Raw food dieting leads to weight loss success

Out of all the weight loss programs that exist, very few are as simple and obvious as a raw food diet. People often forget about the calories that get padded on to foods through basic cooking techniques. Between oil and butter, as well as the general frying and baking process, a meal can have up to 25 percent more calories than the ingredients alone.

Furthermore, since the body has to do a little more work in order to consume raw foods, it results in a substantial difference in the caloric intake of a meal. There is a very interesting study on this topic that was recently featured in Forbes Magazine. Basically, a group of scientists studied lab rats over a span of forty days and one group of rats ate raw foods, while the other ate cooked foods. It was so interesting how the body masses of the rats ranged between the two groups. The conclusion to the experiment was that raw food consumption does result in weight loss.

How does this affect general nutrition?

If there is a goal that relates to weight loss or a lower caloric intake for whatever purpose, it is advised that raw foods, as a replacement to cooked foods, will produce this result. It is common sense that cooking food will increase the calories, however most people do not consider that eating it prior to cooking is even an option.

What raw foods should be the focus?

The answer to this is simple: dark, leafy greens. Most people know through common nutritional trivia that dark leafy greens are essential to any standard of health. They are packed with vitamins and they have seemingly endless nutritional benefits. The irony of this strong stigma of dark, leafy greens is that many people do not even know what vegetables qualify as dark and leafy.

For those that prefer meal planning and grocery shopping with a list, it is recommended to deviate from that habit just once so that a stroll through the produce section of any grocery store can fuel ideas on all that is dark and leafy. So many vegetables can be used in simple and quick recipes that have great nutritional value, and just knowing the names of such ingredients will aid any Internet search for recipes. Specifically collard greens and dandelion greens are easy ingredients to begin exploring.

With so many weight loss methods that are filled with uncertainty and even potential health risks, raw food dieting offers a truly natural alternative to curb weight in a healthy manner. Additionally, raw food dieting is enjoyable and a voyage that will result in wonderful discoveries through tasting new flavors of foods that are familiar, and perhaps a few that are not!

For the original article click the link below:

http://www.naturalnews.com/034855_raw_foods_dieting_weight_loss.html

Weight Loss vs Fat Loss

When it comes to weight loss vs fat loss, you need to know the difference between the two.

Many people who want to lose weight go on some sort of crash diet hoping to lose as much weight as possible in the shortest amount of time. They drastically reduce calories and become fixated on what weight the scale shows.

As their weight decreases, they assume that all or most of the weight being lost is body fat. They oftentimes couldn't be more wrong.

The reality is that when you go on a very low calorie diet, you often end up losing more water and lean muscle mass than you do body fat.

Very low calorie diets cause you to lose water because when calories are drastically reduced your body gets needed energy by burning glycogen (stored glucose in the liver and muscles). Glycogen holds on to water, so when it's burned for energy it releases water, which is expelled via urination.

Very low calorie diets cause you to lose lean muscle mass because when you drastically reduce calories in order to starve away body fat, you also starve away lean muscle mass.

Between the loss of water and lean muscle mass, as much as 75% of the weight you lose on a very low calorie diet might not be body fat. This is why the weight loss on very low calorie diets can be so deceiving.

Losing weight needs to be all about losing body fat. It's excess body fat that makes you look and feel bad, and excess body fat is what increases your risk for a variety of health problems such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and certain types of cancer.

The most effective way to lose body fat is to combine a fat loss nutrition plan with a fat loss exercise routine.

A fat loss nutrition plan is based on cutting back on calories, not on drastically reducing them. It's also based on you as an individual - your body type, your metabolism, and what mix of protein, carbohydrate and fat works best for you. A fat loss nutrition plan is not a temporary way of eating like a diet is, it's a healthy way of eating that can be followed for a lifetime.

A fat loss exercise routine that includes aerobic exercise and strength training enables you to lose body fat without losing lean muscle mass. There are also plenty of health and fitness benefits associated with aerobic exercise and strength training.

A great resource that shows you how to create a fat loss nutrition plan and a fat loss exercise routine is Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle. It's an excellent program and I highly recommend it.

In conclusion, when it comes to weight loss vs fat loss, there's a big difference between the two, and it's important to understand the difference.

To read the original article please click the link below:

http://www.functional-fitness-facts.com/weight-loss-vs-fat-loss.html

Why Can't I Lose Weight?

Are you one of the many people asking yourself why can't I lose weight? Have you given up trying to lose weight?

While there can be a number of reasons why someone struggles to lose weight, there are three very common weight loss mistakes many people make.

Here are the three most common weight loss mistakes that you have to avoid making if you want to permanently lose weight and get fit and healthy:

Having unrealistic expectations.

If you have unrealistic weight loss expectations, you're setting yourself up for failure right from the start. You'll get frustrated and discouraged when weight loss doesn't happen as fast as you think it should and you'll give up trying to lose weight.

A good weight loss goal is one to two pounds of body fat per week, or one percent of total body weight per week if you're extremely heavy (e.g., three pounds if you weigh 300 pounds). This is the healthiest and safest way to lose weight, and this will also most likely result in permanently keeping the weight off.

Going on a very low calorie diet.

A very low calorie diet can produce quick weight loss, but what happens once the diet ends? Most people go back to the same old way of eating that caused them to be overweight in the first place and end up gaining back any lost weight. The reality is that very low calorie diets almost never result in permanent weight loss.

Another major problem that very low calories diets have is that they cause you to lose lean muscle mass. When you drastically reduce calories in order to starve away body fat, you also starve away lean muscle mass. Lean muscle mass is metabolically active tissue, so when you lose lean muscle mass your metabolism slows down. The slower your metabolism, the easier it is to gain weight and the harder it is to lose it.

