Quick Barbecued Pork Atkins Recipe

Quick Barbecued Pork Atkins Recipe

Nutritional Information Per Serving:

Net Carbs: 5.5 grams
Fiber:  1 grams
Protein:  22.5 grams
Fat:  17.5 grams
Calories: 281

 

Servings: 4 
Prep Time: 5 Minutes

Cook Time: 35 Minutes

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup sliced onions, sliced
1 pound boneless lean pork tenderloin
½ teaspoon dried oregano
⅛ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground pepper
¾ cup Barbecue Sauce

Directions:

Use no-sugar-added barbecue sauce or the Atkins recipe: Barbecue Sauce.

1. Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add onions and cook 5 minutes or until lightly browned; set aside.
2. Sprinkle pork with oregano, salt and freshly ground black pepper.
3. In a 2-quart saucepan, heat remaining tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add pork and cook in batches until lightly browned. Remove pork and set aside.
4. Add onions to saucepan and pour in barbecue sauce; mix well. Reduce heat to medium low, add pork and cook 20 to 25 minutes, or until tender.

 

Beef Stew Atkins Recipe

Beef Stew Atkins Recipe

Nutritional Information Per Serving:

Net Carbs: 7.5 grams
Fiber:  5 grams
Protein:  23 grams
Fat:  13 grams
Calories: 316

 

Servings: 6

Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Cook Time: 2 Hours and 45 Minutes

 

Ingredients:

 

1 ½ pounds stew beef, cut into 1 ½ inch cubes
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup frozen pearl onions (onions do not need to be defrosted)
2 cloves garlic, pushed through a press
2 cups red wine (Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon)
1 pound green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 carrot, cut into 1 inch ribbons with a vegetable peeler
2 tablespoons Thick-It-Up

 

Directions:

 

Along with the salt, pepper and paprika, season the stew meat with 1 tablespoon of herbs de Provence, found in the spice section of any well-stocked supermarket. Or use any combination of thyme, chervil, rosemary, summer savory, lavender, tarragon, marjoram, oregano, mint or bay leaf. You can order Thick-It-Up thickner online. Eliminate the carrot and this dish is suitable for Phase 2. This recipe freezes well for up to 3 months in a tightly sealed container.

1. Heat oven to 325°F.
2. Toss beef with herbs de Provence, paprika, salt and pepper.
3. Heat half the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown half the beef; transfer to a bowl. Repeat with remaining oil and beef. Set aside.
4. Melt butter in Dutch oven. Add onions; cook 7–8 minutes until onions begin to brown. Add garlic during last 2 minutes of cooking time.
5. Add reserved meat and accumulated juices, wine and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil. Cover Dutch oven and place in oven. Cook 2 hours, until beef is tender.
6. Add green beans; cook 15 minutes more, just until beans are tender. 
7. Transfer Dutch oven to stove top over medium-high heat. Add carrot; cook 5 minutes. Stir in thickener; cook 2 minutes more, stirring, until sauce thickens.
8. Adjust seasonings to taste and serve immediately.

 

 

Buffalo Chicken Wings Atkins Recipe

Buffalo Chicken Wings Atkins Recipe

Nutritional Information Per Serving:

Net Carbs: 2 grams
Fiber:  0 grams
Protein:  31 grams
Fat:  78 grams
Calories: 848.5

 

Servings: 6

Prep Time: 25 Minutes

Cook Time: 20 Minutes

 

 Ingredients:

 

Wings:
1 large egg
1 cup cider vinegar
½ cup canola oil
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon celery salt
⅛ teaspoon cayenne
2 pounds chicken wings, separated at joint and wing tips discarded

Blue-Cheese Dipping Sauce:
1 cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
⅓ cup crumbled blue cheese
1 scallion, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon chopped garlic

 

Directions:

 

1. For the wings: Preheat oven to 450F.
2. Beat egg in a medium bowl.  Add vinegar, oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, celery salt and cayenne; stir until well combined.  Dip chicken pieces into marinade and arrange on a large baking pan. Bake 30 minutes, turning and brushing with marinade several times, until wings are crisp.
3. For the dipping sauce: While wings are cooking, mix mayonnaise, sour cream, blue cheese, scallion, lemon juice and garlic.  Set aside until wings are done.
4. Serve wings while hot with dipping sauce.

 

 

Asian Beef Salad Atkins Diet Recipe

Asian Beef Salad Atkins Diet Recipe

Nutritional Information Per Serving:

Net Carbs: 11.5 grams
Fiber:  5 grams
Protein:  41 grams
Fat:  15.5 grams
Calories: 367.5

 

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 15 MInutes

Marinate Time: 12 Hours

Cook Time: 5 Minutes

Ingredients:

Marinade and Dressing Base:
4 green onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, pushed through a press
¼ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons no-sugar-added rice-wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon granular sugar substitute
½ teaspoon curry powder
¼ teaspoon dried ginger

Salad:
1½ pounds beef sirloin, cut against the grain in 1/8-inch strips
2 tablespoons canola oil
6 cups mixed salad greens
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 can (8-ounces) sliced water chestnuts, drained

Directions:

1.    Mix green onions, garlic, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil and sugar substitute in a small bowl.
2.    Pour half into a resealable plastic bag; add steak and marinate overnight in the refrigerator. To remaining soy sauce mixture, add curry powder and ginger.
3.    Heat canola oil in a large skillet over high heat until very hot. Drain beef and discard marinade; quickly stir-fry beef 2 to 3 minutes in hot oil for medium doneness.
4.    Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add salad greens, bell pepper, water chestnuts and reserved soy dressing. Toss to coat.

 

Atkins Cuisine Waffles - Easy Diet Recipe

Nutritional Information Per Serving:

Net Carbs: 6 grams
Fiber:  3.5 grams
Protein:  15 grams
Fat:  9 grams
Calories: 169

 

Servings: 5

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

 

Ingredients:

 

1 cup Atkins Cuisine All-Purpose Baking Mix
1 packet granular sugar substitute
2 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup half and half
1 large egg

 

Directions:

 

This recipe makes 5 waffles. Assuming your waffle iron makes 4 servings, use four-fifths of the batter and then make a single waffle with the remaining batter. Freeze extra waffles and just pop in the toaster before serving.

