By David Donahoo

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Donahoo

Prevention magazine unveiled it's "400 calorie diet" on the Rachael Ray show. The diet breaks down into a simple math problem: four, 400-calorie meals per day or 4x/400. According to Prevention, no food is off limits but you need to keep track of the calories.

The idea is simple; however, people looking to lose weight have a difficult time with eating only one serving of anything—except maybe broccoli. The book contains 400 calorie recipes that are simple and you can find just about anything for the finicky dieter. There is even a 415 calorie McDonald's meal.

Boxing for weight loss
A one-hour boxing workout can burn up to 1400 calories. If you follow a simple, rough estimate of your BMR along with a food diary you can then figure out your caloric intake and achieve your weight loss goals more effectively.

Here's how it works
BMR, or basal metabolic rate, is the level that your body burns calories while at rest. So if you have a fast metabolism then you burn more calories while resting. Here is a simple formula: BMR = (your body weight in lbs.) x 10.

For example, a 200 pound male needs needs to consume 2000 calories to maintain his weight. It takes 3500 calories to burn 1 lb. of fat. So if he eats 2000 calories per day and burns, say, 1200 calories per boxing workout three days a week; then, he will lose about 1 lb. at the end of the week.

Naturally, there are more factors to the numbers game then just grabbing a formula; such as, genetics, family history, pre-existing conditions, etc. If you'd like to get an accurate reading of your basal metabolic rate then please consult a dietician.

Final thoughts
The problem with the 400 calorie diet is that a definite nutrition plan is not factored in. Healthy and balanced meals are usually high in nutrients, low in calories, and low in sugar. When you're only measuring calories you can eat a McDonald's burger (250 calories/high in fat) with a packet of ketchup (15 calories/high in sugar), and a reduced-fat vanilla ice cream cone (150 calories/low in fat but high in sugar). Then see how long you last in the squared circle.

Source

Let me ask you a question…

Are you the type of person who can't stay motivated long enough to stick to your diet?

If so what if there was a way that you could achieve that goal without relying too much on self-discipline, self-control or will power? Well there is. Keep reading..

At some point in your life would you like to achieve goals consistently where you will feel almost effortless doing things to gain success in your life? If so, you’d obviously want to do this all the time…right? Of course. Well if you’re serious about success, it’s important to know not only how to get success but staying on track with your goal.

Success is simply achieving a goal. Maybe you’re goal is to lose weight. Improve an area of your life. Learn something new. Get something you really want or maintain a good relationship. I know this will work.

I do believe what I’m going to be sharing with you will be valuable and useful. Ok onward.

There are actually two ways to achieve goals for most people. This is something that we are naturally born of how we approach achieving goals. There are left brain people and the right brain people.

This is what we do when we want to achieve goals:

1. Goal setting. We plan and follow the necessary steps to achieve it.

2. Problem Solving. Create the problem and find solutions.

By just reading above, you probably be able to identify which type of way you achieve goals. Both of them are effective. Here is the problem that we deal with the steps above.

On the first one we become so goal oriented and follow the steps so much that when we encounter a problem, we become stuck. We don’t know how to get around with it. Our steps are interrupted and we eventually FAIL at some point.

On the second one we create so much problem and solutions that eventually we get lost and forget our original goal. We come up with solutions but we also come up with a continuous problem and eventually FAIL because we never reach that goal.

Both require tremendous will power to really have the discipline to stick with it.

So what’s the answer? I’m glad you asked.

We both need the 2 steps above to make success easier or attainable. There is a 3rd option, the one which requires less will power. It is a combination of both. It is called “Inevitably Thinking”.

Setting up a situation where it happens naturally. This concept is from Milton H. Erickson, M.D. who wrote the book “My Voice will go with you”. He was an American psychiatrist specializing in medical hypnosis and family therapy. He was considered the greatest hypnotist of all time. Here is one of his examples.

There was a guy complaining about being addicted to drinking and says he can’t stop even though he wanted to. What Milton advised him was: “Don’t stop drinking. In fact drink as much as you like but you need to walk 5 miles to get the drink and 5 miles back after the drink. What happened was the guy stops drinking eventually.

You see the guy had a goal to stop drinking which is his goal setting and Milton added the problem which is he needs to walk 5 miles back and forth which is the only solution is to stop drinking. He used the inevitably thinking. The guy already know what to do to stop drinking but it would require him tremendous will power to stay on his goal because he is addicted to drinking.

