These Atkins Diet Tips Will Help You Lose Weight Fast!

I’ve put together some Atkins Diet tips for all of you out there who are on the Atkins Diet. I was successful on this low carb diet, losing 120 pounds over a period of eighteen months, and I want you to be able to do the same thing! The best way to do that is to follow the diet carefully and make sure you aren’t tempted to backslide or cheat.

When I first started the Atkins program, it was hard for me because I wasn’t really prepared. I knew I had to keep my carbs low and that there were certain foods that I could and couldn’t eat, especially during the Induction Phase. But knowing and doing were two different things until I got myself organized and learned how to make the diet work for me and my lifestyle. Once I did that, it was a breeze!

Everyone who is on the Atkins Diet menu plan has probably already read the “cans and can’ts” of the diet, so I won’t go into that. Instead I’ve put together these Atkins diet tips that helped me – and I believe will help you, too.

Here are my best Atkins Diet tips for staying on the plan and being successful with your weight loss goals:

<b>Atkins Diet Tip #1</b>

Take a “before” picture. I had my wife take my picture before I started the diet, and it was a real eye-opener. I didn’t look good. After two weeks on the Atkins plan, I had her take my photo again. What an inspiration! The clothes were already fitting looser and I could see that even my face was slimming down. I began taking the pictures about every three to four weeks after that, and let me tell you, they are inspirational. Any time I get frustrated or reach a plateau with my weight loss, I just get out those pictures and remind myself of how far I’ve come.

<b>Atkins Diet Tip #2</b>

Stock your refrigerator before you start. I tried starting the Atkins diet without going to the store at first. This was a mistake because a lot of the foods I had weren’t part of the program, and a lot of the ones that I was supposed to eat weren’t anywhere in my house. The next week my wife and I took the acceptable foods list with us to the market and stocked up on everything I liked. Then I had no excuses and my wife discovered that she could prepare tons of meals that were delicious and creative because she had everything on hand.

I also got rid of all the junk foods and empty calories in my house so that I wouldn’t be tempted. It’s a lot easier to pass up a plate of spaghetti if you don’t have any in the house!

<b>Atkins Diet Tip #3</b>

Make sure you take your vitamins. This sounds so simple, but it’s one thing a lot of people forget. If you don’t get the proper nutrients, you could begin feeling tired and blame it on the diet. If you take a good multi-vitamin and mineral supplement, you will protect yourself against disease, illness and the possibility of feeling “drained.”

<b>Atkins Diet Tip #4</b>

Find a friend to do the Atkins Diet with. Before I started Atkins, I had discussed it with a friend who decided to try it as well. During the Induction Phase he called me one night to talk because, he confessed, he was ready to give in to temptation – his son’s birthday cake. I suggested a snack alternative, and he ate it while we chatted. By the time we hung up, he felt great and the craving for the cake was gone.

It worked great to have an Atkins buddy – we even ate lunch out once a week to treat ourselves! We learned together how to read menus to find the best choices, how to ask for substitutions and always had fun while we were treating ourselves. We kept each other on track and cheered each other on.

<b>Atkins Diet Tip #5</b>

Keep quick and easy snacks ready. My wife always made sure I had crispy veggies like celery and cucumbers sliced and chilled in ice water for quick pick-me-ups. If they are already prepared, I’m more likely to reach for them. I also keep several varieties of cheese on hand and some hard-boiled eggs ready all the time. Both of these are great for a mid-afternoon or evening snack. You can also get a few of the Atkins snack bars for those times when you want a snack and you’re away from home.

Keeping these five Atkins diet tips in mind worked so well for me that they are now a part of my life. I always have something good to eat on hand, and my buddy and I are now in the Maintenance Phase of the Atkins diet, looking good and feeling great!

Things to avoid when trying to lose weight

Dieting is not always easy. In fact, it can prove a tough challenge for many people. So here’s a little guide to avoiding things that could make you lose control and start eating. Avoid them like plague if you wish to succeed.

1. Don’t rush into the toughest diet you can find.
This is a common mistake. Many people decide in a moment of desperation to follow a super-strict diet and fail. Don’t rush into a diet that may be too strict for you. If you don’t have any dieting experience and are not 100 percent sure you can stick with the diet, then choose something else.

2. Don’t lose touch with reality.
You can’t realistically expect things to happen over night. When choosing your goal, start small, but be prepared to go far. If you hear someone saying that he lost a large number of pounds in a short time, don’t make it your goal to match his performance. diet results are different from one person to another.

