggle room: if the food is not listed on your sheet, you don’t get to eat it.  Period.

I tried almost any weight loss program available…

I have participated in fasts, fad diets (how many of you have heard of the cabbage soup diet?) and I have even tried my own “diet plans,” as well as taking diet pills – a road I will never go down again.  The truth is simple:  people who need to lose weight need help in doing so.  As I stated before, obese men and women did not become overweight because of their knowledge of eating well-balanced meals and understanding portion control.  There is no quick fix for undoing years of what’s been done to your body.  You will have to put in the time and effort, and when you’re ready, it will be worth every tear, and pound, shed.  So, what works for me?

Weight Watchers

I have been a part of Weight Watchers online for a long time now.  I would not be honest if I said I haven’t gone astray before, but the beauty of Weight Watchers is really learning what it means to be healthy.  There is an emphasis on physical activity that is unsurpassed in the diet industry.  They reward you for being active.  There are Weight Watchers 5k’s to sign up for, as well as a program called Lose for Good, which allows you to give back to the community based on the weight you lose.  They calculate points based on fat, protein, carbohydrates, and fiber, as opposed to only focusing on one aspect of nutrition.  Weight Watchers encourages you to go out to dinner, and enjoy a piece of cake on a special occasion, or eat full-fat cheese instead of omitting it completely.  They allow you to splurge, and drink alcohol, and you don’t have to feel guilty for it.  The learning comes naturally, and dare I say, it’s even fun.   I have met wonderful people on the forums.  I have learned great new exercises and have discovered a desire to be active in my life, and I attribute all of this to Weight Watchers.

All in all, the most successful weight loss programs are balanced.  They put an emphasis on whole grain, and fresh fruits and vegetables, and lean protein, but also on healthy fats and exercise.  They are attainable in your everyday life because let’s face it, what good is a “diet” if it doesn’t fit into your everyday life?

If you are seriously interested in losing weight then one of your first steps is to learn how to read a nutrition label correctly. Nutrition labels are in all foods and it is very important to be able to interpret the data from the label and based on that to make the decision on which foods to consume.

For individuals who are trying to become more health-conscious, reading a food label can be difficult.  These tips can help you learn how to read a nutrition label and change the way you eat forever.

Serving size:  The most important thing you will take away from a nutrition label is the serving size.   For instance, look at the serving size and number of servings on a 16 oz soda or a box of cereal.  You may realize that the beverage you have been enjoying at only 120 calories actually has 2 or 3 servings in the bottle or the serving size for your cereal is much smaller than what you pour every morning.  (See also: Easy tips to cut 200 calories per day from your diet)

Calories: The percent daily values on a label are based on a 2000-calorie diet.  If you are thin, small, and inactive this may be an overestimation for you.   If you are bulky, tall, and athletic this is an underestimation.  Before looking at a label, get an estimate of how many calories you should be eating a day.  If you use an online calorie calculator, be sure it factors in your age, gender, height, weight, and activity level.

For those trying to lose weight, subtract 300-500 calories.  Remember that the calories listed on the box are only for one serving of that food.  If there are five servings in a package and you eat the whole thing, that’s five times the calories listed! (See also: The ultimate list of fat burning foods)

Fat, saturated fat, and trans fat:  After you have an estimate of the amount of calories you should eat a day divide it by 30.  That is the estimate of total grams of fat you should have in a day.  Only about one-fourth of those fat grams should be saturated fat.  None of it should be trans fat.  When a food is well balanced the percent daily value of each nutrient, listed down the side, should be about equal.  If a label has a much higher percent daily value for fat than it has for calories, you have yourself a high-fat food.  If the percent daily value of saturated fat is higher than total fat, beware: the fat in this food is particularly unhealthy.

Sodium:  Generally the milligrams sodium should not be more than twice the amount of calories.  Canned soups commonly have disproportionately high sodium for the calories.  Why to I compare sodium to calories?  Because if you eat a 1200 mg sodium soup that is 200 calories, you have ‘used up’ a large chunk of your daily sodium on a small portion of food.  Are you going to eat unsalted food for the rest of the day?  Very unlikely. People with high blood pressure should consult their doctor, but should usually aim for about 2000 mg of sodium a day.  If you don’t know if you have high blood pressure, or even if you think you don’t, go to get it checked.

Cholesterol: Recent evidence has shown that only about 10% of the population is affected by consuming dietary cholesterol.  These individuals should try to keep the total daily cholesterol below 200 milligrams per day.  Foods low in cholesterol have less than one tenth the cholesterol compared to calories. For example: a 200 calorie food should have less than 20 mg cholesterol, a 300 calorie food should have less than 30.  For those who do suffer from high cholesterol, eating foods enriched with plant sterols may be beneficial.  If you do not know if you have high cholesterol, go get it checked!

Carbohydrates, sugar, and fiber:  If you know about how many calories you need per day, divide that by 8.  That is the total amount of carbs you should have each day in grams.  Divide that number again by 5 and that’s the amount of sugar.  Yes, it’s a low, low amount!  The majority of your daily carbs should not be sugar.  Diabetic patients should consult their doctor or dietitian about carbohydrates in their diet.  Patients are generally recommended to have about 45 to 60 grams of carbs per meal.  This is even a good rule of thumb for the non-diabetic population.  If you do not know if you are diabetic, guess what?  Go to get your blood sugar tested, along you’re your blood pressures and cholesterol!

