How to Build Strong Bones?

An adult human being has 206 bones in the body. Mainly, bones consist of collagen fibers and an inorganic mineral in the form of small crystals. Living bone in the body contains between 10% and 20% of water. Of its dry mass, approximately 60-70% is bone mineral. The rest is collagen, which is the main fibrous protein in the body. The inorganic mineral calcium phosphate is found in the chemical arrangement termed calcium hydroxylapatite. This is the bone mineral that gives bones their rigidity.

Basically, the bone tissue is of two types - cortical and cancellous, which gives bone rigidity and a coral-like three-dimensional internal structure. Other types of tissue found in bones include marrow, endosteum, periosteum, nerves, blood vessels and cartilage.
Bone is an active tissue composed of different types of bone cells. Osteoblasts are involved in the creation and mineralization of bone; osteocytes and osteoclasts are involved in the re-absorption of bone tissue.

People lose bone mass or density as they age, especially women after menopause. The bones lose calcium and other minerals, causing bone loss. Bone loss can cause osteoporosis, where bones can become so thin that they break. Fractures from osteoporosis are a leading cause of disability. The good news: Osteoporosis isn't a natural part of aging. There's plenty we can do to keep our bones strong and healthy.

How to keep bones strong as we age -
Due to significant changes that affect adversely the health of bones with age, people have to take special precautions to prevent or slow down the process of changes.

Take nutrients for bones - Calcium is a crucial building block of bone tissue. Vitamin D helps body absorb and process calcium. Together, these two nutrients are the cornerstone of healthy bones. Milk and other dairy products are excellent natural sources of calcium. One can have adequate amounts of these by eating three servings of dairy products a day. Other good food sources of calcium include calcium-fortified orange juice, leafy green vegetables, and broccoli. Researchers believe that most people fall short on vitamin D, a critical nutrient. Older people are especially at high risk of vitamin D deficiency, the reason being that the body becomes less efficient at producing vitamin D as we age.
Experts recommend across the board 1, 000 mg of calcium a day for most adults and 1, 200 mg/day for women after menopause and men after 70. Normally, adults need at least 600 IU of vitamin D per day for bone health, whereas adults 70 years and older need 800 IU of vitamin D a day to prevent falls and fractures.

Besides these two essential nutrients, bones also require protein, vitamin B12, magnesium, vitamin C, and other nutrients. Unfortunately, the diets of many older people fall short on some of these nutrients. So, even if they're getting calcium and vitamin D, they're still losing bone.

Avoid highly processed food - Processing robs some foods of their natural nutrients. Even when vitamins or minerals are added, processed foods usually lack the full array of nutrients found in natural foods.

Choose whole foods - Choose foods with whole grains, which are far richer in nutrients linked to bone health. Look at the ingredient panel of breads, cereals, and other products made with grain. The first ingredient should be a whole grain.

Go for variety of foods - If you're cooking for yourself, it's easy to get stuck in a rut. You are likely to miss out on the variety that ensures a healthy diet. Try a new grain, such as bulgur or quinoa. Choose vegetables from across the spectrum of colors, from leafy greens to red sweet peppers. Nutritionists say that a colorful diet will help ensure a balance of nutrients necessary for good bone health.

Plan a regular schedule of exercise - Bones are living tissue like muscles and so they respond to exercise as well. Young women and men, who exercise regularly, generally achieve greater peak bone mass (maximum bone density and strength) than those who do not. For most people, bone mass peaks during the third decade of life, after which people begin to lose bone. As a matter of fact, exercise stimulates bone formation, when bone put under moderate stress responds by building density. Depending on your age and workout regimen, it can either increase or maintain bone-mass density.
The best exercise for bones is the weight bearing kind that works against gravity. Some examples of weight bearing exercises are weight training, walking, hiking, jogging, stair climbing, tennis and dancing. Some of exercises fail to exercise all parts of the body like walking will only strengthen muscles and bones of the lower part. And, therefore, a holistic plan of exercise should include working out all parts of the body. So, working out with weight-training machines, free weights, or resistance bands, as well as doing exercises that use your body weight as resistance, for example sit-ups and push-ups, or yoga will all build bone density.

It is advisable to begin exercising when one is young to build and maintain bone strength and mass. A suitable plan of exercise is also recommended, if you are at a high risk of fracture especially if you are over 70 or have broken bones easily in the past, to keep fit safely without causing further fractures. But this category of people should begin working out under the supervisions of an expert. A word of caution for those, who have not participated in any kind of exercise for a long time, is to consult a doctor before beginning an exercise schedule. After getting a green signal, they should approach an expert, who is well versed with all aspects of exercise, in order to take help in formulating a suitable exercise plan.

