Managing the Phases of Weight Loss

What happens when someone doesn't know how to independently lose weight? They Google "weight loss." The results show different websites explaining step-by-step instructions on how to eat specific amounts of calories during a certain time of day, exercise after a certain amount of food had digested for a specific period of time, and forbid food intake during certain times of the day or night and…are you still paying attention? After reading that, how motivated are you to still lose weight?

The bottom line with any diet plan is that the reason why they don't work is because they do not fit the average person's lifestyle. People have their career, a family to support, money to make, and piles of other tasks to complete everyday. In this world, there is very little room to squeeze in diet and exercise.

With that, my weight management series cuts out the excess and gives you simple, realistic information you need to lose weight permanently. If you are ready to create a weight loss plan that fits your lifestyle, please read these articles before continuing:http://www.simplyfamilymagazine.com/online/author/simply-geneva/. If you already have a plan in mind and do not know what to expect during weight loss the following explains what to expect when you lose weight permanently.

1. Initial Phase:

If you're losing more than 20 pounds: Do you recall "The Biggest Loser" television show? During the first weeks of healthy eating and exercise participants lost five to 10 pounds in one week! In later weeks, participants would break down and get frustrated because they only lost a pound to two pounds. This is because during the initial weight loss phase, they shed excess water weight. Therefore, in the early stages of weight loss, you will lose some fat but mostly water weight.

If you're losing less than 20 pounds: When losing less than 20 pounds the body will be anything but forgiving to shed the last five to 10 pounds. This is because the human body naturally preserves fat. Males store less fat than females because females reproduce, and need fat to ensure they can carry the pregnancy to term. Understand you may initially lose 1 pound a week and it will slow to half a pound or even plateau. The importance is to never give up! Consistently stick to healthy eating and exercise and I promise the weight will come off. In a worst-case scenario some people plateau for 6 weeks but because they stuck with their plan they eventually lose their last five pounds.

2. Middle phase:

In the middle phase the first areas that shrink are the areas you won't notice, which means the first pounds you packed on will come off last. Look for weight loss in the unexpected areas such as feet, ankles, wrists, forearms, calves, and neck. It is later and often last that the hips, belly, upper arms, and thighs shrink to your desired size.

3. Maintenance Phase:

There may be worry or frustration with any slight increase in weight. However, expect to see weight increases of up to six pounds, and don't lose faith. Common reasons are eating excess salt, not drinking enough water, lack of sleep, or eating a heavy meal late at night. In the maintenance phase weigh yourself once a week and, if necessary, adjust your diet to maintain your new weight. If you do not know how to do this, read my article about adjusting calories:http://www.simplyfamilymagazine.com/online/2012/01/to-lose-weight-this-new-year-burn-it-and-cut-it-to-drop-it/

On a personal note, I always ask myself, "Could I maintain this action for life?" that question always keeps me on track with my healthy lifestyle. I always listen to hunger signals and stay on top of hydration, sleep, and rest. I also stick to consistent healthy eating and exercise. Keep reading my weight loss articles, stay positive and committed, and I promise you will reach your weight loss goals!

Start a Weight Loss Blog to Lose Weight

Starting a weight loss blog can be a successful way to help you lose more weight because it keeps you accountable to your journey. With an audience for your weight loss journey you will feel more motivated to succeed.

If you want to start your own weight loss blog then keep reading for tips to create your own blog that will propel you to weight loss success!

Start your own blog. You can start a blogger or wordpress blog for free, or you can learn how to start your own weight loss blog on a hosted domain. Having your own website where you write about your struggles and successes will motivate you to keep going. It really doesn't take long to get your blog up and running.

Set your goals. Set some mini and long term goals for your weight loss journey. It you can set goals then you will have something to work towards and something to chronicle on your blog. You can write about working toward the goals then celebrate on your blog when you meet them.

Show your progress. You can show your progress through photos that you post on your blog. You shouldn't be shy about posting pictures or embarrassed either. Google other weight loss blog and you will see many people post their weight loss progress pictures online and use them to motivate themselves and others.

Blog your food and workouts. For many people it helps to keep a daily food diary on your blog. You can keep track of everything you eat on the blog to help you with your weight loss efforts. You can also keep track of the workouts you do so you can keep yourself motivated to exercise.

Find an audience for your blog. The whole point of your blog is to have people reading your blog to keep you accountable and motivated. Tell your family and friends about your blog so they can read it. You can also connect with other weight loss bloggers through commenting on their blogs. These people will give you a world of support once you start interacting.