Finally, fiber is very important for health and has been linked to successful weight loss.  About 25 grams a day is recommended and it can be a hard goal to reach, so if your food is high in calories (in the 400-600 range) it should also be high fiber (5 g or more per serving).  (See also: 13 healthy snack ideas for weight loss)

Protein: Protein, like fiber, has been liked with feelings of fullness and reduced appetite.  Some people have decided that this link warrants a diet where you consume nothing but protein and fat and cut out carbs completely.  High protein diets can result in severe kidney damage, so I strongly discourage this weight loss strategy.  Also, carbohydrates are the pretty much only source of energy used by the brain; so if you cut them out don’t expect to be thinking very clearly.

Again, if you know your ideal amount of calories per day, divide that by 20 and you will have a rough estimate of your daily protein requirements in grams.  Unless you are building or maintaining a lot of muscle, try not to exceed this number.  Contrary to popular belief, supplementing vast amount of protein in your diet is not a great way to gain muscle.  Muscle building requires muscle-specific exercises and requires less protein than you might think.  Those with kidney disease should speak with a physician or a dietitian about their protein intake.

Vitamins and Minerals:  The only vitamins and minerals required to be on a nutrition label are Vitamins A and C, Iron, and Calcium.  Deficiencies in vitamins A and C are not very common, however iron deficiency (known as anemia) and calcium deficiency (a risk factor for osteoporosis) are common.  Women in particular suffer from anemia and osteoporosis.  Unlike for protein, carbohydrates, and fat, the levels of nutrients recommended do not change by weight or height, only by gender and age.  Look for the percent daily value and aim to get 100% each day, or else take a multivitamin.  Other vitamins and minerals like vitamin E, thiamin, niacin, and phosphorus may be listed on the nutrition label.  These are great to know when they are there, but are not listed reliably on all foods.

One or two trips to the supermarket along with these tips can be all it takes to become a master of food for life, something that will definitely come in handy in achieving healthy weight loss!

Summary Tips for Reading the Nutrition Label:

• Check your serving sizes and try measuring them out
• Multiply all other values by the amount of servings you consume
• Learn the amount of calories per day that is right for you
• Calculate the amount of fat and saturated fat you should eat per day
• If you have high cholesterol, aim for less than 200 mg cholesterol per day
• Sodium is too high if it is more than twice the amount of calories
• Have about 45-60 grams carbs at a meal and about 15-30 grams for snacks
• Aim for only about 10% of your daily calories from sugars.
• Snacks should have 2 g or more fiber, meals should have 5 g or more.
• Try to pick snacks with protein but don’t drastically exceed your protein per day
• Aim for 100% of vitamins and minerals each day
• Check your blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol regularly.  In fact, do it now.

Fast weight loss, no calorie counting and no hassle. This sounds like every dieters heaven and a dream come true. This is also what most liquid diets profess to offer, but is it too good to be true?

Liquid diets defined

A liquid diet is more or less what it says on the box; a dietary pattern which consists mainly of fluids (liquids). There are a number of different ways and patterns in which liquids diets can be followed, depending on who has devised the dietary plans. Some liquid diets suggest replacing all meals with a liquid of some sort and some which replace only some of the daily meals and suggest a low calorie solid meal for the rest.

The liquid meals tend to be shakes, or soups, juices, smoothies or just a dietary liquid formula. For some commercial liquid diets you can purchase their pre-prepared shakes, soups or dietary formulas and often they may also provide some snack bars and other nutritional supplements. There are also the do it yourself liquid diets in which dieters can make their own liquid meals, juices, shakes and etc.

Some of the most common commercial liquid diets (pre-prepared or DIY) include the slimfast, Medifast, Optifast, Hollywood diet, Master Cleanse diet, Cabbage diet and the juice diet. (See also: Most popular weight loss diets)

Apart from the commercial form of liquid diets there are also ‘hospital’ or ‘medical’ liquid diets and are usually prescribed before a medical procedure, because the patient may be unable to swallow solid food, as a supplement to the existing diet or in general for a specific medical reason. Medically prescribed liquid diets vary in their constitution and could be of clear liquids (water, gelatine, broth) or of a specific formula.

The weight loss principles of liquid diets

Well the weight loss principles are pretty much simple and more or less the same for most of them. By eating the recommended liquid meals people consume a low amount of calories through the day. Therefore, they lose weight. Some of the diets do include a miracle or a super food element to them and a number of them also profess on the detox element of following a liquid diet.

Studies haven’t yet provided strong scientific evidence regarding the existence of a super food so I cannot positively and with no doubt say that it is the magic powers of cabbage which will make you lose weight if you follow the cabbage diet for example. Another common claim of the liquid diets is detoxing; the body goes through a detox process by following liquid diets. Based on the detox claim diet loss is either enhanced by effect or is a pleasant secondary effect of detoxing.

