With the holiday season just around the corner, here’s news which will be welcomed by those who’ve been meaning to lose weight but haven’t got around to it.

Crash dieting is an effective way to slim, scientists have found. Despite health warnings from nutritionists, research showed that dieters who shed the most weight in their first month also lost more in the long run.

And they were just as likely to maintain their new shape as dieters who lost less.

The message, says the study, is that the first few weeks of a diet are critical and may spur dieters on.

University of Florida researchers followed more than 250 obese women who were asked to cut their calorie intake and increase their exercise for 18 months. Those who lost more than 1.5lb a week during the first month lost more than two stone within six months on average.

But those who initially lost less than half a pound a week ended up losing just 11lb overall. The 1.5lb a week figure is well within the safe limits recommended by most dieticians.

Although women in both groups did put some weight back on, those in the speedy group fared no worse than the others.

Writing in the International Journal of Behavioural Medicine, the researchers said: ‘Because weight regain reverses the health benefits achieved with weight loss, considerable efforts have been placed on identifying behavioural factors that may be associated with long-term success. Studies have shown that rate of initial weight loss, even within the first few weeks of treatment, may serve as an important predictor of long-term success.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1274791/Crash-diets-work-best-Rapid-weight-loss-lead-shedding-long-run.html#ixzz0nKM2IGOs

Women can enjoy a tipple and stay slim, according to a study that shows moderate drinkers gain less weight than teetotallers. Women who drank red wine gained the least, but the results held for other wines, beers and spirits.

Although alcohol contains calories, the US researchers believe the women may have substituted it for other food. Their work in the Archives of Internal Medicine followed over 19,000 women over 13 years.

The women recruited into the study were aged 39 or over and of normal weight at the time they joined.

Over the next 13 years, on average, they gained weight progressively.

Those who drank no alcohol gained the most weight, and there was an inverse relationship between weight gain and alcohol consumption.

Even after accounting for lifestyle, dietary factors and things like smoking and exercise, the study found those who drank the least gained the most weight.

READ MORE AT BBC

Ever tried to avoid carbs in order to lose weight and found they still follow you everywhere you go? At my favorite restaurant, the fettuccine on the menu taunts me; at my friend’s baby shower, the sandwich platter beckons much louder than the mixed greens. And in a business meeting, the cookies distract me. Whether it’s a basket of warm bread, a tasty pasta or tantalizing desserts, carbs can be hard to quit.

Thankfully, you don’t have to. Despite their reputation for helping pack on the pudge (remember Dr. Atkins?), certain carbs can actually help you feel fuller longer and fight fat. The key? Fiber—found in whole grains, oats, certain legumes and even popcorn! When people follow a high-fiber diet—at least 34 grams of fiber a day—they absorb up to 6 percent fewer calories, research shows.

READ MORE at YAHOO HEALTH

http://health.yahoo.com/experts/healthieryou/15578/eat-pasta-drop-pounds/

Linda Ralph was so determine to lose all the fat that was clinging on to her body that she made up her mind last year to take drastic action. She spent a huge sum of money to get gastric band surgery. To keep her motivated, she kept a photographic diary to chart her weight loss.

Today, one year down the road, Linda has lost 140 pounds and gone from a size 24 to a slim size 10. For someone aged 50, this is a remarkable achievement and her story will trully serve as inspiration to many overweight women waiting to take the plunge and lose all that fat.

Click Here to read her diary, complete with all the pictures of the year that changed her life.

Image & Story Source from Daily Mail Online

U.S. health officials have leveraged the star power of first lady Michelle Obama to roll out a new campaign against obesity, a preventable condition that drains billions of dollars from the economy.

Obama, who plans to take on childhood obesity as a cause, headlined the launch on Thursday of Surgeon General Regina Benjamin’s blueprint for what can be done at home, school and work to reverse the epidemic.

In her first initiative since becoming “America’s doctor,” Benjamin issued a report on the consequences of obesity to start a national dialogue on the subject.

