Weight Loss – How to Succeed

The ultimate goal of weight loss is to eat fewer calories than your body burns each day.  Ideally, this is done through a combination of increased physical activity as well as a change in eating habits.

A sound weight loss program is comprised of:

• Reasonable & obtainable weight loss goals.
• Regular physical activity.
• Healthy eating habits.
• A change in daily behaviors to both succeed and maintain goals.

A few important things to keep in mind:

• Talk to your doctor before getting started.
• Calories, nutrition, and portions are all important.
• Fat loss is more important than weight loss.
• Even minor weight loss achievements can provide major health benefits.
• Make lifestyle changes, not temporary changes (diets, etc.).

Starting off:

• Check your body fat percentage, which tells you how much of your body mass is lean mass versus fat mass. This helps for both goal setting as well as ensuring you are losing fat, not muscle, as you progress in your routine.
• Ask your doctor about what reasonable goals are for you personally. Ask them what restrictions you might need in regards to physical activities and diet based on your health history.
• Start writing down a nutrition log (what and when you eat) for a few days to get an idea of your dietary needs. Search around the web to get an idea of how to properly balance your protein, carb, and fat intake.  If you can find one that gives you specifics as far as vitamins and minerals as well, even better.
• Assess your lifestyle and bad habits you may have. Examples include too much television, snacking late at night, too much junk food in the household, etc.  Then, gradually work on changing those bad habits by replacing them with healthier choices.

Deciding on a weight loss plan:

• A solid weight loss plan should include lifestyle changes, not temporary changes. Temporary changes equals temporary weight loss.  If you come off a diet and go back to eating how you used to, you will also go back to weighing what you used to.

• If you have a friend who lost weight and gained it back, chances are that if that program failed for them, it will also fail for you.

• Avoid the latest weight loss gimmicks. Search for tried and true programs that actually work.  If you are unsure of where to go, you can find professionals in the field by googling weight loss clinics in your rea. You can also find help at a local fitness facility.  Just as you wouldn’t try to learn how to fly a plane on your own, you shouldn’t go blind into a weight loss program either.  Stick to professional advice, not the latest trend.  Celebrities may endorse a program, but in virtually all cases, it’s not because that product is what worked for them – it’s because the company is paying them to say it did.

• If a weight loss program isn’t working for you, feel free to change it. Everyone’s body is different and as such, not every program works for everyone.  If you aren’t seeing reasonable results, try changing things up to something else.  WE BELIEVE IN BIO-INDIVIDUALIZED NUTRITION COUNCELING. So look for professionals who will help you learn about your personal metabolism and what will keep you thin forever!

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Home Remedies for Weight Loss

The foundation of any good weight loss routine should always be regular exercise and a sound nutrition plan.  However, while there are no “miracle” weight loss tricks, there are a few things you can include that can help you lose the weight a little bit faster. I recommend a supplement called NutraTherm along with the Essentials Pack, manufactured by Melaleuca Inc. We have had tremendous success with Melaleuca’s supplements and they are recognized for their superior absorption and efficacy by the American Journal of medicine and The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.  In addition, I recommend trying a few of the following home remedies. All of these ingredients can be found in most grocery stores.

Cinnamon Tea

Recent studies have shown promising results as far as cinnamon helping to maintain blood sugar level balance.  Since balanced blood sugar levels helps to keep your appetite in check and make your body more prone to burn fat than store it, cinnamon can be a great addition to a weight loss program.

Simply mix one teaspoon of ground cinnamon into eight ounces of hot water and drink up.  Based on the most recent research, optimal results can be obtained from drinking this just once or twice per day.

Rose Petal Water

Rose petals work as a mild diuretic.  While diuretics only provide a temporary loss of water weight, it encourages the body to want to consume more water, helping to keep you well hydrated and your system flushed.  Not only will this help to keep your body in better health, but staying well hydrated is also helps the body to more efficiently lose weight.

Simply take a handful of fresh or dried rose petals and place them into one to two cups of water. Place this into a pot, cover, and simmer the mix for about 15 minutes. Strain the liquid and store it in the refrigerator.  Then, drink about ½ to 1 cup every morning before breakfast.

Gum

Chewing gum is an effective way to fool the body into thinking it is getting more food than it actually is.  It is also a great way to curb your appetite when you are getting a sweets craving or are still hungry after a meal.  Just be sure that the gum is sugar-free or else the calories will negate the benefit.

Ginseng

The two most effective types of ginseng you would want to use is either American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) or Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng).  Various double-blind studies have shown ginseng increases the metabolism, boosts energy, combats fatigue, and even improves mental alertness.  Ginseng can not only help to burn a bit of extra calories, but it can also help keep your energy up during exercise.

Simply take a teaspoon of chopped ginseng, pour one cup of boiling water over the ginseng, and let it steep for 5-10 minutes.  Strain out the ginseng, then add a little honey or lemon for taste.  Drink this once or twice daily and it will be a great addition to your regimen.

Sleep

While this one costs nothing, few people get enough of it.  Even fewer realize how important sleep actually is.  Not getting adequate sleep can increase insulin resistance as well as cause numerous other problems that can hinder fat loss.  In addition, if you are just beginning an exercise routine or have already been doing one, the body needs rest to recover.  Inadequate rest can lead to burn out, overtraining, or a general lack of motivation to exercise.  While everyone is different as far as their sleep needs, generally speaking, most individuals need a minimum of seven hours of sleep per night, with some needing as much as nine hours.  So, if you find yourself dragging throughout your days, increase the amount of rest you’re getting and you will not only feel better, but it will help you lose the weight faster as well.

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