Weight loss programs are very popular nowadays. How many times have we heard of different kinds of advices from different people about speeding their weight loss. But what is real and what is not? There are common myths about weight loss, nutrition and diet.

Myth 1: Fad diet results are forever

Fad diets or popular weight loss program scan help you lose your weight in a short period of time, but it does not help you in keeping the pounds away. Making sure that you would be staying fit and maintaining the weight that you have achieved is by making changes on your lifestyle. There is approximately 95 percent of fad diet followers who would regain their weight after a year or two.

We are what we eat. What we are are based on our food intake, activity or exercise routine. Weight loss is not just about sacrificing unhealthy food that we love once in a while. It is about consistently eating healthy and making nutritious food choices, eating the right amount of food, and increasing physical activity.

Myth 2: There are certain food like grapefruit and celery that could help in weight loss

Unfortunately, scientific studies have found out that these cannot burn fat. Although, it is possible for some food to increase the metabolism of the body, it does not mean that it could burn fat and lead to weight loss. The best way to burn fat is to limit the amount of saturated fat, unhealthy food and calories that you intake. And at the same time, increase your physical activity like exercise and mobility.

Myth 3: Low-fat or non-fat food or drinks means that it has zero calories.

Processed foods are never calorie-free. Sometimes the non-fat or low-fat would have the same number of calories compared with the regular product. Non-fat or low-fat products could contain additional sugar, flour or ingredients which could still add to calorie number of the product. So what you can do to limit your calorie intake? Check the Nutrition Facts label of the processed food to identify how much calorie it is for each serving. You would based how much you eat to limit your calorie intake.

Myth 4: To lose weight faster, miss meals.

This is among the most common myth. Studies showed that if you skip breakfast or any meal it is more likely to increase their weight. Why? Because they feel more hungry throughout the day and eat more in the next meal. It would be better to eat four to five times a day in small proportions. Just make sure that the food you will be eating is healthy, low-fat and low-calorie.

Myth 5: Eating red meat would increase your weight. This is the same for dairy products.

Yes it is true that red meat contains fat and cholesterol, but it also contain protein, iron and zinc which is essential for the body to function properly. When eating red meat, it is best to avoid those that have visible fat. You could choose mead with lower fat like tenderloin, extra lean ground beef, flank steak, and similar kinds of meat.

For dairy products, there are low-fat and non-fat milk, yogurt and cheeses which has the same nutritional value but lower in fat and calories.

These are just some of myths surrounding weight loss. Bottomline is, if you would like to lose weight and retain the results for longer period of time, then lifestyle change is the key. You would have to be committed in sticking to a healthy dietary plan and change the bad eating habits that you have learned over the years. This may be difficult since change does not happen overnight. Just take it one-step-at-a-time. Losing weight does not mean how many pounds you have lost in a week, but how successful you were in the long run.

People have several reasons for considering weight loss. For them, having a trim body can make them look healthier, look and feel better, and energetic. Regardless of the reason, they key to success in any weight management program depends on setting realistic goals and expectations.

By setting realistic goals, it will be more likely that you will meet them and have a greater chance of maintaining your weight. Losing at least 5 to 10 percent of your weight is an achievable goal for improving health.
If you are overweight or obese, do not rush on shedding off those unwanted pounds instead focus on losing them gradually. For safe and healthy reasons, minimize your weight reduction to a couple of pounds weekly. You may have to consult your doctor for this.

In general, your weight depends on several factors such as the amount and quality of food you eat, having regular exercise, stress and other situations, physiologic and genetic structure, and age and health condition.

Your weight reduction program should cater to all these factors. For this reason, you should avoid products and programs that guarantee quick and easy results or permanent results without making any changes in your lifestyle. Avoid advertisements that promote weight reduction without lowering the calories you consume or increasing physical activity. The use of these products may be harmful.

If you are overweight or suffering from obesity, a more sensible approach would be to focus on having regular exercise and eating healthy foods based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which focuses on reduced consumption of fat, and increase in vegetables, whole grains, and fruits. Medical supervision is likewise recommended in achieving your weight management goals.

Although fad diets can help in gaining temporary weight loss, it could bring about complications in your health. Your long-term success in weight management will depend on how well you respond to your program. So to avoid serious health complications from overweight or obesity, your mind should be set on gradual weight loss.

Here are the steps on how you will succeed in managing your weight:

* Consult your doctor. See to it that your health condition permits reduction of calorie intake and increase in physical activity.

* While reducing the number of calorie intake, take a balanced diet that provides shedding off one or two pounds weekly. Do not forget to incorporate 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily, together with whole grains, lean meat, and low fat dairy products.

* As much as possible, incorporate regular exercise or physical activity in your daily routine. Take the stairs going to your workplace, park at the far end rather than on the nearest spot, walk up and down the escalator, and others. When your doctor gives their go-signal, slowly introduce physical activity to your routine.