1. In a large bowl, blend together baking mix, baking powder, sugar substitute and salt.
2. In another large bowl, mix the half-and-half and beaten egg.
3. Add dry ingredients to the liquid ingredients and whisk batter until any lumps are removed. Don't overbeat.
4. Let the mixture sit for at least 5 minutes to activate the baking powder.
5. Heat the waffle iron and pour the batter in the center of the waffle iron.
6. Close the top and cook waffles for about 1–1 1/2 minutes or until golden brown.
7. Repeat with last waffle.

 

 

Chocolate Mudslide Easy Diet Recipe

Chocolate Mudslide - Easy Diet Recipe

Nutritional Information Per Serving:

Net Carbs:  7.5 grams
Fiber:   2 grams
Protein:  2.5 grams
Fat:   23 grams
Calories: 234

 

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 5 Minutes

Cook Time: 5 Minutes

Cool Time: 3 Hours

 

Ingredients:

 

1 cup heavy cream
½ cup water
½ cup sugar free chocolate syrup
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, combine cream, water, syrup and cocoa powder. Bring to a simmer and stir until cocoa powder dissolves.
2. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate and vanilla extracts. Pour mixture into an 8-inch square pan.
3. Freeze until almost solid, about 3 hours.
4. To serve, break up frozen mixture, place in blender or food processor and blend until softened and slushy. Transfer to glasses and serve.

 

 

BROCCOLI PARMIGIANO Easy Diet Recipe

BROCCOLI PARMIGIANO Easy Diet Recipe

Nutritional Information Per Serving:

 

Net Carbs: 4.5 grams

 Fiber:   4.5 grams
Protein:  7 grams
Fat:   7 grams
Calories:  114

 

 Ingredients:

 

2 tablespoons virgin olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, pushed through a press or finely minced
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 pounds broccoli rabe or broccoli florets
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons fresh grated lemon zest
⅛ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

 

Directions:

 

Broccoli rabe has 6- to 9-inch stalks and scattered clusters of tiny broccoli-like buds. It has a more bitter taste than its more familiar cousin. It takes beautifully to sautéing or braising. Feel free to substitute broccoli in this recipe if you prefer. Cut a 2-pound head of broccoli into small florets, then peel the stems and cut in ½-inch pieces.

1. In a large, deep skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and pepper flakes; sauté 30 seconds.
2. Add broccoli rabe, water, lemon juice and lemon zest; mix well. Cover skillet and cook over medium heat 8 minutes or until broccoli rabe is crisp-tender.
3. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
4. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with Parmesan.

 

Beef Stroganoff Atkins Recipe

Beef Stroganoff

Nutritional Information Per Serving:

Net Carbs: 3.5 grams
Fiber:  0.5 grams
Protein:  32 grams
Fat:  24.5 grams
Calories: 379

 

 

Ingredients:

1 ¼ pounds skirt steak or beef tenderloin, cut into 2 x 1 strips
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon butter
½ cup finely chopped Spanish onion
3 ounce small white mushrooms
¼ cup dry red wine
1 cup beef broth (not low sodium)  or 3 tablespoons demi-glace mixed with 3/4 cup water
¼ cup sour cream
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Directions:

1. Heat oven to warm setting. Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper.
2. In a large nonstick skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. Brown meat in batches, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a platter and place in oven.
3. Melt butter in skillet; add onion and cook 3 minutes, until softened. Add mushrooms. Cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mushroom liquid evaporates.
4. Add wine; cook 5 minutes. Stir in beef broth and cook 10 minutes, until mushrooms are coated with a thick sauce. Stir in sour cream and mustard. Add meat and accumulated juices.
5. Reduce heat to low and cook 2-3 minutes, until meat is heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

 

 

What is a Low-Carbohydrate Diet?

The theory behind low-carbohydrate diets is that if dieters avoid foods containing carbohydrate—that is, starches or sugars—they will shed pounds. Such diets eliminate or dramatically restrict the intake of fruit, fruit juice, starchy vegetables, beans, bread, rice, cereals, pasta and other grain products, and all other foods containing carbohydrate, leaving a limited diet of foods that contain primarily fat and protein: meat, cheese, nonstarchy vegetables, and very little else. As the diet proceeds, the carbohydrate restriction relaxes somewhat, but fatty, high-protein foods continue to dominate the dieter’s plate.
Despite anecdotal accounts of seemingly dramatic weight loss, the effect of low-carbohydrate diets on body weight is similar to that of other weight-reduction diets. In research studies at the University of Pennsylvania and at the Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center, the average participant lost weight during the first six months on a low-carbohydrate diet, but regained some of this weight during the next six months so that the net weight loss after one year (15.8 pounds in the University of Pennsylvania study and 11.2 pounds in the VA study) was not significantly different from that seen with other diets used for comparison.  This degree of weight loss is not greater than that which occurs with programs using low-fat, vegetarian diets. In Dean Ornish’s program for reversing heart disease, for example, a combination of a low-fat, vegetarian diet and exercise led to an average weight loss of 22 pounds in the first year, along with dramatic reductions in cholesterol levels and reversal of existing heart disease.  Five years later, much of that benefit had been retained.  Studies of whether weight loss from low-carbohydrate diets is maintained for more than one year have not been performed.
In a one-year clinical trial reported in JAMA in 2005, researchers randomly assigned 160 overweight individuals to one of four popular diets. Participants assigned to the Atkins diet lost 2.1 kilograms, while Weight Watchers dieters lost 3.0 kilograms, Zone dieters lost 3.2 kilograms, and dieters following the Ornish program lost 3.3 kilograms.
A review of 107 research studies on various low-carbohydrate, high-protein weight-loss diets concluded that weight loss on these diets is not due to any special effect of restricting carbohydrate; rather, weight loss depended on the extent to which the dieters’ caloric intake fell and how long they continued with their regimens. Other reports have also found calorie reduction to be the most important factor in weight loss, with no special weight-loss advantage from the restriction of carbohydrates.
 
A review on the safety of low-carbohydrate diets notes that Atkins-type diets are at a greater risk for being nutritionally inadequate and raise the issue of potential long-term health effects.

Weight Loss Supplements

How To Use Weight Loss Supplements

There are many tips that you can find on weight loss and diet. When it comes to losing weight, it can seem like an uphill battle. However, when you go about it the right way and learn all you can about how you can lose weight as well as keep it off, it seems much easier. The more you learn about weight loss, the better off you are and the more chance you stand of not only losing the weight but also keeping it from creeping back on.