Limit caffeine - Having too much caffeine can decrease the amount of calcium you absorb. Adults should aim for no more than 400mg of caffeine per day (about 2-3 cups of coffee per day). Pregnant and breastfeeding women should have no more than 300mg caffeine per day.

Limit alcohol - Drinking alcohol can contribute to bone loss. If you drink, have no more than 2-3 drinks per day. Have no more than 15 drinks a week if you are a man and no more than 10 drinks a week if you are a woman.

Quit smoking - If you smoke, you may have faster bone loss and a higher risk of bone fractures than non-smokers.

The bottom line -
It is well evident that we all lose bone density with age, variability of which depends on our lifestyle. Our food and exercise habits greatly influence the health of bones. By eating foods rich in nutrients, avoiding processed foods, consuming whole and variety of foods, limiting intake of alcohol and caffeine, quitting smoking, and by doing regular exercise, we can halt or slow down the process of loss of bone density, occurring with age.

In fact, healthy bones contribute immensely to overall well-being of people, especially so when people are aging. With age people normally start losing bone density, due to which they become liable to sustain fractures. As a matter fact, with due precautions aging people can delay or prevent loss of bone density by making appropriate changes in their lifestyle. This articles provides correct information about how to build stronger bones.

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7 Minute Workout to lose weight fast, burn fat and tone your body

How to Start Getting Into Shape After No Exercise

How to start getting in shape after no exercise for a long time!
Let us talk a little about how we can get back into shape. How many people have done this? How many people have let themselves go so long without exercise that they don't know how to start? I have had to overcome this problem before and I would have liked a guide like I am going to provide for you.

How to start getting in shape after no exercise for a long time isn't easy. If it was easy everyone would be doing it. It's going to take dedication, hard work, giving up some of your favorite foods or drinks. 

NOT ALL AT ONCE though. Don't be an over eager beaver as I like to call them. An over eager beaver in the gym is someone that that decides they are going to get in shape and they go gung ho over it. They say there going to wake up at 6 a.m. run 5 miles then go to the gym after work, workout for 2 hours. Then there going to only eat healthy foods and drink nothing but water. You get my point. 

If you tried to do that all at once you are setting yourself up for failure. Start with little goals.
Examples of 2 small goals you can set for yourself to help you start getting into shape!

Walk for 10 minutes a day for a few days then up it to 15 minutes. Keep raising your goal and eventually you'll be running five miles, and thinking How the HELL am I running five miles a day I remember when I couldn't / didn't want to walk five minutes a day.

Replace one snack with a healthy snake that is full of protein and good nutrients. Replace one snack a week for as long as it takes to replace them all your snacks with healthy ones and eventually you'll be snacking on nothing but foods that are good for you.

Examples of exercises to start with when you haven't been exercising in a long time.
Start by doing 2 sets of 10 to 15 reps.

This isn't an exercise but it is very important and I feel I should mention this again set small obtainable goals. Don't set unrealistic goals.

Start by doing push-ups in your living room or at a gym. This is an example of using your own body weight to help get in shape.

Next to sit ups again this can be done in your living room or in a gym.

Finish it up with some Body weight squats. This is a great way to building your lower body and hit your core at the same time.

Where do I start once I get to the gym?
When you walk into the gym for the first time it could be a little overwhelming at first. You don't know where to start to start getting in shape. An easy way to get started is to start with compound movements or total body workouts.

Start with straight bar bell squats. This is the same thing you were doing before only now you are using a little weight. This will help build your lower body and your core.

Flat bench press. This is going to help build your pictorial muscles and your triceps and shoulders.
You can also do everything you were doing above just at the gym now. Eventually, you will work your way up into doing more and more.

Now at least you have a starting point. Now all you have to do is decided to start and start now. Have someone that will hold you accountable or you need to be extremely disciplined. Set little goals and once you reach them set another goal eventually you're going to be 55 lbs lighter like me and wonder how it happened. It took me 5 months but I gained a lot of muscle too so I actually have lost a lot more than 55 lbs.

I feel great and so can you.

If you like what I have had to say and would like more information sign up for my Weekly Fitness News Letter by signing up to be part of my fitness team see you soon.
If you would rather workout from home here are some great online courses you can do right from your living room.

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Meal Prepping for weight loss: Lunch & dinner

Weight Reduction - How to Lose Weight

How weight loss works

The science

In some respects, it is quite simple. Your weight depends on how much energy you take in (the calories in food and drink) and how much energy your body uses (burns) up:

• If the amount of calories that you eat equals the amount of energy that your body uses up, then your weight remains stable.
• If you eat more calories than you burn up, you put on weight. The extra (or excess) energy is converted into fat and stored in your body.
• If you eat fewer calories than you burn up, you lose weight. Your body has to tap into its fat stores to get the extra energy it needs.

So, to lose weight, you need a calorie deficit. You can achieve this calorie deficit by:

• Eating less (taking in fewer calories from food).
• Doing more physical activity (burning up more calories).