* Bear in mind the benefits of moderately losing weight. There is evidence that shedding 5 to 10 percent of your weight produces health benefits. As far as achieving success in weight reduction and management, keeping it slow and steady is the best option.

Weight loss is something that you cannot achieve in a snap of a finger. In doing so, you need to consider your health condition as well as the possible side effects that could happen. Being a risk taker is not the best solution to weight management.

According to a research (Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, December, 2003), drinking two cups of water increases metabolic rate by 30 percent in just 30 to 40 minutes. This is because water arouses the sympathetic nervous system which causes increase in metabolic rate. Researchers concluded that an average of eight cups of water a day would increase caloric expenditure by 100 calories which is an excellent weight loss solution.

Experts’ advice is to drink half your weight in ounces daily. For example, if you weigh 140 pounds, you should drink at least seventy ounces or approximately nine cups of water daily. This amount of water is the standard amount your body needed for normal daily hydration. For those who also exercise, additional amount of water is needed aside from the mentioned amount. To prevent hydration, it is advised to drink one and a half cups of water thirty minutes before exercise. The best source of water is portable bottled water or tap water. Make sure to stay away from caffeine whenever possible because it speeds up your metabolism and dehydrate you.

There are also researchers that proved the advantage of drinking your water cold. This is because cold water could burn up more calories heating up the body temperature. Many successful dieters found water as their key component to weight loss by using it as an effective appetite suppressant. Renowned psychologist Kelly Brownell, Ph.D., who had been making studies on weight loss developed a behavioral-modification program for weight loss which includes drinking water as one of effective strategies.

Aside from making you feel full, water as a healthy, non-caloric beverage provides a great alternative to cans of soda. Soda is one delicious culprit of weight gains. It’s one of the best thirst quencher but come with hundreds of calories. Filling up your body with water instead of soda is a great way to cut down calories. Switching from a regular 12-ounce of Coke to water can make a big difference, calorie-wise. An average of 1,000 calories can be eliminated by switching to drinking water from a Coke drinker in a week (that is for somone who drinks 5 regulars and 5 diets). It’s a one-third of a pound already and for a weight loss program, it matters BIG.

Water also flushes out your internal systems. Fat soluble are environmental contaminants that enters the human body and can be there to stay unless you find a way to flush them away. However, during weight loss diet, these fats are mobilized and instigated to get out from your system. Fat soluble are dangerous to your bloodstream as they usually remain sitting dormant for decades or more. When these happen it can slow down your metabolism, leading to health complications. Water like soluble fibers (fruits and vegetables) is one key of flushing these toxins out of your body.

A well hydrated body helps our kidneys and liver to function well. Water helps to eliminate fat and other toxins from our body. On the other hand, a dehydrated body causes our liver and kidney to work overtime – because our body has less ability of removing fat fast. Thus, it is essential to drink plenty of water to keep your cells well hydrated and healthy. Drinking plenty of water to maintain good health for our liver is often called “promote more-effecient and more-effective protein metabolism. Since one of your goals while your on a weight loss program is to build muscles, the last thing you want to do is slow down protein metabolism. Drinking enough water will help you achieve this.

Don’t drink too much! Drinking too much water can dilute the salt content in your blood and tissue, especially during dieting. Athletes have even died from drinking too much water. You need to find a balance between the amount of water you drink and your intake of salts and electrolytes. And remember water alone is not going to help you lose weight, you need to exercise as well.

Here’s a good video about water and weight loss:

1. Fruits and Vegetables that are high in antioxidants – Antioxidants are excellent chemicals that help neutralize free radicals in our body. Antioxidants when not neutralized can cause a condition called “oxidative stress.” It is a condition where there is an imbalance between the factors that causes oxidation and the factors that inhibit oxidation. Free radicals can cause cell damage that results our body’s meta-block system and organ’s system to break down. Here are the top antioxidants that can help you in weight loss:

Blueberries – They are chock-full of antioxidants and fiber, low in sugar and calories. Research shows that blueberries has the greatest anti-oxidants among fruits and vegetables. Aside from that, blueberries has contents that reverse cell degeneration. They also has flavonoids and beta-carotene which helps to prevent Alzheimer’s disease and an effective anti-inflammatory components.

Kale and Spinach – These two vegetables are rich in antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin which help protect against age-related cataracts and macular degeneration.

Broccoli – New medical study shows that eating broccoli and broccoli sprouts reduces your risk of heart disease, high-blood pressure and stroke. Broccoli has high contents of antioxidants called “glucoraphanin,” a chemical which boost the body’s defense system against cancer-forming free radicals.

2. Fiber-rich and low-calories fruits – Eating fruits a day like apple does not only keeps the doctor away but also helps you loose weight. Aside from the benefits of helping prevent cardiovascular problems, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and high cholesterol, the nutrients found in fruits are excellent source of fat burning compounds. Fruits satisfy hunger by taking longer to consume, thus your appetite is reduced.