However, there is not strong scientific evidence regarding the detoxing effects of diets either. As a matter of fact there is no evidence to actually support a ‘detoxing’ process takes place at all, apart from the one which your liver does all the time.

So what is proven? Most liquid commercial diets tend to consist of 400-800 kcal dietary plans. These diets tend to belong in the category of very low calorie diets (VLCD) which create a calorie deficit and in principle lead to weight loss.

Do they work?

It is quite relevant how well these diets work and whether people do lose weight on them. Liquid diets are not recommended to be followed for long period of time and some are only safely recommended for 7-10 days. A week to 10 days does not usually produce any measurable significant fat loss and most of the weight lost is water and sugar. The result is to put the weight back on quite quickly post dieting. (See also: Do quick weight loss diets work?)

If you follow a VLCD for prolonged time you will lose weight but so you will with starvation which in some cases may be cheaper. However, starvation is not recommended as a safe, healthy or wise way for weight loss and I would most definitely not recommend it.

Studies which have tested some of the commercial liquid diets have produced controversial results. In simple words there is not much agreement whether they work in promoting weight loss and whether the weight is maintained post diet. For some cases of morbidly obese people a VLCD may be recommended as the best solution. However, such cases the risks of following a VLCD outweigh the risks of obesity. Moreover, they should always be followed under the guidance of a medical professional as they can have detrimental effects to health.

Issues involved

As with most controversial diets there are a number of issues related to liquid diets. Here are some of them.

Potential of misuse: As already mentioned liquid diets are usually recommended to be followed for a limited amount of time. However, guidelines and recommendations can often be ignored and people can follow them for longer periods. Well recommendations are there for a safety reason and when ignored the results do come with a potential risk and a number of health problems.

Inadequate nutrient intake: Formulas sold as part of a liquid dietary pattern have improved a lot since they first come out. However, still there is a debate about the limited amount of nutrients they may contain. The lack of nutrients may be more prominent in DIY versions which tend to be based on just one food or one group of foods or if a diet is followed for prolonged periods.

Inadequate fibre intake: Fibre can be an important element for digestive processes, health and weight loss. Quality is as important as quantity, and a number of liquid diets may not provide either of them.

Constipation / Gastrointestinal complaints/complications / Nausea: Constipation can be a side effect due to inadequate fibre intake. But also your digestive processes may be suffering a little bit, thus gastrointestinal complaints can be common. 

Hair loss: Think nutrient deficiency. Our body needs all nutrients including fat and there is a reason for it.

Dizziness: Very low calorie intake can be one of the reasons why people may experience dizziness. You may think you have enough energy stored for the whole neighbourhood however your body doesn’t like sadden changes and it does take time to adjust. Losing a lot of weight too fast is something else which may lead to health complaints.

Regaining the weight past dieting: If the weight lost is mainly water and sugar then you are most likely to put it straight back on. On the other hand is a common diet issues. If you follow a diet for ‘x’ amount of time and you lose ‘y’ amount of weight and you go back to what you where eating before the diet you are likely to be back t where you started.

Moreover, if you follow a VLCD for a period of time your body will try to adjust to that diet. The minute to stop liquid dieting and go back to solid food and higher calories here will come the weight.   

Metabolism slowing down: Look above. You go to a VLCD your metabolism will slow down on a bid to survive. These mechanisms are there for a reason; if you were in nature and there was no food you would need to survive as long as possible. So you could be potentially struggling to lose the weight. In some cases a VLCD may be the only option to kick start a weight loss and research may have shown favourable results for morbidly obese cases. However, this is usually done under the guidance of a medical professional and when the risks of obesity outweigh the risks of dieting, or when some metabolic processes have ‘lost their way’ to put it in very simply words.

No behavioural modification: Following a box standard liquid doesn’t quite teach people how to eat or makes a lot of changes in the eating behaviour. The extra weight got there in some way and part of it is because of specific eating behaviours. Changing these behaviours is what will help to deal with the future and maintaining the weight loss.

The verdict

Indeed a lot of liquid diets may have improved a lot in recent years. However, some are still in the category of ‘fad’ dieting which most of the time is not recommended. For some people it may be that little help to push them into weight loss or may kick start the processes, but for most it may not be a recommended solution. Not all liquid diets are the same and therefore quality of the diets is different between them. Make sure you consult a medical professional, and search for real scientific evidence.

Overall, apart from some specific cases you may be better off sticking to the old fashion healthy balanced diet.

Do you know that by burning just 100 calories (extra) per day you can lose about one pound per month without extra effort? It sounds good and really is if you manage to spend just 10 minutes per day. This will not be your ‘official’ exercise routine but the ace in your sleeve to get faster results.

Everybody can find 10 minutes per day to work out and there are hundreds of exercises to choose from. You can even do them at home or at a time it suits you better. Most people prefer to exercise in the morning before going to work and this is the best time to exercise. Morning exercises are more efficient in burning fat since your body has to convert fat (from the reserves) to energy in order to deal with the extra requirements and in addition will help wake up your body, digestive system and mind.

