One of the effects of drinking dieter’s tea is frequent bowel movement. This gives people the feeling of body cleansing. These people may get toxins out of their body but it isn’t exactly the only thing that slimming tea actually does to the body. Slimming tea contains herbs which are natural laxatives. These include aloe, senna, rhubarb root, cascara, buckthorn and castor oil. These are products which are derived from plants and are used since the ancient times because of their potency in treating constipation and to inducing bowel movement.

Cascara, castor oil and senna are substances which are recognized as laxatives available over the counter and are also regulated as drugs. Scientific studies show that diarrhea induced by laxatives does not absorb significant amounts of calories taken in the body.

The reason for this is that laxatives do not act on the small intestines where most of the calories are absorbed. Instead, they work on the large intestines. If taken in large amounts for prolonged periods, it can affect fat absorption of the body. This may lead to greasy diarrhea and loss of weight. Abuse of laxatives is common practice among people who suffer from bulimia and anorexia nervosa.

While weight loss can be guaranteed by overdosing on laxatives, it may also cause permanent damage to the gastrointestinal tract and the weakening and softening of the bones, a condition known as osteomalacia. Drinkers of slimming teas may actually patronize the product because they are less expensive and taste better than other laxatives sold in the market. Other people, such as those with eating disorders like bulimia and anorexia nervosa drink dieter’s tea because they work fast and produce watery stool and having loose consistency.

Women may even be more susceptible to the effects of slimming teas. Although they may are not known to interfere directly with the woman’s menstrual cycle and fertility, they should watch out if drinking them causes them to rapidly shed off weight. It is also not safe for pregnant women to be taking in laxatives of any kind. Wise and responsible herbalists also discourage the use of senna and other herbal products with laxative properties for pregnant women and women who are trying to conceive.

One should be wary about these findings because the labeling of slimming teas in the market today can be absolutely misleading. For instance, they commonly refer to the laxative qualities as “natural bowel cleansing properties” and not specifically use the word “laxative”.Some even use the term “low-calorie” on their labeling. These products in fact, contain essentially no calories nor nutrients whatsoever; unless of course, if they are sweetened.

Adverse effects of misusing laxatives in the form of slimming tea generally occur when taken in more than or longer than recommended. These include nausea, stomach cramps, vomiting, diarrhea, fainting, rectal bleeding,electrolyte disorder and dehydration as well as injury and worse, death. It was also reported that excess use of stimulant laxatives cause severe constipation and pain for long periods (as much as for decades) due to the colon losing its function. It eventually led to surgery removing the colon altogether.

What We Eat – Our Calorie Consumption

When we consume more calories than we burn our bodies store the excess away as fat. As I mentioned before our bodies are extraordinary creations and tend to store away any excess fat we don’t need in case of leaner times that might lie ahead.

However today those times are few and far between and because we live in the developed world rarely are there ever any times when food is truly scarce so we continue to keep storing at away.

Compared with 100 short years ago, you would be hard pressed to find any of our ancestors stricken with obesity because they worked hard in order to eat. They would either have to grow and harvest their own food or go to great lengths to get it. Because there was a certain amount of effort that went into daily survival they burned more calories compared to our readily accessible society where everything we want is at our fingertips.

Even what was considered luxury items such as flour, sugar and chocolate to our ancestors have become everyday fixtures of the modern pantry. Things are too readily available to us that nothing is a treat anymore and we tend to over indulge ourselves on a regular basis.

As a result of this way of living we are left to find ways to get rid of the fat we spent years gaining. If only we could look at our lifestyle and realize the answer is staring back at us from our pantries and not in the bottom of a jar of diet pills or the next fad diet that blows our way.

Understanding how our bodies operate, how they burn fat, what makes them gain weight is all instrumental in your own personal weight loss journey. Educating yourself on how your body works only empowers you to make better decisions for yourself.

Why We Gain Weight

We are all different. It’s frustrating to see people who eat like a horse never gain a single pound. They probably have very active metabolisms which acts like the body’s natural furnace burning calories effortlessly the moment they are absorbed into the body. These people are like the hummingbirds of society, no matter how much they consume their weight remains perfectly controlled.

But like the rest of us mere mortals, we may be disheartened when we experience the exact opposite by having what is known as a low metabolic rate. As you can guess when you have a low metabolic rate anything you eat seems to be directly deposited on your love handles without much effort.

Low Metabolism

Our metabolisms are sensitive to our activity levels and the proportion to lean muscle tissue we have in comparison to fat.

Our muscle tissue burns calories for energy. The more muscle tissue the more fat we burn. The less muscle tissue we have the more fat escapes into our bodies and gets deposited into fat cells for storage. Think of your fat cells as storage space where the excess fat is deposited if not burned. Everything has a destination it is either stored or burned.

If we live sedentary lives and we are not physically active our metabolism reacts by slowing down. When our metabolic rate is slow we lose the ability to properly burn calories and we store the unburned energy as fat. This is why we gain weight if we are not regularly exercising.

People that are more physically active have a greater muscle mass which burns more calories and hence more fat. Some people however are genetically predisposed to having a higher metabolism and will always be able to burn calories effortlessly. I know, it doesn’t seem fair but just because you may not have been genetically blessed with a fast metabolism doesn’t mean you can’t have one.

