FriendlyDiets.com

Perform a search for the word diet on Google and you’ll find 175,000,000 results. Run the same diet search on Yahoo and you’ll be presented with 118,000,000 suggested sites. The popular auction site eBay has more than 26,321 diet items for sale. Finally, searching for diet on myspace.com will reel in page after page of people interested in, confused about, and seeking answers for dieting.

With the staggering array of diet pills and diet plans on the market today, it’s should come as no surprise that most people are perplexed about which diet product is right for them. Approximately two-thirds of our population is overweight, and statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate that 80 percent of overweight individuals and almost 87 percent of obese individuals are trying to lose or maintain their weight. In other words, there are literally millions of Americans seeking diet tips and advice they can trust.

That’s why we’ve created this list of top 10 diet tips. As personal trainers and health club owners, our goal is to offer you sound advice on how to achieve permanent weight loss with a healthy diet program. We’re not pushing any particular diet food, diet supplement or weight loss program. Instead, our goal is to provide you with some of the best weight loss information available.

1. Our first diet tip is also our most important. We strongly encourage you to seek medical advice before beginning any diet and nutrition program. This is good advice for anyone beginning a new exercise program, as well. Nobody but your own personal physician is qualified to give you the expert advice you need to make intelligent decisions about healthy weight loss, so first and foremost get some medical advice before starting any diet.

2. Our second diet tip is to look for all the free advice on dieting you can find. Be aware that the best, most reliable health advice will come from people actually working in the industry – NOT from marketers and salespeople. With this in mind, seek tips on losing weight from doctors, nutritionists and gym owners. Be wary of health tips from marketers who are solely interested in selling you a product or plan. The ulterior motive to sell may make their weight loss tips questionable.

3. Realize that if a diet has gained national exposure, it has probably worked for someone. However, just because a diet has worked for someone else doesn’t mean it will work for you. Just as legal advice and dating tips must vary from person to person, diets are not a one-size-fits-all commodity either. So when your relative or co-worker gushes about the great new online diet they’re on, check it out before you jump on the bandwagon. What works for them may not work for you.

4. Try many different diet recipes to decide which you like best. People enjoy different foods, and finding a diet recipe that pleases everyone is like trying to give the same relationship advice to every couple on the planet. It just won’t work. Attempting to force yourself to eat foods you don’t like, just because they’re low in calories, will only lead to frustration and failure. A much better approach is to experiment with diet recipes until you find the perfect match for you.

5. Our fifth diet tip is to avoid weight loss pills and prescription diet pills that may be unsafe or even deadly. Although some diet drugs are completely safe and effective, others (like Meridia and Phen-Fen) have surprised users with serious side effects. The promise of fast weight loss isn’t worth the risk to your health, so be cautious with weight loss drugs and other weight loss supplements.

6. Good financial advice always mandates that you journal your expenses in order to find out where your money is going. In the same way, you should start keeping a journal of everything you eat. Everything! This is one tip on losing weight that is guaranteed to work for virtually everybody. It turns out that just a bite here and a taste there really adds up, and keeping a diet journal will open your eyes to how many calories you’re actually getting. Armed with this information, you’ll know where to cut and trim to lose weight.

7. Join a support group. Some of the best weight loss tips and diet advice isn’t found in a book, but comes from other people just like you. Joining a diet support group like PRISM or TOPS can make all the difference when your willpower starts to fade and you’re tempted to throw in the towel. Whether you’re swapping Weight Watcher recipes or discussing the new diet patch on the market, a support group can be a tremendous help as you write your own weight loss success story.

8. Set realistic expectations. All the doctor advice on dieting suggests that, if you’re experiencing healthy weight loss, then you should be losing no more than 1 to 2 pounds per week. Lose weight any faster than that and you’re likely losing muscle tissue and water weight instead of just fat. This is one of the worst things you can do when you’re trying to achieve permanent fat loss. So forget the infomercials that promise you quick weight loss without any effort, because that’s just not true. Focus instead on achieving your ideal weight with a healthy diet and nutrition weight loss plan.

9. A diet tip that you may not expect requires you to eat more often. That’s right! Consume small high-protein and low fat snacks every 3 to 4 hours and you’ll keep hunger pangs away all day. This will go a long way towards eliminating the binges that are so tempting during a diet. Following this advice will also keep your blood sugar stable throughout the day, giving you more energy and preventing the ‘crash’ many experience when dieting.