Below we outline 20 suggestions to burn 100 calories in 10 minutes or less but you can still use our free exercise tracker to find even more exercises and activities.

Calories and weight loss

We mentioned above that doing a 10 minute session per day can help you lose 1 pound per month. For those interested in the theory and reasoning behind this statement, this is the logic: One pound of fat is approx. 3500 calories. In simple terms if you manage to burn 3500 more than you consume you will weigh one pound less. So, if you do a 10 minute session per day (using one of the exercises and activities specified above) you can generate a deficit of 30×100=3000 calories per month which is about one pound. Of course there are other factors involved like loss of water weight so we suggest also reading about the difference between weight loss and fat loss.

5 Tips to make the most of your 10 minute sessions

Plan in advance: 10 minutes is not a lot of time and with a bit of effort everyone can find 10 minutes to exercise. What is important is to plan your session in advance and preferably from the day before.

Be Flexible: You do not have to perform your 10 minute session at the same time every day. Sometimes it will be more suitable to exercise in the morning but other times you may do it after work or even late at night. What is important is to exercise daily and avoid skipping a session.

Improvise: Your goal is to burn 100 calories in 10 minutes and there are more than one ways to do this. You can choose to do the same activity every day or a number of activities during a single workout. For example you can run for 5 minutes and do stationary cycling for another 5 minutes. The combinations are endless all you need is imagination and willingness.

This is a bonus: Do not forget that this is not your formal workout routine but a bonus to help you get quicker results. You should not rely on this 10 minute workout alone but you should still follow a more formal routine for at least 2-3 per week and a balanced diet.

Why not make it 15 minutes? This is not actually a tip for your 10 minute session but once you get into the habit of doing 10 minute sessions why not increase that to 15 minutes per day and get 50% more results. If you follow this approach by making one small step at a time you will soon realize that you can actually do many things and get the motivation you need to meet your weight loss goals.

* Kcal estimation is based on 10 minute sessions for people weighting 160lbs.

What is really the difference between weight loss, fat loss and muscle loss and should you really care? Does the scale lie or is there a relationship between weight and fat loss?

The answer is straightforward and this is what we are discussing below.

Weight loss – Water Weight – Fat loss – Muscle loss

The percentage of total overweight and even obese people is rising at alarming levels (Around 33% of Adults are Obese and 17% of Children). People are looking for more ways then ever to lose weight and that is fine, but what is not fine is some of the methods people are using to achieve weight loss and how it truly affects their body.

If the average person loses 12 pounds for example, they will automatically assume it was ALL fat loss and this can be a very costly assumption.  When you lose weight or gain weight for that matter, you are changing your bodies’ composition of Water, Fat, and or Muscle. Now I listed them in that order for a reason, water weight is the quickest to change and we will discuss that first.

Water Weight

Water weight commonly refers to the amount of weight in water your body is carrying at that given time and is a constantly changing, considering the human body is estimated to be made up of around 60% of water. Water weight can be affected by many variables in your day-to-day life and can cause your weight loss to be misleading.  If most the weight you lose is from water weight, you will most likely gain it back very quickly and that can be a main reason people are turned off by dieting. Most diets these days actually capitalize on this misunderstanding and promise quick weight loss when all they are doing is manipulating your water weight through sodium and water intake itself.

If you do not drink enough water throughout the day, your body will go into a “survival mode” in which it holds on to every ounce of water it can.  The other major factor in water weight changes is salt or sodium intake, if you consume less sodium you will hold less water weight and if you consume more sodium your body will retain more water weight, sodium directly affects your body’s tendency to store water.

So hopefully by being  more informed on that variable in your weight loss, you can now watch your weight  loss more closely from that aspect  and understand whether the weight you are losing is mostly coming from water weight, which means the weight is likely to come back quickly and is not true fat loss.

Fat Loss

Luckily, the next easiest form of weight loss can be done by losing fat, which is what people actually want to lose. Fat is built up over time and stored around your body, in what experts have coined fat stores.  However, it is also important to note where you actually store your fat is largely dependent on your genetics and this is not the same in every individual.  To target these fat stores and get rid of excess fat you will need to force your body to burn the stored fat as energy. That is what they are there for after all, your body stores fat for later energy use.  However, if you never take any measures to get rid of this excess fat it will just keep building and building.

To lose fat efficiently you need to be in a calorie deficit for the day, meaning you need to have burnt more calories that day then you consumed, if you did not consume enough calories that day your body will be forced to find other ways to create the energy, such as using its fat stores. However, there is more to consider when trying to achieve fat loss through calorie deficits and exercise and that brings us to the final variable.

Muscle Loss

Muscle loss is the hardest thing to achieve and that is a good thing, you never under any circumstance should lose muscle no matter how bad you want to lose weight. Muscle loss is the hardest to do because to lose muscle you need to either be in too big of a calorie deficit (Approaching Starvation) or doing too intense of cardio where your body burns muscle instead of fat.  If you cut calories too much and are barely getting enough to even function, like some extreme diets recommend is very dangerous to your short and long-term health. Most experts have agreed that by following a very low calorie diet you may lose 1 pound of muscle per 1 pound of fat so a 50/50 ratio, which is unacceptable.