3. Don’t go to the gym too often
Another common mistake is to use the enthusiasm of the first days to hit the gym every day. This won’t help you at all. Your body needs time to heal and expand the muscle mass after each training session and going to the gym every day interferes with this natural process. Besides, a week of non-stop training could never offset ten or twenty years of couch potato lifestyle.

4. Don’t get hard on calories.
We all know that cutting down on calories is one of the building blocks of all diets, but you have to be careful about it. Cut down on too many calories and your body will start storing anything it possibly can. This is not a good way to lose weight.

5. Don’t skip meals.
Some people think that skipping one or two meals could help them lose weight faster. They don’t understand that dieting is all about eating the right food and not starving yourself.

6. Don’t check the bathroom scales everyday.
Everybody is eager to see the confirmation of his or her efforts in the shape of lost pounds, but you should not let this drive you to checking your weight everyday. The daily fluctuations of your weight will soon have you depressed and ready to quit dieting. And this is something you want to avoid.

7. Don’t let emotions drive you.
Aside from the eagerness that drives people to check their weight every day, there are other emotions that influence dieting. If you know you’re used to reaching out for ice-cream or snacks when you are bored, frustrated or angry, then you should deal with these issues and not allow them to come between you and your purpose.

8. Don’t refuse to seek help.
Not everyone was born with iron will and nerves of steel. If you need advice or help, don’t hesitate to ask it from your friends or from professionals. Don’t try to solve all problems by yourself.

9. Don’t deny yourself your favourite foods.
Treats are a great way of raising your willpower and determination. diets are just food control methods, not prisons. So what if you eat something forbidden once in a while, especially if that food is a favourite of yours? If such treats are not frequent, then they will make no difference in the long run.

10. Don’t rely on your willpower alone
Use your head as well. If you wish to know how much you eat, then write everything down and analyze the list for things that should not be there. Sometimes hunger creeps up on you and make you eat something you shouldn’t. Be honest with yourself and keep a clear head.

Source: <A HREF="http://www.weight-loss-diet-nutrition.net/lose-weight/things-to-avoid-when-trying-to-lose-weight/36">www.weight-loss-diet-nutrition.net</A>

Things You Ought To Know First Before Undergoing Liposuction Surgery

According to the medical dictionary of Medline Plus, liposuction is the removal of excess body fat by suction with specialized surgical equipments, typically performed by a plastic surgeon.

With the removal of excess body fat, the body appearance improves and evens out distorted body parts. Breasts, buttocks, abdomen, and the face area are some of the most popular body parts that undergo liposuction.

Foremost reason why people resort to liposuction is for cosmetic reasons. They want to eradicate "love handles", unsightly fat bulges, an abnormal chin line, etc.

Liposuction also helps improve sexual function by reducing fat deposits on the inner thighs, thus allowing easier access to the vagina.

Another reason for undergoing liposuction is body shaping that cannot be achieved by diet and/or exercise.

A note of caution, liposuction is not a cure for generalized obesity.

Liposuction is not as easy as just going to the doctor and telling him or her, "I want a liposuction right now." People who want to have liposuction must meet certain criteria:

1) There should be a preliminary consultation. This includes history of the patient, a comprehensive physical examination, and a psychological health examination;

2) There should be a second consultation to give time for the patient to think over the planned liposuction surgery;

3) If the patient is married, the spouse's presence may be required during the consultation;

4) The patient should ask questions about liposuction, express the reasons for the consultation, and must feel satisfied with the answers to their questions;

5) The patient must fully understand the pre-operative liposuction preparations, the liposuction procedures, and the precise post-operative liposuction care to avoid lethal complications;

6) The patient must have realistic expectations. Liposuction enhances the body appearance and boost self-confidence but it will never result to a perfect body.

Because liposuction is a medical procedure, there are risks involved. Some of the complications that may happen upon having liposuction are:

* Fluid imbalance due to the removal of a lot of liquid during liposuction and/or injection of large amounts of liquid during liposuction which can result to shock, heart problems, or kidney problems.

* Infections happen after any surgery and some physicians prescribe an antibiotic to patients having liposuction so it is important to keep the wound clean. Infections may be life threatening such as necrotizing fasciitis (bacteria eating away the tissue) or the toxic shock syndrome caused by bacteria associated with surgery.

* Embolism occurs when tiny globules of fat trapped in the blood stream blocks the blood flow to the tissue. This may cause permanent disability. Signs of pulmonary embolism are shortness of breath or difficulty of breathing.

