7 Surprising Secrets of Successful Weight Loss

Ever wanted to know the techniques and tricks used by those who successfully lost weight, and kept it off?

Thanks to a scintillating survey conducted by popular weight loss site SparkPeople - we've now got some road-tested tips to give you the best chance at managing weight.

As part of an updated paperback version of the bestselling book The Spark, (new edition here), the authors at Spark-people undertook a comprehensive survey of over 2,000 members. Why do 50% of people report losing momentum within 2 weeks of starting a diet? And why do 18% fizz out within just 3 days?

The answer is the 'strong start'. These strong starters lost twice as much weight in the first two weeks, and were five times more likely to reach goals than the false starters.

Track Food and Calories

Both strong and false starters ranked "food tracking" as the one action that made the biggest difference in their programs. 82% of strong starters tracked food every day vs. 65% of false starters, and strong starters were twice as likely to track their calories.Don't put certain foods off limits

Strong starters were less likely to label foods "good" or "bad" and forsake certain foods, and were three times more likely to use portion control techniques that supported consumption of unhealthier foods in moderation.Spend LESS time exercising

On average, strong starters exercised for 30 minutes during the first two weeks; false starters for 60 minutes, suggesting that false starters burned themselves out.Focus on both diet and exercise

74 percent of false starters made both fitness and dietary changes from the outset, compared to 50 percent offalse starters.Engage more with others/have a support network

Strong starters were more than twice as likely to communicate with other members online.Weigh yourself weekly, not daily

Most strong starters weighed themselves weekly, while the majority of false starters did so daily.Focus first and foremost on developing healthy habits, not losing weight

Most strong starters viewed their #1 goal as "building a strong foundation of healthy habits." A majority of false starters made losing 3-4 pounds in their first two weeks their #1 goal, which backfired.Note that these methods worked for many people - but we are all individuals and is it important to find out what works for you.

A big thanks to Sparkpeople and the folks and DailySpark for allowing us to publish this.

View the original article here

Make the Commitment to Live a Healthier Life

What is your New Years resolution? For many Americans, it will be to lose weight and get in better shape. Making the resolution is easy but the follow through is tough. The benefits of losing weight are well documented but many of us still lack the commitment to stick to a regular fitness plan which is why the government has started the small steps program to make it easier.

Small Steps is part of the HealthierUS initiative started a few years ago by then President George Bush. It is a "national effort to prevent and reduce the costs of disease, improve people's lives and promote community health and wellness." The website HealthierUS.gov calls obesity an epidemic in the United States which must be addressed.

The key to losing weight is to burn fat and that can best be achieved through exercise. The small steps program says you don't have to go to the gym five days a week to meet your goals and shows how just taking a 45 minute walk a day can burn 300 calories. If walking for 45 minutes at one stretch sounds like too much, the report suggests three fifteen minute walks instead.

Whatever physical activity you choose the goal is to be active for at least 30 minutes every day. If you are able to log at least that much activity five days a week for a six week period you can earn a Presidential Active Lifestyle Award. An activity log can be found at presidentschallenge.org to keep track of your exercising and earn your award. There is also a section for kids to achieve a presidential award however they must log at least an hour of physical activity each day.

Exercise alone is not enough to achieve a healthier life, you also must alter your diet to include more fruits and vegetables and low fat meats. Making smart food choices will require you to watch portion size and count calories. The food and drug administration says to eat healthy you must avoid trans fats, saturated fats and foods that contain high levels of sodium and added sugar.

What are Aerobics?

Exercise can be broken down into two categories: aerobic and anaerobic. These differ in the ways in which your muscles contract during the exercise and how energy is generated within the muscles. Examples of anaerobic exercises include weight training or strength training, and with aerobic exercises, even the most well-built bodybuilder will not be able to run, swim, etc for long periods of time.

Aerobics, which literally means “with oxygen,” are exercise that can be done to lose weight and regain health. There are main types of aerobic exercises, and if you do these exercises daily, you will find that you really will be more healthy. Aerobics are generally done at moderate levels of intensity for a longer time and can target any part of your body you wish to slim. There are many advantages of aerobics, which is why this form of exercise is both important and popular among health-conscious people.