There are 3,500 calories in 1 lb (0.45 kg) of fat. Therefore, cutting down your calories by about 500 calories each day can result in a 1 lb weight loss each week.

It is best not to lose weight too fast. You should aim to lose weight gradually. If you lose more than a kilogram per week, you may lose muscle tissue rather than fat. This isn't sustainable weight loss. So, it is recommended that you lose an average of 0.5 to 1 kg per week (about 1-2 lb per week).

Top tip: in order to lose weight, your energy in needs to be less than your energy used up. In short, you need to eat less and move more.

Lifestyle change for life

Some people lose weight by strict dieting for a short period. However, as soon as their diet is over, they often go back to their old eating habits, and their weight goes straight back on. Losing weight, and then keeping it off, needs a change in lifestyle for life. This includes such things as:

• The type of food and drink that you normally buy.
• The type of meals that you eat.
• Your pattern of eating.
• The amount of physical activity that you do.

Top tip: ask family or friends to help and encourage you to keep to a healthy lifestyle. Consider a lifestyle change for the whole family.

Before you start

Motivation is crucial

To lose weight and to keep it off, it is vital that you should be motivated, really want to lose weight, and want to improve aspects of your lifestyle. No weight-loss plan will work unless you have a serious desire to lose weight. You may not feel that being overweight or obese is a problem to you. So, you may have little motivation or desire to lose weight. That is fine, so long as you understand the health risks.

Top tip: write down the reasons why you would like to lose weight. Keep referring to this list to motivate yourself.

Set clear goals with a realistic timescale

Based on the recommended rate of weight loss explained above, set yourself a clear weight loss goal with a realistic timescale. Some people aim to get down to a perfect weight. However, this may be a lot of weight to lose for you and you may get fed up about poor progress, and give up. So, you may find it helpful to break up your weight loss goal. For example, you may wish to set yourself a goal to lose 4 kg over the following 4 to 6 weeks. Once you have achieved that goal, you can set yourself another, etc.

For most people, you can start to get health benefits by losing even just 5-10% of your starting weight. For example, if your starting weight was 100 kg, losing 5-10 kg in weight will produce some health benefits for you, even if you are still not at your ideal weight.

Top tip: aim to lose weight steadily, around 0.5-1 kg per week. For most people, health benefits can come from losing the first 5-10% of their weight. This is often about 5-10 kg.

Set yourself an action plan

In addition to setting yourself realistic weight loss targets, it is also helpful to set yourself an action plan. Be realistic and consider what you feel will have the most impact on your weight. For example, if you currently have a piece of cake every day, your action plan could be to reduce this to twice per week only. Your action plan might start with three main goals, and once you have achieved these goals, you can reset your action plan and think about other changes you might be able to make. The idea is to make small, gradual changes that you can stick to for life.

Monitor your current food intake

It is helpful to know how much you normally eat. Try keeping a diary, writing down everything that you eat and drink over a week or so. Include even the smallest of snacks. Are there times of the day that you tend to snack more? Are you eating three meals a day? Are there some snacks that you don't need? You may find it helpful to discuss your diary with your practice nurse, your doctor or a dietician. The simple fact is that, to lose weight, you must eat less than your current food intake (see above).

Top tip: don't forget the drinks. Some drinks contain lots of calories, including alcohol and some fizzy drinks.

Eating to lose weight

Aim to eat a healthy balanced diet

Briefly, a healthy diet means:

• Making up a third of most meals with starch-based foods (such as cereals, bread, potatoes, rice, pasta). Wholegrain starch-based foods should be eaten when possible.
• Eating plenty of fibre in your diet. Foods rich in fibre include wholegrain bread, brown rice and pasta, oats, peas, lentils, grain, beans, fruit, vegetables and seeds.
• Having at least five portions, or ideally 7-9 portions, of a variety of fruit and vegetables per day. These should be in place of foods higher in fat and calories. For example, fruit makes a good, healthy snack if you feel hungry.
• Limiting fatty food such as fatty meats, cheeses, full-cream milk, fried foods, butter, etc. Use low-fat options where possible. Examples are:
  • Skimmed or semi-skimmed instead of full-cream milk.
  • Using low-fat, mono-unsaturated or polyunsaturated spreads instead of butter.
  • If you eat meat, eating lean meat, or poultry such as chicken.
  • Try to grill, bake or steam rather than fry food. If you do fry food, choose a vegetable oil such as sunflower, rapeseed or olive.
• Avoiding sugary drinks and foods such as chocolate, sweets, biscuits, cakes, etc.
• Limiting other foods likely to be high in fat or sugar such as some take-away or fast foods.
• Eating three meals a day and not skipping meals. Always have breakfast. Eat each meal slowly. Skipping meals will just make you feel more hungry, make you think more about food, and make you more likely to overeat in the evening or snack between meals.
• Trying not to add salt to food, and avoiding foods that are salty.
• Including 2-3 portions of fish per week. At least two of these should be 'oily' (such as herring, mackerel, sardines, kippers, pilchards, salmon, or fresh tuna).

