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Weight Loss equals behavior change – The Acceptance Factor

Getting to the ROOT of the matter: If the plants in your garden are not healthy looking, just trimming them back will not take care of the problem. What do the roots look like? I am no psychologist, but there is a very interesting twist you need to understand before you begin any weight loss or fitness program. To change unwanted behaviors, it’s important to acknowledge your thinking toward exercise and eating. A lot of people believe they know what that thinking is, but haven’t come to grips with their core beliefs. In other words, they have to get to the “root of the matter.”

The truth is more Americans are overweight and out-of-shape today than ever before. Why? In order to change your attitude toward exercise and food, you have to understand the WHYs of the behavior. You are going to have to dig deep, find the root of the problem, nurture and understand it.

From my e book FACE TO FACE => www.resolutions.bz

Your BELIEF system: The reason you have certain behaviors is based on the core beliefs of your value system. It is here–inside–where things need to be addressed. Beliefs form barriers that stop you from starting or following through on a regular exercise and eating program.

Most barriers fall into these categories of acceptance:

Accept:

Your Self-Limitations and Self-Expectations

Your Circumstances—Past and Present

Your True Reality of Life

Limitations: Some individuals have certain limitations. They may have physical setbacks, such as heart, joint, muscular or mental problems, i.e. depression.

Limitations also come from outside influences and responsibilities brought on by lifestyles, such as kids, work, and money. Acknowledging your limitations helps you develop strategies, thus empowering you instead of hindering your capabilities.

Expectations: There is nothing wrong with setting goals; however, setting expectations too high could frustrate you. Do not set of expectations so high that your obligations in life will not allow you to accomplish the goal!

Circumstances: We all know that life is not fair. Eating properly and exercising comes easier for some than for others. We can accept our circumstances without falling victim to them. There are plans that can be created in order to work around events in life.

Truth and reality of your life: A lot of times it is much easier to deny reality than to accept it. You can cloud the truth and say you believe this or that, but sooner or later in order for you to get in better shape you have to deal with the TRUTH, not the illusion!

Illusions can sink your dreams: Remember the story of the Titanic; the ship advertised “unsinkable.” It was the largest ship ever built and people rushed to take the maiden voyage. Much to everyone’s surprise, the Titanic did sink, but why did it sink? The captain of the Titanic saw the dangerous iceberg ahead and steered away thinking he could avoid it. What he didn’t see was the enormous mass of ice under the surface.

In order to change attitudes toward exercise you have to check under the surface. It takes time, effort, and energy, and in some cases, outside professional assistance to get to the TRUTH of the matter…to see what is below, admit it is there and bring it up to the surface. If you have a hard time following through on an eating plan, chances are barriers have formed, and stop you from smooth sailing. You are resisting exercise!

Changing your unwanted behaviors toward exercise and food is like looking at an iceberg. What is really happening is below the surface not above. I call this the iceberg effect.

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Weight Loss Exercise for Women

A healthy diet and adequate exercise are necessary for weight loss. The loss of weight associated with a chronic illness is referred to as cachexia. Unexpected, unintentional weight loss is a common symptom of illness and should be evaluated by a healthcare professional. Losing weight and keeping it off is a real challenge for most people. Exercise helps to burn excess calories and build muscle, both of which are important for weight management. Exercise increases your metabolism, burns excess calories, and increases your muscle mass, which in turn burns more calories. Exercising too hard or trying to do too much too quickly in the beginning can lead to burnout, serious injuries, and frustration. Instead, you should gradually begin to increase the intensity of your workout. The reasons to lose weight are as numerous as the number of dieters, but health and self-esteem top most people’s lists.

Because of the complexity of weight loss, gain, and maintenance, women need to understand that a quick and effortless weight loss is worthless. Extra weight can aggravate heart problems, and can cause diabetes and a host of other scary medical problems. Exercising on an empty stomach does not affect how you lose weight. In fact, it may hinder it if you don’t have the energy to exercise. You should at least drink a glass of juice prior to your workout if you’re exercising in the morning. Spot exercises, like sit-ups, crunches, hip raises, leg raises, hip adduction, hip abduction, etc. can only develop the muscles adjacent to the fat. They cannot burn fat from the area exercised.

Aerobic Exercise:

1. If you want to lose weight, cardio-aerobic exercise is one of the best types of physical activity. It also provides a range of general health and fitness benefits.

2. Aerobic exercise is any extended activity that makes you breathe hard while using the large muscle groups at a regular, even pace.

3. Aerobic activities help make your heart stronger and more efficient. They also use more calories than other activities.

4. Some examples of aerobic activities include: Brisk walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, aerobic dancing, racket sports, skating (all types), skiing, using aerobic equipment, or general aerobic exercises.

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Get Slim With Atkins Diet Plan

The Atkins’ diet has been a craze for a couple of decades. Here’s how you can gain from it.

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All of you who are reading this article right now have definitely been on a diet at some point or the other of your lives. The battle of the bulge is an ongoing problem and we are always on the lookout for various means to win this war.

