Loose Weight Tips - Life Changes That Can Make You Fat

Time brings change - and not all of it good. Here's when to beware of kilos creeping on.

When you've worked hard to get in shape, it's dissapointing when your pants suddenly feel tight again for no apparent reason.

While it's true that metabolism begins to slow down as we age and can sometimes result in a few extra kilograms, there's another common culprit which can also tip the scales again at any stage of our lives - it's called change,

From a promotion at work to losing a loved one, there are several life stages which most blokes will face at one time or another. The key to maintaining a healthy weight during these times is to identify the problems and understand why the potential to put on weight exists.

1. Marriage
They say the way to a bloke's heart is through his stomach, and research shows that after marriage, young men tend to become more complacent about their weight and put on a few kilograms. The reason for this? Less organised sport, more home-cooked dinners, and he no longer needs to maintain his fit build in order to increase his "pulling power"!

2. Weight-Loss plateaus
As your body adjusts to a diet and exercise program, it's common to hit plateau after a period of steady weight loss. This can curb your enthusiasm, giving you an excuse to slack off under the pretext that your hard efforts are going to waste.

3. Changing Jobs
The stress of a new career challenge can easily cause you to take your eye off the ball. In an effort to impress your new boss you may be putting in longer hours than normal. which can not only dip into your exercise time but can also lead to you choosing the easy way out and for fast food over a healty meal.

4. Prolonged stress
During long periods of stress, to much cortisol can remain in your blood and lead to fat storage, particularly around the waist. At these times, you might indulge in comfort foods to beat the pressure.

5. Quitting smoking
Many people report gaining around 3.5 kilograms in the first year or so after giving up the fags. Studies suggest that smoking increases metabolic rate and suppresses appetite, so when you quit you tend to eat more. Some might also comfort eat to beat cravings and keep their hands busy.

6. Retirement from sport
Many blokes retire from sport but continue eating the same way. This imbalance of calories intake versus energy output can lead to unwanted kilograms.

7.A death, divorce or separation
During such a stressful and traumatic period of life, managing weight often takes second place to coping with the loss. As a result, there is often a reduction in physical activity and an increase comfort eating.

8. Middle age
Our metabolism declines as we age: around 2 per cent per decade after our twenties. Add to this mid-life stress, and many can gain weight without realising.

9. Prescribed medications
Medications such antidepressants and steroids can lead to weight gain when used long term. Check with your doctor if you suspect your weight gain could be caused by this, and ask for an alternative.

Maintaining weight loss is a challenge, so should you happen to regain weight, don't despair. Be positive, take action and, before you know it, you'll soon be back to the healthy weight that you worked so hard to achieve in the first place.

Loose Weight Tips - How to Spot Weight-Loss Myths

A mantra is a myth if ...

It sounds too easy. Self-help myths tend to make fixing complicated problems or reaching your Goal weight appear easy. That's rarely the case.

There is no effort required - all you have to do is chant and visualise. Don't be fooled. You won't loose weight and your life won't change unless you put in the effort. You will lose weight if you get plenty of exercise and eat less.

There is no research involved. Most self-help myths have little scientific research to substantiante their claims. Try a self-help remedy only if it's backed up by reliable data and respected sources.

It promises one cure for all. Be wary if the self-help strategy cannot only get you to Goal weight but can also fix your relationship, make you a millionaire and help you write a best-selling novel.

Loose Weight Tips - 8 Tips for Healthy Families

1. Be a good role model - set the lead by eating well and exercising regularly
2. Concentrate on healthy choices, instead of making a big deal about not eating fattening foods
3. Make physical activity a fun priority for the whole family
4. Limit the amount of TV you watch
5. Try to eat together as a family
6. Divide foods into "everyday" foods and "sometimes" foods. Children can grasp this concept from an early age.
7. Make some rules about food.
8. Encourage all family members to eat only to a level that satisifies their hunger, and not till they are full

Loose Weight Tips - Weight-Loss Tips from Amy Johnston

We've all been there ...

Just not cracking it when it comes to weight loss?
Try following these tips to success from the Weight Watchers New Zealand Slimmer of The Year winner, Amy Johnston.