Little fact:

Did you know that 2 people one with greater muscle mass than the other can be sitting side by side enjoying a movie together. Although they are undertaking absolutely no physical activity for that time period, the person with the greater muscle mass will actually burn off more calories than the one with the lesser muscle mass. Incredible what having a little more lean muscle mass can do.

Here’s How You Increase Your Metabolism

Start exercising more, no matter what type. Any form of exercise will impact on your metabolism. You will burn lots more calories than doing no exercise at all.

Instead of having larger meals, why not try portioning? Smaller meals at regular intervals will keep your metabolism burning steadily rather than weigh it down with heavy meals. Ever feel lethargic after a large meal? Energy is diverted away from the extremities and put into digestion which makes you tired. Don’t weigh down your metabolism with large meals, small is the way to go.

Avoid crash dieting and restrictive calorie control. Starvation will only throw your body into survival mode and will derail you from your weight loss program completely. Remember fad diets only work temporarily, any weight loss is almost guaranteed to return once coming off these programs. So if you want to lose weight, you have to feed your body. Don’t drive your body to the point where it’s so fed up it will force you to binge to get some food.

Try the miracle exercise almost anyone can do and best of all it’s free. Walking is fantastic for exercising all of your large muscle groups while getting your heart rate up. Just walking for at least 30 minutes per day for 3 times per week can greatly increase your metabolism and your weight loss efforts than from just dieting alone.

This is often a hot topic of debate however most doctors believe you should always start the day with breakfast. The results have shown that those who skip breakfast are more inclined to overeat later on during the day which of course diverts precious energy into the act of digestion. It also gives you the energy you need to get through your day. Did you know that you still burn calories as you sleep so that you need to replenish them when you wake? This is why the meal is called “Break” “Fast”.

Even the speed at which you eat can have an effect. Being aware of how much you eat at a meal and being aware of every bite will decrease the need to top up your plate.

How many times have you sat down to a meal and ate so fast you wondered where the food went? Being aware how you are eating will make the food last longer and seem like more. You will be less likely to get extra portions and will be more satisfied on less.

Remember it takes at least 30 minutes for your brain to register that it is full so give it time. I also mentioned earlier that sometimes we mistake hunger for first, instead of eating more food try having a glass of water instead.

Your Genetics And Your Metabolism

Your genetic makeup may have an effect on your metabolism but only a minor one. Don’t think that because your predisposition to being obese is a death sentence and that you can’t lose weight. You absolutely can, there are several things that are within your power that you can do so don’t think for a second that you are doomed by your genetics because you are not. Because genetics only counts for a small amount when it comes to your weight loss the tools you have at your disposal lies within what you eat and how much you move.

How Much You Move

Let’s face it. If you want to lose weight exercise is an integral part of the process. You simply cannot get around this fact because it is by this process of exercise that you burn fat. It is the only way for your body to shift the rolls of fat or the love handles that were deposited over time.

Exercise can be something as simple as walking. Don’t feel you have to hit the gym to burn the pounds or step onto a mechanical treadmill while being subjected to blaring music. With walking you can enjoy the outdoors, breathe the fresh air, enjoy the view and get real benefits from genuine hill climbing. And best of all it’s free.

Exercising just 30 minutes per day 3 times per week or more has so many benefits that have far reaching consequences long after you’ve done the exercise.

Exercise reinvigorates and energizes you.

Exercise releases your natural feel good chemicals known as endorphins. In fact even the 30 minute walks 3 times per week can greatly lower your stress levels and make you feel euphoric, calmer and relaxed.

With exercise also comes the repairing and building of muscles mass which in turn increases your metabolism. Don’t think that you have to look like The Incredible Hulk muscular to burn fat, even the slightest extra muscle tissue can greatly increase your fat burning efforts. The kind of muscle mass will be the shapely and attractive as the fat burns away. So don’t think for a second when you are building muscle mass that you are building bulk. You are simply creating more lean muscle tissue to burn more fat.

Before you embark on your program, you too need to have an end in mind. You need to have a destination, an arrival point. In other words, what weight will you finally arrive at?

Don’t take it as the weight you think you will look good at and just because you may have looked great at that weight as a teenager or when you were younger does not necessarily mean you will now.

The best thing to do when determining your goal weight is find a program that can calculate that for you. It takes several factors into consideration and will arrive at an average weight it feels you should be based upon your age and your height.

So, what weight should you be?

Find out here:

http://www.halls.md/ideal-weight/body.htm

Take your body measurements so that you can keep track of your progress. You never realize how far you really come until you know where you initially started. Keeping track of your measurements is a rock solid testament to your progress and gives you burning incentive to stick with it.

Here Is What Should Be Included In The Measurement

The Date: _____________________________

Height: _______________________________

Current Weight: ________________________

Bust (women): _________________________

Waist around the belly button: _____________

Hips: _________________________________

Thighs: _______________________________

Right upper arm: ________________________

Left upper arm: _________________________
Make sure that you purchase a notebook to keep tabs of your measurements. Don’t forget to re- measure yourself every month which will encourage you to stay focused on your goal.

