Avoiding College Weight Gain

To ensure that you don’t gain extra weight, take control of your eating habits by eating nutritional, well-balanced meals and exercise regularly. 

You Are Not Alone. 

Millions of freshmen across the nation struggle with weight gain each year as they adjust to college life, and quite often this weight gain comes as an unpleasant surprise as they return home and step on the scale at Thanksgiving or Christmas. 

So in this time when college weight gain has become almost as inevitable as term end finals how do you, the college student, know if you are gaining the freshman fifteen? 

1. Have the contents of your diet changed since entering college? 

Calorie laden cafeteria food, greasy fast food, and cheesy pizzas often become staples in the diet of a college student. When you lived at home chances are that your parents served well-balanced, nutritious meals. 

Once arriving at college, however, your diet can skyrocket in extra fat and calories resulting in weight gain. 

2. Have you been eating more since entering college? 

Buffet style cafeterias and late night snacks increase the total calories that you eat each day. When you consider the fact that one pound equals 3,500 calories, and extra 500 calories each day will be an extra pound gained each week. 

3. Has your activity level decreased since entering college? 

Hectic class schedules, part time jobs, and social activities often dominate your days, leaving no time for the gym. 

You may have played on a sports team in High School or participated in some other organized activity that now has no place in your schedule. This decrease in activity will end up showing around your waistline. 

Did you answer yes to one or more of the above questions? If so, then chances are that you are on your way to gaining the Freshman Fifteen.

But wait! You don’t have to follow in the footsteps of the millions of college freshmen who gain this unwanted weight each year. By making yourself aware of the causes of this traditional weight gain you have already won half of the battle.

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How Can Hoodia Help You Lose Weight?

Hoodia is a cactus-like succulent. I have seen it described as an ugly cactus, but as cacti go, I would say it is about average in the looks department. 

Not that its looks really matter; you will not be going up to it and giving it a loving hug. You might, however, want to give it a little bite, whether out of curiosity, or because you have heard it can help you lose weight. 

The hoodia plant that has recently been associated with weight loss potential is hoodia gordonii, one of a large group of succulent plants called Asclepiadaceae. 

How Can Hoodia Help You Lose Weight? 

Hoodia Gordonii grows in the Kalahari desert in Africa, and has done for thousands of years. It clearly thrives in very high temperatures, but it also takes many years to mature. 

Also living in the same region are the San Tribesmen, or Bushmen. The San are amongst the world’s  oldest and most primitive tribes. 

The San have been eating hoodia plants for thousands of years. Now, I am sure your vision of an African desert tribe would not be anything like obese Americans or Europeans, for whom hoodia has been mooted as a possible weight loss aid. 

In fact, you probably imagine quite the opposite, a lithe and slender people struggling to survive on desert morsels. You would be right. How, then, can the San's inclusion of hoodia in their diet have anything to do with weight loss aids? 

The answer is in the reason they have, for all those generations, been eating the hoodia cactus. Their quest for food in the shifting sands of the Kalahari Desert has always meant going on long hunting expeditions. 

Instant gratification for hunger pangs was not usually on the menu, so with their hunting trips lasting for days, they ate hoodia gordonii because it suppressed those hunger pangs for long periods. 

No hunger pangs meant no overwhelming desire to eat. That made the whole hunting process that much more bearable. 

You are probably now beginning to see how hoodia might come to the aid of the obese and overweight. Those who have trouble controlling their eating urges may have a close ally in Hoodia Gordonii. 

If a dose of the plant can suppress their desire to eat, to stop them feeling hungry at meal times, then surely they will find it easier to cut back on calorie intake? 

That was the theory that sparked scientific studies of Hoodia Gordonii. 

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Good diabetes care and management can prevent or delay the onset of these complications

Diabetes is a disorder of metabolism the way our bodies use digested food for growth and energy. Most of the food we eat is broken down into glucose, the form of sugar in the blood. Glucose is the main source of fuel for the body. Diabetes causes glucose to back up in the bloodstream. As more and more glucose remains in the bloodstream blood glucose or blood sugar levels can rise too high. 

There are two major types of diabetes. Consider the following information as it relates to both type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. 