“The number of Americans, like me, who are struggling with their weight and health conditions related to their weight remains much too high,” she said.

Source: Reuters. Read More Here

Almost nine in 10 people are not aware of the risks of carrying extra fat around their waistline.

A survey of 12,000 Europeans found most had no idea that a thick waist was a sign of a build-up of a dangerous type of fat around the internal organs.

The report from GlaxoSmithKline, who make weight loss drug Alli, said this “visceral fat” is strongly linked with type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Most people would lose weight once they found out the risk, the survey found.

Get Alli (60mg) Here

Report author Dr Terry Maguire, honorary senior lecturer at Queen’s University in Belfast, said people did not know that visceral fat, which you cannot see or feel and which sits around the organs in the abdomen, is there or that it poses a problem.

It is thought that the danger of visceral fat is related to the release of proteins and hormones that can cause inflammation, which in turn can damage arteries and enter the liver, and affect how the body breaks down sugars and fats.

Source: Read More At BBC

Yes, that’s a tricky title above, but this is true and not meant to fool you in anyway.

If you are a dieter, then the very sound of a liquid diet may not be your idea of a fun lunch. Fret not, for here’s another take on the term ‘liquid diet that sounds like good news. Did you know that consuming foods high in water is the key to losing weight?

Rice and pasta which are known to absorb water when cooked, as well as yummy stews and nutritious soups are a great way to lose weight because they keep you feeling fuller and for much longer. However, nutritionists say that if you think you could down a glass of water with your burger and fries, you are being fooled. It just does not work that way.

Research scientists from the British Nutrition Foundation say that the liquid, like in your soups or stew, has to be the main ingredient of the meal you are consuming. A good idea would be to add on lots of vegetables with these meals. Veges are known to be high in water and have fibre which brings on the bulk you need to keep you full. This allows you to eat more and feel full for much longer and yet you will be consuming less calories. For example, take 2 desserts as displayed on the image above, would you believe that they both have the same amount of calories!

Imagine how much weight you would lose if you choose to eat as suggested above, PLUS added on a proven and safe weight loss supplement?  Zotrim diet supplements is now available for you online. This proven diet formula has been tested scientifically to be effective for safe weight loss.

Buy Zotrim Diet Supplements here.

Read the full article  ‘Eat less while eating more?’ as reported on BBC news - Health.
[Image from BBC News]

I must say, this is the one of the most popular fatloss diet programs on the web today. Having been available since 2007, Fat Loss 4 Idiots has sold hundreds of thousands of copies to many happy customers. One of its biggest draw is its claim that you can lose 9lbs every 11 days, plus you get to eat 4 wholesome meals a day.

So is this fat loss system as powerful as it claims?

I have good news and bad news. The good news is that most users seemed happy with the program and did lose some weight. The bad news is many did not lose the 9lbs, BUT most reported they did lose an average of 3-4lbs over the course of every 11 days. The way I look at it, that’s great!

Fat Loss 4 Idiots

So, Why Has Fatloss 4 Idiots Been Rated Tops?

This is a budget diet program that is available for you online. No waiting for a package to be sent to your home or the sort. You go to their official website and place an order, and get instant download of all stuff you require to start your diet immediately. It’s that simple, I suppose its idiot proof.

It comes with a daily diet plan and a list of recommended foods which will help you lose fat, like which lean proteins you should eat, suggested fruits and vegetables. There are also tips on sources of fats from wholesome foods like eggs and cottage cheese plus suggestions of getting your carbs from oats and pasta.
You get a four meals plan for each day which looks quite palatable [see below]. These meals should be consumed two and half hours apart. Now that should sort out the hunger pangs that go with most diets.

Here’s the good part - no calorie counting, and no limit on portion size. All Fatloss 4 Idiots suggest is that you ‘Eat till you are Satisfied - Short of being Full’ Now that can’t be too difficult can it? Now we know why it’s so popular!