Keep blogging. Once you start your blog don't just let it go on without updating. Try to write as often as you can, every day if you have the time. The more you write the more you will help yourself and your readers as blogging becomes a very important part of your weight loss journey.

Blog instead of eating. Blogging can be a great hobby that can fill in the times when you feel like eating but don't need to. You can always write in your blog about what you are feeling and why, which can help keep you from eating and help you learn about yourself. The more you do it the more you will be able to turn to blogging instead of eating.

There are many reasons why writing a weight loss blog might help you actually lose weight. You might also want to consider creating weight loss video blogs on YouTube.

Weight Loss Tips

Trying to lose weight can sometimes be challenging for people. Whether you are trying to lose baby weight or just a little weight, here are some 5 tips to help you.

1. Walking: Walking when the weather's nice is a super-easy way to keep fit, go for a walk around your neighborhood. No sidewalks? No problem! Trade your power mower for a push version, or go for a stroll around the mall. Take the stairs every chance you get, or sign up for charity walks. There are many ways you can take walks even if you don't have sidewalks. 
2. Dancing: Dancing is a great way to lose weight and also stay fit! And a great way to just have fun. You can sign up for dance classes or zumba fitness at your local dance studio. There are lots of studios that offers dance class for a certain group of age and different types of dance. Salsa, jazz, hip-hop, and even tap. 
3. Tune In, Tone Up: The American Heart Association knows what we love: television. And they also know we need to get more exercise. So why not combine the two, they ask? Try dancing to the music when you tune into your favorite music show, or practice some stress-relieving cardio boxing when your least favorite reality contestant is on camera. During commercials pedal your stationery bike, walk the treadmill, or slip in a little strength training doing bicep curls with cans of your favorite fizzy beverage as weights. Or get inspired to really focus: Put in a high-energy exercise DVD and get motivated by the pros onscreen. It doesn't matter exactly what you do, so long as you're up and active. Aim for at least 15 minutes, says the AHA. But who knows? If you get really engrossed, you just might outlast the last survivor.
4. Green Tea: Studies show you can burn 35-to-43% more fat during the day when you drink 3-to-5 cups of green tea but, If you do not have time to make your own green tea then you can simply take a green tea diet pill supplement. The green tea fat burner has great reviews and has shown to help those who take it lose weight fast and also give a little pep in their step. From my personal view of using this, I'd recommend it. It gives you energy and helps you burn the fat in a healthy way.
5. Multivitamins: Research shows that taking your vitamins daily helps you maintain your weight and it also helps reduce your appetite while you're on a weight loss diet plan and get this. When researchers asked over 500 men & women if they took multivitamins daily - the men & women that did take multivitamins daily had lower bodyweights & less body fat and in another research study. 45 overweight people who didn't use multivitamins were put on a weight loss diet and given multivitamins and at the end of the 15-week study - everybody in the study lost weight mainly because they were on a weight loss diet but the multivitamins probably helped them stay on the diet longer by reducing their appetites and If you don't get the right amount of nutrients - your body will make you hungry by increasing your appetite so you'll eat more (and probably gain weight) to get the nutrients you need and taking multivitamins prevents this.

There are a lot of weight loss tips that can help you lose that nagging weight you've been attempting to lose or been annoyed with. If you are 40+, talk to your doctor about what exercises you should be doing to help you get into shape. And remember, no matter how tempted you may be, skipping meals and starving yourself is never the way to go about losing weight.

Using Cayenne Pepper for Weight Loss: Does it Work?

The list of trendy and fashionable diets is truly endless, but one thing most of them have in common is that they typically include one unique ingredient which purports to have a great effect on one's metabolism, causing fat to burn and weight to drop. One diet that has gained a bit of notoriety in the past few years is the Cayenne Pepper Diet, which shot to the top of Google trends after singer Beyoncé Knowles made a reference to using a cayenne pepper drink to help her lose weight for the film "Dreamgirls". But is this a real and safe dieting technique? Let's explore some of the basics.

Facts about Cayenne Pepper

This spicy little number was originally developed in French Guiana, and it received its name for the city of Cayenne where it was popular. The herb is used for both cooking and medicinal purposes, and is very hot, spicy, and flavorful. Cayenne is found in recipes both as a fresh chopped-up ingredient, and as a dried powder form commonly sold all over the world. Its use in extreme dieting, however, is recent and is not without controversy, mainly because cayenne pepper is associated with fasting.

How to Do the Cayenne Pepper Diet:

You can choose one of two ways to use this interesting herb to help you lose weight and detoxify your system. One way is to make a drink using cayenne pepper along with lemon juice, maple syrup, and water, and then conducting a fast over a period of your choice while only drinking this liquid. A slightly less unpleasant and miserable way to use cayenne pepper is to simply cook with it, and add a healthy dose of it to everything that you eat. This will ruin your recipes more often than not, but it will give you a regular dose of the substance which should boost your metabolism and help you lose weight over time.