In type 1 diabetes (also called juvenile-onset diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes), the body completely stops producing any insulin. Insulin is a hormone that enables the body to use glucose to produce energy. Sufferers of type 1 diabetes must take daily insulin injections in order to survive. Type 1 diabetes usually develops in children or young adults; however, it can occur at any age. 

Type 2 diabetes (also called adult-onset diabetes or non insulin-dependent diabetes) results when the body doesn’t produce enough insulin and/or is unable to use insulin properly .Type 2 diabetes happens when your body either cannot produce enough insulin or does not use the insulin it makes properly. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas. Many of the foods we eat such as bread, potatoes, rice, pasta and fruit are converted into sugar and give us the energy we need to maintain life. Insulin gets the sugar into the cells. 

Diabetes is a life-long condition. High blood glucose levels over a long period of time can cause blindness, heart disease, kidney problems, and amputations. Good diabetes care and management can prevent or delay the onset of these complications. 

To manage your diabetes well, it is very important that you: 

• Don’t smoke 
• Keep your blood glucose levels in your target range 
• Keep your cholesterol and other blood fats in your target range 
• Keep your weight in a healthy range 
• Keep your blood pressure close to target level 
• Take your medication as prescribed

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If you choose something that you don’t like doing, you’re not going to keep doing it for long

So you have to start an exercise program. What are you going to do? How are you going to exercise? 

Well the type of exercise you do largely depends on you. What do you like doing? What do you hate doing? Do you have to pay membership fees? Do you need a training partner? Do you need to buy equipment? 

These are all questions you need to answer. 

If you choose something that you don’t like doing, you’re not going to keep doing it for long. Think about it, if you don’t like jogging you’re hardly going to keep dragging yourself out of bed at 6am, especially when winter comes around! If you can’t find something you like, just choose the thing you hate the least. This is usually walking. 

Walking is great because it suits all fitness levels. Anyone can start a walking program at any time, it’s just the intensity and duration that differs. Walking is also very social. It’s not hard to find a training partner to chat to while you exercise. This also makes the time go faster. 

Whatever exercise you do, starting at a low intensity and building it up over a number of weeks is essential to the longevity of your exercise program. If you start too hard you could get an over-use injury such as shin-splints, and then you’ll have to take time off to get over it. 

If you are really unfit, start by walking for 10 minutes each day. Increase it by 5 minutes every 2 weeks. 

To make it more interesting try walking a different course every few days. You can also roster a different friend to walk with you each day of the week. 

If walking is not for you then you may like to try a fitness centre. They have loads of variety and usually have trainers on hand to answer any queries you might have. When choosing a fitness centre, make sure they give good service. If they’re not willing to treat you well before you join, then they certainly aren’t afterwards! Also make sure that their equipment is well serviced. It’s easy to find out, just listen when the machines are being used. If they squeak a lot, or make a grinding noise, then there’s a fair chance that they’re not looked after. 

If you’re still not sure what you should do, then why not consider tennis or golf? There are social competitions in most areas and you may find a few new friends. Tennis is great for fitness and it’s a great social activity but it’s not for someone who is just starting out. If you haven’t exercised in a long time then you’re better off finding something a little easier. 

Whatever you decide on, it must be something that you enjoy. Find that type of exercise and you’ll be well on the way to the new you!

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Who among us can truly say that they are as lean and toned as they ever want to be?

Who among us can truly say that they are as lean and toned as they ever want to be? Most people, even the fitness buffs, are in a constant fluctuation between their ideal body and a body that is not quite ideal. So how do we sway this struggle in our favor? Quite often the difference between the body that you have today and the body that you wish you had is made up of simple daily decisions. Read on for simple fitness and weight loss pointers that could very well turn the body you have today into a masterpiece tomorrow! 