The other way I mentioned you might lose muscle is through too intense of cardio sessions. Cardio should be done in a pretty comfortable pace if done for long periods of time and if you do  need to  do intense cardio, be sure to  do it in short intervals , long bouts of intense cardio is very  likely to use muscle as energy and is a big risk to your general health.

How to ensure you are losing fat…

So, in summary the easiest way to make sure you are losing weight in the desired way of fat loss is to monitor how fast you are actually losing the weight.  If you are losing the weight at too fast you are most likely losing water weight or even worse muscle.  A good goal for fat loss is to lose 2-5 pounds a week depending on how overweight you are, but remember 5 pounds for most individuals is the top of the line.

More than 5 pounds per week would be a strong indication that not all of the weight loss is resulting from fat loss and you need to reconsider the methods you are using.  I included a helpful list of weight loss tips below that hit the key points in being sure your weight loss is mostly fat loss and truly beneficial for you in the long run.

1.  Be sure you are meeting your recommended daily servings of water, which is 96 ounces plus an extra 8 ounces for every 25 pounds you are above your goal weight.

(Recommended by theNationalAcademyof Sports Medicine)

2.  Avoid very low calorie diets. Calculate your BMR to find out how many calories you should consume per day just for normal function and never go beyond this number.

3.  Be sure your cardio sessions are not too intense to avoid your body using muscle as energy instead of fat.

4.  Monitor the rate that you are losing your weight at weekly intervals, if you are losing more than 5 pounds a week it is most likely that not all is coming from fat loss and is dangerous to your health.

During 2011 thousands of people visited our web site, read our articles, commented on our posts and interacted with our free online tools. To wrap up a successful year for Weight Loss Help and Tips we have selected the 10 most popular posts of 2011. These are the posts that received the most comments and social media mentions (Facebook likes, Google+ and tweets). Go through our list and select your favorite posts and do not forge to share them with your social media friends! You can also register to our RSS Feed (on the sidebar) to receive our new articles directly in your inbox.

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More than 60 teenage girls commented on this post asking for weight loss advice and more than 50 got a personalized answer (by email) from our experts. We try our best to reply to all emails and help even more teens get into the right path of following a good diet and exercise program suitable for their age.

Weight loss motivation
You cannot lose weight if you are not motivated enough. Motivation is perhaps the most important success factor. If you are motivated and know what to do you cannot fail. Set your weight loss goals today!

7 Best tips for fast weight loss
The 7 most effective tips for quick results. If you need results fast you must ensure that you follow these 7 tips. Start now and post your favorite weight loss tip in the comment and see  what works for other people.

Best weight loss programs
There are hundreds or even thousands of weight loss programs on the Internet today but which ones are the best? Which programs can you trust that they can generate results in a healthy way.

Exercise for weight loss
Last but not least, exercise for weight loss. Regular exercise promotes good health, well-being and weight loss. If you are serious about losing weight then exercise is a must.

One more year is coming to a close, the pads come out and the resolutions begin. January is actually the busiest time in the fitness and gym industry. February and March are probably the quietest with most people having given up on the weight loss and fitness effort…well until the bikini time comes around again. Setting New Year’s weight loss resolutions is no different than setting other goals. Your goals need to S.M.A.R.T, in other words: Simple-Measurable-Achievable-Realistic-Timely, but most importantly you need to have the desire and willpower to work hard towards your targets. In this article we share 7 tips for setting your New Year’s resolutions in such a way so they are achievable and realistic.

1. Set life goals

Instead of making a resolution list of the things you want to do make a list of the things you want to have and/or achieve in your life. For example a resolution list of the things you want to do could look like this:

Resolution List 2012

1. Lose weight

2. Join the gym

3. Change my job

Instead think ‘what do I want to have in my life’? For example:

Life Resolution List 2012

1. Look good and feel healthier

2. Be happier in my job

3. Be less stressed

Then think how you can achieve each one of them. Weight loss and exercise can then be a process of achieving to look good and feel healthier but is not the end to all means. In addition, there are other ways to achieve your goal such as eat healthier, or cut down on takeaways and sweets.

If you just concentrate on losing weight you will join the gym and get the next diet regime in the hype of the times. Then you will soon lose sight of why you are torturing and depriving yourself from food. No surprise most gym memberships are sold in January to never be used again by February with maybe small exceptions when preparing for the bikini season.

2. Compare your list with last years

What did your resolution list look like last year? Do you automatically list the obvious things which are expected to be in your list? For example I used to be a smoker and for about 10 years in the top of my list was I will cut smoking. Smoking was bad for me and I knew I had to give up so every year I expected myself to try and stop smoking and then feel depressed as I had failed myself.

In addition think why you didn’t follow your last year’s resolutions. Did something affect you? Did something change? Finding the reasons why you didn’t do what you wanted last year it may be a way to help you avoid the same mistakes or help you plan for this year.

3. Be realistic

Christmas and New Year can be emotionally charged times. The end of an era and the beginning of a new one it can make us make decisions based on emotions and not reality.  Don’t forget to also ask yourself if you are realistic in what you want. My resolution could well be finding a gold bucket at the end of a rainbow but no matter what I do it may not quite reach fruition.