There is more to losing weight than just your diet, although this does play an instrumental part in how you are going to lose weight. Naturally, you have to eat the right foods, but just are the right foods? You have most likely heard about all sorts of diet programs that include eliminating carbs, bulking up on protein as well as eliminating fats. However, in order for you to not only lose the weight, but also to keep it off, you have to start out re-thinking the way that you eat as well as what you eat.

Some foods when it comes to diet are more harmful than others. These include the simple carbohydrates such as sweets. However, by saying that you will never eat these foods again, you are not only being unrealistic, but setting yourself up for failure. In order to be able to keep off the weight that you lose, you need to also be able to stop it from coming back on. Many people lose weight just to see it creep back on again after they go back to their old eating habits.

There are supplements that you can take for weight loss as well as diet methods that can help you re-think the way that you eat. In addition, when you combine a more active lifestyle to the mix, you generally get the results that you are looking for. Diet alone will not help you lose weight, in fact it seems to set you up for just getting sick or losing weight and then gaining it back. After all, you need to keep your metabolism going in order to get the weight off. This is done through the use of certain foods as well as through the use of certain supplements. When you exercise, even small exercises like walking, you will also burn up more calories.

In order to get the results that you are looking for when it comes to your body, you need to learn as much as you can about what to eat, when to eat, how to eat as well as exercise that can stimulate your loss of weight. There are easy methods that you can use in place of some fad diet that will really end up getting you nowhere but make you feel frustrated and hungry all of the time. If you are serious about losing weight and want to look good for the upcoming summer months, then now is the perfect time to start getting fit and learn as much as you can about the methods relating to loss of weight and diet and how they can help you.

Juice Fasting to Lose Weight

Some Tips on Juice Fasting to Lose Weight

If you are planning on juice fasting to lose weight then reading this will benefit you. There are some things that you will need to be prepared for if you decide to go on a juice fasting diet, and the more that you know, the better your chances will be of succeeding. Follow along and write down some of these tips because I guarantee that they will help you out.

Give yourself a variety of different juices. If you are going to be using juice fasting to lose weight then it will be quite easy to get bored of using the same flavor. Give yourself some time before you set a date to start your fast, and write down and record some of your favorite flavors. Variety will make it much easier to stay on the diet, and therefore will improve your chances of success. If you are planning on making your own juices then browse and explore some recipes. There are so many different options that are available to you, so do yourself a favour and explore them all. After all, if you don't like a certain juice then it will be very hard to keep drinking it.

Before the date that you start juice fasting to lose weight, try to not overindulge on solids. Some people will cram foods into their mouths before they start their diets thinking that it will somehow hold off their cravings, but I can tell you that the opposite is actually true. Instead try to wean yourself off of solid foods. As the date approaches closer try to cut down on the amount of solid foods that you are consuming. This will help you to better adjust to your fasting lifestyle. So instead of going crazy as the date is getting closer, try to adjust your body and prepare it for the date. Positive thinking is your friend when you are starting a new diet and this is especially true when you are juice fasting to lose weight. A juice fasting diet can be a different lifestyle for you and it will be hard if it is the first time that you have tried it. Use positive thinking during the process, and before you have started the diet try imagining yourself doing it. The mind is a powerful tool in helping us to succeed and diets as we all know can be very hard to stick to.

Many everyday people have had success by juice fasting and it can help you too. The hardest thing about fasting to lose weight is getting used to not consuming solid foods.

Raw Foods

Raw Foods and Weight Loss
Why do diets fail? Why has every single diet you've been on before never given you the permanent results you longed for?

Because underneath every diet is a hidden fact. They are all the same.

Sure they may seem different on the surface, but when you dig deeper you'll see that they all revolve around the same kind of food.

They are basically recycled versions of each other.

So if you want to lose weight, where should you turn?

The key to experiencing fast and permanent weight loss is through changing the kind of food you eat. More specifically, lowering your consumption of cooked foods, and increasing your consumption of raw food.

And there is a specific reason for this.

Natural foods like raw vegetables and fruits contain active enzymes that improve your overall health and aid in weight loss.

It's the reason fresh food ripens and cooked food decays.

The cooking process of every foods will kill the active enzymes, a large amount of vital vitamins, and destroy the structure of protein. In essence you ruin many of the things in fresh food that are good for you.

These same properties make these naturally fat burning foods. Most people eat too many cooked, heavy foods so their thyroid and adrenal glands are blocked and slow down fat loss.

By eating more raw foods you'll see your fat loss exponentially increase the more you continue the diet.

Ideas on How to Add Raw Foods

Simply eating a fruit or raw vegetables before, after or during a meal is a good start. Also if you have a juicer or a blender, having a morning smoothie made from fresh fruits will kick start your day.

Skyrocket Your Energy

Don't think that fat loss is the only thing these foods can provide you. Because of the natural enzymes and the abundance of vitamins and minerals, you will start feeling a dramatic increase in energy. Suddenly you'll feel like you have more energy to do all your favorite things. Which in turn will help you get out and exercise.

No matter how you look at it, raw foods is a great means to lose weight. If you've tried everything to lose weight, and didn't succeed, this is your answer. Some people say they lost up to 10 pounds their first week by switching to raw foods. How much will you lose? To find a diet plan right for you, you need to see Atkins Diet blog site.

Weight management foods

How to control weight permanently without constant dieting

Weight control has been one of the major health concerns of the Western World for many years. Obesity in the UK is fast approaching approaching the chart-topping statistics of the USA and it's not just the adults that are getting bigger - child weight management is an increasing worry.

All this is happening despite the concentration on high carbohydrate, low fat, low protein diets which we are told are required for weight management. In fact, the rate of increase is accelerating, suggesting that this might not be the best way to control weight at all.

Macronutrients - Carbohydrate, protein & fat

Everyone has heard of the concept of a "balanced diet" and most of this probably try, in at least some ways to achieve this. Unfortunately, there is no universal agreement on what the balance should be, and it is probable that the overemphasis on low-fat (a product of the cholesterol myth) is, at least in part, responsible.

In both the USA and UK, dieticians propose diets that get most of their energy from carbohydrates, although the proportions vary. The realities are somewhat different. In the UK the average diet gets about 44% of energy from fat, 15% from protein and 41% from carbohydrate. In the USA, the figures are 48% fat, and 26% each for protein and carbohydrates.

This as if the diets of the two countries are very high-fat, but when you consider that fat metabolism produces twice as much energy per gram as either carbohydrate or protein, fat content of the diet appears much lower.