• Eating small meals every 2-3 waking hours will increase your metabolism and reduce fat storage. Make sure that these are healthy meals containing protein, carbohydrates and fat. 
• The easiest way to effortlessly lose weight is to not eat three hours before bed. It has been proven that not eating three hours before bed reduces fat storage throughout the night. 
• Eating a balanced diet is key in maintaining a healthy body weight. The American Council on Exercise suggests that this balance break down into 12-20% protein, 55-65% carbohydrates, and 25-30% fat. 
• The average Venti sized Frappuccino weighs in at 530 calories. This staggering number equals 2.5 bagels, or one third of the recommended daily calories for an average woman. Beverages such as this contain high amounts of sugar should be consumed rarely since the extra calories they contain are readily stored as fat. 
• Desserts should be eaten sparingly at an average of no more than two each week. If you have an insatiable sweet tooth, try munching on unsweetened dried fruit, or sugar free Jell-O. 
• Eat a small meal and wait 20 minutes before deciding if you need more food. This will give your stomach and brain time to communicate. If have eaten enough food, your brain will alert your body and you will find that you don't desire anything more. If you are still hungry after this period, eat a small amount more and wait another 20 minutes. 
• Fat free foods, when eaten in excess, will still be stored as fat! Fat free cookies and crackers are made up of a whole lot of SUGAR! Yep, the secret is out! Sugar is just as fattening of a substance than fat itself, when eaten in excess. 

Take the time to incorporate these tips into your daily lifestyle, and you will be pleasantly surprised with your results! Remember that healthy weight loss takes time, so be patient! Make an effort towards your goal everyday and don’t get discouraged!

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Until then, there are some things that you can do to lessen diet pill risks

 

I wish I had a nickel for every weight loss aid and pill on the market. You and I could both retire. Many of these have been associated with serious medical risks, including heart attack, heart abnormalities, tachycardia, stroke, seizures and death. That's pretty scary! 

Most diet pills are appetite suppressants of one kind or another, generally stimulants with effects similar to those of amphetamine. They're okayed for treatment of obesity, where it's considered that the health risks associated with obesity outweigh the risks of the medication. 

But is you have less than 30 pounds to lose, the risks are far less cut-and-dried. Over the counter medications and their risks are not as well-documented as the effects of prescription diet pills. Herbal preparation effects are documented even less, especially those whose makers don't officially make weight loss claims. 

Here's part of the problem. As long as they don't contain a 'new' ingredient, or one that has never been marketed for weight loss purposes, weight-loss aids are not subject to FDA review. Instead, the manufacturer is held responsible for the safety and effectiveness of their products. So a lot of times that means unregulated dosages, unhealthy additives and ineffective ingredients. 

Hopefully, one day all over the counter medications and herbal preparations marketed as weight loss supplements will be labeled and tested by impartial researchers. Until then, there are some things that you can do to lessen diet pill risks. 

Research thoroughly. There's a lot of information out there about drugs and herbs like ephedra, ephinedrine, phentermine and sibutramine. Know what you're taking and what the risks are so that you can watch for side effects. 

Always talk to your doctor before you start taking any drug or herbal supplement. Yes, I know you've heard this a thousand times, but there are good reasons for the advice! Some products interact poorly with other medications, or have an adverse effect on chronic conditions. 

Follow dosage instructions. Overdoses of stimulant medications, which are a component of most weight loss preparations, can be serious and severe. 

Don't take any weight loss pill or supplement for more than a few weeks unless a doctor has prescribed it. 

Ask your pharmacist when purchasing over the counter weight loss preparations to be sure that the ingredients don't interact with other medications you may be taking. Include both prescription and nonprescription medications in your questions. 

There are much more healthy and effective ways to lose weight than taking pills. The potential of serious health problems remains. It's an awful lot of risk for a little weight loss.

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An educated dieter is a successful dieter

Reading Labels is an essential part of any weight loss program. Being able to clearly identify key components of a food item is vital to the success of your diet. You have to be careful when you read the label and be extremely thorough. Labels are placed on food items because it is required by law. Marketers are forced to display this information but it does not keep them being tricky about it. 

Lets take a look at a sample label. 

See here we have the Serving Size of the food item. First we have the Serving Size which is 1 oz. or 28 grams. Then there is the Servings Per Container which is 16. This is where you have to be careful. On small items like a bag of chips or cookies, people tend to skip this part of the label and go straight to the Amount Per Serving Section. This where you will kill yourself. Most small items have a Servings per container with more then 1. They usually have 2 or even 2 1/2 servings per container. Not being aware of this, people do not correctly calcuate the Nutrition Facts for that item. When they think they are eating 200 calories in reality they are eating 400 or even 500 calories. 