4. Get off the diet wagon.

Another problem with concentrating with dieting is that you are likely to grab the next diet regime, book etc that looks good. Does it work? You may lose some weight in a few weeks but you will have to stop dieting at some point and then what? Have a break until the next diet or is it that you never stopped.

The weight loss industry is a very lucrative business and it does bank on the fact that you are looking for quick solution. I will go back to my first point which says make life goals and not a dieting commitment. Therefore, weight loss would be part of the life changes you want. Undoubtedly not everybody can do it by themselves, however try to pick that weight loss solution which will help you to learn about healthy eating, give you tips for your everyday life and support in what you are trying to achieve.      

5. Get support

Studies have actually shown that people who have support tend to lose more weight and adhere to diet regimes. Support which comes from your immediate family environment is always the best. However, if for any reason you can’t make that work support could come from friends, weight loss buddies, and even weight loss clubs and online weight loss services.

There are plenty of choices out there so you can find the one that works for you.

6. Move everyday

Physical activity and exercise is a bonus for your health and weight management. Make a pledge to move every day. You don’t have to necessarily pay big monthly subscriptions to a gym. Make a pledge to move a little bit every day.

Go for a walk, or run in the park, go shopping and walk around the shops, have a spring clean, play a game with the kids, have a swim and so on. All you need is commitment and imagination.

7. Start living

Once you set your life goals and resolutions all you have to do is start living. This is my new year’s mojo. Stop dieting and start living. I am sure I’m not the only one who says that but I am loving it.

Snacks can play a big role in our everyday diet. Snacks are that something you want in between meals, which need to be easy to eat, relatively small but enough to fill the hunger gap, or that little something which will keep your mouth occupied.

However whether you are on a weight loss diet or not, finding what to snack on can be a hard job. The usual commercial choices tend to be high in sugar, high in calories and high in fat and often not a ‘healthy’ choice.

In general it is recommended to avoid too much snacking and aim for higher in protein lower in sugar snacks. Such snacks would keep you full for longer and can also be better for blood sugar control. You can also read our previous post 13 healthy snack ideas for weight loss for more details. In today’s post we have selected the best 100 calorie snacks for weight loss.

10 Best 100 Calorie Snacks

1.     Fruit.

Fruit are low in calories and full of nutrients, antioxidants and phytochemicals. They can and make an easy, light and healthy snack and they can always satisfy a sugar craving. The calorific values vary for each fruit with bananas being slightly calorie heavy.

Majority of fruit are also rich in fibre and high in water content both of which tend to make you feel full.

Tip: Keep one or two fruit of your choice in your bag so you can have them at reach wherever you are and whenever you want a snack.

Tip: Alternatively you can make a small fruit salad. Fruit salad panes are usually sold in most food stores or cafes so it can be an option if you are on the go. A 200gr fruit salad is approximately 82 calories; values can vary depending on the fruit used.

Here are the nutritional values for some fruit most commonly consumed.

2.     Yogurt

Yogurts are protein based snacks which can make you feel fuller for longer. In addition, yogurts can provide a flexible taste option as they be eaten plain or with toppings.

Tip: It is always recommended to aim for natural plain yogurts and add fruit or nuts rather than the pre-prepared fruit yogurts which tend to be anything else but yogurt.

Tip: Also avoid adding loads of sugar or syrups as it can increase the calories and the sugar content.

3.     Smoothies

Smoothies are another flexible option. With smoothies you can create your own combination to please your own taste, you can use fruit and vegetables, yogurt, cream, ice whey-protein powder, and the list can go on. It is not as easy to make if you are on the go or in work.

Tip: Unless you can have a freshly prepared smoothie is best to avoid the ones sold in the shelves. Pre-bottled ones tend to be full of sugar, taste enhancers and preservatives. Plus by the time you drink it most of the vitamins would have disappeared.

Tip: Avoid adding syrups and sugars. You could add a small teaspoon of natural honey or just a sweeter fruit.

4.     Punnet of blueberries or any berries of your choice

Some studies actually suggest that blueberries and in general colourful fruit (and veg.) can actually have a protective role against obesity related diseases. Satisfy the craving and help your body regulate blood sugar, and conditions such as metabolic syndrome and diabetes.

Tip: Be aware that by eating berries alone will not do miracles. A healthy balanced diet as well will be a better winner.

5.     Avocado

Avocados are one of my favourite snacks. They can be eaten alone or in combination with other toppings. Calorific values of the snack will vary according to what you add on it. It can be easy and you could have an avocado on the go. I like to pre-cut an avocado in half and then take it in small container in my bag and eat it with a spoon when I want a snack.

Tip: Add honey and nuts for a sweet option or lemon juice for a savoury option.

6.     Rye crackers with ham or cheese

With approximately 32kcal each rye crackers can be a great snack. Add a slice of ham or a slice of cheese to add more taste. Again this is an easy and flexible snack option. In addition rye crackers tend to have high fibre content and therefore they can make you feel full for longer.