10. Finally, remember that any weight loss diet must include regular exercise to be effective. It’s a proven fact that when you diet without exercising, up to fifty percent of the weight you lose may actually be muscle loss. Losing muscle is the absolute worst thing you can do when you’re trying to lose weight fast because for every pound of muscle you forfeit you actually lower your metabolic rate by about fifty calories. In other words, losing muscle makes it harder for you to lose body fat. With this in mind, coupling regular exercise with your diet plan makes success much more likely.

Take these diet tips to heart and you’ll soon be well on your way to weight loss success. Good luck, and we’ll see you at the gym.

foodANDfabulous.com Alton Brown shows us how he lost 50lbs with his new diet.

So you’ve made the resolution that THIS is the year you’re going to lose weight and get in the best shape of your life. You’re not going to settle for second best – you’re going to achieve that dream body you’ve always wanted.

Great news – this is actually the best time to make that commitment. Why? Because you can take advantage of the powerful momentum and energy a New Year brings to achieve your weight loss dreams.

But there’s nothing worse than committing to lose weight, only to get lost among the 5 gazillion diets out there. It can get confusing – you may end up wasting a lot of money and effort. You may end up wondering which diet is really the BEST diet for you.

In order to have rapid weight loss success, you have to find the best diet for you (a.k.a. the diet that will speed you towards your dream body at lightning pace). There are millions of diets – but only a few that are best for you and your lifestyle.

The best diet for you will have the 3 key features listed below. Choose your diet with these 3 key features in mind and you’re already halfway to your weight loss dreams.

#1 Proven Success Rate

Are there before and after pictures of people who have lost weight with that particular diet? Are there customer testimonials? Have there been independent studies done on the diet’s success rate?

The diet you choose doesn’t have to have all three of these but try to find at least some kind of proven success rate before choosing that particular program.

Finding a diet with a proven success rate not only lets you know that the diet works but it also helps give you the confidence that the diet will work FOR YOU.

Confidence is one of the most underrated factors in a successful weight loss program. If you’ve tried and failed with diets before you especially need that extra boost of confidence to carry you through the more difficult times in the diet. By reminding yourself that this diet has been proven to work – you’ll be able to keep going and reach your weight loss goals.

A related feature that gets extra points is if the diet has been recommended by an expert or a physician. Again this boosts your confidence that the diet is safe and effective.

#2 Affordable.

Losing weight should not cost you thousands of dollars (unless we’re talking about surgery here and that’s an entirely different article). The best diet will be affordable for the average person.

If the diet costs too much, be very suspicious and look elsewhere. There are too many shady diets out there and as a consumer, it pays to be cautious.

I’ll give you an example of what I mean:

A close friend of mine went to a well-known weight loss clinic in our area and was told she had to pay the yearly fees up front (around $1000 NOT including food). They also told her she had to buy their food in bulk (like $500 for a year’s worth of chocolate). When the chocolate gave her heart palpitations and she had to take it back, they told her it was non-refundable. She was out the money for the chocolate. Plus, she feels she can’t leave the program because she’s paid the yearly fees (which, you guessed it, are also non-refundable).

She unfortunately made the mistake of ignoring her instincts and paying way too much money for a diet program. If you notice you’re being asked for hefty fees right out of the gate, warning lights should be flashing in your mind.

Now on the other hand, the best diet WILL cost you something. It actually is better if you put some cash on the table for your diet program. Why? Because when we invest in something we’re more likely to stick with it. When we invest in something we are more likely to follow through and get the results we want.

For example I did a liver detox several months ago. I’m not really into liver detoxing but I read an article and figured I’d try it.

The detox kit cost me a whopping $50 and when I opened the instructions they told me I had to give up junk food for two weeks. In any other universe I would have laughed and simply forgotten about detoxing my liver. But because I’d shelled out $50, I was invested – I decided that I hopefully wouldn’t starve from lack of junk food over two weeks and suffered through it.

If I’d gotten the detox kit for free there’s no way I would have followed those instructions. But because I was invested, I followed through and now have a healthier liver thanking me for it.

So when searching for the best diet, putting out some money on yourself and your dreams of a better body is actually a healthy thing. Just keep in mind that you shouldn’t have to spend thousands of dollars on it.

#3 Compatible with Your Tastes and Lifestyle

This is THE most crucial step however it’s the one where most people go wrong. When choosing a diet, they simply pick one and go, without considering if it is compatible with their tastes and lifestyle.

For example, if you hate feeling deprived or empty you might want to choose a program that lets you eat many times during the day so you don’t feel hungry. If you get bored easily you want a diet program that gives you tremendous variety and flexibility. If you don’t do a lot of cooking or food preparation, you’ll want to look at a program where the food is pre-made for you.