As mentioned before, weigh yourself every two weeks, once a week at the very most to avoid becoming discouraged with the natural weight fluctuations as your body begins to change and transform.

The other great thing about goal setting is that not only do you have a real purpose and you are solidifying and materializing those dreams into reality but it also gives you achievable steps to attain it. Think of it as a blueprint to your weight loss.

Which would keep you motivated longer?

I will lose 100 pounds in 12 months of which I will be at my goal weight of 120 pounds.

Or…

By December 31st 2009 I will weigh 120 pounds. My current weight is 220 pounds therefore I need to lose 100 pounds.
To achieve my goal of a 100 pound weight loss I will need to lose at least 2 pounds per week for the next 12 months.

Then create mini weight loss goals which will eventually contribute to the overall weight loss goal of 100 pounds because how do you eat an elephant?, one bite at a time.

How do you achieve such an overwhelming amount of weight loss?, one pound at a time. It is these small, simple, unglamorous steps that add up to the life changing 100 pound goal.

Get very detailed and specific.

So if you started your program on January 1st, by January the 8th you would have lost 2 pounds with your new weight being 218 pounds.

By January the 15th you should weigh 216 pounds

January the 22nd your weight will now be 214 pounds

January the 29th you will now weigh 212 pounds

See what I mean? It’s more realistic to break your overall goal into achievable little bite sizes so that you can see your progress and where you are headed. You appreciate that these little mini achievements add up to a your overall goal.

Doing it this way makes it doable and removes the pressure from having to lose 100 pounds now like most of those fad diets would have you believe.

You set yourself up for failure when you see you’ve only lost 2 pounds in your first week because you have that huge monumental goal in mind, never mind the fact that weight loss is just a collective of little weight loss successes that form the overall bigger picture.

Knowing that massive success with weight loss comes in little steps as you will know that with each pound you lose.

If you half kill yourself with punishing calorie restriction and excess exercise and find yourself losing over 5 pounds per week, just remember that most of that weight will be water and some desperately needed lean muscle tissue. That means that all of it will return almost overnight. So stick with a realistic, healthy, permanent 1 to 2 pound per week weight loss.

Watching What You Eat – Keeping Tabs On Those Calories

What Exactly Is a Calorie?

Before we start what exactly are calories? You hear that word touted around loosely on so many diets but what exactly are calories and why is important that you keep track of them?

All a calorie is is a measure of heat energy. One calorie is the amount of energy being required to raise the temperature of a gram of water by one degree Celsius. Calories are found in fats, proteins, carbohydrates or alcohol so pretty much everything except water.

A gram of carbohydrates contains 3.75 calories
A gram of fat contains 9 calories
A gram of protein contains 4 calories
A gram of alcohol contains 7 calories

You can see from the above figures that it’s easy to gain weight from consuming foods high in fat and drinking too much alcohol as they are laden with more calories than protein or carbohydrates.
Monitoring Your Calories

Up to this point you know how important diet and exercise are with respect to your weight loss. You know that to lose weight you have to eat. Severely restricting your calories to crash diet levels won’t only hinder your weight loss effort but it will damage your body in the process.

You have also learned that when you deprive the body of food it will feed off itself for survival including burning precious muscle tissue which alarmingly also includes the heart. This is why some dieters on extreme calorie restriction diets often die of heart failure because the heart has been broken down and weakened. So please don’t shock your body by starving it.

The approach you should be taking is from a scientific standpoint, don’t worry anyone can do this and you certainly don’t have to be a doctor to understand it.

Make sure you eat from all food groups but eat smaller meals, say 5 to 6 meals per day to keep your energy levels balanced. When we severely restrict calories we jump start our set point to kick in and make us eat. So to avoid that evolutionary mechanism response we need to work in alignment with our body and feed it good food, and frequently. Your body won’t think that it’s being starved or deprived and it will allow you to lose the weight.

So how can we lose weight by eating? By monitoring our caloric intake. Did you know that if you can create a 500 calorie deficit every day from just your diet and exercise that you will be able to lose around a pound of fat per week?

A pound is great, it doesn’t sound like much however remember how I mentioned before that volume for volume fat by far takes up more room than muscle tissue. That means that every pound you lose you are losing bulk and rolls from your body. This is why that even if you lose 3 pounds of fat that you notice your clothes getting looser because even though muscle is heavier than fat, fat actually occupies more space than muscle does. Keep that in mind when you weigh yourself. The scale isn’t always an accurate reflection of your true fat loss.

The Number Of Calories You Consume

Every food you consume has a caloric value associated with it.

To really lose weight you need to create a deficit of calories every day. For example, if you eliminate 250 calories less each day from your diet either by eating a little less or by removing high sugar, high fat foods from your diet and you exercise and burn off 250 extra calories per day you can lose up to 3,500 calories per week which totals one pound of fat lost.

To do that you have to be burning 500 extra calories per day. This is 500 calories over and above what you are eating. If you simply burn off what you eat you are maintaining your weight level. If you are burning over and above what you are consuming then you begin to burn your excess fat stores.