1. Make the decision to get the most out of life. As the saying goes."Life's to short".
2. Start small, dream big, work you way up.
3. Work positive things into your life. Be positive, positive, positive - even if you are lying to yourself, fake it till you make it.
4. Don't set yourself a time limit on getting to Goal weight. Everyone is different. Setting limits sets you up for failure.
5. Develop a split personality. Talk to yourself and tell yourself you are beautiful, talented and successful, but also get down to the nitty-gritty and face your shortfalls.
6. Forget about models and celebrities. Size 14 is healthy and beautiful.
7. Face facts: you have issues. You don't become overweight by accident. What are you really using food for? Are you nourishing your body or are you just angry, lonely or tired? Stamp your feet, ring a friend or just take a break, instead of comfort eating.
8. Exercise. That "dirty" word. Commit, make up your mind and force your body to follow. Lie to yourself and tell yourself you love it. And you know, one day you will!
9. Do it yourself. You are worth spending the time and effort it takes to lose weight. Be selfish about making "me" time.
10. Keep that desire to reach Goal weight burning. This is the biggest challenge. On my journey I failed almost every day with something, but learnt to shrug it off and start again with the next breath. As the Chinese proverb says: "Fall down seven times, and stand up eight."

Loose Weight Tips - Ten Secret Rules To Weight Loss

The chief scientist of Weight Watchers International, Karen Miller-Kovach, shares her golden rules.

Do's
1. Monitor your progress. Weighing yourself once a week, logging food and activity, and measuring yourself with a tape measure will keep you motivated.

2. Eat the foods that satisfy you. Find the food that really makes you zing. Even it it's chocolate, work it into your food plan as a treat. Don't deny yourself.

3. Learn some coping skills so that you don't turn to food for comfort.

4. Feed off the experiences of Members and Leaders. You can never have too many tips and strategies in your weight-loss tool kit.

5. Eat healthy, wholesome foods from all the food groups. That's the only way you're assured of getting the essential nutrients you need.

Don'ts
1. Don't forget to count kilojoules. Eating fewer kilojoules and burning more is the key to losing weight.

2. Don't follow a "diet". Learning, and sticking to healthy habits is what ultimately gets you to, and keeps you at, a healthy weight range.

3. Don't obsess. Develop the skill of being flexible when it comes to food, limiting what you eat but in a way that cuts you some slack for daily living.

4. Don't get distracted. Losing weight takes time and it's easy to let derail your efforts. Spend time recommiting yourself regularly so it stays a top priority.

5. Don't set unrealistic goals. Aim for an initial weight-loss Goal about 20 per cent of your current body weight and expect to lose around 0.5-1 kilogram a week.

Loose Your Weight - Shift Your Butt!

Is shiftwork making you fat? Quick-fix snacks might see you around the clock, but if it's health your're after, make the wee hours work for you.

Ever hit the wall while finishing a work report or surviving night feeds with a newborn? Then you'll know how irresistible biscuits and chocolate look tired eyes at 2am.

You can blame the slump on your circadian rhythm - the body clock which regulates hormones, energy and gastric activity, lowering temperatures at night to encourage rest and raising it at daybreak so you're more alert. It's fighting these strong circadian signals that leads shiftworkers to reach for a quick sugar fix or caffeine hit when their energy bottoms out.

"When you're tired, you crave sugar or carbohydrates because your body is after a quick source of energy," says Aloysa Hourigan, a senior nutritionis with Nutrition Australia, a non-profit nutrition education organisation. "So you're more likely to eat a handful of biscuits, a carton of hot chips or a savoury snack from a vending machine in place of a decent meal. These foods are high in fat, sugar and salt content but low in fibre. What's more, they're not very filling so en route home from work you're more likely to stop off for a takeaway hamburger."

Studies show that shiftworkers are not only more prone to be overweight, they also experience two or three times more gastrointestinal complaints such as constipation, ulcers and heartburn. Why? Lack of fibre, excessive caffeine intake and a diet high in saturated fats are the main culprits. Coupled with smoking and a lack of exercise, these poor dietary habits put shiftworkers in a high-risk category for developing weight-related health problems such as heart attack, stroke and diabetes. So how should shiftworkers go about dealing with work-related weight-gain traps? The trick is to be prepared.

1.Time your meals
Research suggests our bodies may not process carbohydrates as efficiently after 8pm at night, when digestive enzymes and metabolic rate are lower. So if you're working odd hours, you may benefit from eating your main meal in the afternoon, or in the middle of your waking period, then taking light, healthy snacks or mini-meals for evening breaks at work. Also aim to:
- Stick to your schedule regardless of what your family is eating - say no to pizza for breakfast, have fruits or cereal instead.
- Never skip a meal due to tiredness or lack of time. You'll only snack excessively and miss the next meal as you're still full.
- Eat a light meal containing complex carbohydrates such as a wholegrain cereal, bread or potatoes, a few hours before your shift ends, so you won't be woken by hunger when trying to sleep later.