See separate leaflet in this series, called Healthy Eating, which gives more details. Also, many books on food and health give details. Your practice nurse or dietician may also be able to help.

Top tip: low-fat foods are generally best. But remember, some low-fat foods and drinks such as alcohol, sugary drinks, and sweets, are still high in calories.

Extra tips for losing weight

1. Eat regular meals. This can help you to burn calories at a faster rate and avoid becoming too hungry. It can help in regulating the hormones that are involved in controlling appetite. It can also help you adapt well to a routine, reduce the likelihood of unplanned temptations, and encourage you to develop good self-control.
2. Eat breakfast. Eating breakfast helps to control your blood sugar levels, can kick-start your metabolism and prevent you from snacking or eating impulsively later on. It has also been linked with increasing activity levels throughout the day, by replenishing your energy levels.
3. Make sure each meal is balanced. Think about what you're putting on your plate at each meal time. Half your plate should be made up of fruit and/or vegetables. A quarter of the plate should contain your meat, fish, beans or other protein sources. The other quarter should contain your starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, potatoes or bread. A balanced meal will provide you with all the nutrients you need while keeping your blood sugar levels steady and satisfying your hunger.
4. Don't let yourself get too hungry. If you go for long periods without eating, this can result in you eating more when you eventually do eat and can cause you to crave unhealthy snacks. Eating every 3-4 hours will help to prevent this.

Plan what you eat

It is important to plan ahead. Perhaps you could plan each day's meals and recipes the day before, or plan a week's meals at a time. In this way you will know exactly how much food you will be eating. This is better than looking in the cupboard and fridge before mealtimes or snacks to see what is there.

It is best to separate eating from other activities. This helps you to keep to your planned eating for the day. So, try not to eat whilst on the move, whilst watching TV, during meetings, etc.

Top tip: plan tomorrow's eating today.

Change your eating habits

Do you have any eating habits that can improve?

• Are you eating larger and larger portions when you have a meal? Deliberately try to take smaller portions when you have a meal. Do not feel that you have to empty your plate. Perhaps change the plates in your cupboard (which may be large) to more medium-sized plates. In this way you will naturally serve up smaller portions.
• What do you have for snacks? Try changing chocolates, cakes or crisps for fruit. The Change4Life website listed below gives tips about healthy snack alternatives.
• Do you have second helpings at mealtimes when you are really already full?
• Skipping meals is usually a bad idea. It sounds a good idea, but many people just become hungry, have snacks later in the day, and eat too much at the next meal. Eating at regular mealtimes may be a first important change. It is best to have three healthy meals a day.
• Do you always have a pudding? Will a light yoghurt do instead of a sweet pastry?
• Do you eat quickly? Are you ready for a second helping before most people have half finished their first plateful? Overweight people, on average, eat faster than slimmer people. It is best to train yourself to chew each mouthful for longer, and to eat slowly.
• Do you give yourself time to feel full? It takes 15-20 minutes for the brain to register that you feel full. The hormones that regulate your appetite need time to kick in. So, eating slowly and allowing yourself time to feel full can help you to lose weight.
• Do you watch TV while you are eating? Sometimes having distractions and not concentrating on mealtimes can cause you to overeat. Sit down at the table during meals, focus on what you are eating, taste the food and become more aware of your food and eating habits.

Top tips: eating three healthy meals each day, including breakfast, is better than skipping meals. Eat slowly, chew longer. Put your knife and fork down between each mouthful.

Change the food you buy

One step towards improving eating habits is to change the contents of your shopping basket. For example, if you never buy biscuits, they will not be in the cupboard to tempt you. Most food labels say what is in the food, so this can help you to buy healthier food. It may be helpful to plan a shopping list, and stick to it. However, whilst you are learning which are the healthier foods, it may also be helpful to spend some time comparing food labels before deciding on what to buy.

Top tips: do not shop for food when you are hungry; after a meal is best. Remove temptations by changing the contents of your cupboards.

Try new recipes

Most people have a standard set of recipes and meals that they repeat. These may be old favourites, but you may need to adapt these and also find new, healthier recipes.

Top tip: when you are on a weight-reducing diet, try to learn a new healthy recipe each week. When you have reached your goal weight, you should then have plenty of new healthy meal ideas to help keep your weight down.