Next thing to look at is Calories and Calories from fat. Most people only look at the total calories. Here we see that this item has 190 calories. Not alot of calories. But here is the killer. Calories from fat is a whopping 150. Making this item over 80% fat. A big misconception of people who read labels is, there is not a lot of saturated fat because the lablel says only 2grams of saturated fat. Wrong, there is another 15 grams of fat. Where does this come from? My best guess is that about another 10 -13 grams of fat are trans fat which is the fat responsible for obesisty. 

Next we see the % Daily Value. This is recommended daily allowance set by the FDA. This item has a total of 25% fat inregards to your recommened dailiy aloowance. That means that is you eat 4 of these food items, your fat intake would have to be cut off for the rest of the day. 

Another item we should look @ is Total Carboydrates. This is the evil demon among low-carb dieters. The FDA's recommended daily allowance for carb intake is around 330 grams per day. There are good carbs and bad carbs. The bad carbs would be considered Sugars. In this case there is only 1g of sugar and 3 g of Dietary Fiber. In regards to carb intake this is a good product. 

Then there is the protein. The more the better. Remember this fact. 1 gram of protein and carbs are the equvalient to 4 calories. 1 gram of fat is the equivalent to 9 calories. I hope this article has cleared up some issues in regards to reading labels. An educated dieter is a successful dieter.

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Another benefit of adding fruit to your diet is the added water intake

Without question, fruit has wonderful natural benefits for the human body. Fruit is packed with vitamins and fiber much like vegetables, but comes in a wide variety of sweeter, more palatable flavors. 

Adding fruit to your diet is an excellent thing to do, but there are a few things that you need to keep in mind: 

1. Eat fresh fruit instead of drinking fruit juice. Juice is often sweetened, but fresh fruits have natural sugars. Also, you don’t receive all of the needed fiber and vitamins from fruit juice as you do from fresh fruit. 

2. If you do have a craving for fruit juice, then go for fresh fruit juice instead of those that contain artificial flavors and colors. Or even better, try making your own fruit juice, taking care not to sweeten it with too many calories. 

3. Choose fresh fruit over processed fruits. Again, processed and canned fruits do not have as much fiber or vitamins as fresh fruit, and processed and canned fruits are nearly always sweetened. 

4. Wherever possible eating locally produced seasonal fruits and vegetable fresh from the garden or grove is preferred. 

5. Fresh fruit makes the absolute perfect dessert for any meal. Throw out the cake and add a fresh fruit bowl to the dining table. 

6. Fresh fruit also makes the perfect snack. It’s far better to grab a banana or apple when hunger pangs strike, than a bag of greasy potato chips. Plus, fresh fruit just tastes better. 

7. It’s interesting to note that nature produces several varieties of fruits resembling the shapes of the organs of our body, which are useful and beneficial to that specific organ. Here are some examples: 

• Apricot - Brain 
• Mango-Papaya - Stomach 
• Almonds - Eyes 
• Apple - Heart 
• Grapes - Lungs 
• Cashew nuts - Kidney 

8. Fruits and vegetables have in them a natural storage of the sun’s energy. If we make a daily practice of having fresh fruit and vegetables, or one glass of real fruit juice and two or three cups of green juice of vegetables, our requirement for food will be reduced to a minimum. We will have enough energy to maintain the body in a healthy condition. 

Overall, just remember that fresh fruit is better for you than canned fruit, fruit juice, processed fruit, or cooked fruit. Eat as much fresh fruit as you like. 

Another benefit of adding fruit to your diet is the added water intake. Water is a simple, yet effective tool in the fight against the scale and the emergency room, and is often overlooked by most people. 

But that is a whole other subject... 

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Picking a diet buddy isn’t hard but it isn’t easy either

Are you looking for a diet plan that helps you lose weight, then you should look for the help of a diet buddy. A diet buddy is a friend or co worker who your partner with to help each other lose weight. Many fitness experts know that if you have to account for your actions to a friend and yourself you are much more likely to stick to it and successfully lose weight.