The Trouble With Cayenne Pepper

This rich and robustly-flavored spice may cause you some issues if you are not used to it. Many dieters cannot handle the tradeoff between the benefits of cayenne and the often powerful impact it can have on the taste of your food, or the horrible taste of the drink mixture used for fasting with cayenne.

The Hardest Part:

While the Cayenne Pepper Diet can be effective, the fact remains it is generally difficult to stick to, because it challenges the willpower of the dieter to eat an unpleasant volume of this spice over time. Whether using it with food or in a fasting drink, the pepper is not pleasant at all in large amounts, which can add to the already existing struggle of a diet or fast.

Need a better system?

There are no true shortcuts in dieting, and the most effective diets are the ones that get you to manage food and stay motivated. To see a popular and sensible diet system, look here: Strip That Fat System

To learn more about fasting and its detoxifying effects, look here: Fasting Techniques

5 Easy Weight Loss Tips

If you would like to lose weight fast without a whole lot of effort, it can seem like a real challenge. Changing your diet in addition to adding exercise to your daily regimen does take some work. However, by making some simple lifestyle changes, you will begin to notice your weight decreasing over time. Here are some amazing tips to losing weight without the added stress of having to adhere to a workout schedule, excessively working out, or nearly starving yourself to death. These 5 easy weight loss tips are:

Do not eat less, eat more Many people believe that eating more increases weight loss. However, this is not necessarily the case. What you eat is more important than how much you eat. Adding healthy foods to your diet such as, cherries, grapes, and pineapple promote weight loss and are high in fiber. Sip on as many vegetable soups and stews as you like.

Do not go to the gym
If you do not feel like going to the gym, then don't. A work out should not be stressful. It should be something you enjoy, no dread. Find an activity that you enjoy that will also allow you to be active at the same time. There are other ways of burning calories besides going to the gym such as, riding bikes, hiking, playing Frisbee, playing with your dog, or just walking along the beach.

Go walking
When the weather is nice, walking out in nature can be a beautiful experience. It is super easy and not as stressful and working out at the gym. Some options you may want to consider when walking more is hiking it to the mall, taking the stairs even if there is an elevator available, participating in charity walks, or trading in the power mower for push mower.

Lighten up on fatty foods Out of the five easy weight loss tips, lighten up on fatty foods is the most important. If there is a food that you love, you may want to seek out the reduce fat or low-fat version of it. Also, try switching from those high calorie sodas and adding a little spritz of seltzer to your juice or wine.

Stay hydrated
Drinking water prior to eating your meal and drinking water while you are eating your meal, will cause you to eat less. Drinking lots of water and eating lots of fruits with high water content will also decrease body fat over time.

How Cinnamon and Honey Helps with Weight Loss

My mother recently just came back from a trip to California to see my grandmother and a friend of hers was telling her all about how she started adding cinnamon to her coffee and had lost 5 pounds already in over a weeks time! Now before you get too excited, everyone's metabolism and body types/weights are different. So what might work for some may not work for others. The idea of adding cinnamon to my coffee/teas really got me thinking what types of benefits does cinnamon have that causes a person to lose weight? So, after doing some research, I came up with the reason and several other wonderful benefits of cinnamon.

- Cinnamon has an effect on blood sugar that makes it a potential help in the battle against weight, insulin resistance and the metabolic syndrome
- Cinnamon reduces blood sugar and increases insulin levels
- Reduces Bad Cholesterol while keeping the good cholesterol stable
- Boosts the Immune System while removing fatique & increasing longevity
- Treats colds & Influenza
- Helps Brain Function & Memory (this I need!)
- Helps the digestive system- removes flatulence, indigestion, soothes the tummy
- Suppresses the bacteria that causes UTI and fungus associated with yeast infections
- Natural Pain Reliever- I've personally used cinnamon for toothaches & cramps and have had instant relief, whereas tylenol or advil take a while to kick in
- Excellent source of manganese, calcium, fiber and iron
- And not to mention that adding cinnamon to coffee enhances the flavor! I was at Starbucks the other day and added a teaspoon of cinnamon to my coffee and it was fabulous!

I am definitely sold on the cinnamon idea whether it helps me lose weight or not- the health benefits alone are enough reason to start using cinnamon.

I've also been hearing about how cinnamon and honey mixed in boiling water helps with weight loss- just Google cinnamon & honey weight loss and you will see what I mean- boil 1 cup of water and add 1/2 tsp. cinnamon powder and 1 tsp honey- drink 1 cup in the a.m. on an empty stomach and 1 cup in the p.m. I haven't tried this yet- but some people say it has helped them to lose weight. Personally, I figure it can't hurt, so why not try it? Even as I am typing, I am steeping some Yerba Mate Tea and I have my cinnamon & honey on hand! I am going to try to start having 2 cups per day and seeing if I have any positive results and I will come back and update. If you decide to try this out- let me know if it works for you!

Weight-loss Through Calorie Counting with Google!

When trying to lose weight the downfalls are things like having to prepare special meals for yourself but still cook for the family, time constraints, not having good food on hand and no time to work out.

The benefits of calorie counting are that unlike other diets you can eat what you want. If you are offered a piece of cake on a low-carb diet you can't eat it. Here you just need to add the calories to your daily intake. Not making your calorie goal one day doesn't really matter that much.

Dieting Success Factor 1: Support

This time it was my husband who wanted to go on a diet, mainly to gain muscle but also to lose some weight. Ok, I thought I will support him. I wanted this to work for me, too. Well, not so much the muscle part... just the weight loss. When my teenage son joined my husband's work-out sessions and kept him motivated I turned to my best friend. I hate working out and by making dates with her to walk we motivated each other when one of us got lazy. When she showed up, I had to do it.

Dieting Success Factor 2: Motivation

Think of what it is most that you will love about losing weight. Is it that you will look stunning, feel energetic or to be healthy? You will get all that!

Dieting Success Factor 3: Measure

This was the single most important contributor to my weight-loss. I started counting calories. It's so easy! First, you need to know how many calories are in foods and how many calories you want to eat in a day. You can find calorie counts on the web. My measuring cup became my best friend. When I was guessing amounts I was not successful. You need to measure.

Google makes this easy! You can add the iGoogle Calorie-Counter to your Google home page. I used to write it down on a piece of paper but now Google will track it for you! For instance write egg, fried, mushrooms and peppers and you have a breakfast omelet or 1 cup of milk and 1 cup of oatmeal, cereal or whatever. Google will add that to your daily count. Then, at lunch do the same. I tried to stay around 1600 calories. The longer I did it the easier it was. One of my favorite snacks was 2 plain rice cakes and cinnamon applesauce. I always kept that on hand. Rice cakes come in different flavors like chocolate, cheddar cheese and so on. You will soon find what you like and can make breakfast lunch and dinner for the whole family. I would bake chicken in tomato sauce add salad but skip the noodles I made for the family. We also started buying 100 calorie products. Things like mini-bagels, English muffins or even chocolate-covered pretzels all now come in theses sizes and are easy to add to your calorie tab for the day. An apple has 65 calories and a tbsp of peanut butter for dipping has 95 or dip in low-fat yogurt, 110 per container.

My husband and my son made protein-health shakes every night and my daughter and I made low-calorie fruit shakes. For two people, 2 cups of low-fat milk or yogurt, 1 banana, berries, whatever you like, just add it up. It was great because the whole family was part of it although my daughter did not try to lose weight she loved the low-calorie fruit shakes at the end of the day. She quickly learned how to measure and made them for me!

The best thing about this diet, apart from losing the weight, was that we didn't spend any money doing it. In fact, we probably saved money not buying junk-food. By the way, husband lost 40 pounds in 10 weeks and got ripped! I fit into all those clothes I wanted to give away and the best feeling ever was giving away my "fat clothes".

Google Diet? Use Google Homepage to Lose Weight

Track your weight loss with Google!

After a few weeks of 50 degree weather, I woke up Monday morning, put on my usual attire of jeans and an oversized 'hoodie', and stepped outside, it was HOT. It's time to pull out the summer clothes.

To my surprise (surprise due to denial) under that hoodie with the big front pockets was another pouch. Only this pouch doesn't hold keys, or my wallet. This pouch holds a season worth of double stuffed Oreos, and the occasional Ben & Jerry's.

I will not by new shorts until loose those last few pounds. Weight loss. I dread this topic. Weight loss is different for everyone. A weight loss plan that works for one person, may not work for another. Which ever weight loss method you choose, you can use a Google homepage for motivation, and organization. Lose weight with Google? Is there anything Google can't do these days?

I have been using a yahoo homepage for years, but recently I switched to the new "iGoogle". Your Google homepage is totally customizable. You can register for a free Google account, and arrange your homepage with any content you chose. Weather, news feeds, photos, and tools like language translators..Another AC writer recently showed us how to customize your Google homepage as a writers desk. Here I am going to show you how to create a personalized 'weight loss center'.