2. Combat snack attacks
Nutrional research suggests the metabolism starts to slow after five hours with no food; after more than 14 hours, your body may shift into fat-storing mode. To get around this, stock your bag with healthy chewy snacks - chewing helps tell your brain to turn off hunger signals. Try:
- An apple or homemade fruit salad
- Carrot sticks and cottage cheese
- Dried fruit and nuts in pre-packaged boxes so you can track how much you eat.

3. Prepare meals in advance
Steer clear of high-fat canteen foods such as creamy sauces and deep-frieds foods as these can contribute to raised cholesterol levels. "White rice and pasta should be avoided as they have fewer B group vitamins than wholewheat counterparts," says Hourigan. Instead you should:
- Stock a drawer with quick-fix, pre-packaged and non-perishable foods low in fat, salt and sugar, such as tinned tuna, baked beans, rye crispbreads, nuts, rice crackers, low-GI cereal and soy milk.
- When preparing soups, stews or bolognaise, cook extra and freeze it in small containers to microwave at work.

4. Do your digestion a favour
To avoid heartburn or nausea, don't interrupt precious sleep after a shift. So:
- Keep portion sizes small, limiting acid secretion, which leads to indigestion.
- Minimise spicy foods, which can aggravate the lining of your stomach.
- The high-fibre content of fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, beans and whole-grain breads will help you avoid constipation.
- Eat lightly between 10pm and 6am and don't eat a large meal shortly before bed.

5.Keep hydrated
Due to your temperature dropping and body functions slowing at night, shiftworkers often feel less inclined to drink. "Dehydration not only makes you more tired, it can cause thirst and hunger mechanisms to get confused so you feel ravenous when, in fact, you just need to drink," Hourigan warns. To keep up fluids:
- Take two half-litre water bottles to work and sip slowly through your shift.
- Drink a glass of water whenever hungry.
- Limit your intake of caffeinated drinks (cola and coffe) - they cause frequent urination and after stomach acid balance.

6. Work it out
As you're often asleep or at work when you friends are up and active, it's hard to get together for a social game of tennis or to exercise. Garry Egger, Adjunct Professor of Health Sciences at Deakin University suggests a few ways to work out:
- Accumulate 30 minutes per day of exercise by doing three 10-minute blocks, such as walking to the local shops.
- Invest in a piece of equipment such a treadmill that you can use at home to keep fit, when other people are sleeping.
- Exercise with a work buddy who keeps similar hours and will keep you motivated.
- Increase your incidental activity by taking the stairs instead of the lift, or lapping the building during your break.

7. Sleep tight
Tiredness weakens willpower and makes you more likely to reach for a snack. So:
- Stick to consistent sleep hours every day, even on your days off.
- Unwind for the first 10 minutes in bed by stretching and releasing every muscle group in your body to promote better sleep
- Wear a sleep mask and earplugs to help block out distractions.
- Avoid alcohol and exercising two hours before bed, as these may slow sleepiness.

Now it's time to get to work: shaft the snacks, shift the weight and shape up!

Loose Weight Tips - Are You Really Ready To Lose Weight?

Do you think you're ready to shed kilos? Hope so, because there's not much point in embarking on a weight-loss plan if your mind isn't where it needs to be to ensure success! In fact, according to a study conducted by Professor Timothy G. Lohman, from the University of Arizona, US, Knowing you readiness level before you start on a weight-loss program can help you pinpoint the barriers you're most likely to come up against.

The Simple truth is there is never going to be the perfect time - when everything in your life is just right - to start a weight-loss program, but by taking the time to get ready and prepare yourself for weight loss, your chances of success are greatly improved.

Get-Set Weight-Loss Plan
1. Step One: Keep it real
Set yourself achievable goals. Start with 10 per cent of your current body weight - for example, if you weigh 80 kilograms, your initial goal would be to lose 8 kilograms. Most people see a 10 per cent weight loss as achievable and are not daunted by the goal. Then, when you have lost the first 10 per cent, you can set a new goal; perhaps aim to lose a further 10-15 per cent of your body weight. To maintain a healthy weight-loss rate, you need to lose between 0.5 and 1 kilogram a week.

2. Step Two: Quit looking for quick fixes
Don't be seduced into giving the latest fad diet a try. There's no such thing as fast weight loss, nor is there a magic formula that dissolve kilograms. Instead, learn some life skills for healthy living and long-term wight management.

3. Step Three: Live and Learn
Learn from you past failures. Think about what worked and what didn't and use that to help you now. Expand on what worked and try to minimise or eliminate what caused you to slip up.