Consider eating more soup

There is some evidence that eating soup may fill you up for longer. Also, if you have soup as a starter to your meal, you are less likely to overeat for the rest of your meal. If you take, for example, chicken and vegetables and have this with a drink of water, you will feel full for a certain period of time afterwards. However, if you take the same food but blend it with the water to make a soup, eating the soup can keep your hunger satisfied for a longer period. This is thought to be due to the fact that your stomach empties more slowly if you eat soup than if you eat chicken and vegetables and drink water separately. As a result, your stomach wall is stretched for a longer period and messages are sent to your brain switching off the feeling of hunger for a greater period of time.

Top tip: make sure that it is a low-fat soup that you are eating. Avoid creamy or high-calorie soups.

Are you feeling physically hungry?

Your appetite is a very powerful thing. This is why many people find it so difficult to lose weight. It is true that some people feel hungry more often than others. However, feeling hungry does not always mean that your body physically needs food. Sometimes you can feel emotional hunger. For example, feeling hungry because you are tired, bored, fed up, upset, etc.

Think about this and try to resist eating as soon as you feel hungry. Are you feeling physically hungry or are you just looking for food to fulfil an emotional hunger? If you do have a strong appetite, try to fill up at mealtimes with vegetables and fruit. These have a lot of fibre and bulk, but are low in calories.

Top tips: drink lots or water and eat lots of fruit and vegetables to help counter physical hunger. Think about whether your hunger is for emotional reasons.

A note about special diets

Many special 'wonder' diets are advertised, but they are often not helpful. This is because your old eating habits will usually return after a short special diet, and weight often goes back on.

Top tip: it is not usually a special diet that you need, but a lifelong change to a healthier diet as part of a healthier lifestyle.

Be careful about what you drink

Many people use drinks full of calories to quench their thirst. Sugary drinks, such as cola, tea and coffee with milk and sugar, milk, and alcoholic drinks, all contain calories. Alcoholic drinks also contain a lot of calories. One of the easiest ways to cut back on calories is simply to drink water as your main drink.

Top tips: keep some water in a plastic bottle in the fridge. Chilled water is surprisingly refreshing. The Change4Life website listed below also gives tips and advice about drink swaps to cut down on the calories.

An interesting research trial involving water

A study published in 2010 concluded that drinking water just before meals may also help people to lose weight. In the study, 48 overweight adults aged 55 to 75 were put into two groups. The first group was asked to eat a low-calorie diet but not to drink any extra water before meals. The second group was asked to eat the same diet but also to drink two glasses of water (500 ml) just before each meal. After 12 weeks the group drinking water had lost, on average, about 2 kg more than the non-water drinking group. The theory was that the group drinking water felt fuller during the meal and so ate less food at each meal.

This is just one small study and so it is difficult to base firm advice on it. However, it sounds logical and may be worth a try. Note: drinking excessive amounts of water is not helpful and, in rare cases, can be dangerous. There have been a few case reports of people dying from drinking excessive amounts of water. However, the extra 500 ml of water per meal in this study is reasonable.

Increase your physical activity levels

It is recommended that all adults should aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on at least five days of the week. However, if you are overweight or obese and are aiming to lose weight, if possible you should try to do around 60-90 minutes on at least five days of the week.

Moderate physical activity includes: brisk walking, jogging, dancing, swimming, badminton, tennis, etc. In addition, try to do more in your daily routines. For example, use stairs instead of lifts, walk or cycle to work or school, etc. Avoid sitting for too long in front of the television or a computer screen. Take regular breaks whilst working. The good news is that you don't have to do this physical activity all in one chunk. You can break it up into blocks of 10-15 minutes. See separate leaflet called Physical Activity for Health, which gives more details.

Top tip: build your exercise levels up gradually. If you are not used to physical activity, try starting with a 30-minute brisk walk every day and then building up from there.

Monitor your behaviour and progress

Just as keeping a food diary can be helpful at the beginning if you are trying to lose weight, it can also be useful as a way to monitor your eating during your weight loss. Studies have shown that keeping a food diary can help people lose weight just through the process of writing things down. You can use the same diary to keep a track of your physical activity levels as well.

It is also important to weigh yourself regularly to monitor your progress. Once weekly is recommended. The first kilogram is the easiest to lose. This is because you lose water from your body at first as well as fat. Be aware that the first kilogram or so may seem to fall off, but then the weight loss slows down. This is normal. Also, don't be disheartened by minor weight increases or levelling off in weight for a few days. Look for the overall trend in your weight loss over several months.

Top tip: regular weighing and encouragement by a practice nurse or dietician may be helpful.

Get help and support

Some people may feel motivated enough and have all the information they need in order to lose weight without any help from others. However, you don't have to try to lose weight alone. There is a wealth of help available. Ask your doctor or practice nurse for advice. A referral to a dietician may be helpful. One-on-one counselling or group counselling may be available in your area on the NHS. There may also be some local groups to help you increase your physical activity levels.