Create leverage for yourself to your goals by using inevitably thinking. Let me give you an example. Let’s say you want to lose weight. You know you need to eat properly and exercise but you are just not doing it. Try giving money to someone who you trust and report to. Tell them that if you do not exercise for the day of your scheduled exercise they can have the money. Give them money for another try. What you are doing is leveraging your efforts by putting something on the line.

You have your goal setting which is eat properly and exercise and you have a problem to solve if you don’t follow which is you will lose money. The only way to achieve goal which is lose weight and solve the problem which is losing money is to eat properly and exercise. I’m not talking extreme here or you really need to give $100,000. You can have $100-500.You can even use things that you don’t like doing not just money.

Let’s say my goal is to was to lose 1-2 lbs per week by following a diet and workout plan. There was a time when I felt like not doing it because I don’t have much will power. I invested on the equipments and foods that I need to eat properly. I hate wasting money. For every time I don't follow my workout and diet I would be wasting the money I invested for my health. It kept me going and made me successfully lose 20 lbs and reach my weight goal. If you can’t find someone who can work with you on this you need to have integrity to yourself.

You created a problem when you don’t follow your goal and the only way to reach your goal is to follow it while giving solution to the problem. I hope you’ve learn something in this journal. Make use of inevitably thinking. Thanks for taking time to read this. Feel Free to share this to your friends who might benefit from Calories for weight Loss Alberta Blog.

Here is an interesting topic that I came recently and about weight loss pills. This shows you that only thing that's losing is your money in your wallet! Check it out:

*******************

Are Alli Weight Loss Pills Safe?

This drug is sold over the counter, but I’ve heard they cause liver damage.

By Martica Heaner, Ph.D., M.A., M.Ed., for MSN Health & Fitness

Q. I was thinking about trying the Alli weight loss drug. But I heard it causes liver damage. Is this drug safe?

A. Alli is the over-the-counter version of the weight-loss drug orlistat. Orlistat works in your stomach by inhibiting the gastric and pancreatic enzymes that help break down fat. This results in undigested fat from the food you eat passing through your body rather than being absorbed by it. This process limits your caloric intake and can lead to weight loss.

Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? Eat all the fat you want and it passes right through you. The only problem is—as with any drug—there are side effects. For example, some fat-soluble vitamins in fats are lost, so vitamin supplementation is encouraged to prevent nutrient deficiencies while taking the drug. A few of the other potential side effects aren’t so pretty. Some people taking the drug have oily stools, fecal frequency and even uncontrolled fecal release.

Still, these effects are considered to be fairly mild, and Alli was found to be safe in drug-company-sponsored clinical trials. Coupled with the fact that the drug does limit calorie intake and produces some weight loss, orlistat, in its original higher dose and marketed as Xenical, was approved by the FDA in 1999. Alli is a lower-dose formulation of the prescription drug and was released in 2007.

“Why take these drugs if the effects are so insignificant and weight loss is not even guaranteed?”

For a drug to become FDA approved it must go through rigorous testing, first on animals, then later in a series of human clinical trials (You can read more about each phase of the process in drug development.

But an initial FDA approval does not guarantee that a drug won’t later be found unsafe as more people take it and use it over a longer periods of time. This has happened to a host of obesity drugs that have been approved and sold, only to be taken off the market later; well known examples of this are amphetamines and Fen-phen.

In the case of orlistat, a red flag has been raised by the FDA. In late August 2009, a notice was issued to healthcare professionals and those taking the drug communicating that a safety review was being conducted. Thirty-two liver-related injuries had been reported in patients using the drug since 1999, indicating the potential for a serious health risk. While the most common complaints were jaundice, weakness and abdominal pain, there were six cases of liver failure.

Upon further investigation by the FDA, it may be discovered that those people with liver problems had a pre-existing condition that may or may not have been exacerbated by the drug. Or it might be revealed that the liver is seriously stressed from this drug. In any case, until the review is completed, the drug is still considered FDA-approved and has not been taken off the market.

Should you take a weight loss drug?

Weight loss drugs are seductive because they seem to promise all the glory of a slimmer body, but with less effort than the proven regimen of dieting and exercise. The problem is weight loss drugs are not as powerful as some believe. In fact, most of these drugs produce relatively small weight loss over time.

At the recent annual research meeting of the Obesity Society, several prominent researchers reviewed the results of studies and meta-analyses (results from a number of studies grouped together) of current weight-loss drugs on the market as well as those being developed. Among the various drugs, the average weight loss in patients being treated with FDA-approved weight-loss drugs over a period of almost one year was only around 6 to 10 pounds more than weight lost by those on a placebo.

An analysis of 22 randomized clinical trials of mostly middle-aged women taking orlistate found that after taking it for a year the average weight loss was only 6 pounds greater than those on a placebo—or one-half pound more per month. Is this worth putting up with potential pooping problems?