4. Step Four: Remove barriers to exercise
Exercise is your key to weight loss. Yet so many people try to lose weight without committing to get active, often citing "lack of time" as the reason.
Women feel guilty if they take time out when it could have been spent with their children or partner, or attending to other responsibilities. Learn to say "no" to other people - think about now how much more you will have to offer when you're energised.

5. Step Five: Take responsibility
When you realise that weight loss is your responsibility - nobody can do it for you or take that goal away from you - you put yourself in a position of control. You can focus on what you need to do to make change happen and then you're ready for success.

Loose Weight Tips - 5 Surprising Weight-Loss Traps

You're trying to lose weight, doing all the right things, eating less, exercising more, and still seem to be getting nowhere fast - maybe it's time you rethought your lifestyle. The evidence is mounting: seemingly harmless routines can have a great impact on your waistline and thwart your attempts to reach and maintain Goal weight. And some of the most common pitfalls are the most surprising...


1. Burning the candle
Sleep loss may do more than make you cranky. After getting just four to six hours sleep every night for one week, young healthy male athletes studied at the University of Chicago developed signs of impaired glucose tolerance, which has been identified as a leading cause of obesity and type 2 diabetes.

The study's leader, Eve Van Cauter, says that as well as causing insulin changes, sleep loss may increase hunger. "It's possible that because the brain senses a lack of energy it encourages the person to eat, even if they have had enough kilojoules for the day," she says.

These chronic "eat more" messages may be intensified by changes in leptin, a hormone secreted by fat cells. Leptin helps to switch off your appetite after a meal, but studies suggest that leptin levels actually diminish when you're not getting enough zzzzs.

Solution:
Always aim for eight hours of sleep a night. If you have a late one, spend the next day few nights getting to bed early. In the Chicago study, the metabolism of the men returned to normal when they resumed a regular pattern of eight hours' sleep.

2. Grazing the day away
You might heard reports that "grazing" through the day - eating smaller main meals and several snacks - boosts your metabolism and reduces cholesterol. However, what the reports don't reveal is the studies into the "small and often" snacking approach were done under strict conditions, and the total day's food was divided into three of five meals.

The trap here is that we, non-restricted snackers, tend to eat our regular meals and add snacks on top - a combination resulting in us consuming more kilojoules. Snacking carries the temptation to overeat many times a day, rather than just three. And finally, snackers tent to eat so often they lose track of when the feel hungry.

Solution:
Make sure you monitor your intake of snacks through the day and stick to those low in fat, such as fruit.

3. Eating too little fibre
Wish you could feel more full after every meal? Want to decrease your chances of between-meal munching? Then ensure high-fibre foods are daily headliners on your menu. Foods such as vegetables and wholemeal bread slow digestion, leading to a more gradual emptying of the stomach so you feel more satisfied after you've eaten. High-fibre foods can also kick-start an increase in a hormone called cholecystokinin, which helps regulate appetite. In research at the University of California, women given high-fibre meals reported feeling more full and satisfied than those who ate more refined low-fibre foods. When samples of their blood were taken, the high-fibre eaters also had higher levels of cholecystokinin.


Solution:
Always choose unprocessed food varieties such as wholegrain or pumpernickel breads, or brown ice, instead of the more refined (often white) versions. Best of all, opt for high-fibre breakfast cereals as one bowl can carry eight times the fibre content of an equivalent points value of brown rice. And you should also aim to increase your intake of high-soluble fibre foods, such as fruit and vegetables.

4. Being out of Zinc
Have you lost your appetite ? Do you have a poor sense of smell or taste, easily develop stretch marks and take forever to heal small wounds? Then you could be deficient in zinc. This important nutrient, not manufactured in our bodies, must be ingested through our food. Diminished zinc levels have been linked to abnormal eating behaviour, as studies at the University of California and University of Kentucky found that the majority of people with anorexia and bulimia are zinc-deficient. Zinc is also pivotal in the production and storage of insulin so, unsuprisingly , many studies are now linking low zinc level to adult onset diabetes and subsequent weight gain.

Solution:
Boost your zinc levels to meet the recommended intake of 12-16mg of zinc every day by eating oysters, lean red meat, dairy food, brown rice, rolled oats, sardines, and wholegrain bread.

5. Drinking takeaway smoothies
They're delicious, satisfying and contain calcium and vitamins, so it's easy to fall into the trap of thinking takeaways fruit smoothies area a dieter's best friend. But even without the inclusion of ice-cream and full-cream milk, takeaway smoothie servings are too generous to be turned into a daily habit. At around 1,160 kilojoules for a large (430ml) skim milk fruit smoothie, they pack quite a punch!