During aerobic exercise, your body breaks down glycogen to use for energy. If there is not enough glycogen in the body, you start using fat reserves instead, which is why you lose weight. Oxygen plays a key role in this process. With aerobic exercise, you don’t use bursts of energy. Rather, you spread out moderate levels of energy over a long period of time to trigger the use of fat in energy production. In general, things like running long distances, aerobics dances, and swimming for long periods of time are considered aerobics exercises, while anything with short bursts of motion, like sprinting, are not.

Benefits of aerobics exercises are great, which is why most doctors recommend them to patients, even if you enjoy a normal weight. Some of these benefits include strengthening the repertory muscles, enlarging the heart to pump more efficiently, increasing the flow of blood (and oxygen) in the body, and increasing endurance. Aerobics decrease the risk of death due to cardiovascular problems and of osteoporosis in both men and women.

Want to learn how aerobics can change your life? There are a number of great exercise programs you can do, which include both solo activities and classes with groups. To learn more (and always before starting a new exercising program, talk to your doctor or other health care professional to learn what types of aerobic exercises will work best for your body. Aerobics are the key to living a healthier and physically productive life, so don’t wait another day before starting a new healthy program that includes aerobics.

Some Proven Weight Loss Tips

Did you read the latest news headline or here the latest TV commercial on fat loss? Surely, you know now you can lose 15 pounds overnight whilst sleeping and still eat anything and everything you want and never gain it back? No vigorous exercise needed just take a little miracle pill and the weight will just fall off?

Unfortunately I have heard this rubbish, more times than "I can shake a stick at" you can't believe a single word of it. So! Now be prepared for some quality weight loss information you can trust.

Take a minute and think about this. It is quite possible that it is not your responsibility that you are fat. That's right! In fact there is a possibility that the reason you are carrying that extra weight is because of genetics. That's right it's in your family tree, if your family tree shows a history of overweight, you may well have inherited the same fat gene. But, there is always a "but"; you may be making things worse by not eating health food and living a very inactive lifestyle.

Now, just because you may have inherited some of the fat genes, it is still up to you to take responsibility for compounding the situation. Once you take responsibility, it will be a lot easier for you to make the decision that things are going to change. Not only do you have get rid of some excess weight but you have to do something about your lifestyle as well. Because being overweight can cause life threatening diseases and failure to lose weight is not an option.

The first step is to get an appointment with your personal medical doctor, to make sure you don't have an illness that may be responsible for your overweight. At the same time your doctor will be able to tell you if you're fit enough to start a weight reduction plan. They can also give you some advice on setting goals that are practical and realistic for safely dropping those pounds.

It is important that you set obtainable goals. They need to be set just high enough to be a challenge, but not so high that you have to go on a "500 calorie diet" and possibly get discouraged too quickly. If your doctor suggests to you that you should get rid of 40 pounds, it is wise to break those 40 lbs down into smaller bite size pieces. (Excuse the joke)

The best way of doing this is to set a long term goal of shedding the 40 pounds over a six month period. Then break this down to smaller goals of only 6.5 lbs a month. Then you can break it down even further to about one pound a week. Can you see how you now have an easily achievable goal?

Once you have your weight loss goals set, you now need to work on an exercise plan. If you have been living an inactive life for a long time, then the best place to start off is with walking. This will help you to gently redevelop your muscles in your legs and arms, and get them back to working again.

Within a couple of weeks you should be up to walking a half mile to a mile. As your lungs and fitness start to improve you should find yourself able to walk more briskly. Walking will be most effective when you reach and can maintain a heart rate of about 120 beats a minute for about 20 minutes.

So where do you start? Well the best place to start is at the very beginning... By first accepting your personal responsibility for your health.

Tried and tested weight loss techniques are my specialty, from the 500 calorie diet to the Low gi diet, to super fruits such as the, maqui berry, goji berries and the acai berries