Are you thinking of following a low calorie diet plan to help you lose weight?  Before you make your decision, take a quick moment to read this article.

Low calorie diets used to be all the rage about a year ago.  Since then the fad has died down some but there are still many of them out there.  I have witness countless stories of real people that tried these diets only to give up because they were not seeing the weight loss results they had hoped for.

There are a couple of reasons these low calorie diets do not work.  Perhaps the number one reason is when you eat lower calorie foods, your body essentially is being undernourished.  You will often feel fatigued and sometimes sickly.  These diets leave you very little energy to to anything, let alone exercise!  The cause of this is that your bodies metabolic rate is now running low.

If you are looking to lose weight successfully, you really need to think about these following two points:

Calories Are Not Your Enemy!

Calories themselves are not something you should avoid.  Calories are what your body derives its energy source from.  Eating the correct foods will boost your body’s natural metabolic rate burning those excess pounds and help you lose weight.

It is not rocket science.  Basically, all you need to do is separate the “good” calories from the “bad.”  The bad calories are found in the obvious places, junk foods.  Think about this.  You will not gain weight by eating 10 apples a day even though an apple typically contains around 100 calories, however, you will gain weight if you eat 10 hamburgers.

It seems too simple but it’s honestly just that easy.  You will help yourself greatly by focusing on finding the foods that consist of negative calories.  That may sound strange but “negative calories” does not mean there isn’t any contained within the food.  Instead, it means that in order to digest these foods, your body must burn more calories than are contained in these food items themselves.

Focus On Your Muscles

Now this isn’t a strength and resistance training section.  It simply means that you need to think about your bodies muscles when you are losing weight.  In order for your muscles to maintain themselves they need to burn a lot of calories.  So, the more muscles you have, the more calories that you will burn.  For building them up, you need to focus on protein-rich foods.

You do not have to be going for a super ripped stomach and what not to take advantage of this.  Simple getting up and doing some simple exercises will help you lose weight tremendously.  If you are really into exercise then I recommend joining your local gym.  If you check around you can find some really cheap places to work out.  If you prefer to do some exercises on your own you can always just do them at home.  One really fun way is to stop by your local dvd store and find some fitness videos that spark your interest.

How Does This Relate To Low Calorie Diets?

The reason I mentioned the muscles section is that low calorie diets will reverse your muscle mass.  While on one of these diets you will be unable to maintain your strength and gradually lose it so this is just one more reason low calorie diets are not a good idea.

The truth be known, low calorie diets result in water weight loss and muscle density.  Can you lose a few pounds this way?  Sure.  Is is a good idea?  No..  There are many other healthier ways to lose weight than low calorie diets so watch out and keep these tips in mind!

Take Care All!
~Ryan

Today, I want to share some techniques I use frequently on how to release stress. First of all, what is stress? Stress is purely a mental problem. When the mind goes haywire, then the rest of your body will also do the same. You will become emotionally unstable when you’re under the throes of stress and you will mostly likely feel the effects on your body, like muscle cramps, headache, and the inability to lose weight quickly. It is important that a person learn how to release stress to get rid of it before it becomes a permanent problem.

Meditation is one of the most powerful techniques in learning how to release stress. Someone who is overcome with problems is likely to find their personal, as well as, professional life, in a downward spiral. Meditation techniques help a person achieve a calm state of mind without having to resort to drugs or relaxation tools and implements. Every step to meditation is done within the mind.

Here are some beginner steps that will teach you how to release stress:

Step #1: Find A Quiet Place

If it’s your first time meditating, then make sure that you won’t get distracted with the noise in your surroundings. Lock your room or tell everyone that you don’t want to be disturbed.  When you close your eyes, your sense of hearing will be twice as good so it is quite possible to hear almost anything in your surroundings that will make it hard for you to concentrate.

Step 2: Get Into Position

Start by looking for a spot where you can sit down and relax. The aim here is not to sleep, and it is a guarantee that you will immediately fall off to sleep if your mind reaches a relaxed state. However, this is not a “how to fall asleep” article, it’s a “how to release stress” article; so stay awake! To keep this from happening you can either sit in the classic lotus position or find a chair to sit in. Make sure that your back is straight and your hands are relaxed on the armrest or on your lap.