Relying on weight loss supplements.

With all of the hype and deceptive advertising in the weight loss supplement industry, it's not surprising that many people think all they have to do is take a particular supplement and the pounds will start dropping off.

The reality is that plenty of studies have been conducted on weight loss supplements, and no credible evidence has been found that any single supplement results in significant weight loss. At best, some weight loss supplements provide a slight boost to metabolism or a slight suppression of appetite.

Now that you're aware of the three most common weight loss mistakes that have to be avoided, you're probably wondering what does work when it comes to losing weight. The best way to permanently lose body fat and get fit and healthy is to combine a fat loss nutrition plan with a fat loss exercise routine.

A fat loss nutrition plan is based on cutting back on calories, not on drastically reducing them. It's also based on you as an individual - your body type, your metabolism, and what mix of protein, carbohydrate and fat works best for you. A fat loss nutrition plan is not a temporary way of eating like a diet is, it's a healthy way of eating that can be followed for a lifetime.

A fat loss exercise routine that includes aerobic exercise and strength training enables you to lose body fat without losing lean muscle mass and without slowing down your metabolism. There are also plenty of health and fitness benefits associated with aerobic exercise and strength training.

If more people combined a fat loss nutrition plan with a fat loss exercise routine, there would be a lot fewer people asking themselves why can't I lose weight.

http://www.functional-fitness-facts.com/why-cant-i-lose-weight.html

Exercise and Weight Loss

Regular exercise is an important part of effective weight loss. It helps to control your weight by using excess calories that otherwise would be stored as fat as well as boosting you metabolism and lowering insulin levels. Physical activity also helps prevent many diseases and improve your overall health.

Your weight is determined by the number of calories you eat each day minus what your body uses. Everything you eat contains calories, and everything you do uses calories, including sleeping, breathing, and digesting food. Any physical activity in addition to what you normally do will burn those extra calories.

Balancing the number of calories you expend through exercise and physical activity with the calories you eat will help you achieve your desired weight. The key to successful weight loss and improved overall health is making physical activity a part of your daily routine.


The Health Benefits of Exercise

Research consistently shows that regular exercise, combined with healthy eating, is the most efficient and healthful way to control your weight.

Research also shows that , in addition to helping to control weight, regular physical activity can reduce your risk for several diseases and conditions and improve your overall quality of life. Regular exercise can help prevent:

Heart disease and stroke. Daily physical activity can help prevent heart disease and stroke by strengthening your heart muscle, lowering your blood pressure, raising your HDL ("good" cholesterol), and lowering LDL cholesterol ("bad" cholesterol), improving blood flow, and increasing your heart's working capacity.
High blood pressure. Regular exercise reduces blood pressure in people with high blood pressure (hypertension).
Diabetes. By reducing body fat, physical activity can help to prevent and control type 2 diabetes.
Back pain. By increasing muscle strength and endurance and improving flexibility and posture, regular exercise can prevent back pain.
Osteoporosis. Regular weight-bearing exercise promotes bone formation and may prevent many forms of bone loss associated with aging.
Regular physical activity can also improve mood and the way you feel about yourself. Exercise is likely to reduce depression and anxiety and help you to better manage stress. It is a natural and inexpensive antidepressant.

6 REASONS YOU’RE NOT LOSING WEIGHT

Ever wonder why you just can’t seem to shed those few final pounds or you just can’t seem to make any weight loss progress what-so-ever? There are several factors that may be holding you back from reaching those final steps. Let’s take a look at six of the most common links to why you’re body is not allowing you to shed that unwanted weight.

You’re Lacking In The Zzzzz’s Department

Studies have shown that those who are lacking in the sleep department tend to show a higher production of a hormone known as cortisol. Cortisol has been directly linked to fat storage within the body, along with heightened levels of stress. If that alone isn’t bad enough, links have also been made between both a lack of sleep, and elevated levels of the hunger hormones “ghrelin” and “leptin”, which ultimately predict when our bodies are hungry or full! So remember, some things can wait, but sleep isn’t one of them! Get rested up, and you may just see a difference in not only your weight, but also your eating habits.

You’re Guilty Of Following A “Fad Diet”

Many fad diets don’t focus on long term change, which makes the majority of them non fail proof. Many people just want a “quick fix” to drop that extra and unwanted ten pounds, but never really give thought to how this will effect them in the long run. In order to take on a new diet and eating habits, you need to be willing to stick to the goals you have set for yourself over time. Since diets don’t specifically target each individual’s lifestyle and eating habits, you need to take the time to research the diet you wish to follow, then make sure it will work for you. When it comes to dieting, everything doesn’t have to be black and white, and that’s often where people fall behind. There is no such thing as an unfair diet. If you are serious about making a life change, you will ditch the quick fix and easy strategies for weight loss, and focus more on what works best for you.

You’re A Late Night Eater

A major problem for late night eaters, is that they are simply not consuming enough food during the day. As we all know, by the end of the work day, if you’re tired and starved, you are bound to eat whatever is most convenient at the time, which ends up being junk food or take out. This trap will often leave you eating a bulk of your day’s calories at a time when your metabolism is beginning to slow down. A good way to avoid this late night binge, is to make sure you are eating a balance of foods throughout the day. Try planning your meals in advance, aim for healthy whole foods including fruits and veggies. Remember, if you’re giving your body what it needs throughout the day, it won’t be begging for late night snacks! In addition, try and tame down on eating anything after 6pm, since this is normally when you start to shut down for the night.