A number of commercial weight loss groups meet regularly in the UK. In fact, there is some research evidence to suggest that people who join a weight loss group are more likely to be successful in losing weight than those who don't. There are also internet-based programmes and self-help books that can help you with your weight loss.

Treatment with medicines to help with weight loss

Medication to help with weight loss may be an option for some people who want to lose weight. However, there are no wonder medicines available, and lifestyle changes to improve your diet and increase your physical activity levels are still important.

The medicine called orlistat is available on prescription from your doctor. Low-dose orlistat is also available to buy over-the-counter in pharmacies. Doctors and pharmacists are given specific guidelines on when orlistat should be used. It cannot be used in everyone who wants to lose weight and is only recommended in people over a certain body mass index (BMI). For a doctor to prescribe orlistat, they also need to be sure that you have tried changing your diet and increasing your physical activity levels first.

Orlistat works by blocking chemicals (enzymes) in your gut (intestine) which digest fat. Nearly a third of the fat that you eat is blocked by orlistat. The undigested fat is not absorbed into your body, and is passed out with your stools (faeces). It is important to follow a low-calorie, low-fat diet and maintain regular physical activity if you are taking orlistat. You will also need regular follow-up with your doctor or pharmacist. See separate leaflet calledOrlistat - Help With Weight Loss, which gives further details about this medicine and when it may be used.

Note: two other medicines, sibutramine and rimonabant, previously used to help with weight loss are no longer available in the UK because of concerns over their safety.

Surgery to help with weight loss

This may be an option if you are very obese. However, surgery is usually only offered if other ways to lose weight have not worked (including diet, increasing your physical activity levels and orlistat). Weight loss surgery usually gives very good results and most people do lose a lot of weight. But this is specialist surgery and it is a major operation. In some people, surgery may not be advised because health issues may mean that having an anaesthetic could be dangerous.

Surgery to aid weight loss is called bariatric surgery. There are different types of bariatric surgery available. In one type, the surgery reduces the size of your stomach so that you are not able to eat as much. You feel full more quickly. Another type of bariatric surgery makes the food that you eat bypass some of your intestine. This means that you are not able to absorb as many calories from food as you would normally. There are also newer techniques that have been developed to help weight loss, including intragastric balloons (small balloons that sit inside your stomach).

After surgery, you will need to make long-term changes to your eating habits. You will be given help and guidance with this. You will also need long-term medical follow-up.

For further information about surgery to help with weight loss, please see separate leaflet called Surgery for Obesity.

Tempting situations and special occasions

It is natural that you will be tempted by different situations to put you off track with your eating and weight loss. It is important to recognise that holidays, festivals, eating out, etc, may affect your everyday food choices and what you had planned to eat.

Can you identify any tempting situations? Some people find that watching food programmes on TV makes them feel hungry. How about smells from the kitchen from someone cooking who is not aware that you are trying to lose weight? Do you get pressure from family or friends to eat or drink more? Can you avoid tempting situations? If not, think about ways of coping with them. If you are going to be faced with a tempting situation, create a plan of action. For example, if you are going out for dinner your plan of action might be to have a starter or a pudding rather than both.

Top tip: clean your teeth or take a short brisk walk when you are tempted to eat between meals.

Stress, depression and your weight

Many people eat as a comfort, or as a way of coping with stress. How do you cope with stress? Is stress, unhappiness, depression, etc, a reason for you to overeat or to binge eat? If so, can you plan alternative strategies? For example, relaxation tapes, going for a walk, talking to a friend, etc.

Top tip: see a doctor if you feel that depression is a problem. Depression can often be treated.

Keeping the weight off

Many people lose weight but at the end of their 'diet', the weight goes back on. The main reason this happens is because their weight-reducing diet was only a temporary change to their unhealthy diet and lifestyle. To keep your weight off, it is important that you make permanent changes. This usually means:

• Keeping to a healthy diet.
• Exercising regularly.
• A change for the whole household. It is difficult for one member of a household to shop and eat differently to the rest. It is best that the whole household should eat a healthy diet.

It does not mean less enjoyment of food. However, it may take a while to learn to enjoydifferent foods, meals, and recipes. Some people need more support to keep to their new weight than when they were actually dieting and losing weight. A local support group may be able to help.

Top tip: after losing some weight, weigh yourself once a week to keep a check on your weight. This way you will see if your weight starts to increase again and you can do something about it early on.

Dealing with lapses

When we slip off track, it's easy to feel like forgetting the whole thing altogether. Lapses are a very normal part of losing weight and the way you deal with it can either make or break your weight loss success. It's better to learn from it and move on, rather than giving up completely. If you have a lapse, consider the following points:

1. What was the reason for going off track?
2. What other ways could I have dealt with it?
3. What can I do in the future to deal with the situation better?