To lose 2 pounds per week you simply double the amount of daily exercise you do and eat more lean, healthy foods.

How Many Calories Should You Consume A Day?
Women should consume no less than 1,200 calories per day to ensure weight loss and that they are receiving the balanced diet they need.

Men on the other hand should consume no less than 1,800 calories per day to lose weight.

To determine accurately the number of calories you should be getting in your daily diet use this handy tool to calculate yours:

http://www.dietblog.com/archives/2005/12/26/how_to_calculate_your_daily_calorie_needs.php

Remember the more lean muscle mass you have the better. If you decide to go below the recommended calorie amount for a balanced diet then you will be losing precious muscle tissue which is instrumental in the burning of fat. Don’t forget that the more lean muscle tissue you have the better your body at losing weight.

You will not experience permanent, sustained weight loss by eating too little but you will also run the risk of slowing your metabolism to the pace of a snail. Anyone who’s been on restrictive calorie diets in the past will know that it is difficult to exercise when you simply don’t have the energy to do so. So the key here is to make sure that you consume enough calories to have lots of energy and to enjoy life while losing weight at the same time. It’s all about balance.

Almost 9 million (15%) children between the ages of 6 and 19 are overweight, and this number is still growing according to information gathered between 1999 and 2000 (triple the number of 1980). The information has also shown that another 15% of children between the ages of 6 and 19 are at risk of becoming overweight also.

Obesity is defined as having an excessive accumulation of body fat which will result in the person’s body being about 20% heavier than their ideal body weight. So those people whose weight is above what is considered their ideal range, are defined as being overweight. Obesity is a common eating disorder that is often associated with teens.

Although teens may have fewer weight related health issues than adults, those teens that are overweight now are much more likely to be come overweight as an adult. Teens who are overweight (in fact people of all ages that are overweight) are at risk from a number of different health issues, and these include:

1.Heart Disease
2.Diabetes
3.High Blood Pressure
4.Strokes
5.Some forms of Cancer

Those teens who are obese may find that they are not only physically unfit, but their well being is usually very low as well. Many obese people will also tend to have a shorter life expectancy than those who are the right weight for their body size.

Plus, obesity can also lead to social disabilities and unhappiness, which in turn may cause them stress and in some cases, may make them mentally ill as well.

A study that was carried and details which were released in May 2004 suggested that overweight children are more likely to be involved in bullying than those children who are a normal weight. But they can not only be the victims of bullying, they may be the perpetrators as well.

The development of their own personal identity and body image is an important goal for any teenager.

There are a number of causes for obesity which center around an imbalance in the energy they put into their bodies, (calories that they obtain from the food they eat) and the energy they release from their bodies (how good their metabolism is, and how much physical activity they take part in). Oftentimes, when a teen is overweight, it is because there is a problem with the nutritional value of their diet, or it may be psychological, familial or physiological, all of which we will discuss a little bit more.

The Family

Often children and teens are more at risk of becoming overweight if they have two overweight parents. Although in some cases, this may be due to a powerful genetic factor, it may be because they are modeling themselves after what they see their parents eating. Whatever physical activities, if any, they take part in, can also indirectly affect the teen.

In Activity

On average, an American child will spend several hours each day watching television or on a computer. Compare this to years ago, when this time would have been spent doing some form of physical activity instead. There are a large number of teens and children who are now overweight because they are expending little energy, and often eat high calorie snacks while watching TV or playing on the computer. Today in the US, only about 1/3 of elementary school children carry out some form of physical education, and less than 1/5 take part in physical activity programs after school.

Heredity

Recently, information has shown that heredity can influence fatness in a child and teen. It was found that children born to overweight mothers have been found to be less active, and often gain more weight by the age of 3 months compared to those children born to mothers who are a normal weight, which suggests a possible inborn drive to conserve energy.

Psychology And Teenage Weight Gain

For many overweight teens, their physical health and well being are the least of their problems. Much more relevant is the teasing and abuse they receive from their peers at school and near where they live. For many, it is not only what others think of them that is upsetting, but it is what they actually think of themselves. A good percentage of teenagers (especially girls) are clinically depressed because they are so preoccupied with their weight. It does not help that every model or every actress you see, and that people tend to aspire to be, are usually stick thin.

There is evidence now mounting as to just how much pressure is being placed on obese teenagers. A recent survey reveals that these kids rate the quality of life they have as low as that of young cancer patients while they are having chemotherapy. There are other studies which have been carried out that report increased rates of depression, low self esteem and isolation from other members of their age group, which can result in behavioral problems. These teenagers are less likely to be accepted into higher education (college) or to get married, and are more likely to be part of the lower socioeconomic groups.

What is worse is that many overweight teens will be hard on themselves, and will often be mistreated by others. A study carried out in 2001 by Latner and Stunkard finds that this situation, rather than improving, has steadily got worse.

Often, those teens who are overweight can suffer from other problems such as cardiovascular, orthopedic, gastrointestinal, respiratory, hormonal, neurological and metabolic diseases (diabetes). These can often manifest themselves through psychological problems, and you may then have to ask for assistance from a trained professional in order to deal with them.