* Drug reactions or overdose from lidocaine is fatal. Lidocaine is a drug that numbs the skin and large doses of this is used during liposuction. The effects of lidocaine are lightheadedness, restlessness, drowsiness, slurred speech, muscle twitching, and convulsions. Overdose of this drug may cause the heart to stop which is naturally fatal.

* Burns caused by the ultrasound probe during ultrasound assisted liposuction.

* Visceral perforations or puncture wounds in the organs may require another surgery and can be fatal. During liposuction, the physician does not see where the probe (canula) is, so it is possible to harm internal organs.

* Skin death (skin necrosis) occurs when skin changes color and fall off. This may also cause infection.

* Paresthesias is an altered sensation at the site of liposuction. This may be in the form of increased sensitivity in the area or loss of feeling. Some cases of this are permanent.

* Swelling

* Death

Given that the surgery had no major complications, recovery from liposuction can still be difficult.

The liposuctioned area appears larger than before because of swelling.

Special compression garments must be worn for two to three weeks to reduce swelling, bleeding, and to help contour the new body. The patient starts to feel better after a week or two after liposuction.

Walking is recommended after liposuction to prevent blood clots forming in the legs. Finally, exercise and diet will help keep your new shape.

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Thinking as the Thin Think

When you lose a massive amount of weight after undergoing the Gastric Bypass Weight-Loss Surgery, it’s difficult to change our mindsets and how we incorporate our new lifestyle habits.  As we slim down, it is important that we begin to “think as a thin person” or rather (let’s all practice this tongue-twister together) “thinking as the thin think.”

Why should we do this?

Because if we fail to do this, we can run the risk of easily falling into those unhealthy and bad habits that strolled us down the paths of obesity in the first place.  No matter what stage along your weight-loss journey you are currently experiencing, sooner or later you will fall prey to those nasty life-long ugly companions (aka habits).  They will devour your positive thoughts and urge you to glutinously consume all of the wrong things so you’ll succumb to your food bondage again.  But DON’T DO IT!  Put on your armor of THIN THINKING quickly to thwart all advances!

I recall as a young teenager, I knew many peers who, even at a young age, were obsessed with watching their weight, counting calories, worried about getting enough physical activity, and monitoring the snugness of their clothing.  I thought this was very bizarre since I didn’t have any weight issues then.  I could virtually eat anything and it would never show a pound on the scale.  Of course, thinking back, I was a high-level physically active person, and so this is why weight-watching was not a critical factor in my life at the time.  I didn’t need to think like a thin person.

However, when I gradually became very heavy (317 pounds), I realized that I got that way partially because I didn’t have the foundation of “thinking as the thin think.”  And without that foundation to utilize, I missed great opportunities to change some of my bad habits.  Take into consideration that morbid obesity is far deeper than just succumbing to unhealthy habits… morbid obesity has many facets to it; but for this writing, I want to focus on one element, and that is how we “think” we are.

When I explore the rationale of how thin people think, I discover some interesting behaviors.  Thin people think about:

•Food portions

•How full they feel at each meal.  They know when they can’t take another bite and they stop eating

•How snug their clothes are fitting

•How they look in the mirror

•How they appear to others

•Exercising or doing something outside that is fun rather than doing something sedentary

•Parking further away from the store entrance for extra walking

•Taking the stairs rather than the elevator or escalator

•Drinking water rather than soft drinks

•Using sugar substitutes, protein supplements, and religiously taking their vitamins

•Eating fruit rather than potato chips for a snack

•Maintaining a “low-burdensome” weight for any EMT squad in case of an emergency

OH, how the list of concerns in the minds of thin people goes on and on!  I bet you are thinking of a few right now!

I have to laugh when I think of one of my high-school friends who asked me everyday after school lunch if I wanted to go outside with her and “freeze off my calories”….. REALLY!  She believed that shivering caused the burning of calories; so no matter if it was five degrees outside during a snow storm, she would march outdoors for a full five minutes and SHIVER her calories away!  CRAZY, huh?  Well, each time I see her at my class reunions, she is STILL the same slim gal she was way back when….so maybe she knew a thing or two about shivering off calories!  Today the scientists call it “fidgeting”, which has been proven to burn calories throughout the day.  So when you tap that nervous foot, you are burning calories.

What we once viewed as odd obsessions by those who are thin, we should now view as having more value and importance, and we should incorporate some of their wisdom into our own daily lives so as we become slimmer and trimmer people, we will be thinking and acting like one too.

Thinking like a thin person everyday does not happen overnight.  It is something that must be practiced continually.