Think back to the reasons why you wanted to lose weight in the first place. It can be helpful to consider the positive and successful aspects of your weight loss journey so far. Concentrating on the positive aspects and what you have achieved can help to re-motivate you and remind you not to give up.

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How to Lose Weight Fast: 3 Simple Steps, Based on Science

There are many ways to lose a lot of weight fast.
However, most of them will make you hungry and unsatisfied.
If you don’t have iron willpower, then hunger will cause you to give up on these plans quickly.
The plan outlined here will:

• Reduce your appetite significantly.
• Make you lose weight quickly, without hunger.
• Improve your metabolic health at the same time.

Here is a simple 3-step plan to lose weight fast.

1. Cut Back on Sugars and Starches

The most important part is to cut back on sugars and starches (carbs).
These are the foods that stimulate secretion of insulin the most. If you didn’t know already, insulin is the main fat storage hormone in the body.
When insulin goes down, fat has an easier time getting out of the fat stores and the body starts burning fats instead of carbs.
Another benefit of lowering insulin is that your kidneys shed excess sodium and water out of your body, which reduces bloat and unnecessary water weight.
It is not uncommon to lose up to 10 pounds (sometimes more) in the first week of eating this way, both body fat and water weight.
This is a graph from a study comparing low-carb and low-fat diets in overweight/obese women.

The low-carb group is eating until fullness, while the low-fat group is calorie restricted and hungry.
Cut the carbs, lower your insulin and you will start to eat less calories automatically and without hunger.
Put simply, lowering your insulin puts fat loss on “autopilot.”

Bottom Line: Removing sugars and starches (carbs) from your diet will lower your insulin levels, kill your appetite and make you lose weight without hunger.

2. Eat Protein, Fat and Vegetables

Each one of your meals should include a protein source, a fat source and low-carb vegetables. Constructing your meals in this way will automatically bring your carb intake into the recommended range of 20-50 grams per day.

Protein Sources:

• Meat – Beef, chicken, pork, lamb, bacon, etc.
• Fish and Seafood – Salmon, trout, shrimps, lobsters, etc.
• Eggs – Omega-3 enriched or pastured eggs are best.

The importance of eating plenty of protein can not be overstated.
This has been shown to boost metabolism by 80 to 100 calories per day.
High protein diets can also reduce obsessive thoughts about food by 60%, reduce desire for late-night snacking by half, and make you so full that you automatically eat 441 fewer calories per day… just by adding protein to your diet.
When it comes to losing weight, protein is the king of nutrients. Period.
Low-Carb Vegetables:

• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Spinach
• Kale
• Brussels Sprouts
• Cabbage
• Swiss Chard
• Lettuce
• Cucumber
• Celery

Don’t be afraid to load your plate with these low-carb vegetables. You can eat massive amounts of them without going over 20-50 net carbs per day.
A diet based on meat and vegetables contains all the fiber, vitamins and minerals you need to be healthy. There is no physiological need for grains in the diet.

Fat Sources:

• Olive oil
• Coconut oil
• Avocado oil
• Butter
• Tallow

Eat 2-3 meals per day. If you find yourself hungry in the afternoon, add a 4th meal.
Don’t be afraid of eating fat, trying to do both low-carb AND low-fat at the same time is a recipe for failure. It will make you feel miserable and abandon the plan.
The best cooking fat to use is coconut oil. It is rich in fats called Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCTs). These fats are more fulfilling than others and can boost metabolism slightly.
There is no reason to fear these natural fats, new studies show that saturated fat doesn’t raise your heart disease risk at all.
To see how you can assemble your meals, check out this low carb meal plan and this list of low carb recipes.

Bottom Line: Assemble each meal out of a protein source, a fat source and a low-carb vegetable. This will put you into the 20-50 gram carb range and drastically lower your insulin levels.

3. Lift Weights 3 Times Per Week

You don’t need to exercise to lose weight on this plan, but it is recommended.
The best option is to go to the gym 3-4 times a week. Do a warm up, lift weights, then stretch.
If you’re new to the gym, ask a trainer for some advice.
By lifting weights, you will burn a few calories and prevent your metabolism from slowing down, which is a common side effect of losing weight.
Studies on low-carb diets show that you can even gain a bit of muscle while losing significant amounts of body fat.
If lifting weights is not an option for you, then doing some easier cardio workouts like running, jogging, swimming or walking will suffice.

Bottom Line: It is best to do some sort of resistance training like weight lifting. If that is not an option, cardio workouts work too.

Optional – Do a “Carb Re-feed” Once Per Week

You can take one day “off” per week where you eat more carbs. Many people prefer Saturday.
It is important to try to stick to healthier carb sources like oats, rice, quinoa, potatoes, sweet potatoes, fruits, etc.
But only this one higher carb day, if you start doing it more often than once per week then you’re not going to see much success on this plan.
If you must have a cheat meal and eat something unhealthy, then do it on this day.
Be aware that cheat meals or carb refeeds are NOT necessary, but they can up-regulate some fat burning hormones like leptin and thyroid hormones.
You will gain some weight during your re-feed day, but most of it will be water weight and you will lose it again in the next 1-2 days.

