Posts Tagged ‘natural weight loss’

How to Minimize Weight Gain After Menopause

Monday, March 16th, 2009

Getting old and fighting the battle of the bulge is no picnic, especially for women. In a culture that sees aging men as more “distinguished,” and aging women as “old hags,” it’s no wonder that maintaining youth becomes a never-ending struggle and uphill battle for women.

Since most women gain weight as they age because of a slower metabolism and a less active lifestyle, it becomes apparent that this 15 - 20 pound weight gain did not happen overnight. Usually, by the time menopause “hits,” you have already gained about a pound a year. So how can you minimize all the weight gain after menopause?

First, you need to understand the many factors that have played a role in your changing body and attributed to your weight gain:

- You lose muscle tissue as you age, and fat burns fewer calories than muscle.

- You may have a condition known as, “hypothyroidism,” a deficiency of the thyroid hormone, which causes weight gain and effects women ages 40 - 50.

- Lack of exercise. Medical research has shown that just prior to menopause, women stop moving around as much, and tend to cut their activity in half, compared to their perimenopausal years. It is suggested that the lack of activity directly relates to the decrease of estrogen, which effects the signals the brain sends to the body.

- It may be genetics. If anyone in your family carries excessive weight around the abdomen, you will likely be predisposed to carry the weight as well.

- Hormonal changes due to menopause. Fluctuating hormones and a loss of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone, can wreak havoc on a woman’s body, causing water weight and bloating, and redistributing fat into the abdominal region, changing the woman’s shape into something unrecognizable. This weight gain is one of the most challenging and frustrating of menopausal symptoms to women, because in addition to tackling the stress, fatigue and mood swings, women must now overcome self-image problems, brought on by the weight gain.

Thankfully, there are solutions to menopausal weight gain, but the most important thing to know, is that you are not alone and there are things that you can do to minimize the weight gain:

- Exercise and Stay Active. Women who maintain or increase their level of physical activity during menopause, tend to not gain any weight. By staying active and exercising, whether it’s walking, jogging, running, biking, or taking an exercise class, you’ll be able to strengthen your body and muscles. The options are endless as far as choices, so just find something that you enjoy and you’ll be likely to stick with it. To increase your lean body mass, add strength training to your fitness routine, even if it’s a couple of times a week. Strength training helps in weight loss by increasing your muscle mass so that your body burns more calories, even when at rest.

- Eat smart. Be more conscious of the food choices you make, as they can have a detrimental effect on you. Indulging in fried foods may have been fine when you were younger, but can no longer be an option unless the notion of diabetes, heart disease and stroke is something you welcome. Because of your metabolic rate slowdown and loss of estrogen, your appetite increases, so be careful not to overeat at night. Reduce your calorie intake each day, cut down on carbohydrates and avoid foods that are high in fat, sugar, salt and calories. Increase your intake of fruits and vegetables, and make sure to include protein with each meal. Moving to healthy eating when you are used to the “bad foods” may not be easy, but it can and will have a lasting impact on your life, health, aging and the severity of your menopause symptoms.

- Take Supplements. Taking vitamins are a crucial part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, particularly for women facing “the change.” Many of the multivitamins, with their minimum requirements were adequate when we were younger, but as we age, we need more than the recommended dosage of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and amino acids. Women need to focus on replenishing those deficiencies due to hormone loss.

Calcium, Vitamin D, Magnesium: (to help absorb the Calcium) Necessary for strength and maintenance of bone mass, minimizes risk of osteoporosis.

Vitamin B Complex: Helps battle depression, emotional stress and fatigue during menopause.

B12: Restores lost energy.

Vitamin B6: Helps the liver regulate estrogen levels. Necessary for patients taking HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy)

Folic Acid: Essential for heart health and helps prevent cervical cancer.

Vitamin A: Necessary for health and growth of skin and aged-related skin conditions; also helps in prevention of cervical cancer.

Vitamin C: Helps mend wounds & burns; helps with collagen regeneration, which increases with age; helps adrenal glands and the body’s immune system.

Vitamin E: Is an essential vitamin for women experiencing menopause. It has even been dubbed “the menopausal vitamin” because it can act as an estrogen substitute somewhat successfully, relieving hot flashes, night sweats and mood swings. Maybe it should be called “the miracle vitamin!

Omega-3: Reduces inflammation, improves mood, decreases hot flashes during menopause, optimizes brain and heart health; Found in flaxseed, walnuts, and oily fish: e.g. salmon, halibut (1-2x a week)

- Drink more water. To prevent dehydration, which can cause water retention and bloating, make sure you increase your water intake.

- Get enough sleep. It’s been medically proven that people tend to weigh more when they are sleep deprived, so make it a priority and get the proper 7 - 8 hours of sleep each night.