Here is just one sample meal plan:

Day 1
Meal #1: Flavored Oatmeal
Meal #2: Tuna Salad
Meal #3: Sandwich (any type)
Meal #4: Scrambled Eggs Meal

Day 2:
Meal #1: Banana Milk Shake
Meal #2: Chicken
Meal #3: Scrambled Eggs [and] Mixed Vegetables
Meal #4: Cottage Cheese

Day 3:
Meal #1: Chicken
Meal #2: Fruit Salad
Meal #3: Fish Filet
Meal #4: Cottage Cheese

Sounds good ya!

This Is The Part I Like.

Once you have gone through their 11 day diet program, you get to treat yourself.  It’s a 3-day ‘time out’! You get to cheat and eat whatever you want for 3 whole days, and then it’s back to a 11 day diet plan.

Keep Reading, It Get’s Better.

This diet program was designed for people who are usually sedentary. So, giving them a schedule of dreadful workouts to perform is not what it prescribes. They suggest that you do get involved with some form of frequent exercise like walking and other low intensity exercise for at least 30 minutes a day. It is a well documented fact that anyone who goes on diet and adds a little exercise daily will get better results.

So, what’s the trick behind Fat Loss 4 Idiots?

What’s involved here are simple, well thought out weight loss principles that work on cyclic macro-nutrient ratios, or some call it calorie shifting. This tricks your metabolism and alters your metabolic rate. All principles behind this diet are common sense theories that are well documented like eating whole foods, drinking lots of water and doing regular simple exercises. The only thing here is that they have come up with a plan of action for you which brings about a change in your metabolism resulting in the burning of your fat. This has been proven to work.

Are You Looking for a Plan Of Action for Fat Loss?
Then Fatloss 4 Idiots might be what you need. Go take a peek at their official website and you will like what you see. I simply love one of their opening statements…’Food Is Not The Enemy’

Visit ‘Fat Loss 4 Idiots Official Website’

As the term implies, Roux-en-Y gastric by-pass surgery is a procedure where  your stomach is made smaller, and this smaller portion is connected directly to the jejunum so as to allow food to by-pass the rest of your stomach and your duodenum.

This procedure has a dual effect. This is because, not only will food intake be reduced as a result of feeling full ‘quickly’ when eating because of a smaller stomach, it also involves inducing some amount of malabsorbtion of the food on account of it by-passing the duodenum. Calorie intake will be reduced because of reduced intake as well as less absorption. This results with weight loss.

The Roux-en-Y surgical procedure can be performed with the laparoscopic approach using precision small instruments and a camera which guides the surgeon to perform the surgery.

As for the Roux-en-Y surgical procedure the complications are similar as the Lap-Band Surgical Procedure, however in this case there is the added danger of infection, leakage and nutritional deficiency. Another risk is called the “dumping syndrome” where food tends to pass through the stomach and small intestine too rapidly resulting in it being ‘dumped’.

So you have heard of the LAP-BAND® Surgery for weight loss.

Here is a simple explanation of what the procedure involves. It must be noted that this surgical procedure is normally recommended for those who are clinically diagnosed with Morbid Obesity.

Lap Band Surgery For Weight Loss

Laparoscopic gastric banding surgery is performed by placing an inflatable band around the upper part of the stomach so as to create a small pouch with a narrow passage leading into the remainder of the stomach.
With the Lap-Band® procedure, a feeling of being full is felt early when eating thus limiting the intake of food. It is inflated with saline making it safe and can be adjusted over time to vary the size of the passage to the larger portion of the stomach.

Lap-Band® Surgery is the surgery often recommended for those with Morbid Obesity. The band, though intended to left permanently, can be removed by the surgeon should it be necessary.

A proper diet program after surgical weight loss treatment is crucial for the success of the procedure. The patient will also be advised to follow an exercise program in order to maintain the weight loss achieved.

The Lap-Band® is not without its share of complications which include abdominal pain, heartburn, nausea and vomiting. There could also be slippage of the band and the pouch enlarging over time. Not forgetting the risk of surgery and related post surgical complications as well.