3. Zero-Fat Vegetables – Vegetables are good source of fiber which helps reduce fat soluble and other fat-causing factors that we have taken making it great foods for weight loss and maintenance. Vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, brussels sprouts, potatoes, and squash are just some of these vegetables.

4. High-Energy Foods – Great “go” foods has numerous health benefits. Examples of these are oatmeal, yogurt, spinach and canned salmon, tuna or sardines.

Canned Salmon, Tuna, or Sardines – These three fishes are great souce of omega-3 fatty acids, provide extra calcium and protein aside from milk. You can add salmon, tuna or sardines as filling to a whole wheat sandwich with onions, lettuce, tomato, and less-fat dressing for a healthy lunch or heavy snack. You can also add them to your favorite salad. It is much healthier to opt for those packed in water than those in oil.

Oatmeal – Oatmeal balances your cholesterol in the body and an essential heart-protecting food.

5. Foods with Incredible Crunch – Foods that require a good bit of chewing are excellent diet foods because require you ample time to chew and thus the brain’s appestat or appetite is satisfied long before you have the chance of consuming too many calories. Crunchable foods provide healthy benefits because they are high in fiber and promotes good metabolism. Examples of these foods are apple, corn, celery and carrots.

6. Power Foods – Power foods are foods not only packed with vitamins but contain many different types of unique nutrients such as phytonutrients, flavonoids, monounsaturated fats, omega-3 fatty acids, complex carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, fiber, and other nutrition-boosting compounds. Examples of these are:

Whole grains breads and cereals especially those that contain bran, an excellent source of fiber, B vitamins, and minerals including zinc, iron and magnesium.

Green leafy vegetables like spinach, dark lettuces, bok choy, chard, collard greens, and seaweed.

Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower because they are excellent source of complex carbohydrates and dietary fiber.

Orange vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, butternut squash, winter squash, and cantaloupe because they are loaded with cancer-fighting anti-oxidants beta-carotene and vitamins C and E.

Legumes, nuts and seeds are also power foods that help weight loss. Examples of these legumes are beans and lentils. The high fiber content of beans and lentils helps to reduce the absorption of saturated fat, cholesterol, and calories from the intestinal tract, reduces your appetite, and may reduce the risk of heart disease.

How great it is to lose weight in effortless ways! But weight loss is something that most of us, find difficult to do. Sometimes, it is very hard to start. Some would find actually sticking to it, difficult. Here are some easy tips on losing weight. Hopefully, it could help you start your magical transformation today!

• Never skip meals.

Some people believed that skipping meals would actually help. But research and studies would show otherwise. Missing meals would actually have an impact on your next meal and can even have effect on your overall health.

Also, never miss your breakfast. Not eating your breakfast would mean that you would be doing your daily activities on an empty stomach. This would even effect on how your body functions. There are research showing that those who skip breakfast are more likely to be overweight.

• Eat fresh.

Fruits and vegetables should be included in your diet, everyday. Fruits and vegetables are high in fiber, vitamins and antioxidants that would help you increase energy and provide numerous health benefits in the long run. They are also low in calories.

Processed food, like fast food, although convenient, is high in saturated fat. Aside from that they also higher content of sodium. There are some processed food that would claim that it is low calorie or diet food, but it could be harmful that beneficial for the body.

Some would say that they limit their fresh food intake because it is expensive. Think of it this way, eating fresh is considerably les expensive that paying for a hospital bill due to eating too much saturated fat and sodium?

• Hydrate with water

Scientific evidence showed that drinking water can actually help you in losing weight. Water intake can help you burn more calories. These studies, conducted in Germany, showed that drinking approximately 17 ounces of water increased metabolic rates in a person.

So start drinking your eight glasses a day. It is best to avoid sugary drinks, even those sodas claiming to be sugar free.

• Increase mobility

Do not be a couch potato and just stay in one position all day long. You are not required to do 30- minute aerobic and cardiovascular exercises everyday. Actually, increasing your mobility would help a lot. For example, you can start walking your dog everyday. Or you can just walk in the park. A 20- minute walk done every afternoon or morning would help you lose weight.

If you do not have any time for it, break-up your exercise routine. Try doing ten-minute exercise in the morning and ten minutes again in the evening. If you job requires you to sit in front of the computer or in a desk, then do some stretches once in while. Walk around. Make sure that you move at least every half hour.

• Do not be too restrictive

Everybody has something that they really like to eat. For some, dieting and losing weigh would mean completely avoiding the food that they like. Actually, when forming your diet plan, include some of your favourites. But you may need to eat them less often and in smaller amounts. Actually, if you avoid all of the things that you like to eat, it would eventually lead to bingeing.

Weight loss does not have to be something too restrictive or overwhelming. When following a weight loss plan, it is very important to be consistent and stick to it. You just have to have the will and discipline to follow your weight loss routine.