Step 3: Breath properly

You can’t learn how to release stress and meditate properly without proper breathing. You need to inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. This way, you can come up with a rhythm that you can easily focus on. Also, the amount of oxygen in your body will be enough to keep you relaxed. Keep practicing your breathing technique until you can do it easily without having to think about it.

Step 4: It’s All About Focus

Once you are to this phase you will begin to see random images in your mind. These are most of the time events that have happened during the day and problems that may be bothering you.  This is perfectly normal and the object here is to look at the images but do not focus on them. Concentrate and let the random thoughts fill your head. Observe each thought calmly as if you are watching a movie. If a stressful scene appears, try your best not to focus on it. Keep doing this until you reach the point when your mind becomes blank.

This is the point of peace. This is how to release stress from your everyday life. Your mind has been cleared and you are free to do what you wish with the remaining time.  You can either just enjoy the tranquilness or resolve a problem.  If you wish to resolve a problem, remember to look at it but do not become emotionally attached to it and only observe it as it passes by. This might sound hard at first but it will come naturally with practice.  You will eventually find a solution to your problem while not even noticing it.

Remember that learning how to release stress with meditation is not a one shot deal. It is almost impossible to attain a calm state of mind in just a matter of a couple of minutes, especially if this is your first time. It is very important that you keep on practicing these meditation strategies until you have conditioned your mind to automatically achieve this state just by thinking of it.

That is it for today.  I hope you enjoyed learning the process of meditation and how to release stress using this fun and relaxing method.

Images courtesy of Flickr

If you are trying to lose weight and keep it off then these six quick weight loss tips can help you be on your way in no time.  Some of these are obvious and you may have heard of them before but they are proven successful time and time again.  If you take these tips to heart and include them in your diet, achieving your weight loss goals will be easier than you think.

How much are you really eating?

We have all been guilty of overindulging in our favorite food but who can blame you, food is good!  Unfortunately, too much of a good thing is bad.  If you want to make a change for the future, you must change the present.  A wise philosopher once said, “The definition of insanity is repeating the same task expecting different results.”

Take a look at exactly what you eat during the day and write it down.   Be sure to record everything!  Compare how many “snacks” you have to the amount of meals you eat.

Are you emotionally eating?

This one is really hard to realize because it becomes like a second nature.  Are you really eating because you are hungry or are you just bored?  Are you depressed?  Many of our emotional triggers can be eased with eating.  My bad day food was always frosted mini donuts.  I would have a stash of them from vending machine in my desk at work until I found myself running through 3 packs a day even though I wasn’t really hungry!

Drink a no calorie drink

You don’t need to spend all the time in the word in the supermarkets trying to find the lowest calorie drinks.  The best one can be found right in your home.  Good ole water.  Now I know city water can taste horrid which is the case where I live but install a water filter then your good to go.  Not to mention your helping save the environment PLUS your money by not buying bottled water!

Eat more frequent smaller meals

If you spread out your meals to around 4-6 a day then this will keep your hunger levels down.  This also keeps your blood sugar level at a more consistent rate so you do not feel all tired and groggy.  You will also be less likely to over eat when its dinner or supper time.  This method can be a little tricky if you have a busy schedule.  So try it and if things don’t work out, move on.  There are plenty of methods to lose weight so do not get discouraged if a couple things aren’t right for you.

Sneak in some exercise

I’m not talking about extreme push ups or dead lifts here.  All you need to do is get up and get mobile.  Simple walking will do the trick. Anything to get your body to burn those extra calories.  If it is convenient for you, head to the park and enjoy the day.  If not then you could make some extra steps around the mall or supermarket.  I know many people that say this form of exercise works for them because they love to shop!  Simply make a lap around the mall before you begin shopping to get your heart rate up.

Realize that success lies on persistence

Things will not change overnight.  Anything worth having is worth fighting for!  Weight loss does not have to be a unenjoyable task.  Make it fun and keep at it, never give up, and never stop living.

Take Care All!
~Ryan

Image courtesy of Flicker