Bottom Line: Having one day of the week where you eat more carbs is perfectly acceptable, although not necessary.

What About Calories and Portion Control?

It is NOT necessary to count calories as long as you keep the carbs very low and stick to protein, fat and low-carb vegetables.
However, if you really want to, then use this calculator.
Enter your details, then pick the number from either the “Lose Weight” or the “Lose Weight Fast” section – depending on how fast you want to lose.
There are many great tools you can use to track the amount of calories you are eating. Here is a list of 5 calorie counters that are free and easy to use.
The main goal is to keep carbs under 20-50 grams per day and get the rest of your calories from protein and fat.

Bottom Line: It is not necessary to count calories to lose weight on this plan. It is most important to strictly keep your carbs in the 20-50 gram range.

10 Weight Loss Tips to Make Things Easier (and Faster)

Here are 10 more tips to lose weight even faster:

1. Eat a high-protein breakfast. Eating a high-protein breakfast has been shown to reduce cravings and calorie intake throughout the day.
2. Avoid sugary drinks and fruit juice. These are the most fattening things you can put into your body, and avoiding them can help you lose weight.
3. Drink water a half hour before meals. One study showed that drinking water a half hour before meals increased weight loss by 44% over 3 months.
4. Choose weight loss-friendly foods (see list). Certain foods are very useful for losing fat. Here is a list of the 20 most weight loss-friendly foods on earth.
5. Eat soluble fiber. Studies show that soluble fibers may reduce fat, especially in the belly area. Fiber supplements like glucomannan can also help.
6. Drink coffee or tea. If you’re a coffee or a tea drinker, then drink as much as you want as the caffeine in them can boost your metabolism by 3-11%.
7. Eat mostly whole, unprocessed foods. Base most of your diet on whole foods. They are healthier, more filling and much less likely to cause overeating.
8. Eat your food slowly. Fast eaters gain more weight over time. Eating slowly makes you feel more full and boosts weight-reducing hormones.
9. Use smaller plates. Studies show that people automatically eat less when they use smaller plates. Strange, but it works.
10. Get a good night’s sleep, every night. Poor sleep is one of the strongest risk factors for weight gain, so taking care of your sleep is important.

Even more tips here: 30 Easy Ways to Lose Weight Naturally (Backed by Science).

Bottom Line: It is most important to stick to the three rules, but there are a few other things you can do to speed things up.

How Fast You Will Lose (and Other Benefits)

You can expect to lose 5-10 pounds of weight (sometimes more) in the first week, then consistent weight loss after that.
I can personally lose 3-4 lbs per week for a few weeks when I do this strictly.
If you’re new to dieting, then things will probably happen quickly. The more weight you have to lose, the faster you will lose it.
For the first few days, you might feel a bit strange. Your body has been burning carbs for all these years, it can take time for it to get used to burning fat instead.
It is called the “low carb flu” and is usually over within a few days. For me it takes 3. Adding some sodium to your diet can help with this, such as dissolving a bouillon cube in a cup of hot water and drinking it.
After that, most people report feeling very good, positive and energetic. At this point you will officially have become a “fat burning beast.”
Despite the decades of anti-fat hysteria, the low-carb diet also improves your health in many other ways:

• Blood Sugar tends to go way down on low-carb diets.
• Triglycerides tend to go down.
• Small, dense LDL (the bad) Cholesterol goes down .
• HDL (the good) cholesterol goes up .
• Blood pressure improves significantly.
• To top it all off, low-carb diets appear to be easier to follow than low-fat diets.

Bottom Line: You can expect to lose a lot of weight, but it depends on the person how quickly it will happen. Low-carb diets also improve your health in many other ways.

You Don’t Need to Starve Yourself to Lose Weight

If you have a medical condition then talk to your doctor before making changes because this plan can reduce your need for medication.
By reducing carbs and lowering insulin levels, you change the hormonal environment and make your body and brain “want” to lose weight.
This leads to drastically reduced appetite and hunger, eliminating the main reason that most people fail with conventional weight loss methods.
This is proven to make you lose about 2-3 times as much weight as a typical low-fat, calorie restricted diet.
Another great benefit for the impatient folks is that the initial drop in water weight can lead to a big difference on the scale as early as the next morning.
Here are a few examples of low-carb meals that are simple, delicious and can be prepared in under 10 minutes: 7 Healthy Low-Carb Meals in 10 Minutes or Less.
On this plan, you can eat good food until fullness and still lose a ton of fat. Welcome to paradise.

Source 

5 MIN HEALTHY SNACKS TO HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT!