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It’s not easy to have faith in much of the weight loss advice given today. A multi-billion dollar slimming industry constantly preys upon us with the latest ‘California Beach Babe’ diet that just gets discarded after two weeks of misery! Yet like many others, we were after something that worked. This is how we went about it…

We learnt that we should avoid having to buy on-going ‘diet food’, and instead find authors who’d written real eating programs. Experts that knew what was important to us and understood how to teach us. Good information is everything. We ruled out regimes that required expensive regular purchases. What we were looking for was education.

Each program we shortlisted offers real, well-tested advice. We left the ’sensational must haves’ well alone. They’re just the latest gimmick!

The creators of the programs we’re recommending have really got to grips with how it feels to be too heavy. They teach no-nonsense practical solutions on resolving obesity issues for good. As you read through these programs, you’ll start to realise the benefits they’ll give you both now and down the road. Friends will find your weight loss and energy gain hard to believe!

So There Is Light At The End Of The Tunnel? Without doubt – though few have discovered it under the mass of rubbish! Nevertheless, we know for sure that we’ve discovered some real breakthroughs.

Many of us have struggled with one diet or other for most of our adult lives. Our weight reduces when we first start dieting, then it goes up again the minute we eat normally. Figures show that over 93 percent of weight reduction programs don’t work for us – probably because they’re too punishing to maintain over the long term.

It’s a little known fact, but professional sports people attribute a great deal of their performance to their diet program. Optimal, tuned-up fitness may not be something you strive for, but the research benefits more than just sports men and women. Modern do-able eating programs have been developed from the results of the sports research – for regular guys like us.

Naturally, it’s common to procrastinate. In one to two weeks, we could be seeing a reduction. So just make a start… Just make the effort to get going. Then congratulate yourself!

When it comes to weight loss, we can accelerate our plan by combining regular exercise with a healthy diet. Some people don’t like the idea of having to exercise, but even a little exercise done often enough will produce benefits. In addition to weight loss, stronger muscles are built when we exercise regularly.

In terms of metabolic rates, fat is slow, but muscle is more vigorous. So we need muscle to burn a greater number of calories up more speedily. Individuals with more muscles deplete their calorific intake sooner. We’ll also see an improved body shape and tone when our muscle is developed.

It may take time to build up a routine. It’s often easier to get the exercise habit going by being more active in your day to day life. Climb steps rather than taking an elevator whenever possible. If you drive to your job, leave your car at the other end of the parking bay. Get off the bus sooner than you normally do – you’ll quickly get used to the daily mini-hike!

Your goal should be to take some form of exercise five times a week. You can do short bursts of exercise, but 30 minutes or more is generally thought to be best. Doing a variety of exercises will relieve the boredom. That way you’re much more likely to stick with it.

Getting fit and more toned doesn’t have to be painful. Team up with someone else and make your exercise routine fun. Several times a week, get outdoors and go for a walk. Brisk walking on a regular basis can do much more for us than weight loss alone.

Getting fit means you can reduce your risk of heart problems by fifty percent. Various cancers are less likely also. If we’re fit and active, we’re much less likely to get high blood pressure. A brisk walk each day will protect against depression and anxiety, and help towards a good night’s sleep. So as well as becoming trimmer over time, we’ll also be much fitter.

When going for a walk, pick out some comfy clothes. Several tee-shirts and a fleece are better than one heavy item. You might like to invest in some specialist footwear. Whether you choose boots or shoes, buy a pair that support your feet well.

When you’re ready to go, give yourself a posture check. Ensure your weight is evenly distributed, with shoulders down and slightly back and your stomach pulled in. Now do a quick warm up so you don’t damage yourself. You can roll your shoulders, first one way and then the other. Follow this by raising your knees a few times. Lastly, take about a minute to march up and down, then set out on your walk.

Try to develop a good walking technique – land on the heel and push off from the toe. At the end of your walk, warm down by doing the same routine you did to warm-up, but in reverse. Your first walks need only be a mile or so, and then increase the distance each week. Walking is something that everyone can do. However if you’re at all concerned, take medical advice.

Our friendships can have quite an influence on how we live our lives. Apparently, if we’re in the company of a person for any length of time, we start to mimic their habits. This is usually thought to reflect in people’s opinions and attitudes; having a mutual regard for certain things, like the law or education for example.

However, studies are now also suggesting that having overweight friends makes it more likely that we will be overweight too. According to a recent news article, we have a tendency to consume more when eating with heavier people who we know well. A US research team looked at kids eating habits. They found that the heavier ones ate more when they were with their heavier pals than when they were with their slimmer friends.

The entire group, who varied in weight and were aged nine to fifteen, ate more when they were with their pals. But pairing up overweight friends led to the biggest consumption of all. The research was featured in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. It discovered that young teens eating habits are definitely affected by the company they keep.

Frankly, having more relaxed habits when with friends is not a big surprise. We all feel more awkward in strange company. With friends, we gain a sort of unspoken permission for our actions. In a subconscious way, we permit them to define tolerable behaviour.

The study took 65 young people of mixed weights and observed them for 45 minutes. Some were with a friend, and some with a stranger. They were given games to entertain themselves, along with snack food, fruit and veg.

With each of the pairs, the ones who knew each other before the experiment got through more food than the ones who didn’t. But overweight friends ate the most of all. And the differences were quite significant.

An average of seven hundred and thirty eight calories was eaten by overweight teens who paired with a friend. Yet the larger kid who paired with a regular weight buddy only ate four hundred and forty four calories. Interestingly, regular weight kids averaged approximately five hundred calories no matter what weight their friend was. The larger kids desire to be like their friends is a common notion. We see this also in relation to smoking at an early age.

Back to the eating patterns – and the researchers concluded that the way children eat is very much tied into the habits of their friends. But this can be argued both ways – if a young person is taught sound nutrition and puts it into practice, they could be instrumental in influencing many others. What better reason for more nutritional training in schools?

Keeping my weight at the right level has always been a challenge. I felt sure that it would continue to be that way for the rest of my life. But in fact I learned a ’secret’ that’s changed my life! I am now lighter at fifty one than I was at thirty one.

How can this be? I simply keep an eye on my blood-sugar levels. I used to hanker after something sweet as my energy sapped around late afternoon. And so my solution was to eat a handful of biscuits or a piece of cake. This of course just added more layers of fat to my stomach and thighs.

What’s frightening is that fat also accumulates in the body’s organs like the brain and the heart. Now, I don’t get nearly as hungry or as tired. I also experience fewer flushes and my husband will tell you my moods are more stable too! Oh, and I have fewer sleepless nights.

The ’secret’ is to eat every couple of hours, but just don’t eat much. Before, I’d skip breakfast or maybe lunch quite regularly, claiming I was just too busy to stop and eat. I’d then stuff myself at dinner, and end up uncomfortable all evening.

Regular moderate consumption is what the body actually needs. By the middle of each day, the rate we metabolise food is at it’s highest. So early meals are vital, as later meals have a sluggish journey through our system.

So I ‘re-educated’ myself to eat breakfast every day. The quality and amount I eat is more relevant than number of calories it contains. The stomach is about the size of a large citrus fruit, so that’s how much we should eat at once.

My chief meal is taken at lunchtime now – even if I have to make up a packed lunch for work. When the end of the afternoon comes around, a morsel of food is all I require to easily keep me going until my light evening meal. Antioxidant-rich vegetables and salads abound in my diet, as does lean protein of various kinds.

The right types of fat should still be included in our diet – this is especially important for good health. I like seeds and nuts in moderation, and salads always get a good glug of olive oil.

The last thing I changed is my alcohol consumption. I now restrict it to two or three glasses a week. The high temperatures I was experiencing are a rarity now – a benefit of less alcohol I think! Have I found it difficult? Not when I think of all the benefits it brings. I’m carrying less weight, have more energy, a clearer and brighter skin, less hormonal challenges – oh, and better sex too!

Just because we want to lose weight doesn’t mean that we want to be ostracized from society. This is particularly an issue if we happen to be the family chef; nibbling our own lightweight morsels whilst the aroma of ‘real food’ wafts under our nostrils! This can be frustrating, so let’s look at how we can integrate our weight loss program into regular family meals.

Whatever we serve up, when we’re aiming to lose weight the first thing we can address is our portion size. Starting a meal with a full plate is very gratifying, so why not buy yourself a smaller plate? Don’t rush to be the first to start eating. Take your time and chew your food well. This will leave you feeling more satiated, and prevent you from always finishing before everyone else.

It should be possible to eat the same dinner as everyone else for several days of the week. Just make sure you eat lots of vegetables, and only serve yourself a small amount of carbohydrate. Also, restrict any side portions of bread and butter! If the family like their puddings, prepare ones that you can have a taste of. Check any tinned fruit you have is in juice, not syrup.

But you can get much cannier than that. Serve reduced calorie meals a couple of times a week to everyone – if they’re done well they won’t have a clue! Add garlic and herbs to macaroni, and bulk it out with plenty of veg. Then use a tin of tomatoes to enrich the sauce. Leave out the oil, but maybe add a touch of Greek yoghurt for creaminess.

When you’re shopping for food, always pick out lean cuts of meat. Remember also that fish can be a lower fat alternative. Whatever the rest of your family weigh, it’s still advantageous for them as well to eat lean meat. Roast chicken is a good all-rounder, just make sure you remove any skin and eat breast meat where possible. Select potatoes that have a naturally creamier texture, such as Vivaldi or Maris Piper. Then you can feel fulfilled without loading them with butter.

Be careful when you buy cereals as some have a really high sugar content. Again, breakfast bars might look like healthy food, but most are highly sweet and calorific. The sugar content in a lot of drinks is also far too high for dieters. If you love your drinks, stick to sugar free varieties. If you like juice, dilute it with water and add ice!

When socialising, alcohol really increases our calorific intake. Iced tea can make a refreshing change and is a good thirst quencher. Serve your drinks in wine glasses so they still feel more sophisticated.

Clearly, we can’t keep consuming the same things and expect to drop the weight. Although the odd bit of fine-tuning can work wonders to help things along.

For more efficient weight loss, try eating more slowly. Because it’s currently been shown that how fast we eat affects how much we eat. Speedy eaters have a tendency to eat bigger meals than slow eaters, according to recent research. This was proved when diners were asked to eat until they felt satiated.

Why don’t you have a go! Eat some pasta with great haste. Tomorrow, serve it up again and consciously spend a lot longer chewing smaller amounts. In all likelihood you’ll take in a larger meal on the first occasion. Not only that, but you are likely to feel much more satisfied after the second meal, both immediately and an hour or so later.

Quite often we take in too much if we eat quickly because we haven’t allowed the food time to digest. But the consequence of taking in this large amount so quickly is a painful distended stomach not long afterwards.

What’s more – digestion starts when we take the first bite and begin to break up our food. Weight loss is assisted when food is chewed well, as mastication promotes an efficient digestive process.

The amount we eat is affected by the way we eat. For optimal digestion, we should sit in a dining chair and eat at the table. That way we observe better table manners, and tend not to scoff the food down! Interestingly, we’re more likely to leave unwanted food on the plate when we’re sitting at the table.

It might also be the case that we’re chatting with others when we sit at the table, and we don’t (hopefully) eat with our mouths full! Without doubt a doubled up posture in a comfy chair will not help the digestive process!

If it’s been several hours since we last ate, we’re also vulnerable to speed eating! To avoid this eat frequent small meals, which consist of slow release nutritional food. Sugary drinks and chocolates give us a quick burst of energy, but it can be very short-lived. For many of us, eating more meals on weekdays isn’t practical. So plan ahead and take a piece of fruit, some mixed nuts or oatcakes to your workplace and have a snack every couple of hours.

In summary, evidence is building to suggest that there’s a direct correlation between the time we take to eat a meal and how well satiated we feel. So delighting in each mouthful may well be an easy bonus that every dieter can benefit from.

We can easily jump to conclusions about the best way to shed a few pounds when we decide to get serious about weight loss. Take this idea for starters: There’s a belief in society that if we succumb to temptation and snack throughout the day, we’ll just get heavier and heavier! Is that actually the case?

The purists would have us believe that sticking to three nutritious meals a day is the way to drop the pounds. And yet this thinking is now being turned on its head by some. How can this be?

Our natural inclination would be to think that more mealtimes will equal more calories. Long spaces between meals make us feel as though we’re getting somewhere with our diet. What’s really happening is quite interesting though.

Our desire for food increases the longer we don’t eat. This means that when it does come round to meal time, our appetite is much bigger than normal. Then we end up eating greater amounts than is conducive to losing weight. It’s particularly likely to happen in the evening, when we’ve had all day to build up an appetite. This is inappropriate for our digestive system, as we retire with too much food left in the gut.

But if we adjusted our day and ate 5 times in our waking hours, there’d never be a starvation factor. Such frequent ingestion is recognised by the body. It starts to trust that it’s getting what it needs when it needs it, and so can allocate the right resources to the right areas.

When the body is frequently starved of food, it retains fat for possible future energy reserves. Thus people who go hungry for long stretches of the day find their weight loss starts to slow down.

By eating several meals before the end of the afternoon, our calorific intake is geared towards the earlier part of the day. This allows the body to use food to effectively power our system, and not retain excess supplies of fat. If we start a meal feeling starving, we are also tempted to eat the wrong things.

When we are ravenous, it’s a lot more difficult to resist ‘junk food’ or less healthy food. We usually go for filling foods that are high in carbohydrates like bread, pasta and rice. These are fine for the quick hit to satisfy, but are not going to help with a weight loss program. So in conclusion, eat small frequent meals throughout the day. This will leave you feeling satiated and help with your weight loss program.

Maintaining good credit is important to your financial life. There are people who get a poor credit report due to neglect and the improper reviewing of the credit report. There are also others who have been through the process of repairing their credit and managed to maintain good credit afterwards. If you do not want to ever need credit repair, good credit maintenance is necessary. Luckily, simple steps can help one in the proper maintenance of a good credit status.

The importance of a good credit status history plays a very important part in determining whether you qualify for a loan or not. The credit status report really says so much about the consumer, that it not only affects your finance life but other aspects of your life as well. Financial advisers all agree about one thing: maintaining a good credit is vital in conducting a fit financial life.

Most people do not realize that landlords, employers and employers check credit scores before making a decision on whether or not they ought to grant a contract, rent a room or give a job. The scores and credit report can assist companies decide whether you pay your bills on time or whether you have filed for bankruptcy. They use the information on your credit report as a future predictor of your credit worthiness.

What Can You Do?: Although maintaining a good credit score can be a serious challenge, there is no sounder way of keeping yourself free from debt than by carefully tracking your spending and always sticking to a budget. Budgets are very important as they will help you take control of your finances, reduce your debt and build a healthy credit report.

On the subject of managing your debt, the first thing that you can do is keep notes on your spending habits. You can do this by creating reports of what you spend and track everything that you owe. Monthly statements should be reviewed when they arrive and you must always check for any inconsistencies. Additionally, you must act on these errors by reporting them to the relevant authorities at once.

To keep your account in good order, remember to always pay the creditor on or before the due date, which is usually printed on the statement. Do not miss any payments and try to pay more than the minimum or, if possible, pay the whole balance each month.

Another thing you can do, which has a beneficial effect on your credit status, is not to go over your total spending limit. The available credit is the amount left on your credit normally shown in the difference between your credit limit and your outstanding balance. Always remember to maintain the balance below the limit of the credit available. Additionally, make sure you add in any charges you made after the closing date to your outstanding balance not included on the monthly statement; doing this will enable you work out just how much credit you really have left.

Keeping to a budget is also important. Normally, 10% of your monthly income should be used in paying your credit lines, bills or personal loans. However, in case you are paying more, it is time to reconsider your habits of shopping. Stop impulsive buying since these purchases are often especially difficult to pay off.