Clearly, the diets proposed by Government are not working. What is needed is a simple, long-term solution, free from vested interests and dogma.

The difference between diet and dieting.

Dieting, or the temporary change in what we eat in order to fulfil a specific objective over a given timeframe, has been the mainstay of weight control for so long that it is difficult to believe it will not continue indefinitely. Apart from the fact that many diets are unpalatable, restrictive, unpleasant or downright dangerous, those who follow a prescribed diet for a few days, weeks or months invariably return to their old habits again afterwards - that is human nature. Diets don't work in the long term!

Returning to your previous diet means that you will return to your previous shape / size weight - there is no getting away from it. The only way to overcome this, therefore, is to make a complete and permanent change to the things that you eat. This, in turn, can only be achieved if the food you are to eat is attractive, tasty, varied and enjoyable as well as being nutritious.

Thankfully, this is not hard to achieve, but before we propose the right way to achieve it, we must first consider what is is that's wrong with the Western diet.

Carbohydrate craziness.

For many years, dieticians and their ilk have insisted that the ideal diet is high in carbohydrates. Whilst, in general, most fruits and vegetables are (when grown on soil that has not been depleted of its minerals or chemically poisoned) both tasty and nutritious, most people don't think of these as carbohydrates and instead think of pasta, bread, potatoes and rice - commonly known as "complex carbohydrates".

As we have shown, these foods are high glycaemic index (GI) foods, meaning that they readily convert to blood sugar and stimulate the release of insulin, which both stops fat metabolism and encourages fat storage. this situation is made much worse in the absence of sufficient chromium, which helps insulin to encourage sugar uptake by the tissues, so reducing blood sugar. Lack of chromium is known to be one of the risk factors of developing diabetes.

Note - the body is stimulated to store fat not by eating fat, but by eating high GI carbohydrates. This is the principle contributor to obesity on both the USA and Britain, not least because many people rely these days on fast food and prepared meals, which not only contain high GI foods, but also sugar and trans fats, which we will deal with next.

One of the best ways to counter this is to convert to a low grain or no-grain diet.

Margarine kills - stick to butter!

In addition to eating the wrong type of carbohydrates, many people also eat not only too little fat, but the wrong kind of fat.

Fats derived from animals are not only completely natural, they have been part of our diet for millennia. Many of the "unsaturated" fats sold nowadays, however, have only been in existence for a few decades and are not natural at all. Top of this list are the trans-fats that are produced when making hydrogenated vegetable oils.

These trans-fats, created by the very people who started the cholesterol myth, have been directly linked to both heart disease and cancer, which cannot be shown for animal fats. In fact, when proper grass-fed meat is consumed (grain-fed meat has different nutritional values), we gain many benefits other than just the protein and fat content, including vitamins, minerals and trace elements.

The fats most often missing from the diet are often the most important. In a recent study, over 25% of all Americans tested had so little omega-3 fatty acid in their blood that it was undetectable, despite the fact that this essential fatty acid is one of the main components of the brain and nerves among many other cellular functions.

Carb Refeeding and Weight Loss

Part of the allure of the Primal eating plan is that it’s effortless. There’s no calorie counting, no stressing over macronutrient intakes – eating PB simply means choosing to eat real, whole foods that man has been eating for tens of thousands of years. You can go higher carb or lower carb (I initially recommend low carb, just because it makes losing weight and stabilizing your metabolism incredibly easy, especially for folks coming off the SAD), and as long as you’re eating real foods you’ll be getting healthier and losing body fat.

This isn’t enough for everyone, though. To go back to yesterday’s “hormones as software” analogy, some people are hackers who relish digging deep into the fine print of software manuals discussing human nutrition and hormonal responses. Others – the bulk of my readership – are cool with using their standard-issue, factory Mac or PC to reap the basic benefits of Primal living, while others prefer learning Unix and taking night classes in comp sci down at the local community college after work. They’re the ones who spend the time to fiddle with the programming language of our bodies in order to become real hormonal hackers. I get that. I love that stuff, too, if only to able to take the information and distill it for a large audience. Though one can see tremendous results with minimal effort following the simple principles of the Primal Blueprint (i.e. how I approach my own eating habits and how I recommend others do as well) digging deeper into the science of leptin and how carb refeeds impact leptin levels can unlock an entirely new level of fat loss (and understanding of why that fat loss is occurring).

All this leptin and carb reefeeding stuff was prompted by reader questions; I get a fair amount of questions about carb refeeds, and, because the PB is a moderate to low-carb plan, people (understandably so) tend to assume that carbohydrate refeeding contradicts its basic tenets. They make an incorrect assumption.

As mentioned earlier, the Primal Blueprint is the simplest, most enjoyable, most sustainable way to normalize your weight, a description borne out by my own experiences and the experiences of my readers. If you don’t want to fret over every last macronutrient as you lose weight steadily, a low carb, high fat, moderate protein Primal eating plan will do the trick. That said, I am not overly concerned with getting folks to 6% body fat, nor am I interested in producing champion body builders. I have nothing against getting as lean as possible; it’s just not my focus. Turning the Primal Blueprint into a super-leaning out program would mean changing its inherent nature as an effortless system without weighing and measuring. You see, I’m concerned with helping people reach their natural genetic potential through sustainable lifestyle behaviors. And for most people, their natural genetic potential is pretty damn good – lean, strong, fit, healthy. Very few people can achieve that ultra-ripped, Men’s Health cover model look without significant, painstaking adherence to a strictly regimented program.

Carb loading or carb refeeds can be used, quite effectively, by those interested in dropping the last couple body fat percentage points. I wouldn’t recommend it for overweight individuals. For them, sticking with a low carb, Primal eating plan is the easiest, safest way to drop the pounds. And you can do it with Primal foods.

The purpose, as I see it, of carb refeeds is the restoration of leptin levels in the dieter. As we know, caloric restriction reduces leptin levels. With lower leptin comes increased hunger and reduced adherence to a diet. Cravings arise. Energy wanes, immunity suffers. The lack of leptin elicits the cascade of hormones that down regulate metabolism and energy expenditure. Your muscles use less energy and become more efficient – but weaker and less effective. Menstruation and fertility become issues. Dropping calories even more just makes the problem worse. You need to restore leptin, at least for a bit, to right the path. A carb refeed can help you achieve this.

Who needs to reefed? No one “needs” a carb reefed, especially if he or she is feeling good, looking good, and continuing to lose weight with plenty of energy. I never consciously stuff myself with carbs, and I’m doing okay. Remember, too, that a low-carb eating plan doesn’t equal a low calorie eating plan. If your weight loss has stalled, however, and hunger is a constant issue, no matter the depths of your caloric restriction, it may be wise to consider a periodic carbohydrate refeed. If you lack energy throughout the day and your immune system is suffering, you might need to restore your leptin levels with a carb refeed.

Here’s the quick and dirty Primal way to do it:

On your heaviest training days (heavy lifting, sprinting, anything that results in glycogen depletion), increase your carbohydrates and limit your fat intake. Yes, limit your fat intake to around 50g (eyeball it – don’t demolish that stick of butter today). Don’t cut it out altogether, mind you, but emphasize carbs over fat. Fat doesn’t have much of a short-term effect on leptin, and, since we want to increase leptin in the short-term without gorging on overall calories, limiting fat and emphasizing carbohydrate is the way to go. Don’t do much to your protein intake. Just keep it relatively normal. Limit your refeeds to once, maybe twice a week, and always after really big workouts, but really go for it. Eat a lot of yams, sweet potatoes, fruit, plantains, squash – any Primal source of starchy carb will do the trick (grains and legumes are still problematic, so keep away). Eat more total calories than you’d normally eat and way more carbohydrate calories than you’d normally eat – at least 250 g-300 g worth. Finish your refeed day with a decent chunk of lean protein (chicken breast, cottage cheese).

You’ll probably get that bloated, water-weight feeling the following day, especially if your diet is relatively low-carb, but that will go away after a day or so. Leptin will rise (independent of fat storage), glycogen will replenish, and your appetite will normalize. Since you’re already fairly lean with low circulating leptin (and, remember: you should be relatively lean before employing refeeds), your leptin senstivity will be high. The leptin bounce won’t be enough to dull your leptin receptors; that generally only happens with the obese, who have chronically elevated leptin.

There are other methods. Some experts recommend two or three day-long carb binges. Others say a week long refeed works best. I don’t know about you, but that seems like too much work. I honestly can’t see myself giving up pastured butter and ribeyes for a week straight. Starch without fat gets real old, real fast.

I may not find refeeds necessary for my goals, but I recognize that they can help people reach their goals. Everyone’s different. I can’t guarantee my way will work – you may have to get super strict and follow Martin Berkhan’s or Lyle McDonald’s methods to reach your desired level of leanness. Still, the Primal refeed is worth experimenting with, especially if you’ve reached a plateau lasting a month or more. I’m a big fan of steady, gradual weight loss, and the leaner you get the slower it gets, but it’s not for everyone. The above recommendations simply represent a way you can adhere to the Primal eating plan and still tinker with carb refeeds without overly disrupting your usual diet.

Nutrition For Body Building

Those who are health conscious and thinking about their body building or muscle toning, need to have balanced nutrition. In such a case, certain food types are recommended, yet it is found that the body lacks certain nutrients. In such a case, it becomes necessary that the individuals are given some body supplements. There are many different types of supplements available – choose the one which your body needs.

Those who are on body building routines and follow strict routines are usually prescribed a diet, which they are required to follow time and again. Still, it has been found that the body lacks energy and there is problem in general health and well being. This is an indication that the body is not getting the required nutrition. In such a case, it becomes necessary to have dietary supplements which help to fulfill the deficiency of the body. There are various kinds of nutritional and body supplements available, which you can use as per your requirements. Just ask your trainer about the different types of body supplements which are needed by your body.

Body supplements are all those nutrients which are essential for those who are on strict diet and have rigorous work out sessions. Muscle building supplement requires some special nutrients for the body which helps to build and tone the muscles. If essential nutrients are not available, the body will not be able to cope with rigorous training schedules. There are different types of nutritional supplements available for people who are on strict workout schedules and need elaborate body building.

Muscle building supplement – This is a special supplement which helps to strengthen and build muscles. You can carry out your regular exercise schedule, but along with good food and nutrition, you can have muscle building supplement. This supplement is made up of all necessary minerals and vitamins which are required by the body for healthy growth and development.

Supplement for building muscles are available in local drugstores and supermarkets, but it is always advisable to buy these supplements from some renowned brands. This ensures that the supplements are of good quality and have all the nutrition which your body needs. In fact all such bodybuilding and nutrition supplements which are available are the research work of several years which are made available for different users. A lot of survey and research is carried out to find which kind of bodybuilding nutrition is most required by our body and hence after considering different factors such muscle building supplements are developed.

Weight training supplements are specially designed for those people who are on a strict weight training routine. These supplements make the body cope with regular training and exercises, helping the body to stay fit and healthy. Nutrition for body building needs to taken regular at the time mentioned on the labels. This shall ensure that you have enough of all supplements which your body might crave. You can have some of these supplements before your weight training schedule and some after your weight training, as per the directions mentioned in the label of the supplement.

Quick Weight Loss Diet

The Dangers of Any Quick Weight Loss Diet and How to avoid them

Many of us are on the search of the long lost curvy waistline. Even more kid themselves thinking that they will change their lifestyle and get healthy eating habits: no more fast food caloric bombs, lots of fruits and vegetables. What a great life that would be.

This is what usually happens: the first time you might use a healthy diet but when the results don’t show up as fast as you wished you start looking for a more quick weight loss diet. Usually in our fast paced modern life we seek the quick fix form the start. Unfortunately quick and easy isn’t always the best way to go. You can do some pretty serious damage if you go from quick weight loss diet to quick weight loss diet. And the really bad news is that you won’t lose weight either.

Starving yourself to lose weight quick is never the right solution. It is true that in 1-2 weeks you might lose lots of pounds. You might even get a curvy figure with killer legs. No one like those love handles, belly fat and fat deposits in the wrong places that make us look not that appetizing. Who wouldn’t like a hot steaming body that bags you to look at it.

What you should understand about your fat deposits is that they are the result of a totally healthy process gone wrong. The purpose of all that fat is to help you go past tough times of famine. Your body is doing you a favor. At least that is what it believes. All that excess fat is the result of hectic eating habits and super drastic weight loss diets.

There is no point to getting stressed by your excess fat. Create a good and healthy weight loss plan and get to work. Start chipping away at the fat and soon you will get the body you desire. I know it takes time but the results are long term. You will enjoy a stunning body for longer.