Tip: Have a little bag with 2-3 rye crackers in your bag. I often spend a lot of time driving in my job and they are handy to just munch on.

7.     Tin of tuna

Now this tends to be a very popular snack with body builders. This is an easy and high in protein snack.

Tip: You can add ¼ of finely chopped red onion, a pinch of finely chopped parsley and a small squeeze of lemon juice for taste.

8.     Olives and feta cheese

This is a simple, low calorie and nutritious snack option. There is a huge variety of olives and you can also buy them infused with herbs and spices so it can suit a lot of tastes. Feta cheese is a protein based option and combined with the olives makes a classic Mediterranean snack. If cheese is not to your liking you could have just the olives.

Tip: A lot of food stores or cafe places sell pre-prepared olive containers. Just be aware of the oil they could contain. Avoid the ones in vegetable oils; also olive oil can be healthy but if you eat loads of it then you could just be increasing the calorific values. Just be aware.

9.     Parma ham and melon

A Mediterranean favourite snack. There are different variations in the Mediterranean region. Italians tend to like Parma ham with melon and in Greece they tend to serve feta cheese with melon. Either way, it can be a refreshing and slightly higher in protein snack. If you combine 2 slices of Parma ham with 6 slices of melon you have a snack of approximately 80 kcal.

Mellon is also high in water content and as mentioned above it promotes satiety.

10. Baked beans

Baked beans are a British favourite snack. A small tin of approximately 150g contains 122 kcal. Slightly over budget but it is not a big deal. Values can vary depending on the size of the can and the brand. If I’m stuck for choices I tend to open a small tin however, I know that many people don’t like them cold. Depending on your taste they can be an easy and on the go snack or it may need a bit of preparation.

Tip: You can use a couple of spoonfuls of beans with a handful of cheddar cheese.

You can also read:

How to burn fat with food

The Ultimate list for fat burning foods

How to control your desire for food

This is a question we get very often especially from women: “What’s the best exercise for weight loss?” What can I do so that I get results fast and without the risk of putting the weight back? Is there a single exercise I can do at home and make me slim and fit? There are two answers to these questions and this is what we are going to explain below.

First let me say that this is not a new question for us. If you read most of the comments you will see that women are constantly looking for the best way to get fit. It is no coincidence that one year ago we published the post “Best Weight loss exercise for great results” which talks about the most efficient weight loss exercises. Basically the post gives more insight about the number of calories you can burn through stationary bike, elliptical trainer, step aerobics and running. These are certainly among the best weight loss exercises but this is not the complete answer for today’s question.  The complete answer has other parameters which are equally important to the calories burned by each exercise.

The best exercise for weight loss is the one you can do

What do we mean by this? The best exercise for weight loss for you is the one you enjoy doing. It doesn’t matter how many calories you will burn what it matters most is that you do it regularly and for a long time.  For example, you can burn approx. 600 calories per hour by doing step aerobics. This is great if you like doing aerobics, if you have the time to do aerobics and if you are physically fit to perform this type of exercise. Maybe step aerobics is the best exercise for weight loss but when it comes to you, this is not your best exercise. You may enjoy walking or running or any other form of cardio exercises and this is what is right for you. The 2 main reasons that most people fail to lose weight with exercise are:  boredom and injury. In other words they either get bored to do their workouts or they get injured because they attempted to perform a workout that does not fit into their body style and physical condition. How do you solve this problem?

Make a list of the exercises you like to do

So, as a first step make a list of the exercises you would like to do and find out how many calories you can burn for a 30 minute workout. Note: You can use our free diet and exercise planner to make your list.

Then once you have your list, identify which of the exercises you enjoy doing and select the one(s) that is more efficient in terms of calorie burning. For example, let us suppose that this is your list:

From the list above the best exercise is rope jumping with 430 calories per 30 minutes. Maybe you don’t like to do rope jumping but you enjoy dancing, water aerobics, swimming and running. If you only have 30 minutes per day to work out then running is your best exercise for weight loss since it is an exercise you enjoy doing, it is an exercise you can do constantly and it is the most efficient exercise in terms of calorie burning from the other exercises you would like to do.

What if I do exercises I like but get bored again?

It is normal that doing the same exercises over and over again will sometimes make you bored. The solution of this is to do cross training. By doing cross training you basically do different exercises instead of doing just one. This has a number of benefits: first you will not get bored, second you get better results (more calorie burning), third you exercise more muscles and fourth you avoid the risk of injury by moving the pressure to different joints.

You already have the list with your favorite exercises so why not choose 2-3 exercises and do them in terms. For example you can do swimming on Monday, running on Wednesday and finish your week on Friday with aerobics. In between you can do walking for 30 minutes (10 minutes in the morning, 10 minutes in the afternoon and 10 minutes at night). If you take this approach you will never get bored and you will get better and faster weight loss. You can also apply cross-training within your exercise sessions. For example do 10 minutes walking, 10 minutes running and 10 minutes aerobics instead of doing a single 30 minute session. Choose whatever suits you better and do it consistently for a number of weeks.

