Best Weight Loss Diet Review - The Atkins Diet Assessment

The diet that people call the 'fry-up diet', The Atkins diet involves limited consumption of carbohydrates to switch the body's metabolism from metabolizing glucose as energy over to converting stored body fat to energy a process known as ketosis. In the two week introduction, food is very limited but you'll find yourself eating many foods the traditional dieter would die for like meat, eggs and cheese. So if you are a meat lover this is the diet for you. You can even cook with butter, put mayonnaise and on your salads (limited to loose leafy and 2-3 cups per day). You cannot eat any fruit and only quarter of a cup a certain cooked vegetables.

The diet does allow for adding fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain foods after the two-week induction period. However, even when some carbohydrates are introduced back into your diet you'll find yourself being forbidden from eating foods like pasta, white bread and cakes for life.

Then, over time, the transition from weight loss to weight maintenance is made by gradually increasing carbohydrates so long as gradual weight loss is maintained.

Exercise in all phases as part of a healthy lifestyle is now emphasized more than when the diet was first introduced.

Allowed Foods are as following:-

Meat, Poultry & Shellfish

Any meat including beef, lamb, pork, bacon; a juicy steak is a popular favorite! All poultry including chicken, turkey, goose and duck. If you fancy you can even eat pheasant, quail, ostrich or emu! All fish can be eaten in abundance. Any unprocessed shellfish can be eaten including crab, lobster, squid, oyster, clams, prawn and shrimps.

Vegetables

Many vegetables are allowed on the Atkins Diet. In fact, just about any vegetable you might wish to eat is permitted, with the exception of corn, potatoes, green peas, and other sweet or starchy vegetables. Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution divides allowable vegetables into two groups: salad vegetables and other vegetables.

Fats

The beauty of this diet to me is that most fats are allowed! Yes you read that correctly. Cold-pressed vegetable oils are preferred, and it is important to include some source of omega-3 fatty acids, such as linseed oil or salmon. Butter is allowed but margarine is not. Olive oil, nut oils, seed oils, and vegetable oils are allowed. You may also include in cooking, any fat that is part of your meat. Happy Days!

Dairy

Most dairy products are permitted on the Atkins Diet with the exception of milk and yoghurts. In fact, it is recommended that you actually choose those that are full-fat and as low in carbohydrate as possible! Wow... that mean full fat cheeses are allowed whether hard or soft and diet cheese, spreads not be eaten. However, happily, all cream including cheese and butter may be eaten. Cheese: full-fat cow, goat, or sheep's milk cheeses, as well as soy cheese, are permitted, and it doesn't even matter if they are hard or soft cheeses. No diet cheese, cheese spread, processed cheese food, or whey cheese is allowed. Shame, hey I thought not.

Other permitted dairy: Heavy cream, light cream, sour cream, cream cheese, and butter are allowed. It actually encourages you to avoid fat-free or reduced fat options!

Condiments and Spices

It surprised me to learn that it is important to be careful when choosing condiments whilst on the Atkins plan. Sugar in any form is expressly forbidden, and most people are surprised to learn how many of their favorite condiments, dressings, and spice blends contain some form of sugar. For this reason, most salad dressings are not permissible unless you can find sugar and starch free options.

My take on this is you can easily make your own sauces and dressings that tasty without the use of sugar.

Drinks

You can drink almost any beverage whilst on the Atkins program. However, there are three taboos that must be adhered to and these are sugar in any form, caffeine, and fruit juice. You cannot have milk in your tea and coffee with weirdly, you can have cream!

Sweeteners

Any artificial, non-sugar sweetener is permitted on the Atkins food list. If you prefer a natural sweetener, you may use Stevia-- an intensely sweet herb that is available in most health food and grocery stores. Basically, all natural sugars including honey are prohibited. Now this where I would find the Atkins diet difficult; this would excludes cakes, biscuits, chocolate.

Conclusion

I adore meat, salad and other vegetables but I also love bread and chips. I just cannot imagine living for the rest of my life without eating another sandwich or piece of toast let alone never having another doughnut or cake. It would be possible for me to actually enjoy this diet for a short period whilst I lost weight but as for a life long diet... maybe it's not for me. How about you?

