Do You Need Any Pills in Order To Lose Weight?

How many times have you taken such a pill and you lost weight and kept it off without eating properly or exercising?

What's that? Never? So I thought. I rest my case...

If you want to lose weight, the first things you need to get down are your nutrition and exercise program. AFTER you are drinking a lot of water, eating six balanced meals a day and exercising should you even consider anything additional as a means to complete your approach.

There's the 80/20 rule that says that 80% of your results will come from 20% of your efforts. And the rest 20% of your results will come from the other 80% of your efforts.

Many times, this rule is not really 80/20 - it can be 95/5.

What you need to be doing is focus on the "crucial few" rather than on the "trivial many". Supplements are the trivial many. Proper exercise and basic nutrition are the crucial few - so make sure you have these down first.

I have used several fat loss supplements in the past. Some of them worked, some didn't. Different ones will work for different people so I can't recommend any specific brand at this point. In any case, don't expect to "lose 40 pounds of fat in 2 short weeks" - I don't care what the advertisements in the fitness magazines say.

Buying and using a fat-loss supplement may help in another way that most people don't think of: When you think you have purchased the best fat loss supplement in the world, then you also tend to make better nutrition decisions and stick to your exercise program. You say "Ok, I have paid money for this product: I may as well pay attention to my nutrition and exercise program so that I get the most bang for my buck". Using a fat loss product can give you that much more assurance that you are "firing on all cylinders".

But again: This is the last thing you need to worry about. People were losing weight and looking great ages before the first fat loss supplement was even commercially available...

Fighting Abdominal Fat with the Help of a Unique Spice

Cinnamon is a very common spice that according to some research may have many benefits to our health. Research shows that cinnamon may help control blood sugar levels. The research also showed in an indirect way cinnamon may play a big role in the battle against abdominal fat. Here are some of the other benefits cinnamon has.

• May help control blood sugar levels

• Works right alongside of maintaining insulin sensitivity

• Research has indicated it may have antibacterial and antifungal properties

• It is a very powerful antioxidant

With further research being done it is possible that there may be more benefits than what is already known. Cinnamon may be the one spice that is universal in terms of taste. The best thing about cinnamon is that you can take it just about anyway one would want to. Everything from the pill form to straight out of the container.

Here are some statistics that were published in the medical journal Diabetes Care in 2003...

There were 3 groups of people assembled for the research. The first group was given 6 grams of cinnamon (approx 1 teaspoon) daily. The second group was given around half that (3 grams) daily and the last or third group was given a placebo.

The first group that was given the largest amount of cinnamon also reduced fasting blood glucose levels by as much as 30%. The second group showed around half of that (15%). There was no change in the fasting blood glucose levels for the group that received the placebo.

Now that we know cinnamon can increase insulin sensitivity we also know it is helping your body to control blood sugar while at the same time allowing your body to produce less insulin. Also most of you know that chronically high insulin can really pack on the excess belly fat.

How to get the most out of cinnamon...

Start using cinnamon daily or at least as often as you can. Cinnamon goes great with a variety of different foods. Cinnamon and oatmeal, there are not many combinations better for you than those two. You can get cinnamon in a capsule if you desired to go that way. Cinnamon is one of a few spices that you can eat directly from the can.

So now you can see that not only is cinnamon a powerful antioxidant that can help you stay youthful longer, it can also help you to control blood sugar and get a leaner body.

By J Mark Lipscomb,

Article Source: EzineArticles

Keeping Track: Using a Journal or Diary to Lose Weight

When my children were young, I registered their growth on the hallway doorjamb with pencil marks and knife notches. Next to each was inscribed a date and name. Since those statistics are most likely meaningless to the latter owners, I assume sandpaper and lacquer have removed that chronicle; yet I wonder if they left those markings intact, pondering periodically where went "Daniel, January 28, 1988" or "Brandon, April 7, 1989."

Numbers are the language by which lives are recorded; history is kept; and even how the universe communicates. This does not denigrate the clout of intuition, emotion, nor hunches; yet, the bottom line - quite literally - is what the numbers say. Whether checking the weight of a newborn; success of a business; leadership of a country; or the future of our planet; it's "in the numbers."

Our language is strewn with numeric references. We hope no one "does a number on us," or that our "number is up." We "dress to the nines" for elegant receptions, but refrain from becoming "three sheets to the wind." There are "no two ways about it;" numbers count (um, pardon the pun).

It therefore stands to reason that that which we monitor expands our awareness, affording concern or confidence. So logically, if we want to change something about us, we must establish a baseline and "keep score."

This process starts before we can count, as illustrated by how the amount of gold stars on a refrigerator can be extremely effective in fine-tuning a child's behavior. As adults, step one in altering our lifestyles might involve tracking our accumulation of wealth (or lack thereof), or when we anticipate joyful occasions, "counting the days."

Of course, that means should better health be the objective, we must track the behaviors associated with those goals. A smoker can become an ex-smoker by paying attention to how often he lights up and setting targets to lower that count over time. If physical fitness is the desired outcome, we can write down how often - or how far - we walk or run. We record our blood pressure. We check our weight. We can even monitor our attitude.

All this has been a preamble to one question: "If we agree that keeping track can make our lives better, why don't we do it more often?" What's the resistance?

There are only a few reasons why we don't:

1. We didn't realize the value of tracking
2. We didn't know how to do it
3. We really don't want to change
4. We think it will take too much time

Hopefully I've debunked numbers one and two. As for the third option, that's a discussion too intensive to be limited to the 600 words to which I am limited in this venue.

However, as for number four, let's be honest, shall we? How much energy does it take to pull out a pad of paper, write the date on the top of each page, and put tick marks on it when we observe a behavior we want to encourage or discourage? What's that take - a couple of seconds a few times a day to improve your life? It seems like a worthwhile trade off. Even if we make it more complicated (which begs the question, "Why?"), it might inaccurately seem laborious; but when weighed against how much energy it takes to feel bad all day long, the numbers don't really add up.

By Scott Marcus

Article Source: EzineArticles