Picking a diet buddy isn’t hard but it isn’t easy either. You need to find someone who you can trust and who is honest with you. You need someone who will tell you the two big Macs you had for dinner last night wasn’t a good choice, but won’t tear you apart either. You should find a person who has similar weight loss goals. If you want to lose 15 pounds and your buddy wants to lose 65 you aren’t that compatible. You should avoid choosing someone you live with if possible. The constant interaction and monitoring will make you feel like your every move is being watched. Instead try to choose a co worker or close friend to help you out.

You should also choose a diet buddy who you will see regularly. A really great strategy is to meet at the gym every morning and go for breakfast afterward. This way you can compare and talk about what’s going on and how you are progressing. If breakfast doesn’t work lunch is another good alternative. If you have a regular lunch date it will be much easier for you to say no when the office goes for Buffalo wings and nachos every Friday.

You and your diet buddy should set goals and rewards for each other. When you hit a weight goal go out and celebrate. Celebrate by shopping for a new outfit that shows off your weight loss, not by going out for a cheeseburger and milkshake. Remember you and your buddy are working together to help each other reach your goals you aren’t competing with each other. If you can shop for a new dress size or bathing suit don’t be smug about it to your diet buddy. Be supportive and help them, realize everyone’s body is different and some people take longer to lose weight.

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Metabolically Active

It is well known that working out with weights, especially when trying to lose unwanted pounds has a lot of important benefits. Calories are burned by intense workout even after ending it, because your metabolism is being elevated for up to 40 hours after your actual workout. Metabolism being simulated, it will continue to burn calories for a long time, but first you must workout pretty hard. Another benefit is that carbohydrates power your intense training sessions, and the longer the session, the more carbohydrates are depleted and so the more calories and fat are burned after the workout. For example, remember that one study showed that 15 exercises per month could lead to over 20 pounds of fat burned over a year if the exercises are 50 minutes long at 50 percent of oxygen uptake.

Another important aspect is that while you are training your body adds some leas muscle, which are “metabolically active”. This means that muscles are able to burn calories after your workout is complete. Some studies have shown that for one pound of muscle added, your body burns another 40 or more calories per day while not exercising, so for an extra 10 pounds of muscle, one pound of fat will be burnt within a week. On the other hand, if you plan do lose weight by taking a diet and no training exercises two bad things will occur. The first one is that half of your weigh loss will be muscle, which will cause bad thing and the second one is a slower metabolism. Such a metabolism will lead to gain all the weight back and even add some extra pounds. In conclusion, a good training with weights is very powerful and it is a must for a weight loss program and a healthy life.

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Vitamin

Civilizations throughout the ages have known that certain foods have qualities that can help to create health for people. And depriving people of certain foods would mean allowing them to succumb to disease. For example, in the age of the sail, scurvy was kept away with lemons and limes.

It has only been in the past hundred years that people have come to understand that food contains nutrients and those nutrients are necessary for life. Some of those nutrients, but not all have been labeled as "vitamins." Part of the word, "vita" is the same root as "vital" which means life.

There are 13 vitamins, but there have not always been. Vitamin A, C, D, E, and K plus the 8 B vitamins make up the roster of vitamins today. Other nutrients, formerly considered to be vitamins, have been reclassified by scientists as they develop an understanding of the things that make our body work.

While the best way to get these vitamins is through our diets, sometimes it is not always possible. Eating a balanced diet is difficult these days, because our lives are very busy. An alternative is to use vitamin supplements to help us get all the vitamins we need to survive in healthy, disease-free bodies.

The human body can exist for quite some time without vitamins, but it does need all of them in order to properly function free of disease. If you're concerned that your diet is not helping you maintain an intake of all of these vitamins, you should consider finding a multi-vitamin supplement to help you. Taking a regular dosage will help ensure that you are getting enough vitamins and your body will get rid of any of the vitamins you don't need any more of.

If you do have vitamins in your house, keep them stored in a cool, dry place and keep them away from children. Even though vitamins are necessary for life, children need to be careful not to have too many; especially vitamins that contain iron.