Diets are like cars – there are hundreds of different models out there, each with their own unique features. And they can get you where you want to go. But your personality might fit better with certain features than others.

Dieting is hard enough. Don’t make it harder on yourself by choosing a diet not compatible with who you are. Setting yourself up for success will also guarantee that you’ll stick it out until you reach your goal.

And one other thing, the best diet will be one that you can get excited about. Choose a diet that you enjoy, that you believe in, that may actually be – gulp – fun.

Emotional excitement will fade in time, yes. But it can give you enough of an emotional push to get you over the initial hump. By that time your first few pounds will have come off and will serve as your continuing motivation.

So those are 3 key considerations when looking for the best diet. Keep them in mind and you will progress in leaps and bounds towards your dream body. Remember, planning now may seem boring – but it’s the key to your future weight loss success.

foodANDfabulous.com Alton Brown shows us how he lost 50lbs with his new diet.

Low carb diet devised by Dr. Atkins continues to be probably one of the most accepted low carbohydrate diets in the world today. Low carb, high protein diet attractiveness has helped spark several look-a-like diets who employ the identical principles of high-protein, low-carbohydrate eating diet. These days overweight people have several low carbohydrate diets to select from.

Tests have made known the fact that high protein, low carb diet has lots of beneficial influences as well as create major loss of weight with no necessity to restrict your calorie intake. Many folks who use the Atkins diet have for a long time been reporting this effect. Many medical studies have reported that high protein eating improves triclycerides, lowers blood glucose for diabetics and people with beginning diabetes and boosts helpful cholesterol (HDL). Low carbohydrate regime has been medically proven to improve insulin sensitivity, reduce blood pressure and lower blood insulin levels. When we contrast it against low-fat diets, low-carbohydrate, high-protein dieters also lose a smaller amount of muscle size.

While it is not scientifically proven, there are lots of different positive consequences reported by dieters using high protein, low carb diet invented by Dr. Atkins. Several of these effects are additional energy, lower craving for sugar, better attentiveness, better mood and reduction of depression type of symptoms.

But there are also a few benefits that are specific to the high-protein, low-carbohydrate Atkins diet. If you have tried a low fat diets previously you will like eating all previously forbidden foods that once you could not even think off. Butter, cream and steak are a ordinary element of low carb, high protein diet devised by Dr. Atkins. There is a undeniable satisfaction that goes along with consumption of food that was once forbidden to you. People on low carb, high protein Atkins diet are encouraged to consume as much as they want of meat, oils, cheeses or fats.

Diet invented by Dr. Atkins is also undemanding to apply if judged against several other high protein, low carbohydrate diets on the market. Naturally there are a few of simple carbohydrate food calculations that you will need to learn, but following that, you are going to be free to have a meal of any kind from the suitable food listing.

Dr. Atkins also underlined the significance of discovering your own individual carb level. Different people have unique amount of carbohydrate acceptance. While some people put on weight with as little as only 90 carbohydrate grams a day, other people can eat up to 120 grams of carbs daily. All through your continuing dieting phase and pre-maintenance period of the low carbohydrate diet, you are going to discover your individual carbohydrate count that will help determine your carbohydrate objective from now on.

The popularity of low carb Dr. Atkins diet can actually make it harder on anyone trying to lose weight. Because there is plenty of tips offered about the high protein Dr. Atkins diet, all of that makes it simple to find resources and help, but can also divert you from your goal. Since the day Atkins diet was introduced there have been numerous Atkins books written and also there are scores of sites on the internet that provide you with tips, information and group support. However nearly everyone you know has heard of diet devised by Dr. Atkins and almost has a outlook about it. You need to be aware that there are many misconceptions out there regarding the nature of the Atkins diet, and you will, no doubt, have to stand up for your newly discovered eating system from time to time.

There are also some of the other downsides to using the low-carbohydrate, high-protein Dr. Atkins diet. You do have to count carbs in your every meal to be confident that you are staying within your own carb range. Furthermore, there is the question of Induction, the most fervently contested phase of the diet devised by Dr. Atkins. Induction can often be hard to get through if you have tried a diet that concentrates on sugar and carbohydrates. Also, a lot of individuals try Induction and incorrectly think that this is the way that the whole diet is going to be. They end up quiting without even starting the real diet by Dr.Atkins.