Along with exercise, our diet and nutrition also plays an important role in reducing our weight. Hence, this obsession persists in all of us to undertake some form of dieting. But going on a diet is definitely not an easy thing. What to eat and what to stay away from is always a perennial problem.

One of my friends told me that she ate the normal menu which she cooked for the family, but her weight loss recipe is “portion control.” This is a really simple diet plan. In this plan, you cut down on the portion of food you consume. For example, if you usually have two pieces of toast for breakfast, you should eat only one piece. If you normally eat two cups of rice for lunch, cut it down to one cup. In this way, you are automatically reducing your calorie intake by half.

Another popular method of dieting is to stop all intake of fatty foods and sugar. In this diet, you cut down on your oil, butter and ghee intake which automatically reduces your fat deposits.

While I was leafing through a magazine, I read about one of our Hollywood celebrities following the Atkins’ diet. This immediately aroused my curiosity about the diet. Though I have heard about the diet many times, I had no inside knowledge about it. So, I immediately set to work on it and found out certain basic facts’ about the Atkins diet which I want to share with my readers.

The Atkins’ diet made its first appearance in 1972 and was invented by its namesake, Dr Atkins. According to him, this method enables us to lose weight by inducing a change in metabolism. Our body burns both fat and carbohydrates to provide energy. If we reduce the intake of carbohydrates significantly, our body starts burning only fat to provide energy. This method is called “lipolysis”, which in turn induces ketosis. In ketosis, our body burns fat as fuel. Atkins also felt that ketosis will affect insulin production which will result in less fat being formed. And, once your body enters ketosis, your cravings for carbohydrates will reduce significantly which, in turn, will reduce your body weight.

The major difference between Atkins’ diet and other types of diet is that, while most diets restrict calorie, intake, the Atkins’ plan encourages us to eat more. While most of the diets recommend low fat, high carbohydrate intake, Atkins’ does just the opposite. Instead of carbohydrate and sugar, this diet wants us to consume plenty of fat and protein.

The core principle of the Atkins’ diet is that, by limiting carbohydrates, our body is forced to burn its stored fat, rather than carbs for fuel.

The Atkins’ diet has a four carbohydrates stage plan induction, ongoing weight loss, pre-maintenance and lifetime maintenance. With the help of these four stages, you can reduce as well as maintain your weight throughout your life.

Induction – phase 1: This phase lasts for two weeks, by the end of which you can obtain significant results. Another point is that, in this diet plan you can begin at any of the phase. But it is recommended to start with induction. As you cut back on your carbohydrates significantly in this phase, you will jump start your weight loss programme. In this phase, only 20 gm of carbohydrates are allowed and hence your weight loss is significant. As you drastically cut down on carbohydrates your body shifts into high gear and starts burning fat. This takes about 48 hours to occur and you may feel hungry and irritated for the first three-four days. But don’t worry, as soon as your fat starts getting converted to fuel, you will feel fit as a fiddle. Induction will strengthen your immune system and also improve our long-term health.

Ongoing Weight Loss (OWL) phase 2: In this phase, the weight loss pace slows down as you add nutrient-rich carbohydrates to your diet. During this period, you will boost your body’s ability to burn fats as well as understand your body better. You will find the right amount of carbohydrates which you can consume and still lose weight. Your body will also prepare itself for permanent weight management. The amount of carbohydrates which you can eat is increased to 25 gm per day for the first week and increased in five gm instalment for the next few weeks. If your weight loss is significant, you can increase your carbohydrate intake. A person has to be on OWL till he or she is within three-five kg of their goal weight.

Pre-maintenance – (phase 3): Pre-maintenance is a practice run for lifetime maintenance. In this phase, you are fast approaching your target. As long as you continue to lose weight, you can increase your weekly allotment of carbohydrates by another 10 gm. You will be in this phase till you reach your goal and stay on it for one month. The ultimate goal here is to achieve a state of balance called Atkins’ Carbohydrate Equilibrium (ACE). The ACE is your individual level of carbohydrate intake wherein you neither gain nor lose weight.

Lifetime maintenance phase 4: In this phase, you have to focus on your individual ACE and strive to stay within two kg of your ideal weight for the rest of your life. By following a sensible eating plan, you gain energy, better health and confidence in yourself.

By following these four phases, you not only achieve your dream weight but are also able to maintain it throughout your life. You can learn more about this diet by reading the book, Dr Atkins’ New Diet Revolution. But, as with any other diet, this plan also has its pros and cons. The good point is that this diet recommends exercise as a vital part of the weight loss programme. Another point to be noted is that you cannot start on carbohydrates after you lose weight as this will result in your gaining back all that you have lost.

Medical experts advise that people who have gout, kidney problems, diabetes or are pregnant women should not follow this diet plan. As this diet is very stringent, do consult your doctor/dietician for proper advice.

Your dietician will provide you with a proper menu chart as to what should be eaten, in what quantities, etc, based on your eating habits and general lifestyle.

Happy dieting and hoping to see slimmer and fitter readers.

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