On your Google homepage, you will see a link for 'add stuff'. This brings you to a page of 'widgets'.

oftlineWidgets are little boxes that can be chosen and added to your Google homepage.. Contained in the 'widgets' are the feed from various web sites. These are updated frequently, so every time you sign in, you will see new tips, articles, or whatever the chosen widget contains. In the search box on the widget page, search "diet' or "weight loss".

Here are the weight loss widgets you need to get started:

Basic Weigh loss Goodies:

The Google 15 Weight Tracker This is the first widget you should add. This graph lets you add your beginning weight, and as you update it, your weight loss will be tracked on a graph.

Weight Loss Tips:

Diet & Exercise Tips from Ediets Daily news on topics like the Atkins Diet, Low Carb, Fitness and Exercise, and Recipes. Plus Heathy Expert Advice, Diet Reviews, & Weight Loss

Life Tips Exercise Tips of the Day Weight loss is a snap when you remember to exercise! Seeing this on your homepage is a good daily reminder. Exercise.LifeTips.com Tip of the Day

Weight Loss Support Groups and Buddies:

Forum Feed from 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet
Having a weigh loss buddy can be a great asset! A little competition never hurt anyone! Get free dietand weight loss recipes, articles, reviews, forums, chat from Forbes Best of Web site 3 Fat Chicks on aDiet!

Food and Water

Water Tracker
Keep track of how much water you drink a day and monitor your progress.

Daily Nutrition Checklist Track your healthy eating with a checklist based on the USDA food pyramid.

Calorie Calculator Daily Nutrition Checklist
"Calorie calculator, a simple way to monitor you daily calorie intake, manage your diet and meals. Calorie calculator to see each meal's calorie details and sum up your daily total. Use the settings to see your recommended average daily intake."

All Recipies Daily Recipes Recipes for healthy living...no more tuna and lettuce. There are quite a few weight loss recipe widgets. Choose the ones that work with your plan.

These are just a few available widgets. Google offers widgets specific to the Atkins Diet, Weight Watchers Points System, and many more. Since Google is customizable, you could even put your photos on your page, before, during and after would be a good motivation! What motivates you? How about a photo of that island vacation as a goal? The swimsuit you want to get into? Use your imagination.

4 Android Apps that Can Help You Lose Weight

Losing weight and staying healthy can be quite the challenge, especially when you have to keep track of your calorie intake, how many carbs and fats are in your food, and even your workout schedule. Luckily, we live in an era of many technological advances such as smartphones, and tablets that have a myriad of useful apps; so why not use this technology to help you lose weight?

In this article, I will list four Android apps that can help you lose weight and stay healthy.

Noom Weight Loss Coach
One of the more popular weight loss apps out there, Noom Weight Loss Coach has a plethora of handy features to help you lose weight.

With Noom Weight Loss Coach, you can create a personalized weight loss plan, log all your food with a color-coded system, keep track of your calorie intake, and much more. You can even set up schedules and tasks to help you stay on track and lose weight.

You can get Noom Weight Loss Coach free from the Google Play store.

MyFitnessPal
Another free app you can get from the Google Play Store, MyFitnessPal is an incredibly simple and easy to use calorie counter for Android. MyFitnessPal allows you to quickly log your calorie intake and helps you keep track of what you have been eating. You can also log your exercise and it will calculate how many calories you have burned.

When entering in your foods eaten and calorie intake you can either choose from over 2 million different foods in the database, or manually enter in your own. MyFitnessPal will also record and save foods you frequently eat, including whole meals.

Fast Food Nutri. & Weight Loss
The perfect app for anyone that eats out a lot, Fast Food Nutri. & Weight Loss tells you the calorie amount and nutritional info of foods from over 300 different restaurants.

Normally when you eat out while on a diet you would either have to estimate how many calories are in the food at a restaurant, or look it up later when you get home and most likely find out it was a lot more than you had hoped. Fast Food Nutri. & Weight Loss lets you look up the nutritional info first before you order so you can still eat out and stay under your calorie budget.

You can purchase Fast Food Nutri. & Weight Loss for $2.99 from the Google Play Store.

BMI Calculator
This app is about as simple as they get. BMI Calculator does exactly what its name implies: it calculates your Body Mass Index (BMI) to give you an idea of how much body fat you have. You also get a Waist-to-Height Ratio (WHtR) calculator with it as well.

BMI Calculator is very accurate and supports both the metric and imperial systems.

You can get BMI Calculator free from the Google Play Store.

Published by Marie Williams