Learning how to exercise correctly is very important

It is not enough to exercise but you need to learn how to exercise correctly. For each exercise there is a good and a ‘bad’ way to do it. Doing it the wrong way will not give you the expected results and also you run the risk of getting injured. It is best to consult a professional trainer before starting any exercise or at least make sure that you have the right equipment (e.g. good running shoes, exercise mats etc) before starting your workout. We have outlined 10 fitness tips for women in a previous post that gives you guidelines on how to structure your workout.

Exercise is only part of the weight loss equation

Everybody knows that the best way to lose weight is by following a balanced diet and doing regular exercise. Exercise is a key part of the whole process that can help you lose weight faster but most importantly keep the weight off and never gain it back. Besides that, there many other tips you can follow for more solid results. You need to take care of your diet and lifestyle habits. We have gathered in a previous post 28 weight loss tips with exercise for getting the best results from your exercise sessions.

 The best exercise for weight loss for women is…

To sum up the best exercise for weight loss for women is the set of exercises you like doing consistently and for a long time without getting bored and can generate the best calorie burning results according to your lifestyle, body structure and physical condition. Finally, always remember that doing any exercise (even walking on a daily basis) is better than not doing any exercises at all.

The basic principles of weight loss apply to all ages but there are specific weight loss tips for 20 year olds that take into account the energy and enthusiasm of young people. To start with, people in their twenties have more than one reason to take care of their weight and appearance. Ages 20 – 30 is the period to make friends and connections and the last thing you want is to worry about your weight. So, the 5 most important tips that will help you lose weight and make you look better but most importantly feel better are:

Tip #1: Learn the very basic rules of weight loss

You probably do not have the patience to read a lot of theories about weight loss but it is important that you know at least the basic rules:

1. You will lose weight if you manage to eat less calories and burn more. The only way to eat less is by being selective on what you eat and drink and the only way to burn calories is through exercise and activity (e.g sports).
2. One pound of fat is 3500 calories. This means that for every 3500 calories you save (by eating less and exercising more) you will lose one pound. If the opposite happens (i.e. you eat more than you burn) you will gain one pound.
3. If you don’t want to go on a diet then use a food calorie counter to count the calories you take in and try to burn more calories through physical activities.

You can also read why lose weight and how to do it correctly for more detail information as  well as easy tips to cut 200 calories per day from your diet

Tip #2: Drinks do have calories

Statistically people in their twenties tend to drink a couple (or more) drinks especially those containing alcohol. What you should understand is that drinks do have calories and if not taken into consideration can literally destroy all your efforts to lose weight. It is common to take care of what you eat but neglect the calories contained in drinks and then wonder why you are still putting on weight. You should take note that:

1 can of soft drink (cola diet – non diet) contains 140 calories. If you multiply that by 30 its 4200 calories or 1 + ½ pounds just by drinking one soft drink per day.

1 can of pre-packaged orange juice may contain up-to 600 calories

A regular vodka and tonic has 130 calories

Medium glass of wine has 130 calories

One pint of beer has about 240 calories

One shot of Whiskey about 55 calories

Calories from drinks are considered “empty” calories since they have nothing to offer (no nutritional value)

Tip #3: If you don’t want to join a gym then move!

Going to a gym on a regular basis will help you stay fit and within your normal weight. Unfortunately not all people like or want to spend time in the gym but this does not mean that they cannot lose weight. Use your energy wisely and engage into activities that you like and at the same time burn calories. Sports are perfect examples where you have fun, socialize and lose weight at the same time. For instance:

With Cycling you can burn 300-400 calories every 30 minutes

Playing 30 minutes racquetball is equivalent to 300 calories

30 minutes of basketball is 290 calories

30 minutes of tennis is 300 calories

Hint: You can use our free diet and exercise planner to analyze the calories you burn from each sport or activity

You can also read 28 exercise tips for weight loss and Best weight loss exercise for more detail information.

Tip #4: Do you drink enough water per day?

I cannot stress enough the importance of water for a good health and weight loss. Water helps your body organs function better, enables easier digestion, replaces lost body fluids and can delay (and minimize hunger). The best way to start drinking water is by first taking note on how many classes of water per day you normally drink. Do not be surprised if the results are 1, 2 or 0! Many people tend to drink other beverages instead of water but NONE of them can replace water functions. So, find out your daily average and try to increase that to 6-7 classes per day. The more you can drink the better is for your health.

Tip #5: Breakfast, protein and carbohydrates

A protein rich breakfast is important for many reasons. It will give you enough energy for your daily activities and keep your stomach busy until lunch time. It is a fact that many people do not eat breakfast, especially when they wake up late in the morning but it is important to make an effort and change this habit. You can read the importance of a good breakfast for more detail information.

Also you should have clear in your mind about the role of protein and carbohydrates in losing weight. Both nutrients are necessary for a healthy and balanced diet. Protein promotes weight loss by keeping you full for longer, helping you build more muscles (and burn fat) and by making your bones stronger. Carbs are as equally important since they are used as a ‘fuel’ from the body. They are especially important for those who exercise regularly and when taken in moderation can do more good to your health than any harm. Read more about carbohydrates and weight loss.

You may also like to read:

Weight Loss for Teens and Weight Loss Tips for Teenage Girls