Today in the US, there are some weight loss programs for kids which are residential, and combine psychological therapy with behavior change therapy in order to improve the teens self esteem as well as their physical health.

All guardians of teenagers must be aware that teenage obesity exists, and must act quickly if their children show signs of it.

There have been studies carried out that indicate a child who is obese at the age of 6, will have a 50% chance of becoming obese as an adult. Also, if one or both of the child’s parents are overweight, then the chances increase to 80%. These are very sobering and scary statistics for a parent whose child is overweight.

However, there is good news that, with help from the adults in their lives, these children can be helped. They can be taught healthier behaviors, which relate to both their eating habits and improving the physical activity they do, and this will help them to lose the weight.

By helping them become more selective with the types of food that they consume, and increasing the amount of physical activity that they accomplish, it will only produce positive results.

However, it should be stressed that formal dieting, and especially giving your child a severely restricted diet, should only be attempted with medical approval and the appropriate nutritional supervision. Many pediatricians believe the best course is to try and hold an overweight child’s weight at a steady level, and avoid losing large amounts of weight at a time, until such a time as their height is at a healthier proportion to their weight.

The following 4 steps will not only help to facilitate healthier eating habits, but will also increase the amount of physical activity that they do.

1. Assessing the Health of Your Child and whether they are overweight

Before you make any personal or environmental changes in your teen’s life, take a few minutes to survey what your home life is like. Do you allow them to lead a sedentary life, and are they given plenty of chances to over eat at any time? If you do, then it is important that you bring any changes in to these areas of their life gradually.

First, look at just how many hours your teen spends either watching TV, or sitting at their computer. A teen can spend up to 24 hours a week watching TV. Log any time that they spend doing either, watching TV or on the computer, and try to reduce this by half.

When you have meals, does your family gather around a table, or do you eat most of your meals sitting in front of the TV or computer? If you do, then try and make it a family rule that, in the future, all food (including snacks) will be eaten in the kitchen or in the dining room at a table. Such a small change has been shown to significantly reduce the amount of over eating that takes place in the home.

Next, you will need to take a close look at your fridge and food cupboards. Which foods do you have that you are most likely to eat when hunger hits you? If the foods are high in fat, sweetened or low in nutritional value, then why not try to find healthier alternatives instead, such as fresh fruit and vegetables?
2. Do Not Shame your Child into Losing Weight

Neither adults nor children can be shamed into losing weight, and an overweight teen will know that they weigh too much. But what a teen does not know, is how they can achieve a normal weight, as well as increase their self esteem. Teens like to know that their parents love them unconditionally, whether they are fat, thin or normal.

For any parent, mastering the fine art of loving our children just the way they are, while helping them to achieve a healthier body can be difficult. Any parent must learn to “give time” and believe that the lessons we teach them will one day come to fruition.

This means that we can teach our youngsters to visualize that healthy plate (one which is half salad or vegetables, a quarter of starches and the remainder are made up of protein such as fish, meat, poultry or soy). But you also know that at some point, they will sneak either sweets or cookies into the home, and upset the balance that you have achieved.

A parent can persist in teaching their teens to see their plate before any food is put on it. This is helpful, as it creates a sense of portion control that is helpful when the parent is not around to monitor what food they are actually having. This portion control can also be practiced not just at home, but when visiting a restaurant as well.
3. Take up some type of Physical Activity as a Family

The recommended amount of physical activity to be done by an adult is 30 minutes, and 60 minutes for children, which should be done several times a week. However, if you are looking to lose weight, then more physical activity may be necessary.

A great way of breaking the pattern of the lives that many families lead is to arrange activities that involve plenty of movement for the whole family together. Not only do these types of activities burn calories, they can also serve as a setting for parent and child communication. It is especially important in a child’s teen years, when such opportunities for a parent to interact with their teen are at a premium.

Also, there is little or no financial cost involved in going for a walk or having a bike ride, and many communities now have either indoor or outdoor swimming pools which do not cost to much to use. Just taking the family dog for a walk in the evening not only makes the dog happy, but will help to increase the family’s metabolism.
4. How to encourage the right sort of behavior in your teen

The best way to help an overweight or obese teen is through your own behavior. Too often, teens will do as an adult does, rather than what we tell them.

No parent can ask their child to turn off the TV when we are actually watching it in another room, or to stop using the computer when they are spending hours themselves surfing the net. Nor should they restrict the portions of food they eat, when they, themselves, do not watch what they are eating. Why would any child want to drink water or munch on fruit or vegetables, when they see the adults around them drinking sugar laden soda or having a bag of potato chips?

When looking to lead a healthier kind of life style, it should be done one day at a time, and the end result will be well worth the effort.

Although there is no magic formula to helping your teen lose weight, the real key to succeeding is by helping them to lead a healthier kind of life that they can then carry on into adulthood.

1. Talk to your Teen

If your teen is overweight, then they are probably concerned about it too. Aside from there being long term health issues involved, such as high blood pressure or they may suffer from diabetes, there are also the social and emotional issues involved as well.