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By Claire Liebig-Denham

Quick Weight-Loss

I LOST 13 POUNDS IN 5 WEEKS, ALMOST BY ACCIDENT!

From 26 January 2013 to 27 Feb 2013, I dropped a dress size and now fit into a brand new bikini, size: SMALL!

Want to know how I did it?! Let me tell you:

There is a plethora of information out there on how to lose weight quickly, dieting and exercise. I've gone through a whole bunch of tips and tricks and ended up picking the following two, which worked wonders:

1. DIETING - What and how to eat for quick weight-loss

The information I came across (in laymen's terms):

a. Your body is most likely programmed to store carbohydrates (starches) as fat, making you pack on the pounds every time you eat.

b. If you cut out starches for 4 weeks, and stick to proteins and most veggies (not the starchy one's: potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, peas, corn), you reset your body's programming.

c. After the 4 weeks, your body will use carbohydrates to build muscle instead, making a lean, mean You!

How I applied it:

a. I had Oats for breakfast (not instant oats, the good old normal oats you need to make on the stove), with honey and cinnamon.

b. For lunch most days I made salad with whatever I could find in the fridge (tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber, feta cheese, an apple, tuna, etc).

c. For dinner I had a protein (chicken or fish mostly, just because I've never been too fond of red meat, but you can have any meat) with steamed mixed veggies. I even had the odd carrot, baby corn or peas with the mixed veggies, but as it was moderate I didn't fuss about it too much.

d. During the day I snacked continuously, not too bothered by counting what I'm having, on different kinds of proteins (eggs - boiled or scrambled, nuts, yogurt, cheese, etc).

e. I cut out soda pops, and fruit juices - which are filled with sugars - and cut down on coffee and tea. I mostly stuck to good old H2O - water!

f. One day a week I carbo-loaded. I had pasta, or potatoes, or bread, or aaaaanything else I felt like. This was in order to fool my body into thinking there is ample supply of starches, otherwise it thinks it has to go into storage mode to keep me from dying of hunger.

2. EXERCISE - How to make the MOST of your training time for quick weight-loss

The information I came across (in laymen's terms):

a. Training in the right heart rate zone has a huge effect on your goal for exercising.

b. If you train in the zone of between 60% and 75% of your maximum heart rate, your body goes to stored fat (the one's packed around your thighs and stomach!) and uses this for fuel.

c. If you train a bit harder and work up a proper sweat, your body needs more fuel, faster, and will go get it from what's available in your blood stream (all the carbohydrates you ate in the preceding 48 hours will be readily available there).

d. Thus, what you ate in the past two days will not be stored and won't add to your bulges, but the bulges you already have will mostly likely stay the same.

How I applied it:

a. I cycled (in the gym) at the desired heart rate (60% - 75% of my max) whenever I could. Sometimes once a week, other times I managed 3 times a week.

b. Having to stay in this training zone felt like I was sitting on my sofa having a relaxing time - which feels silly in the gym where people walk around and look at you with strange facial expressions! I'm sure they thought I was wasting my time! I ended up following Facebook or Twitter on my mobile while cycling, just so that I didn't have to see them looking at me!

c. But 5 weeks down the road I'm smiling and they're still sweating and struggling.

How to calculate your heart rate zones

a. Take 220, and subtract your age (in my case 220 - 33 = 187). This is 100%, your maximum heart rate!

b. Now, take this number, and multiply it by 60% and then by 75% (in my case,112 and 140). This is the most optimum training zone for quick weight-loss! Easy peasy!

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By Monica Delport

Weight Loss for Beginners - 25 Pounds Lighter

Weight loss is not a hard task. There are simple principles that, if followed, will result in the weight loss that you desire. If you want to be 25 pounds lighter, having an idea of what 25 pounds looks like, knowing how long it should take to lose this much weight, and understanding what you will need to do to lose this much weight, may help you to get your mind set for the task.

First you will need a visual, something you can see that can help you grasp what 25 pounds looks like. Did you know that a regular size bag of potatoes is about 5 pounds? Now just imagine 5 bags of potatoes lying in a pile in front of you. That's a lot of weight isn't it? Now that you have a visual, let's figure out how long it should take to lose this much weight.