The desire to lose weight quickly is spurred by 2 major events: either you have to attend a super party or event (a wedding, graduation,…) or you have gained weight fast and you can’t get used to the new look. A person that has been on the forefront of the fight against fat for many years knows not to expect miraculous results form a quick weight loss diet.

Quick isn’t always efficient when it comes to weight loss

You get a really drastic weight loss diet, you immerse yourself in work and drink as much water as you can. If you can squeeze some exercising from time to time you feel even more proud of yourself. You eat almost nothing all day long. A drastic weight loss diet is perceived by your body as famine. You are starving your body, denying it all the nutrients it needs to function properly. It is very hard and grueling but the desire to lose weight is so great that it make the constant hunger bearable.

Usually with any drastic weight loss diet people fall into two situations. Some starve themselves fighting their desire to eat and craving each minute of the day. Pure ambition is what helps them lose weight quickly in a short period of time. Sometimes they lose quite a considerable amount of weight. One month later, after getting off the quick weight loss diet, they are stunned to see their scale pointing towards a new bigger number. They regain all the weight lost and pack some extra pounds as a bonus too. How is this possible?

Your body was deprived of all the essential nutrients it needs to function. The drastic weight loss dieting period was perceived by your body as famine. That is why when you started eating normally your body done all it could to gather as many resources as it could. Fat is its way of getting ready for further long periods of hunger.

Another frequent situation is when people starve themselves and almost don’t eat anything all day long. They have a set goal, a number of pounds they want to lose and are determined to achieve their goal. They even have set a date until when they will achieve their weight loss goal. Usually that date is very near, 1 week at most 2 weeks. When the weeks passes they get on the scale and see no results. They feel frustrated. All that effort and hunger endured was for nothing. What went wrong?

The human body functions after its own rules. Your body needs a certain number of minerals and vitamins daily. Most minerals and vitamins cannot be assimilated if you don’t have a balanced nutrition. Your body needs a certain amount of water and physical exercise. If you don’t set realistic weight loss goals you will always be disappointed. You will fail each and every time to lose weight. You have to allow you all the time your body needs to lose weight naturally in a healthy way.

Moderation is the key to success in any weight loss attempt

If you don’t have the willpower to stop snacking on all kind of junk food full of calories between the meals. If you can’t stop yourself from eating fatty food, especially fast food, don’t despair there is hope. You have to learn to eat smaller portions. You are probably overeating at each meal so you won’t starve your body. This way you will start to lose weight. Don’t expect quick and fabulous weight loss results but you will get results. You will not lose all the weight in 2 week but you will lose it.

If you really want to lose weight and change your appearance you need to arm yourself with lots of willpower and patience. You first have to change your eating habits and lifestyle if you want long term results that maintain themselves. Who wants to lose weight, look stunning for 1 week and them become even fatter? I sure as hell don’t. You have to start living a more healthy life, to lose weight without damaging your health. Changing your lifestyle is the only way to ensure you maintain your brand new hot body.

Start by keeping a healthy balanced diet, low in carbs and fats. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables and foods rich in fibers. Start practicing a sport and drink lots of water (at least 8 cups of water per day). Eat smaller portions of food more frequently. In no time you will start reaping results, losing pounds and look much better. But don’t set goals that are too related to a timeframe. Allow yourself enough time to get the results you desire. Be realistic and you won’t get disappointed and frustrated on your weight loss journey. Use weight loss diets that you feel are good for your body and exercise more.

If you succeed to lose weight you are not off the hook yet. You have to increase your willpower and determination because your body will have the tendency to try to regain the pounds lost. That is why after finishing the weight loss diet you cannot go to your old eating habits. The fact that you were able to follow a weight loss diet and get the results you desired is an admirable thing. But you have to continue eating healthy food and avoiding eating fast food or fatty food as much as possible. Use this opportunity to change your lifestyle and become more healthy. You stand only to gain from such a beneficial change.

New eating habits based on moderation, eating smaller servings 5-6 times per day is the clever choice. Eat lots of fruits, vegetables, dairies, low fat meat and healthy carbs. Drink at least 8 cups of water per day and exercise frequently (at least 3 times per week).

The power of the forbidden foods

Maybe the most important nugget of wisdom I can share with you from my own weight loss adventures is that you should never have forbidden foods. Forbidden foods hold a fabulous power over us. Anything that is forbidden is much more appealing. When I realized this my dieting became really easy and I can say I enjoyed pretty quick weight loss.

You shouldn’t have forbidden foods. You should have foods you choose not to eat. Not because you can’t but because you just don’t feel like it. To fortify this belief indulge your craving form time to time. You can go and eat half a menu at McDonalds if you feel like it. Remember moderation. If you know you can eat any food if you feel like it you will notice you will have fewer cravings. This little mind trick worked like a charm for me.

Chocolate, ice-cream, cake, cookies are all part of a healthy balanced diet, but they are a really small part. If you learn to find out what nutrients your body needs you will always make the right decision and eat healthy food.

Things to consider before starting a quick weight loss diet:

• A big part of the fatty rolls you can see on your body are actually made out of water. After a quick weight loss diet you can lose them really fat because you dehydrate your body. When you stop dieting your body will retain the water once again and you will be where you started, maybe even more worst off.
• Quick weight loss diets make you feel tired all the time and reduce your energy level. Your enthusiasm level will drop and you will be very irritable.
• By going on a very drastic weight loss diet you deprive your body of all the essential nutrients it needs to function properly. You actually put your health at risk this way. Consider the medical bills which can be huge.
• The level of sodium and potassium form your body will drop making you dizzy. You will also experience much more muscle cramps.
• Drastic weight loss diets can help you achieve a sexy figure but they also can cause the appearance of stretch marks, dried skin and a bad looking skin and hair.

With the fat deposits you will also lose a good part of your muscle mass with the help of the drastic and quick weight loss diet. Muscles are the ones that make you look smoking hot and they also help you stay fit for longer. Muscles burn more calories than fat, much more.

I beg you that before going on any quick weight loss diet that you take into consideration all the above mentioned things. I believe that the best way to lose weight is to do it a little slower but much more healthier. In fact if you use a healthy weight loss diet and you also exercise you will lose weight faster that all the people that are running around for quick fixes. And the best part is that you will keep your sexy looking body for longer. You will enjoy life more I guarantee it from my own experience.

What is your experience with quick weight loss diets? What have you learned from them? I am very interested in your thoughts and opinions. Write them down in the comments below...