Now of course, I would NEVER endorse the sad eating disorders that anorexic or bulimic people partake in, nor would I ever endorse or encourage starvation as some super-thin folks do to maintain that “waif” look.  Such disorders are dangerous and have no part in thinking like a thin person!  Such thinking and practices are warped and do not represent the norm.

They say that after the surgery, it takes the mind about three years to truly get used to the “new you.”  And I can vouch for that, as I am over three years post-op now and at times will forget I have lost so much weight as I find myself still inadvertently wandering in the Plus Size department!  The scale and the label in the clothes may say one thing outwardly; but inwardly our mind hasn’t totally been convinced we are thin.

Make some commitments today to begin changing your mindset.  Observe the good practices of thin people and find a place in your life for those same good practices.  Little by little you will become a thin person, both inside and out!

Three Simple Steps to Fat Loss

Being overweight has now moved from a social nuisance and domestic embarrassment to an official disease. The American Heart Association has announced obesity a dangerous epidemic and a major risk for heart disease. More than 70% of US adults are overweight and that figure is rapidly increasing.

But by following three simple steps in your everyday life you do not have to become one of the above statistics. They are easy to follow without time constraints and don’t require a complete lifestyle change. These three steps are:

1. Strength Training - Nowadays you do not have to live in a gym to put on functional muscle. Short High Intensity sessions performed once a week is all that is required to elevate the metabolism for total fat burning.

2. A Small Decrease in Daily Calories - Diets don’t work (everybody knows this by now) but by decreasing your daily calories by a small amount, the weight loss is body fat alone and not lean tissue and water that is associated with crash diets. Remember fat accumulates on the body over a long period of time so it must come off slowly.

3. More Incidental Activity - Instead of driving try walking, walk instead of taking elevators or escalators; take the stairs and so on. Just keep moving through out the day.


Lets have a look at the Three Steps in more detail below:

Strength Training

Between the ages of 20 and 70 the average person loses one quarter of their muscle mass. Running, cycling or other aerobic sports will not prevent this loss. This is very disturbing because the muscles are the engines of the body and every pound of muscle burns 100 calories every day.

By adding just 10 pounds of functional muscle to your body, you will burn off 60 pounds of fat over the next year.  Providing you take in the same amount of calories it will keep burning those extra pounds year after year! The amount of fat the body
can burn is directly related to the lean muscle your body has.

If you don't perform weight training to maintain your muscle tissue, you will lose half a pound of the fat burning tissue per year after the age of 20 years. In simpler terms the more functional muscle you have on your body the more fat you will burn up.


Small Decrease in Daily Calories

For years now, we have been told to use dieting to rid the excess fat from our bodies.

The trouble with this concept is that the low calorie restricted diet would throw the body into starvation mode, with the body holding onto the fat and using precious muscle tissue for energy.

This would then lower the metabolism causing greater muscle loss and when the diet is broken the unwanted fat would not only return but actually increase because to the lowered metabolism.

The way around this is to cut your daily calorie intake by a small amount of calories only. This will stop any starvation mechanisms from clicking in. You can do this by making up a seven day eating plan and writing down every thing you eat for the week, and then work out the calories you have eaten with a calorie counter. Divide this figure by seven and you have your daily calorie value.

Decrease daily calorie value by a couple of hundred calories per day and no more. This will generate slow weight loss and the majority will be fat loss only. The daily calories should be consumed during the day with small frequent meals.

The calories should come from a balanced diet (no fad diets please) with the required amount of micronutrients, vitamins and minerals. As well as containing the required amounts of fibre, fat, protein and carbohydrates.


More Incidental Activity

Fat is burned from the body when cells oxidize to release energy in the form of exercise. When the exercise is done slowly to moderately then the majority of energy is taken from the fat stores.

The key to effective aerobic training that burns off maximum fat is long-term consistency not intensity. It doesn’t matter if you run a mile, jog a mile or walk a mile you will burn exactly the same amount of calories.

The best exercise by far for the purpose of fat-loss is fast walking either indoors on the treadmill or outdoors. Other aerobic activities are the treadmill, bike, climber or any other training gear found in or out of the Gym.

Start with 100 minutes of controlled incidental activity per week increasing this to 200 minutes a week or more. In all other activities try to move, move, move. Try parking the car further away from your destination so you can walk the extra distance, hide all your remote controls so you have to get up and change the channels manually. These all help burn those extra calories and body fat from your frame.

By incorporating these three simple fat loss steps into your everyday life you will not have to change your lifestyle or be subject to time constraints.