Offer your teen the support and gentle understanding that they are looking for, and help them to take control of the problem.
2. Unrealistic Images

For many teenage girls, their weight and how they look can be a very delicate matter, and you should remind them there is no perfect body out there. Remind them that, what might the right weight for one person, is not the right weight for somebody else.

Instead of talking to them about fat or thin, encourage your teenage to focus on behaviors which will promote a much healthier weight. If you want to, talk to your family doctor, and he will help to set realistic goals for your teenager with regard to body mass index, and the weight they should be based on their age, height and general health.
3. Resist Using Quick Fixes in order to lose weight rapidly

Help your teenager by teaching them how to lose weight, and then keep it off. Many of the fad diets around are likely to rob your teen of essential nutrients, iron and calcium that they need in their diet, as they are still growing.

Don’t allow them to take weight loss pills or other quick fixes, as they will not address the root of the problem, and the effects of these types of treatment are short lived.

It is important to remember that only permanent changes in their habits will help the weight they lose to stay away.
4. Increase the amount of physical activity your teen does

Like any adult, a teenager will need to do about 60 minutes of physical activity each day. But this does not mean that they have to do it all at once. They can, instead, do the activity in short bursts throughout the day in order to help burn off any excess calories or fat.

Team sports, which they do at school or at a local sports hall, are a great way for your teen to get active. However, if your child isn’t an athlete, or finds it difficult to participate in certain sports, then encourage them to walk, cycle or skate to and from school, or just to walk a few times around the school before they begin classes. Why not suggest that they spend at least one of each day away from the computer and do something a little more physical (may be you can get them to take the dog for a walk)?

Try and get them to do some household chores, like vacuuming or washing the car, as they have aerobic benefits as well.
5. Ensure that your teen has Breakfast

If you have a teenager who finds that it’s too difficult to get up, try to get them up a little earlier than normal in order for them to have some breakfast. How many times have you heard people say “breakfast is the most important meal of the day”? A good nutritious breakfast will help jump start their day AND their metabolism, and will provide them with the energy they need to face the day ahead. You may also find that it stops them from eating too much during the rest of the day as well.

If your teen is not keen on high fiber cereal or whole wheat toast, then why not suggest they eat what was left over from the night before. You could even suggest a piece of cheese, a small handful of nuts and a piece of fruit instead, as they will be just as good for them, and do the same job as the cereal or toast does.
6. If your teen snacks, teach them to snack wisely

It may be difficult for your teenage child to make healthy choices when they are at school, as often the hallways are lined with vending machines, but it is possible. Why not try and encourage them to replace even one bag of chips each day with a much healthier grab and go option from home, such as frozen grapes, an orange, strawberries or other fresh fruit? They may even like to take some sliced red, orange or yellow peppers, a few cherry tomatoes or baby carrots instead.
7. Watch the Size of the Portions of food that they have each meal

When it comes to the portions that a teen eats, size really does matter. If you can, encourage your child to cut back and to stop eating when they feel full. You may find that just one slice of pizza, or half the pasta on the plate is enough to make them feel full.
8. Look at the Calories in the drinks that they have

An average 12 ounce can of soda has 150 calories and 10 teaspoons of sugar in it. Also, the calories and sugar that you find in fruit juice, specialty coffees and other drinks can also add up quickly as well. So getting your teenager to drink more water, instead of soda and other sugary drinks, will save on the calories and their sugar intake as well. Why not suggest that they drink flavored water, seltzer water or unsalted club soda instead?
9. Let them have the occasional treat

Allowing your teen to have a late night pizza whilst at a friend’s, or some nachos when at the movies, need not derail your teen’s healthy eating plan.

Instead, suggest that when they are out, they have a breadstick with sauce instead of garlic bread…or that they share a snack with their friend, instead of having an order to themselves.

It is important that you let your teenager know that they are in control, and the occasional treat is okay. The most important thing is getting them to lead a healthier lifestyle.
10. Ways of getting the Whole Family Involved

Rather than just singling out your teenager to lead a healthier lifestyle, why not adopt these healthy habits for the whole family? After all, not just eating healthier foods, but getting more exercise is good for everybody.

a. Why not encourage the whole family to eat more fresh fruit, vegetables and whole grains? It is important that you set a good example for all your children.

b. Forget the junk food, and although healthy foods often cost more, it is a good investment in your child’s life.

c. Why not try out new recipes or healthier alternatives to those family favorites?

d. Don’t allow anyone to eat while sitting on the couch, as this will curb mindless eating at other times that they sit watching the TV, or when on the computer.

e. Arrange some family activities, such as walks in the evening, or visiting a local recreation center at the weekend.
11. Be Positive in your Attitude when helping your teen to lose weight

Being overweight does not always lead to a lifetime of low self esteem, but your acceptance of your teen’s weight problem is critical. Remember to listen to your teen’s concerns regarding their weight, and comment on their skills, efforts and accomplishments.

Make it perfectly clear to your child that your love for them is unconditional, and not dependent on how they look. Why not help your teen learn to express their feelings in much healthier ways, say by writing down what they feel in a journal?

If your child is struggling with low self esteem, and finding it difficult to cope with their weight in a healthy way, then consider looking for a support group, formal weight control program or professional counseling to help them.