There is no secret formula for avoiding weight gain, particularly as you age, but there IS plenty that you can do to minimize the weight gain perimenopause, during menopause and post menopause. The mantra for maintaining a healthy weight remains the same in any language. Watch what you eat, how much you eat and stay active.

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Fast, Easy Weight Loss Now Possible in 11 Days

Monday, March 16th, 2009

There are thousands of people across the globe looking for fast and easy weight loss ways. These people spend a good amount of time and money to lose weight to see guaranteed results that are proudly boasted by rapid weight loss programs and products. However, most of the time gullible customers are either duped or do not get the promised result.

If you do a research on the internet for ‘fast weight loss plans, you may come across various websites showing weight loss before and after using their product or their diet regime. However, these turn out to be scam websites that are just waiting for victims to pay for their services to fall in their trap.

We have often heard that cutting down on calorie intake will help you to lose weight. Reports have shown that consuming less calorie food will only leave you stressed out and hungry. Throughout the day you will be in a passive state both physically and mentally. Now you know, this is not the proper way to lose weight.

Researchers have found a new trick to get quick weight loss. All you have to do is rather than starving yourself following a crash diet, you need to follow a diet that will increase the metabolism that will result in burning of calories from your body. This theory is known as ‘calorie shifting’

This wonderful way of easy and quick weight loss has been brought to us by FatLoss4Idiots. Their quick fat loss diet program does not tell us to follow any crash die or low fat or low calorie diet. All you need to do is to bring a change in the eating habit best done by the online diet generator of FatLoss4Idiots. Are you determined to lose weight? If yes, check out this review of FatLoss4Idiots right away to be fit and fine.

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Not Losing Weight? 6 Quick and Easy Weight Loss Tips!

Monday, March 16th, 2009

Sick of Not Losing Weight? Below are 6 quick weight loss tips to help you lose stomach fat for good -

1. You need to plan ahead - by preparing meals at home for the week ahead, you are less likely to dine out or pick up an expensive snack. even more importantly, you can control what you eat!

2. You need to drink less liquid calories, fizzy drinks, alcohol and fruit juice. This is an often over looked tip, but very effective. So start drinking more water, and start cutting down on those empty calorie drinks like Pepsi!

3. You are not losing weight because you are not eating smart. In other words, you should be scaling back on the fatty junk foods and fast foods, and eating more of the unprocessed foods - hence stick to foods that are as natural as possible. For sure these are the best foods you should be eating to lose weight. Not only are fresh foods healthier, it can keep you full longer. Hence the old saying of ’sticking to 5 serves of fruits and vegetables’ should be applied to your daily eating habit.

4. A quick and easy weight loss tip - build muscles and start Interval Training. This combination workout is challenging, and more importantly, it will boost your metabolism. So stick to this high intensity program to get the best fat loss results.

5. Mix it up - vary your meals and workout every month to avoid boredom and weight loss plateaus!

6. You are not eating healthy consistently. According to the Truth About Abs, this is the key to fat loss, and it is a major reason why you’re not losing weight. You see … even if you are exercising regularly, you still cannot ‘out exercise’ a bad diet. Whether you are looking to get rid of belly fat or get great abs, improving your nutritional intake should be your priority - and it is a relatively, quick and easy weight loss strategy!

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Fast Weight Loss

Monday, March 16th, 2009

Obesity is a growing concern for many people. This is why a lot of people try to find the most effective and fast weight loss methods to avoid the health risks that go with this condition. However, fast weight loss does not necessarily mean that you will lose weight overnight. This process happens gradually. But if you consider fast weight loss as losing about to 1 pound a week, then you can rely on three effective strategies to achieve this.

Fast Weight Loss Strategies

One effective strategy is a fast weight loss diet. Although there are lots of diet plans that are being advertised on the Internet that promise quick weight loss, it is still best to talk to your doctor regarding this. Your personal physician can provide you with the facts on weight loss and help you decide which weight loss supplement may be right for your personal situation. If possible, you should also eat foods in moderation and be more aware of your serving sizes.

Aside from diet, weight loss pills and supplements can also be effective. However, with the increasing supplement scams in the market these days, it can be very risky to try these products since a few of these are proven ineffective. This is why it is important that you consult your physician before you take any weight loss pills or supplements.

The last strategy for weight loss is increased exercise. Exercise is considered the most important component of overall health and fitness. This is one weight loss method that has never been banned, never been investigated, and never been included in a “weight loss scam” report. This is safe, effective, and brings many benefits to the body aside from weight loss. Though exercise may not actually give you fast results, it is a sure and proven method of weight loss.

These are the three effective strategies that can help you achieve quick weight loss results. When these three are combined, you are guaranteed to achieve your target healthy weight.