Solution:
Watch your portion sizes. Think of smoothies as a meal in themselves; they make a filling breakfast. At a cafe, ask for a small glass, fill it with smoothies mix and don't touch the excess in the milkshake container. Or better still, make your smoothies at home, blending fruit, skim milk and low-fat yoghurt. Pour your smoothies from blender to drinking glass and save any excess, at a sensible serving size, with a family member. Mostly through, try to drink water - it's filling and kilojoule-free.

Loose Weight Tips - Get Moving

People in asian countries, France and the Mediterranean tend to be slim because they're more active. Not that they spend hours at the gym, but because they simply walk a lot. It can work for Americans too. A study of 200.000 Americans at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, found that city dwellers were six pounds lighter than their suburban counterparts, largely because, instead of driving, they walked more. " You are not working out, You're just moving."

Loose Weight Tips - Try Massaging Your Partner

This is a fun way to lose weight. It is something that can give your partner a lot of pleasure and at the same time can give you a lot of exertion there by leading to weight loss.

The attitude over here should of course be you scratch my back I will scratch yours. It should not be a one sided effort or else the interest will soon dwindle.

In fact it is a good idea if couple take up weight loss routines together. They can keep watch over each other, help control those urges to eat and motivate each other to stick to the routine.

There are a lot of things that couples can do together that can help them to keep physically active.

Loose Weight Tips - Eat More Vegetables

Go crazy on vegetables. Vegetables are your best bet when it comes to losing pounds. Nature has a terrific spread when it comes to choosing vegetables. And the leafy green vegetables are your best bet. Try to include a salad in you diet always.

Eat intelligently. The difference between man and beast is that we are driven by intelligence while beasts are driven by instinct. Don’t just eat something because you feel like eating it. Ask your self whether your body really needs it.

Watch what you eat. Keep a watchful eye on every thing that goes in. Sometimes the garnishes can richer than the food itself. Accompaniments too can be very rich. Remember that it is the easiest thing in the world to eat something without realizing that it was something that you should not have eaten. Selective memory you know…

Control that sweet tooth. Remember that sweet things generally mean more calories. It is natural that we have cravings for sweet things especially chocolates and other confectionary. Go easy on theses things and each time you consume something sweet understand that it is going to add on somewhere.

Fix times to have meals and stick to it. Try to have food at fixed times of the day. You can stretch these times by half an hour, but anything more than that is going to affect your eating pattern, the result will either be a loss of appetite or that famished feeling which will make you stuff yourself with more than what is required the next time you eat.

Are You Really-Really Ready To Loose Weight?

Yes, you must ask yourself first before you go to the next step. So the first question is do you think you're ready to shed kilos? Hope so, because there's not much point in embarking on a weight-loss plan if your mind isn't where it needs to be to ensure success! The truth is, according to a study conducted by Professor Timothy G. Lohman, from the University of Arizona, US, Knowing you readiness level before you start on a weight-loss program can help you pinpoint the barriers you're most likely to come up against.

The Simple truth is there is never going to be the perfect time - when everything in your life is just right - to start a weight-loss program, but by taking the time to get ready and prepare yourself for weight loss, your chances of success are greatly improved.

So if you already ready to start and answer "Yes" to that question, feel free to follow this Get-Set Weight-Loss Plan

1. Step One: Keep it realSet yourself achievable goals. Start with 10 per cent of your current body weight - for example, if you weigh 80 kilograms, your initial goal would be to lose 8 kilograms. Most people see a 10 per cent weight loss as achievable and are not daunted by the goal. Then, when you have lost the first 10 per cent, you can set a new goal; perhaps aim to lose a further 10-15 per cent of your body weight. To maintain a healthy weight-loss rate, you need to lose between 0.5 and 1 kilogram a week.

2. Step Two: Quit looking for quick fixesDon't be seduced into giving the latest fad diet a try. There's no such thing as fast weight loss, nor is there a magic formula that dissolve kilograms. Instead, learn some life skills for healthy living and long-term wight management.

3. Step Three: Live and LearnLearn from you past failures. Think about what worked and what didn't and use that to help you now. Expand on what worked and try to minimise or eliminate what caused you to slip up.

4. Step Four: Remove barriers to exerciseExercise is your key to weight loss. Yet so many people try to lose weight without committing to get active, often citing "lack of time" as the reason.Women feel guilty if they take time out when it could have been spent with their children or partner, or attending to other responsibilities. Learn to say "no" to other people - think about now how much more you will have to offer when you're energised.

5. Step Five: Take responsibilityWhen you realise that weight loss is your responsibility - nobody can do it for you or take that goal away from you - you put yourself in a position of control. You can focus on what you need to do to make change happen and then you're ready for success.

Hope the tips can help you get started ;-)