A healthy rate of weight loss is 1-2 pounds per week. That comes out to 4.3-8.6 pounds per month. So, it should take 3-6 months to lose 25 pounds. Losing weight at a faster rate will most likely result in you putting the weight back on, and then some. It's important to remember that you did not gain the weight overnight, so it will take some time to come off.

Now that you know what 25 pounds looks like, and how long it should take to lose it, let's talk about how you can do it.

The first step is determining your daily calorie needs. I am going to use the Mifflin-St. Jeor equation. This equation allows you to calculate how many calories your body needs to maintain basic bodily functions such as breathing, your heartbeat, etc. You would use the following equation to determine your daily calorie needs based on your current weight, height, and age, then account for your physical activity level:

• For females, the equation is as follows:
• (10 x weight in kilograms) +(6.25 x height in centimeters) - ( 5 x age) - 161


• For males, the equation is as follows:
• (10 x weight in kilograms) +(6.25 x height in centimeters) - ( 5 x age) + 5
• Note: To convert pounds to kilograms, divide your weight in pounds by 2.2.
• To convert inches to centimeters, multiply your height in inches by.0254

You would then multiply your results of the above equation by your current activity level:

• 1.3 Sedentary (little or no physical activity)


• 1.5 Low Active (daily physical activity equivalent to walking approximately 2 miles/day at 15-20 minutes/mile or an equivalent amount of other moderate-intensity activities-such as golfing without a cart, raking leaves, vigorous housework or gardening, or taking a low-impact aerobics class-each day)


• 1.7 Active (daily physical activity equivalent to approximately 105 minutes of moderate-intensity activities or 70 minutes of vigorous-intensity activities such as bicycle riding, tennis, or jogging)


• 1.9 Very Active (daily physical activity equivalent to approximately 250 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activities or 160 minutes of vigorous-intensity activities)

The final number you come up with is the total calories that your body needs to maintain your current weight. So, if you continue to consume this amount of calories you will remain at your current weight, and if you exceed this amount, you will gain weight. Next we are going to use this number to determine what your calorie intake should be and/or how many calories you will need to burn in order to lose weight.

One pound is equal to 3,500 calories, and so to lose 1 pound in a week, you would need to create a calorie deficit of 500 calories per day. On the other hand, to lose 2 pounds per week, you would need to create a calorie deficit of 1,000 calories per day. This can be achieved in 1 of 3 ways. You can either reduce your calorie intake to create a calorie deficit, you can increase your physical activity through exercise to create a calorie deficit, or you can do a combination of both, which is considered most efficient.

Going back to your results from the above equation, if you want to lose 1 pound per week through calorie reduction alone, you can subtract 500 from that number to get your daily calorie limit. If you want to lose 2 pounds per week through calorie reduction alone, you can subtract 1,000 instead.

*Note: I would recommend calorie reduction combined with exercise if subtracting either amount results in a daily calorie limit below 1,200, as it is not recommended to consume less than 1,200 calories per day.

If you prefer to focus on physical activity alone, you can consume the full amount of calories from the above equation and burn either 500 calories per day to lose 1 pound per week, or burn 1,000 calories per day to lose 2 pounds per week

If you want to combine calorie reduction with increased physical activity to lose 1 pound per week, for example, you can reduce your calorie intake by 250 calories, and then burn 250 calories by exercising. On the other hand, if you want to lose 2 pound per week, for example, you can reduce your calorie intake by 500 calories, and burn 500 calories by exercising. When combining calorie reduction with exercise, there are a number of ways to do it, so you can definitely get creative with it to find the right combination for you.

So, you know what 25 pounds looks like, you know how long it should take to lose it, and you know how to do it. Now do it!

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By Jacquelyn Hollister

Jacquelyn Hollister is a Certified Health Coach who helps women lose weight by focusing on diet, exercise, and stress management for not only weight loss, but also total well-being. She has been trained in more than one hundred dietary theories and studied a variety of practical lifestyle coaching methods. Drawing on this knowledge, she helps women create a completely personalized "roadmap to health" that suits their unique body, lifestyle, preferences, and goals.