Burn Fat Fast

10 Minute Home Workout To Burn Fat Fast

While most people will tell you that you need at least 30 minutes of continuous exercise to burn a decent amount of fat, I’m here to tell you that you can achieve great results even if you have a lot less free time on your hand. In fact, if you can spare just 10 minutes, there is no reason why you can’t do a lot to shed pounds, get lean, tone up, and feel great.

In this short article, I’ll show you how you can do a 10 minute home workout that will help you melt away the fat. You need to do all of these exercises with no rest until the 10 minutes are over. This is crucial for your results. You can either use a clock to see when you need to switch exercises or use an interval timer like the Gymboss to make it easier for you.

Minutes 1 – 2: Jumping jacks – This is done for warm-up mostly. Jumping jacks are a great way to get your entire body warmed up as they employ your body from head to toe in the movement. Do this with enthusiasm, although I admit that jumping jacks can be a bit boring to do. In two minutes time, you’ll be warmed up and ready to commence the real workout.

Minute 3 – 4: Forward Lunges – Train your legs and push your body hard. To do a lunge simply take a step forward and lower your body straight down. Make sure that your bent knee doesn’t pass the tip of your toes and that you don’t bend it lower then 90 degrees. Each leg should get a minute of lunges. If you’re up to it, take a dumbbell in each hand. Hey, I never said this will be easy.

Minute 5: Burpees – This is a great exercise that will get your heart pumping for sure. To do the burpee you need to go to a low squat, place your palms on the ground in front of you, thrust both legs to a push-up position, do a single push-up. Bring both legs back to the low squat position. Rise and jump high into the air. I know that a push-up may be hard for you to do right now but give it a try, even a partial push-up is better than none. To make this exercise harder, try bringing both knees to your chest when you jump.

Minute 6: Sideways squats – Stand with both legs close together. Take a step to the right with your right foot but still face forward. Your step should be to the side. Squat down until your feel the strain in your inner thighs. Rise, take a step back. Take a step to the left with your left foot. Squat down. Rise and take a step back. Do this fast to get the most squats you can into this minute. If you can hold a dumbbell with both hands in front of you as you’re doing it, go ahead. By now, you’ll be able to feel the sweat pouring and the fat burning away with it.

Minute 7: Running in place knee high – Running in place, fast for a minute isn’t easy by itself. I want you to add to that by running with each step bring your knee high until it’s bent at a 90 degree angle. Even a minute of running like this will tax you, be ready for some effort.

Minute 8: Triceps dips – For this you need to find a table or a couch to use. Turn your back to the table and sit down on the floor beside it. Grab The edge of the table with both hands so that your thumb is on the underside of the table and the rest of the fingers are above it. Lift yourself up so that only your heels are touching the floor. Make sure your hands are about shoulder width a part of a bit more. Lower yourself down toward the floor by bending your elbows. Feel the strain in your triceps. Don’t let your butt touch the ground. Raise yourself back and repeat for a minute.

Minute 9: Squat jumps – This exercise is hard but it’s worth it because it will help you to burn more fat. This is a simple exercise just as it sounds: go into a squat and when you rise just jump into the air. If you want to make it harder for yourself, jump with both knees bent toward your chest.

Minute 10: Jumping jacks – This is somewhat of a cool down after you’ve worked so hard but focus on doing these right until you hear your alarm signal that the 10 minutes are up.

There you go, you have an awesome workout to do in ten minutes to get your to burn fat and get fit. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes for this workout and it’s best to do the jumps on a workout mat.

Gain Muscle and Lose Fat

How to Gain Muscle and Lose Fat At The Same TimeTwo of the most coveted fitness goals are to lose body fat and to gain muscle mass. Some people want just one of these goals as it seems to be more urgent for them. If you’re 30 pounds overweight, you care more about losing fat than building big muscles. If you’re the thin and scrawny type, then you may want to get some mass on you.

However, a lot of people, perhaps the majority of them, want to achieve both these goals together. They want to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time. The question is whether it is possible and if so, how can this be done?

At first glance, these two goals seem to be impossible to achieve together. In fact, if you told me some pill, powder, or potion was being marketed with the claims that it can provide a concurrent muscle gain and fat loss, I’d immediately say that it was a scam.

The reason why it seems impossible to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time, at the exact same moment, is that these two goals require antagonistic calorie consumption strategies. Fat loss requires a calorie deficit, burning more than you put in. Otherwise, your body will not go to it’s fat stores and use those as its source of energy. Muscle gain requires a calorie surplus, eating more than you burn to give the muscles something to use as building blocks for growth.

You can’t have both a surplus and a deficit at the same time so gaining muscle and losing fat at the same time must be impossible, right?

In one sense, the answer is yes, in another the answer is… maybe.

You may be feeling a bit confused right now and I don’t blame you. But if you bear with me, I’ll explain what I mean. When I first stumbled upon this dilemma, it was while reading a nutrition and fitness program that actually promised to help you gain muscle and lose fat at the same time: The Holy Grail Body Transformation by Tom Venuto.

The only reason why I kept on reading was because it was written by Tom Venuto, someone whose teachings I’ve been following for many years now. I know him as a phenomenal expert in nutrition and fitness and as someone who is honest and doesn’t use shady marketing tactics. I just couldn’t believe that he would claim to be able to deliver results which were impossible.

A different perspective on the “Same Time”

In the Holy Grail Body Transformation, Tom Venuto talks about changing your perspective on what the Same Time is. Since you really can’t get a calorie deficit and a surplus at the same instant in time, why don’t you expand your view to a week or a month at a time. Isn’t it possible to have certain days of the week in which you have a calorie deficit and other days in which you have a calorie surplus?

In fact, you can have different times of the day in which your body is burning more than you’re feeding it, leading to a deficit and other times a day in which you’re eating more than you’re burning. You can have deficit periods and surplus periods. While in each of these periods of time, you’re losing fat OR gaining muscle, by combining them into one, you can lose fat and gain muscle at the same time, only this time your time frame is a day or a week or a month.

This is something that Venuto calls Nutritional Periodization, meaning that you change your calorie intake and the amount of various nutrients that you eat from one time to another to fit your current goal. In this case, you may create a calorie surplus right after you finish a strength workout to induce a bigger muscle gain, and lower your calorie intake a few hours later to create a deficit for fat loss.