Now and then although if it does not occur very often, individuals are going to live through a carb crash frequently during the 3rd and up to 5th day of the diet devised by Dr. Atkins. That kind of reaction is a result of their body experiencing the ketosis stage or burning fat for fuel as a replacement for carbohydrates. The effects are short-lived nevertheless lots of people trying to lose weight have quitted on low carbohydrate diets exclusively because of this small happenstance.

Generally, with the several lesser downsides considered, protein high Dr. Atkins diet remains to be one of the most used high protein, low carb diets because of one reason. It works. Many individuals have lost weight with the high protein Dr. Atkins diet and the low carbohydrate, high protein manner of eating.

A delicious low-carb version of crumbed chicken. 200g chicken breast (any fat trimmed off) Approx 50g Almond Meal 1 tsp Garlic Salt Sprinkling of oregano 1 tsp dried Parsley 4 tsp parmesan cheese For more details visit www.kurvaceous.com

Very Real Dangers Of Dieting and the Yo-Yo Diet Effect

We all need to pursue a healthy lifestyle and of course a healthy lifestyle includes a healthy diet. That may be stating the obvious but people adjust their diet for many different reasons and those reasons do not always relate to health.

We all know that diets can be unhealthy. Indeed, taken to the extreme they can be downright dangerous. Even if you engage in what you may regards as a healthy diet the danger still remains that you can be off a diet and on a diet. This syndrome is known as “yo-yo dieting”.

Following one unsuccessful diet after another leads to, at the very least, a loss of self-esteem and a feeling of failure. These negative emotions can develop into a depressive emotional state. This is partly due to the change in eating habits but moreover it is to do with the continued experience of failure due not achieving eight loss goals.

The Cycle of “Lose it Gain It”

Fad diets are of no use whatsoever. Weight lost is very soon regained and the never-ending circle of the dieter’s treadmill begins all over. Most people who go on a specific diet fail to realise that the most important thing is not a diet change but a lifestyle change. They need to change their whole outlook to life in general and to food in particular. A life style change is the only way to pursue a healthy dieting regime. This is the sole way of eliminating fad, yo-yo dieting from your life once and for all. A healthy lifestyle-eating plan will eliminate the fad diet and set you at liberty to follow the healthy diet.

People seem to jump in and out of diets at a whim and the concept of healthy dieting is ignored totally. Even people who are not overweight go on diets for some unknown reason. When one person loses a little weight on a diet everyone around that person wants to try the same diet. They will stick with this diet for a couple days or a week and then go back to normal eating and behaviours until the next diet comes around. Some people start a new diet every Monday only to be off the diet by Tuesday or Wednesday. The problem with this crazy way of eating is that there are some very real dangers of dieting and the different fad diets that become popular.

Frequent Weight Changes Due to Unhealthy Diet

A constant and dramatic change in body weight can, over a period of time effect the health of the bodies regular functions, the major body organs, such as the heart, lungs, liver and kidneys, are susceptible to these constant alterations to the metabolism. Constant and dramatic changes in body make up can adversely affect the function of the organs. Indeed, it is probably better to remain a little overweight but remain constant than to be forever losing and then gaining body fat. This is not a healthy diet.

The Danger of Malnutrition While Dieting

Obviously the body does not want to find itself malnourished. Yet this is exactly what most dieters are doing to themselves while they are dieting in an unhealthy manner. They seek inadvertently to cut out the very foods that the body needs to function effectively. To totally eliminate all fats from the diet is not sensible. In the same vein we need carbohydrates; the very thing that some diets seek to eradicate completely. Following a diet like this is not healthy dieting at all.

The Healthy Diet and Eating Disorders

Anorexia and bulimia are the Bain of modern society and the scourge dieters in the west. These two, avoidable and life threatening conditions are modern phenomena and are due to our unhealthy fascination with looks and the attraction of the cult of celebrity.

This psychological disorder will not be helped in any way by dieting but requires counselling and psychological intervention. Without help people with these dangerous dieting disorders can face serious health issues including death.

Dieting can be dangerous and needs to be taken seriously. Fad diets should be avoided and people with serious weight issues should seek medical help. Successful weight loss will only occur with serious commitment and life style changes.

When it comes to dieting you need all the help and information you can get and there is no better place to get it than online. The internet holds a huge amount of resources, help, advice, hints, tips and diet information to help you get started and to keep you going. There are specialist websites that offer all this information free of charge.