5 Sources of Fat That You Thought Were Bad But Are Actually Healthy

Along with the myth that dietary cholesterol causes heart disease comes a whole list of foods that are allegedly destroying our health. Take a look at these 5 most delicious foods that you may have been avoiding, but that are actually good for you.

Note that in order to reap the benefits of these foods, you'll have to go with the organic versions. Organic products have much better omega-3 to omega-6 ratios and are free of antibiotics, hormones and all kinds of nasty stuff that conventionally grown animals are fed.

1. Eggs

Eggs are in fact a nutritious superfood. They're a rich source of antioxidants like lutein and zeaxanthin, which prevent you against age-related macular degeneration (a common cause for blindness).

Tryptophan and tyrosine are very important amino acids contained in eggs. The former is a precursor for serotonin (the feel-good hormone). The latter synthesizes dopamine and norepinephrine, which promote mental activity and alertness.

An organic or free range egg contains around twice as much omega-3 fats, 3 times more vitamin E and 7 times more beta-carotene than a conventionally raised egg.

How to eat eggs

Scrambled is your worst choice. You'll destroy many antioxidants and the cholesterol in yolks will oxidize, which may in fact harm your health.

Soft-boiled would be the second best option.

And, this may come as a surprise to you, but eggs are best consumed raw. Heating causes the protein in the egg to change it's shape, which may cause allergies. This is a non-issue with raw eggs.

I can only recommend eating organic raw eggs. Never eat conventionally raised eggs raw, as they may be infected with salmonella.

Try to get your eggs from a local farmer, if at all possible. Avoid omega-3-enriched eggs, as the quality of these omega-3 fats is usually very poor - they may as well be already oxidized when they get to you.

2. Butter

Butter is a rich source of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K2 and minerals, like manganese, chromium, zinc, copper, iodine and selenium. It provides short- and medium-chain fatty acids, and it's omega-3 to omega-6 ratio is perfectly balanced.

Butter from grass-fed cows is rich in conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) - an extremely valuable cancer fighting and muscle building nutrient.

It's also a good source of cholesterol, which as you now know is a good thing*. All in all, butter will protect you against heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, asthma and overweight. It's also good for digestion, fertility and thyroid health.

3. Cheese

Full-fat organic cheese is an excellent source of protein and fat. As most dairy products, they can be a rich source of calcium and vitamins.

If you have the option, go for cheese made from raw (not pasteurized) milk. Unfortunately it's very hard to find, even forbidden in many countries.

There are a gazillion types of cheese out there and I'm by no means a cheese expert. I love cheddar for the rich, creamy flavor and I add it to my vegetable salads almost every day.

Avoid cheese spread as it's not real cheese. Low fat cheese is a no-go too.

4. Red meat

Red meat has been demonized for years now and has been 'clearly associated with cancer' by 'experts'.

I agree that conventionally raised meat won't do your health any favors, but organic, grass fed meat is a totally different story.

I would especially recommend organic beef. It's rich in CLA and has a good omega ratio. Conventionally raised beef, on the other hand, has several times less CLA and the omega ratio is nowhere near ideal (1.65 vs. 4.84). Organic meat also has a much higher vitamin and other precious micronutrient content.

How you cook your meat is important too. Deep frying in vegetable oils is about the worst it can get. My favourite method is saut�ing - it's quick and easy and doesn't pump the meat with trans-fats.

Avoid processed 'meat', such as sausages, hot-dogs and salami, which are nothing but a parody of meat.

5. Bacon

This one's a real shocker, I know.

The main reason for bacon being thought of as dangerous and unhealthy (along with it's saturated fat content) is the nitrate/nitrite it contains. But it's a lesser known fact, that 70-90% of your nitrite exposure comes from within your own body - from saliva.

In addition, about 90% of nitrites we get from food actually come from vegetables. Nitrites are not stored in your body in any way and most of them are excreted in urine within 5 hours of consumption.