Naturally, this is simplifying the process as there is more to this method that just eating more or eating less. You need to eat the right things as well to achieve optimal results for either of these goals. To gain muscle mass, you need to give the body the nutrients it needs when your muscles crave for them. Otherwise, they will never be able to grow properly. When your body is short on calories, it has to burn what it has stored. What you eat actually triggers various hormones in your body that determine whether your body will go to your fat stores (what you want) or if it will use some other calories.

The point is that you can, through careful nutritional periodization and working out, achieve a concurrent muscle gain and fat loss. This does require effort and a dedicated adherence to the guidelines that Tom Venuto teaches. But if you do it correctly, you can burn the fat and feed the muscle together for the first to melt away and the second to grow.

So, there is no easy way to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time. However, as long as you judge your progress by days and weeks instead of seconds and moments, you can achieve both with effort, dedication, and planning.

Morning Ritual For Weight Loss

Today I want to talk with you about the importance of having a morning ritual to start your day with. This is something I’ve been doing for a few months now and I am amazed at the way it has totally transformed my day. My goal, when I first started doing my morning ritual I was to improve my energy and focus throughout the day, to be able to get more things done and to be more productive. This has worked beyond my expectations.

On days in which I do my morning ritual, I find that I have more energy, focus, that I’m less hungry, and I just feel better. It has also helped me to drop some stubborn fat and to tone up nicely.

I truly believe that the way you begin your day affects the rest of your day as well. This is why I highly recommend that you take the time to create your own morning ritual and do it every day you can with as little excuses as possible.

Allow me to share with you my morning ritual. You don’t have to do exactly what I do, just make up your own thing and stick to it.

My Morning Ritual

When I get out of bed, the first thing I do are some stretches. I often find that my body is a bit tight when I wake up and I want to loosen it up a bit. I do a variety of stretches for my whole body, making sure that I really let out all the tightness that has set in during the night after lying in practically the same position for hours. My favorite stretch, which you can see modeled in the picture above, is the lower back stretch.

Stretching after I wake up immediately banishes the drowsy feeling I often wake up with. I’m ready to continue with my morning routine.

The next thing I do is hydrate myself. I drink one or two tall glasses of water. This is critical, my friend. Your body has not had any fluids for the entire night. Even if you don’t feel thirsty, trust me, your body is. Give your body some water as quickly as possible. Don’t settle for a sip. A glass or two is what I recommend.

After I’ve had my water, I do a little exercise. I love to do a short morning workout. I find that it boosts my energy and sets me up nicely for the rest of the day. This is actually a pretty good way to motivate yourself to lose weight as you won’t want to ruin the effect of your morning workout by eating bad stuff later in the day.

Because I live on the 1oth floor at this time, my own workout routine is to climb the ten flights of stairs to my level 2 – 4 times. I take the elevator down to the basement floor and climb up all the way. This is not so easy as climbing stairs challenges your body pretty nicely (especially your thighs), but it doesn’t take long and it doesn’t make you feel exhausted. You can get on with your day.

You can make up your own workout. It’s really up to you and what you like to do. I recommend dedicating at least 10 minutes to your morning workout to make it effective.

Once I finish my workout I have some breakfast. I make sure to include a good dose of protein and fiber in my breakfast as these are both excellent ways to curb your appetite for hours afterwards. Protein also helps you to boost your metabolism a bit (something that I learned from Jon Benson in the Every Other Day Diet and was later confirmed by Josh Bezoni’s 7 Day Belly Blast Diet).

A good breakfast is crucial for weight loss or maintenance and I find that when I eat well in the morning, I don’t crave food as much later on, I eat less calories throughout the day, and it just gets easier to tone up.

Need to Lose Weight

Why You Need to Lose Weight

To be able to see something through there must be a driving force, a compelling reason why you want to do it in the first place. Without such a reason, or a goal in mind, you won’t be able to stick to the process for the long run and be able to overcome whatever difficult or challenging moment that may occur. This is true for trying to lose weight as well. You have to know why you’re doing it.

In this article, I want to convince you why losing weight is something you want, a goal that can help you improve your life in more ways than one, often in unknown ways. It may be difficult to read about such things now, when you still have some weight to lose, but know this: what your life is right now may not be as it will be later on. It is up to you to make the right kind of change in your life, the kind of change that you want to achieve. Use these reasons as the primary force for losing weight and changing your life.

The most important thing: Health

This may be a cliché, but your health is the most important thing you possess. It doesn’t matter how much money you have or how big your house is, if your health is poor, your life is miserable. It’s no secret that your nutrition and your weight have a great effect on your health. Being overweight is a risk factor in many illnesses such as diabetes, strokes, heart conditions, high blood pressure, and so on. The more research I read about the effects of being overweight (not to mention obese) on your long term health, the more afraid I become for the many people I see who are overweight.

You owe it to yourself and your loved ones to take care of yourself as much as possible. You need to take whatever steps you can to have good health. It will help you live longer, feel better, and avoid nasty diseases that can simply make life harder.

One topic which is not often talked about is that of prejudice against fat people. A lot of people have some nasty assumptions when they see a fat person: they think of things such as them being lazy, unhealthy, tired, lacking energy, unable to take care of themselves, etc. The results of such prejudice can have a dramatic effect on your earning potential, your ability to land high paying jobs, your promotion prospects, and so on. People just naturally give more opportunities to thin people. It’s shameful, it’s disgusting, but it does happen.

Losing weight is also a financial decision. Have no doubt, it can help you make more money for many years to come. This is why I believe that investing in a good diet plan is often just as financially sound as putting money into your education.

Relationships

Let me start by saying that there are overweight people who have fantastic relationships that last for decades and they have love and joy and companionship with their partners. There are also thin people who never find their soul-mate and continue living in loneliness. Looking better is no guarantee of happiness. Far from it. However, there is no doubt that if you’re looking for a partner, whether it is for a long term relationship or for something casual, that looks matter. People are shallow, at least in part, so looking as well as you can can help you attract more potential partners. This is not the main reason why you need to lose weight but if it gives you motivation, by all means, make use of it.

A better life

Saying that losing weight can help you have a better life is a generalization and a problematic one at that. However, shedding those excess pounds can make it easier for you to travel, play with your kids, enjoy your favorite sport, dance, and be more active. All those things count for something. It counts as a better quality of life.

In Conclusion

There are many reasons why you may need to lose weight. Choose the one or ones that give you motivation and make you take action as soon as possible. The time to take action is now. There is simply no reason to wait.