However, these small amounts of weight loss are considered successful based on the criteria used in 2007 for a weight-loss drug to be approved by the FDA. The guidelines call for at least 35 percent of those taking a drug to lose at least 5 percent of their starting weight over the course of a year or that the difference between the amount of weight loss by those not taking the drug and those taking the drug be at least 5 percent and statistically significant.

In other words, if a 250-pound person lost around 13 pounds, or 1 pound per month, after taking the drug for a year, that drug would be considered effective. Take note that almost two-thirds of those taking the drug are not required to show this level of weight loss for the drug to still be considered effective. (Often people taking the drug may not lose weight or may even gain.)

The reason for the 5 percent difference in weight loss between the drug group and the placebo group is because often those in the placebo group may also lose weight. This may be because the act of participating in a trial makes the placebo group change their behaviors or perhaps that the diet and physical activity changes that are also part of the study, and that both sets of subjects follow, also lead to weight loss.

In any case, weight loss from drugs is surprisingly small. It may seem as if the emperor is wearing no clothes, but no one’s talking. Why take these drugs if the effects are so insignificant and weight loss is not even guaranteed? Why take the drug for such modest weight loss when there are side effects?

Diet and exercise changes are always recommended as part of drug treatment and these methods have been proven—on their own—to produce similar amounts of weight loss. There are no side effects, provided that the exercise and diets are not extreme, so why take a drug?

Before taking a weight-loss drug, consult with your doctor. Pharmacotherapy is only indicated for certain people: either those who are classified as obese with a BMI of 30 or above or those with a BMI of 27 and above who also have co-morbidities (risk factors such as hypertension, abnormal cholesterol levels, etc.). Even then, lifestyle behavioral changes are recommended as the first step before resorting to drugs. If drugs are prescribed, guidelines emphasize that lifestyle changes—such as improved diet and increased physical activity—should be a part of the drug treatment. Research has proved that after managing to lose weight, few people can successfully maintain weight loss long term if they do not continue with a healthful diet and regular physical activity.

So should you just skip the drug? It’s worth evaluating these questions seriously. No matter what, drug or not, you will need to commit to long-term lifestyle changes to manage your weight.

Do you have a fitness or weight-loss question for Martica? Send e-mail toexperts@microsoft.com. Please include Ask Martica in the subject line. Each of our experts responds to one question each week and the responses are posted on Mondays on MSN Health. We regret that we cannot provide a personalized response to every submission.

Martica Heaner, Ph.D., M.A., M.Ed., is a Manhattan-based exercise physiologist and nutritionist, and an award-winning fitness instructor and health writer. She has a Ph.D. in behavioral nutrition and physical activity from Columbia University, and is also a NASM-certified personal trainer. She has written hundreds of articles for publications such as Self , Health ,Prevention , The New York Times and others. Martica is the author of eight books, including her latest, Cross-Training for Dummies. (Read her full bio.)

How I lost 22 lbs of weight and belly fat in 2 months
>If you’re interested fully comprehensive program that I used for losing as much body fat as I want by following a smart, scientifically designed training and nutrition program, then you need to take a minute and read THIS:
A Secret to Lose Your Belly

Hi it's Michael here. I'm going to do something in this post that I almost NEVER do.

I'm going to share with you part of a real-life experience and education that I learned from following a weight loss program. Again, this is something that I VERY rarely do... (so feel special and loved).

It's a small part of a bigger equation, so keep that in mind as you read it.

This little chunk of information is a great example of how to use "cheat day" to actually increase your fat loss efforts and keep your metabolic rate higher. This is basically strategic planned overeating at certain times while keeping overall weekly calorie intake where it needs to be for fat loss.... and it shows how I lost 1-2 lbs a week.

Read on it...

First of all let's first talk about calories for weight loss.

Calorie is not bad—just misunderstood! Most people who use the word calorie simply don’t know what it means. Also, in my experience, most people to go pale at the mere mention of the word. Especially when I mention it, people will get uninterested immediately. You should see the faces I get. Based on those facts alone, I would eliminate calorie from the English vocabulary if I could.

It's been said that people who consume more calories than their bodies burn will gain weight. It's been a misunderstood word. There other factors contribute to how we burn calories.

So what is Calorie? According to a dictionary: "A unit of heat equal to the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1,000 grams of water by one degree Celsius. This unit is used as a measure of the energy released by food as it is digested by the human body."