Eating a balanced diet should be an important part of a healthy lifestyle plan. If your life cannot always include a balanced diet, you may want to consider getting a vitamin supplement to make sure you are getting everything your body needs.

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Lose Weight Without Dieting

1. When you have finished your meal, say an affirmation out loud several times. Here’s some suggestions: “I’ve now finished eating till lunch/dinner/6.00 pm.” (whatever is suitable given the circumstances) or “I have eaten enough food to last me till ….” or “I’m full and do not need to eat till …” Experiment to find the format that's right for you, and then say it with conviction several times preferably out loud at the end of the meal.

2. If you comfort eat to suppress emotions and stay cheerful, take the Bach flower remedy Agrimony. These simple, safe remedies based on flowers have been in use for over fifty years. They're safe to take even if you're taking medication.

3. Put your fork or your sandwich down between mouthfuls. This way you are likely to eat less and enjoy your food more - your stomach has time to register that it's full, which it doesn't have if you gobble your food down.

4. If you crave chocolate, try taking a zinc supplement or eating foods that are rich in zinc (e.g. seeds, leafy green vegetables and seafood). This is a magical tip for lots of people who thought they would never master their desire to eat chocolate.

5. Sit at the table to eat, but clear the table of bills, things to do, etc. It doesn’t help you to control what you eat if you’re looking at unpaid bills.

6. Drink more water – we often misinterpret the body’s thirst request as a food request. When you feel hungry, drink some water and wait a while to see if you really are hungry.

7. Use a smaller plate, so that it looks as though you have more. We eat with our eyes as well as with our mouths and stomachs.

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Keep your mouth moist and avoid dry mouth

Begin with a healthy diet.

Avoid snacking between meals. Brush and floss your teeth after every meal. If you must snack, make them healthy snacks Instead of snacking on junk food, try chewing on fresh fruits and vegetables, especially the crunchy foods. Apples, pears, celery and carrots are good suggestions. They will aid in enzyme production and the natural chewing of the crunchy foods will stimulate the gums.

Drink plenty of water.

Keep your mouth moist and avoid dry mouth. Remember that dry mouth is a harbinger of dental disease. We also need that water to stimulate the production of saliva.

Avoid drinking soda pop.

Americans consume gallons of soda pop a day. Most is loaded with sugar which obviously leads to dental disease and discolored teeth. Don’t be fooled by a “diet soda” label. Even they have huge amounts of acids that are deadly to the enamel on your teeth.

And, if you thought that just sodas are the culprit, think again. A recent study claims that all those popular sports drinks we buy may not be such a good idea after all. They may re-hydrate the body, but they can cause irreversible damage to the dental enamel.

The study reports that fitness water, sports drinks, energy drinks and other non-cola beverages increase the risk of damage by anywhere from 3 to 11 times!

It should be mentioned that the findings are indicative of long term use. However, it appears that these drinks may not necessarily beneficial as a substitute for plain old-fashioned fresh water!

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Eat a big breakfast

Dieting doesn't have to be a chore. Actually, you can eat what you like and still cut the pounds. How you ask? By smarter eating. For example, there are 7 days in a week. Let us say you eat clean for 2 days with the third day being a cheat day. More times then not, you are eating well and still having what you like to eat. This has many benefits. You get to reward yourself for successfully eating correctly the first 2 days and then you shocked your metabolism to burn even more calories by incorporating that 3rd day as your cheat day. When you eat clean for long periods of time, your metabolism adapts to this, so you have to shock you metabolism to kick start extra calorie burning. Some of the easiest ways to eat smarter are,

1. Drink plenty of water during your meals. You will fill up on water and not consume extra calories.
2. Eat a big breakfast. Eating breakfast kick starts your metabolism. When you skip breakfast, you run the risk of over eating later in the day.
3. Try not to eat 4 hours before bed time. Going to sleep on an empty stomach will prevent your body from storing extra calories and when you wake up you'll be so hungry, you won't want to miss breakfast.

Follow these 3 simple steps and you can easily cut back on calories and boost you metabolism with out removing the foods you enjoy. Eating smarter will promote long term weight and fat loss and keep your goals in site. Remember, eating for weight loss is not a sprint, it is a marathon.

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