There are many support groups around which will provide your teen with the tools to counter any social pressure and cultivate a positive attitude with regard to their self esteem. This will help them to take control of their weight. These benefits will then last them a life time.

Often, diet pills are nothing more than stimulants. Over the counter diet pills are usually caffeine tablets. They can cause a rapid heart beat and even lead to more serious consequences for those who take them. There are the fat blocking diet pills that were very popular a few years ago. Most of them have now been banned. In fact, it does not usually take but a few years from the time that a diet pill is introduced as the wonder cure for obesity to the market and the time that it is banned because it causes liver disease or cancer.

You can lose weight without having to take any diet pills. I never took any diet pills when I wanted to lose weight because I knew people who did and had problems from taking them. Taking diet pills is similar to taking cocaine to lose weight. You are actually sacrificing your health in order to try to be thinner.

Why do you want to lose weight? There are two good reasons for losing weight. The first and foremost should be that it is healthier not to be overweight. Obesity can lead to many health problems, especially heart disease and diabetes. So it is naturally healthier to maintain a good weight.

The second reason is that you want to look good. But you also want to look healthy. You want to take off weight in a healthy way that will make your body feel stronger and healthier and also increase your self esteem. When you take off 10 pounds in 10 days, you will feel very much empowered and in control of your body, even if you have more weight to use.

But you never want to compromise your health if you want to lose weight. The truth of the matter is that there is no “magic pill” that can cause you to lose weight. Many of the diet pills do not work and are just a way to cheat you out of money. Many are simply caffeine tablets that will give you a very unpleasant sensation of a racing heart (imagine having 6 cups of coffee at once – that is how you feel when you take over the counter diet pills). Some of them are downright dangerous and are still being marketed online, although they are banned in the United States and in other countries.

Of course, some of the diet pills are just laxatives. While it is important to move your bowels daily in order to lose weight and keep it down, laxatives can overwork your digestive tract. If you need laxatives, then take them as directed. But never use laxatives or laxatives disguised as diet pills, to lose weight.

Those who market diet pills do so to a desperate public. People who are desperate to lose weight will want to believe that they can lose weight magically without having to sacrifice anything that they are currently doing.

The manufacturers of these pills will tell people anything that they want to hear, including that the pills are made from herbal ingredients and that the pharmaceutical companies have a big conspiracy going with the FDA to keep them out of the country. This is not true. If drugs are banned by the FDA, then that makes them pretty bad. Especially when you consider the side effects of many of the drugs approved by the FDA.

Save your money and your health and stay away from any pills that promise you results that seem too good to be true. Some advertisements for these pills promise to let you lose 10 pounds in 3 days. This is very unhealthy. You can lose 10 pounds in 10 days easily by following the healthy plans outlined in this book (which is a pound a day) but losing 10 pounds in 3 days would be a dramatic weight loss (if it worked) and unhealthy.
Body Cleansers

You have probably seen the many ads for body cleansers that are also used for weight loss. These are usually comprised of water mixed with some herbs that are supposed to flush out your system and let you lose weight. Many of these body cleansers sell for $50 and up. Save your money.

The way that body cleansers, or detoxifiers as they are also called, work is to cause you to drink a solution and then follow it with two large glasses of water. You can get the same effect by drinking a glass of green tea and then following it with two glasses of water. You will be going to the bathroom repeatedly and flushing out your system.

Flushing out your system is good for weight loss, but you do not want to overdo it, and you certainly do not want to spend a lot of money on water. If you are interested in this form of weight loss, you can use a detoxifier once every few days that you make yourself. You can add herbal ingredients such as lemon pepper to water and drink it down. But green tea is much more pleasant.

There is such a thing as drinking too much water. You do not want to overload your system with water on a regular basis as it is bad for the kidneys. You should drink 6 to 8 glasses of green tea or water a day to lose weight or maintain weight loss. Drinking too much water can be very trying on the kidneys.

Just like diet pills, body cleansers are sold to the public as the magic way to lose weight without trying. Many of these cleansers are sold to supposedly detoxify the body against toxins and also drugs that you may be taking. You can get the same detoxification from drinking unsweetened liquids and water.

While it can be frustrating when you are trying to lose weight and you may want to reach out to something that will allow you to do this easier, you are wasting your money and your time by purchasing weight loss body cleansing products. Again, there is no “magic” way to lose weight. Taking off 10 pounds will take you 10 days if you follow this healthy regime. It will work and what is more, you will feel healthier. The only thing that will be heavier on you will be your pockets from the money that you saved from falling prey to products that are designed for those with more money than sense.

A friend of mine explained to me that not only is the starvation diet a dangerous way to diet, but it is also ineffective. The starvation diet is just what it sounds like – not eating. Or eating a piece of bread all day long. Naturally, this is not healthy for you, but people do it anyway. The reason people use the starvation diet is because they are desperate to lose weight and feel that by consuming no calories, they will take the pounds off.

You can lose weight, naturally, by starving. But it will take you a long time. On top of that, you will be unhealthy and feel sick. You will feel weak and tired all the time. You may faint. A woman in a town a few miles away killed a child on a bicycle because she fainted at the wheel of her car after going on a starvation diet.