Bacon is a rich source of choline, B vitamins, zinc, magnesium and iron. It actually consists of more monounsaturated than saturated fat. These two make up around 90% of bacon's fat content. The rest are polyunsaturates. No deadly trans-fats.

Choline is especially important - check out the Guide to Fats to find out more about it.

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By Marian Cerny

The Best Protein Source For Weight Loss

It is likely that some of you chose to read this article because you were looking for the latest and greatest in protein supplements or what to look for in a protein supplement to help you build lean rock-hard muscle.

Sadly, that is not where this article is going.

Sure there are a lot of products on the market that would likely be viable protein sources as a part of your plan for eating to lose weight, but have you actually looked at the ingredients in those drinks and powders?

Did you notice that one of those ingredients might be eggs or egg whites?

Eggs are easily dollar for dollar and pound for pound the best source of protein that you can put into your body. There is no other beef, chicken, pork, bison, lamb, or fish that is as pure and as healthy as that of an organic egg.

Wait a minute, an organic egg?

That is correct, non-organic eggs while still cost effective do no pack the same amount of micronutrients that an organic egg would. One of those nutrients that is a little lacking in a non-organic egg is Omega-3 fatty acids which is important in reducing inflammation.

All in all, the egg is easily one of the best foods you can put into your body. Hold on, but they are high in cholesterol are they not?

You would be correct again, they are high in cholesterol, but there are two kinds of cholesterol- the good and the bad, HDL and LDL or high-density lipoprotien and low-density lipoprotien.

Eggs are high in HDL cholesterol which will actually help prevent LDL cholesterol from doing damage to your artery walls throughout your body. Picture the HDL molecules as a beach ball and the LDL as a baseball, which would do more damage to your artery wall?

Even though they might scare your cholesterol number a bit, they actually have the purest form of protein that you can find in the egg white close to 99% of it is protein.

So should I eat just the white?

Do not get ahead of yourself, while it is a good idea to eat the white, do not discredit eating the whole thing. The yolk is where the healthy fats, and other nutrients reside along with additional calories that your body actually does need.

The next time you are at a health food store or looking to buy a protein powder check the label and see if eggs or egg whites are an ingredient. If that is the case it might be a good idea to put down that container and head to the grocery store for a dozen organic eggs. They going to be healthier for you to eat, more satisfying, and a lot easier on your wallet.

If you found this article to be helpful then check out Eating To Lose for more free information on dieting, nutrition, fitness, and lifestyle as it relates to your physical goals. There is even a free plan there to help you get started.

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By Erik D Walker

5 Best Energy Foods for Low Calorie Diets

When you hit the ground running with your diet plan, you'll probably notice a sudden dip in your energy levels.

This is normal as your bodies not consuming its usual caloric intake.

However it's more than possible to consume certain foods which will boost that battery right up and don't include any additional calories that will break your daily calorie quota.

Below are considered the best 5 energy foods for dieters to stave off the fatigue and the bingeing by curbing the cravings:

1. Salmon

Salmon is packed with healthy fats, not processed fats.

Healthy fats are essential as they provide the body with a major source of energy.

Bursting with protein, healthy fats and in this case salmon should be included in your diet plan at least twice per week.

2. Quinoa

Quinoa is relatively new to western diets but has been used for generations in South America as a staple means of protein.

Vegetarians will get their most amount of protein from this one natural carbohydrate, far more than you would from brown rice.

3. Bananas

While bananas make you feel full and will help reduce your appetite, they also contain a lot of potassium which is a micronutrient essential for propelling energy levels higher in the body.

Fresh produce in general will contain a lot of natural potassium, so be sure to consume fresh foods daily, to starve off hunger and fatigue.

4. Oats

It's blood glucose levels which determine spikes in your energy levels, from a sudden high to an onset of weariness, keeping blood glucose levels nice and steady is key to maintaining energy levels.

Oats are perfect for this as they are slowly digesting healthy carbohydrates which should not be eliminated from your diet.

Low in sugar, high in fiber, Oatmeal is a good source for getting your fix of oats and it will only take a minute to prepare any number of Oatmeal dishes.

5. Egg whites:

Have you ever noticed why weight lifters consume lots of poultry, especially eggs.