We burn calories also in other ways. Our body needs energy from food—calories—to perform many functions, the most obvious of which are physical activity and exercise. However, the body also requires energy to function at the most basic level: to breathe, digest food, and maintain organs and systems. If you want to know a calorie value of food you are taking, then go to Caloriecount website. They have lots of food calorie information in their database. You just type the food you want and you will see the nutritional information.

So how many calories should I eat each day? I’ve provided formulas for you to calculate your approximate daily caloric needs in order for you to have an idea of how many calories you need per day to maintain the same weight. You can then adjust appropriately in order to lose weight. To lose weight you simply reduce it 500-750 calories or to gain weight just add 500-750 calories.

Here is the katch-McArdle Formula. It is the most accurate formula because it takes into account the specific individual factor of lean body mass. You'll have to know your body fat mass. I have found a great website for calculating body fat. Here it is: Body Fat Calculator. Here is how to get your daily calorie intake:

BMR = 370 + (21.6 X lean mass in kg)

You can then multiply your BMR by the activity multiplier.

Activity Multiplier:

Sedentary = BMR X 1.2 ( little to no exercise)

Lightly active = BMR X 1.375 (light exercise: 1-3 days a week)

Moderately active = BMR X 1.55 ( moderate exercise: 3-5 days a week)

Very active = BMR X 1.725 (intense exercise: 6-7 days a week)


Example of me when I was at 71 kgs with 53.35 Lean body weight in Kg, and Moderately active. My Daily caloric requirements for weight maintenance would be:

BMR = 370 + (21.6 X 53.35kg) x 1.55 = 2359 calories/day

In order for me to lose weight I reduce my daily calorie intake by 500.

Daily Calorie intake for fat loss: 2359 - 500 = 1859 calories/day.

Now that you have a clear idea of how to calculate your calories. Eat your daily calorie intake for fat loss for 6 days and on the 7th day you can overeat(cheat day) without calculating calories. Just eat and eat. It's not only good way to lose body fat but also a good way to stay on track. When you think about a few more days to go when you can eat as much as you want.

During my cheat days. I ate Ice cream, spaghetti, chocolates, and anything that is high on calories. It's like a reward for yourself when you achieve 6 days of low calorie diet.

Warning. DO NOT reduce your calories by more than 750 and go below 1600 Calories for men and for women DO NOT go below 1200 calories. It's not healthy on the long run. Lowering your calories Lower than those will make your body suffer. I hope you get a lot of value from this information.

If you're PARTICULARLY interested in learning in losing as much as body you want and the program I've followed where I lost 22 lbs of weight and my belly fat in 2 months It's a "must read", and you can download it online and be reading it in about 5 minutes. It's here:
A Secret to Lose Your Belly


Hope you enjoyed this post and share your thoughts on the comment.

Do you watch a lot of TV?

I don't, but I do try to watch maybe a little bit of movies sometimes.

One show I enjoy watching is "The Biggest Loser".

On that show, two expert trainers, including Jillian Michaels, help overweight men and women make dramatic life changes in their health and bodies.

Biggest Loser is a television show that centers around overweight contestants attempting to lose weight to fight for a cash prize. The contestants have the same goal: to lose the most amount of weight to become the Biggest Loser.

In their show, Jillian Michaels, one of the celebrity trainers from the "Biggest Loser" TV show, gives her advice on burning the last bit of belly fat to help you get flat abs...

*******
Crunches don't equal abs: Everyone wants flat abs, but crunches alone won't help. "You have to take a holistic approach," says Michaels. "You can’t do crunches and expect to see abs if they’re trapped under a layer of fat."

Your body wants you to be a little flabby: "Taking off these last problem pounds requires discipline. You're fighting your body's natural chemistry," she says. Your body wants to keep an extra ten or fifteen pounds on in case of famine, a long winter, or other disasters that have plagued humans throughout history.

Losing the last ten pounds isn't always about getting healthy in the same way losing 30 or 40 is. Sometimes, it's about vanity, and for vanity, you have to make sacrifices.

"Your body doesn't want to shed that weight just because you are a narcissist and want to wear size two jeans," she says. "You have to trick your body into thinking it's a safe weight," and that means plowing through the program without giving your body the chance to rebound back to its old weight.

If you can read In Touch on the treadmill, you aren't working hard enough."

********
She really did a good advice on how to get a six pack fast. Base on my experience you really can't spot reduce your abs. I did lots of crunches back then and nothing changes. It's better to do a full body workout that activates your calorie burning.

Stay fit and eat the right Calories for weight loss

Talk to you soon,

Michael

PS - if you have more ideas on how to get a flat stomach, Just leave me a comment and maybe we can have more ideas on guideline fitness on reducing that belly fat...