If you are looking for diet information to get you started off on a diet or have no idea which type of diet would work best for you then you will find it. There are plenty of diets out there and some work better than others for different individuals. There are low fat diets, low carb diets and calorie counting diets. Diets can have fancy names such as the South Beach, the Atkins diet and the Zone and the internet can give you the information on all of them. You do have to be sensible when starting a diet and take things slowly and be aware that there are “fad” diets which can do more help than good. However you can find all the information relating to the harm that a “fad” diet can do online and also find a sensible eating plan. The majority of diets that are successful are based on counting calories and the internet gives all the diet information needed to get started on this type of diet.

Some of the most successful plans are based on watching what you eat and clubs such as Weightwatchers can be found online. Weightwatchers have local meetings where dieters all get together and share their success but they also give support and diet information by way of the web. They are one of the most successful of all diet clubs and have thousands of members. You can get encouragement, learn about the system, find new recipes and keep a check of your points online. All diets require encouragement and this is why the Weightwatchers system works so well.

If you have already started on a diet and need some hints and tips on how to keep it going by introducing new recipes into the diet then the net holds plenty to tempt your taste buds. There are specialist websites that give free diet information and advice relating to all aspects of dieting. Here you can find articles, recipes and information on the latest diets. If you need help and support during the tough times then websites offer forums where those dieting can get together and give each other support.

There is no need to pay for diet information a simple search will reveal that there are websites that offer this information freely. If you need general information regarding dieting and eating healthily then this can be found too. You can get tips for eating well, including the types of foods you should include in your diet and those that you should cut out. You can also find out what a healthy weight is and the importance of nutrition in the diet.

The MBody Strength Show: Episode 2 Diet Tips for Getting into Shape Marcus Martinez of MBody Strength discusses some simple diet tips. Free Diet Plan: www.mbodystrength.com Find out more at www.MBodyStrength.com

Searching for a low-carbohydrate diet? Refined carbohydrates are the main cause of obesity, so Atkins developed a diet plan that helps you to loose weight. Sugar, flour, and high fructose corn syrup and saturated fats are the main causes. Atkins diet plan suggest a way to deal with obesity.

According to Atkins diet plan, carbohydrates are restricted in an attempt to control your body’s way of metabolizing foods. This diet plan is mainly based on the fact that, instead of burning glucose, it allows your body to burn fat.

Atkins diet plan is mainly based on consuming high levels of protein and low levels of carbohydrates. It has become a popular weight loss approach for most of us. Atkins diet plan consists of four phases. They include:

• Induction phase

• Ongoing weight loss phase

• Pre-maintenance phase

• Lifetime maintenance phase

Induction phase:

This is the first phase of Atkins diet plan. During this phase, you are allowed to take only 20 grams of carbohydrates per day. You have to avoid caffeine and alcohol completely. Due to this, your body is in the state of ketosis. Ketosis is a phase in which your body burns fats as fuel but not glucose.

During this phase of Atkins diet plan you will lose most weight. Nearly you will lose 6-8 pounds for every week when you are in this phase.

Ongoing weight loss phase:

The objective of this phase is to slowly introduce carbohydrates back into your diet, but you are not allowed to consume a greater amount. You can increase the intake of carbohydrates up to 5 grams.

In this phase of Atkins diet plan, you need to find the critical carbohydrate level that your body requires in order to continue losing weight. The correct level will allow you to eat carbohydrates that won’t affect your weight. This phase continues until you will come within 10 pounds of what you want to weigh.

Pre-maintenance phase:

In this phase you are allowed to eat 10 grams of carbohydrates in your diet per week schedule. The main goal of this Atkins diet plan is also to find the critical carbohydrate level in order to keep your weight where you want it.

In this phase of Atkins diet plan, you will lose weight slowly and you will be able to test certain foods to observe if you can safely add them to your diet without weight gain. Once you achieve your goal weight, you will enter into the maintenance phase of Atkins diet plan.

Life maintenance phase:

In this phase you need to add some more carbohydrates into your diet, but not bad ones. This phase helps you continue to follow the eating habits that you picked up during this diet. You will be suggested to choose healthy carbs instead of bad ones such as whole wheat bread.

Once you get into this phase and start to gain weight then you need to go back to an earlier stage and start again from there.

The problems and consequences of Atkins diet plan:

• You will lose weight very quickly if you follow the Atkins diet plan.

• You won’t feel hungry because your body produces ketones, which act as an appetite suppressant.

• Atkins diet plan has some disagreeable physical side effects. Sometimes you may feel tired, constipated, have bad breath and lack of energy.

Before following Atkins diet plan, it is better to do your own research, because there are problems and consequences for every diet. It is best to visit your doctor to make a decision about which diet best suits for your condition. visit Weight Loss Diet Watch