It's the egg whites in this case which are rich in protein but extremely low in calories, containing perhaps only 15% per egg white, but they are a great source of healthy fats, and are excellent at maintaining your lean muscle mass which is why they prove so resourceful for guys down the gym.

Egg whites don't just repair and rebuild muscle, they also make you feel energized after a hard session of strength training.

Bottom line:

If you want to maintain high energy levels but avoid the crashes and the cravings, a staple diet of healthy fats and carbs rich in protein are perfect for low calorie diets.

Additionally, consider using some of the latest weight loss supplements to really help you lose weight faster:

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By Richard R Michaels

Smart Eating And Weight Loss

The pounds have piled up; the pants are getting too tight. It is high time to start losing off the extra weight. Planning right from the beginning makes it easier to succeed in your weight loss plans.

Keep track of what you eat and the type of exercise you do every single day. Write everything down in your journal. This gets things organized and you will be better motivated to continue on.

Cooking your own meals let you have total control over what to put into your body. No more extra oily, salty or sweet food from cafes and restaurants to tempt you and make you stray from your diet. Get some good cookbooks promoting healthy weight loss recipes, some basic cookware and you are well on your way to healthy cooking. You might be pleasantly surprised at the results.

When shopping for groceries, be sure to check the calories count and list of ingredients listed on the food packages. Do not be misled by advertisements such as natural, sugar-free and non-fried. Look at the fine prints. Every little bit counts towards your weight loss goals.

Eat smaller portions at each meal. Invest in smaller size plates to make sure you are not tempted to eat more. Less food on a bigger plate might give you the impression that you are not eating enough and end up taking more food. Just make sure you are having well-balanced meals, even though smaller portions.

The occasional deviation from your diet is no big deal. Being too strict might lead to stress and this is not good for your weight loss plans. You might get so frustrated and just give up. Stress can also lead to binge eating.

Sticking to the same old food day in and day out can be boring and uninspiring. Try healthy food from around the world right at home. Some of them can be easy to cook in your home kitchen.

Eating your main meals in front of the TV, work table or computer screen is a typical bad habit among some of us. It is difficult to be eating healthily this way and besides it is bad for your digestion. If you must be munching on some food while working, munch on carrot sticks instead.

Poor food choices, unhealthy snacks and too much fast and processed food not only lead to an expanding waistline but also clogged arteries. Taking control of the way you eat can lead to positive weight loss and a healthy body.

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By Karen Li

Ideas on How to Lose 10 Pounds of Weight in a Week

There is always a need to for some to lose weight or just keeping the weight off. A gym might be a good place where you would be given the know-how to do this.

There are many diets that would offer you the weight loss that you want. The best offers are usually those that have a number attached to it. For example an offer such as: how to lose 10 pounds in a week.

It is often worked out based on the calorie intake. Some of these measured programs that would promise you, for example, how to lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks, would deal with your diet. It is important to work out the process of a low-calorie diet.

Based on the kind of time frame you place upon your weight loss program, for example, how to lose weight in one week, you might want to start by understanding your basal metabolic rate. This type of diet has to do with counting the calories. You should also realize that there are differences between male and female calorie intake.

In order for you to start correctly as well as staying on track, it would be best to get a professional to calculate your metabolic rate (BMR). The reason for this is that you need your lean body mass to calculate your BMR. It will help with your program of how to lose 10 pounds in a week.

It is important to know how many calories you need to consume to know how to lose 10 pounds in a week. The main concern is also that you should know that your calorie intake should be that of 1500 calories for men and 1200 calories for women. This has to be on a daily basis.

It is important that with your program, how to lose 10 pounds in a week, you need to eat properly and this is where the calorie intake is important. However, it is even more necessary to burn those calories in order to loose the weight. This would involve taking part in activities to do so.

If it is possible, you should join a gym where you can be given the know-how on how to lose 10 pounds in a week. They will assist you with a program on how to burn these calories in a week or any other program in which you would like to participate.

By joining a gym, you would also be motivated to on how to lose 10 pounds in a week. At a gym, it would also be more fun if you join others who have the same goals.

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By Imran Nasir