When I used to starve myself, I would be able to take off five pounds right away. However, this is normal in weight loss. This is water weight and will come off no matter what type of diet you try. Then I would get frustrated because I wasn’t able to take off any more weight. This was because my metabolism had shut down, only I didn’t know this until years later.

In order to burn off the fat on your body, you need to have a healthy metabolism. Your metabolism is what burns off the calories. In order for your metabolism to work properly, it needs fuel. It is just like a machine, without fuel, it shuts down. Just like your car does not run without gasoline, your metabolism does not run without food.

What happens when your metabolism shuts down?

When your metabolism shuts down, your body goes into “starvation mode.” Your body is smart – a lot smarter than you think. When the body senses that it is not getting fuel, it starts to shut down, just like a machine. That means that everything starts to shut down, including your immune system.

You do not burn off calories when your metabolism shuts down. You end up staying at a stalemate when it comes to weight loss. You also find that your immune system shuts down. This is why I used to always feel sick when I tried to starve myself thin.

Starvation diets do not work and are very unhealthy. While you can get past starvation mode and eventually start to lose weight, you will be doing so at great risk to your health. Often, this type of thinking and dieting method leads to anorexia, a condition that causes someone to have a distorted view of their body and feel that if they eat anything, they will become fat. This is a psychological disorder that can occur when someone feels in control, perhaps for the first time, of their weight. It will lead to a complete shut down of the organs and death.

There is another reason that starvation diets do not work. After a while, when your body is crying out for food, you will start to feel as though you are very weak and will most likely give in to temptation. You will probably gorge yourself on something that is not good for you. Then you might try to starve again. This is known as binge eating and often results in just the opposite effect. You actually gain the weight that you lost and then some. On top of that, you are taking chances with your health in this manner.

You can lose weight in 10 days. You do not have to starve yourself to do it. In fact, if you starve yourself, you will not lose the 10 pounds, but probably about five pounds. Then you will feel sick and weak and most likely, get disgusted with the entire thing and eat, gaining the weight that you lost back and then some.

Older people have to accept the fact that they are not going to have the body that they did when they were 20. They will probably be a little softer when it comes to their weight. But that does not give them carte blanche to blow up like a balloon.

In order to learn what your ideal weight is, you need to figure in your age as well as your height and bone structure. You can look on any chart at the doctor’s office to see that your age correlates to your ideal weight, as does your sex.

As you get older, because your metabolism is slowing down, you will need less food. One mistake that people make when they age is that they continue to consume the same amount of calories that they did when they were younger. You need to have more exercise and less food when you get older in order to stay in shape.

If you have children, it can be more difficult to keep the weight off the older you are when you give birth. It is much harder for a woman of 35 to lose weight than a woman of 25. You have to work extra hard because the metabolism does tend to slow down as we age.

The methods used in this book to lose 10 pounds in 10 days are made for someone who is over the age of 40. Those who are younger and have a higher metabolism, may lose more than 10 pounds in 10 days by following the tips of this book. If you are reading this and thinking that you cannot lose the weight because you are older – think again. If I can do it, you can too. I know plenty of people who have tried this type of lifestyle change (I do not like to call it a diet) and have lost weight. Whether you have 10 pounds to lose or need to lose a lot more weight, this diet will work well for you, regardless of your age.

What Is Your Ideal Weight?

Do you know what your ideal weight is? You can find out how much you should weigh for your height, age and sex based on a chart. There are charts online that you can use to determine your ideal weight.

It is important for anyone who is trying to lose weight to determine their ideal weight because people often have a distorted view of what they should weigh. If your clothes are tight and want to drop 10 pounds, then you can do so easily in 10 days using the tips in this book. If you are overweight and need to know how much you need to lose to get to your ideal weight, then you can figure out how much weight you need to lose to get to your goal.

If you join programs such as Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers, you have to keep in mind that their goal is to make money. Both of these organizations provide counseling and Jenny Craig provides food that you eat. But both of them are businesses. They will tell you that you should lose 2 pounds a week. This keeps you coming back to them for longer than you need.

The information that is in this book combines the basic concept of Weight Watchers (a very good diet plan that makes sense) with diet recommendations as well as eating and exercise tips. The goal of this book is to help you lose 10 pounds in 10 days, but you can continue to follow the tips to lose more weight if you need to do so.

If you set a goal aside for yourself every week and weigh yourself once a week, you will reach your ultimate goal. One of the biggest mistakes a dieter makes is getting discouraged and giving up on the whole concept of losing weight. This often happens when someone reaches a plateau and cannot lose any more weight. What you need to do then is to change around your diet and try something new in order to lose weight. You should not get discouraged as you will be able to lose the weight that you want and keep it off if you simply follow the instructions in this book.

Understanding your ideal weight for you will help you feel more confident in your weight loss goals. If you have a lot of weight to lose, this book will help you jump start your diet and also give you the directions that you need to take off the rest of the weight. You should not get discouraged if you cheat on your diet or gain a pound. Simply push that into the past where it belongs and forge ahead when trying to achieve your ideal weight.