Fast Weight Loss provides detailed information on Fast Weight Loss, Fast Weight Loss Diets, Fast Weight Loss Tips, Fast Weight Loss Pills and more. Fast Weight Loss is affiliated with Natural Weight Loss Products.

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5 Quick Tips For Losing Weight

Monday, March 16th, 2009

Reaching your weight loss goals and keeping the weight off is one of the most difficult things to achieve. Losing weight has a lot of options, but not all options work for everyone. While plain diet and exercise will work for some, it is not enough for others. Others may just have to work harder or add some supplements to their regime.

Friends may give you tips that may not work for you and could actually be harmful. It is up to YOU how you are going to lose weight. If you choose diet and exercise please consider some of the following tips:

1) Junk and processed foods are to be avoided. It is more difficult to lose on this type of food as junk food has is high in calories which will only add to your weight. Instead, try to eat healthy foods such as raw fruits and vegetables. Keep them always around the house and with you when you travel. Most grocery stores now prepare an assortment of raw prepared veggies ready to eat. Cooking your own meals lets you keep control of the amount of oil you use. Using less is better.

2) Don’t deprive yourself but cut down on calories in small percentages every day. By consuming less calories than what you burn leads to weight loss. Eat some of your favorite foods in moderation so that you don’t start binge eating. Nothing weighs on your mind more than that piece of chocolate cake you’ve told yourself you cannot ever have if you want to lose this weight. Make up your mind to treat yourself to a small portion of one of your favourite foods every so often to help reduce the cravings that can lead to binge eating.

3) Eat small portions. Eating large meals is not good for you. Split your meals into smaller portions and eat every four to five hours. Your metabolism increases as you eat, thus burning fat. Eating in smaller portions and more often lessens your appetite and you are less likely to get really hungry and eat too much.

4) Exercise can help you increase your muscle mass and speed up your metabolism. By increasing your metabolism you burn more fat in less time. A gym membership may help you target areas that need more firming. If you are not into going to the gym or cannot exercise strenuously, increase your activity level by walking instead of driving short distances, using the stairs where possible, parking as far away from the door as possible or any other thing you can think of to increase your activity level. Tai Chi is one example of an exercise that can be a very gentle way to increase your activity level and build up your muscle tone. Every little bit helps.

5) If you have tried to lose weight on your own and failed, try a method that has some support. Some people find it helpful to talk to others who are actually losing weight to learn what has worked for them and what has not and to get some encouragement when things seem to be at a stand still. This applies to both the diet and exercise portion of you weight loss plan.

For many people, diet and exercise is the key to losing weight. As always, talk to your doctor before beginning any exercise or diet program.

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The Truth About Quick Weight Loss 3 Steps to a Thin You

Monday, March 16th, 2009

If you’re looking for quick weight loss then you will want to read this article. Specifically, we are going to discuss the eating of healthy carbohydrates choosing the right meal portions and finding the the right exercise for you. After reading this article you should be well on your way to getting the results that you desire.

Carbohydrates have gotten a very bad reputation in the press lately. But, you do not have to eliminate carbs completely from your diet. The trick is to know which carbs are healthy for you and which ones make you fat. There are two kinds of carbohydrates that you need to know. The carbohydrates that you need to avoid are simple carbs. These are the unhealthy carbohydrates. Things like sugar sweetbreads, and starches like potatoes are all things you should avoid. Complex carbohydrates on the other hand are the good guys. Do not be afraid to consume these in your diet. Good carbs include things like green, red and yellow vegetables, unrefined grains and whole grain bread. As long as you can differentiate between good carbs and bad carbs and choose the good ones over the unhealthy ones, you can look forward to easy and quick weight loss.

Now that you understand the two different types of carbohydrates you need to focus on meal portions. The type of portions you see at most restaurants are usually much too big. Share your restaurant portion with somebody else at the table or just ask the wait staff to box half of it up at the beginning of your meal. At home you can have more control over your portion size. If you find it difficult to reduce your portions you can try using smaller plates to trick yourself into thinking you’re eating more than you actually are.

Quick weight loss doesn’t stop at your diet. If you want to drop pounds quickly you need to exercise your body. Exercising doesn’t have to be boring. There are several ways to make exercise a fun part of your life. For one, you can revive an old sports activity that you used to enjoy. Is there a softball team in your town? Perhaps you can look for dance classes or take tennis lessons. Another great idea is to get a dog. Dogs are well known to lower stress and they are a great excuse to take several walks a day.

These tips should get you started on accomplishing your quick weight loss. But they will only work as fast as you act on them. Make today the day that you start eating healthy carbohydrates, choosing the right meal portions and finding the exercise that will not only be effective but also fun.

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