Lastly, control your finances. It is advisable to create a payment plan, which will help you get back on the right track. This scheme should incorporate those creditors, whom you need to pay and the size of the payment each month. Normally, people limit their credit usage until the finances are under control, which is an excellent method of controlling your finances.

Writing notes in a diary is a great way to keep an eye on what you’re eating. For seven days, stick to your usual pattern of eating. Put all the items you eat and drink into your food diary – bar none! When a week has passed, analyse the contents of your diary. Try to identify any patterns where poor food choices are more evident.

Obviously, if there are several take-aways and other high fat foods, cutting those out would be a start. If your diary only shows nutritious food, then perhaps smaller portions would be the answer. Whichever one is closest to your situation, what’s in the diary will reveal a lot.

Write down an Action Plan for the next week. Include an eating plan, and the exercise you will take. If some foods are to be forbidden or limited, write that down. And then write down the food you can eat in generous amounts.

If you can’t imagine going without any beer or wine, then decide which two days you will permit yourself to have a maximum of two small glasses. Forget any drinks with added sugar. You’ll need to commit to a fitness regime, so next write in your diary which days you plan to exercise and how.

Weigh yourself at the beginning of your regime first thing in the morning. Go through this every seven days, making modifications if your results aren’t good enough. Make a note of your weight in your diary once a week.

You’re in the driving seat with a regime like this. Add little observations to remind yourself how you feel. Mark down which days you completed your proposed exercises. You’ll notice the difference it makes once everything is committed to the diary.

It’s important not to expect too much too quickly. In the beginning, a few pounds off probably won’t look much difference. You should soon start to feel less pull on your clothes though. Remember patience is a virtue! Keeping up your motivation is sometimes tough, so try to dwell on the end result and the joy it will bring!

If you lose your way for a short while, try to get back on track quickly. Could your diet do with a bit of modification? Try to catch up by taking more exercise. Are there any fitness classes you could attend in the evening?

Be proud of your achievements. Rewarding your efforts will keep you much more motivated. You may not want to splash out on clothes until all the weight has come off. But an evening at a show would be spot-on to toast a ten pound loss!

Doctors talk about our body mass index when they refer to weight issues. A healthy index is anywhere between eighteen and a half and twenty five. Above twenty five, and we have a problem with our weight. Furthermore we’re defined as obese and morbidly obese respectively if we rise above first thirty and then forty.

Analysing your current number is quite straightforward. First of all measure how tall you are in metres. Then weigh yourself in kilos. Your height should be multiplied by itself, then divide that figure by your weight.

For example if your height is 1.6 metres and your weight is 78 kilos, your BMI is 30.47 (1.6 x 1.6 = 2.56 then 78 / 2.56 = 30.47). As a BMI of more than thirty has been classified as obese, action would definitely be required in the above example.

If we persist with eating fatty and sugary calorie-laden food, we’ll never get a grip on our weight management. By making healthier choices and eating smaller quantities, our bodies can use up our existing stores of fat and hence we will lose weight.

Stay away from eating programs that sound too good to be true! They’re usually so restrictive and unsatisfactory that you can’t maintain them for long. Any slimming regime that only allows one and a half thousand calories a day is considered a crash diet. Quick-fix diets can be a vicious cycle of drastic weight loss followed by weight gain.

Long-term weight reduction takes time. If you reduce your calorific intake by a fifth, there’s a good chance you’ll take off up to a couple of pounds a week. Not quick-fix, but much more likely to show a result in a year’s time.

Foods which contain the most calories tend to have a high fat content. Lower your intake of saturated fat then, and you achieve a noticeable reduction in calories. Substitute fat with whole grains, vegetables and fruit. It’s amazing how quickly you’ll start to notice improvements in your health.

Avoid skipping meals – this really doesn’t help with calorie reduction. (Missed meals usually lead to high-calorie grazing). A number of lighter meals throughout the day is better in reality. It’s more difficult to get the weight off when you feel half-starved. The body metabolises more when it receives frequent healthy portions of food. This leads to an efficient system of weight loss.