10 Dining out tips for losing weight

Eating out is unavoidable but this should not impact your weight loss efforts.  There are little things that make a big difference when eating out and if you manage to follow our weight loss tips correctly, you can enjoy your next meal without feeling guilty and more importantly without breaking your weight loss plan.

10 Dining out tips for losing weight

Tip 1: Select a good restaurant

A ‘good restaurant’ in our context is one that:

Serves a variety of menu dishes (not buffet) including fish and salads

Displays nutritional information for each meal

Has a good reputation for serving fresh food

Tip 2: Decide in advance what to eat

It is better not to go to the restaurant with an empty stomach and it is advisable that you know in advance what to eat. Before leaving home do your research by visiting the web site of the restaurant and make your decisions.

Tip 3: Choose your meals wisely

Eating out once in a while will not destroy your weight loss efforts but it is better to make smart food choices so that the impact is limited to none. As a rule of thumb try to order ‘Mediterranean style’ dishes such as fish, poultry, salads, legumes and whole grains. If this is not possible then give preference to the following dishes:

Steak – remove the fat and eat only the lean part (no sauces or gravy)

Chinese – prefer dishes that have lots of vegetables and avoid eggs as well as sweet and sour sauces. Go for steam rice instead of fried and try to avoid oil as much as possible.

Italian – Pasta with red sauce is a great choice. Carbonara and other cream sauces better be avoided.

Pizza – Vegetarian pizzas or margarita are better.

Mexican – Spicy foods are good for weight loss since they help metabolism. You can order chicken fajitas with vegetables and rice instead of chips. Minimize though the consumption or sour cream.

Tip 4: Drink Water or wine with your food

Soft and alcoholic drinks are full of calories and sugars. You can enjoy your meal with a class of red wine or water. It’s also ok to order a zero (light) soft drink. Also try to avoid fresh fruit juices and cocktails.

Tip 5: Eat an appetizer

It’s a good idea to eat an appetizer before your main meal. This will cut down your hunger and save you many calories. When choosing an appetizer avoid creamy food, cheese (for example nachos), sauces (for example chicken wings with barbecued sauce) and prefer: Salads (for example a small green salad), seafood (smoked salmon is a great choice), soups and vegetables. Have in mind that avocado which is used very often as an appetizer has a lot of fat and calories. (Hint: You can use our free calorie counter to see the nutritional information for each food)

Tip 6: What about side dishes?

Restaurants have many choices for a side dish. You can safely choose steamed or boiled vegetables, baked potato (without butter, cheese or sauces), rice, noodles or even seafood. Potato chips, salads with dressings, fried food is not recommended.

Tip 7: Eating slowly does matter

One of the little things that do play a role is eating slowly and chewing your food very well. When eating slowly you give enough time to the brain to get the ‘signal’ from the stomach that it is full and thus avoiding the consumption of extra and unnecessary calories. Also by chewing your food very well you make the digestion process faster and easier for the stomach. Take your time, talk with your friends, drink your water or wine and enjoy your dinner.

Tip 8: Size does matter

The size of the portion does matter. Restaurants usually have big plates and this makes the food quantity look small but in reality this is not the case. Do not judge the size of the portion from the plate size but during your meal try to stop when you are feeling full. Do not get carried away by what your friends may be doing or eating and make sure that you leave space for a desert as well.

Tip 9: Deserts

Deserts don’t have to be full of fats and sugars to be tasteful. You can still enjoy a fresh fruit salad, a low-fat yogurt or a lemon pie for a desert and be happy. It’s ok to have a small ball of vanilla ice cream but as a rule of thumb try not to eat chocolate cakes, cookies and creamy deserts.

Tip 10: Enjoy your meal without feeling guilty

Even if you eat more than expected it is not the end of the World. Do not feel guilty about it, try to enjoy your meal and try to be better next time. What is important though is to take corrective actions. If for example you eat a few calories more then try to burn those calories the next day by walking, running or using other forms of exercise. You need to keep a balance so that you are happy and satisfied. If you made a mistake during your meal then you need to correct your mistake by doing something more during your exercise sessions.

Lose weight with the combination diet

When I was writing the ‘Combination Diet’ book someone asked me if writing a diet book was a wise decision. Their argument was that there are so many diet books out there written by big ‘celebrity status’ names and so called diet gurus, backed up by big companies and advertising campaigns. So they quite rightly asked ‘What makes you think that your book can compete with all these?’

I say a fair enough question and here is my answer. First I am not writing a book to compete with anybody. Secondly if all the weight problems were solved and covered by all these books and diets then why is obesity reaching epidemic levels? From my experience so far I can say that there is a considerable amount of people visiting weight loss websites every day and they all are looking for the same thing; a weight loss solution.

Will the combination diet be the answer to all weight problems?

To put it quite simply, No it will not. Each and every one of us is a unique oddity and we can’t believe that one simple thing will suit each and every one of the few trillion of us around the world. Yes there is such a thing as optimum nutrition or the best recommended diet pattern but let’s be totally honest it is not for everybody. There will always be an ‘X’ diet which works for ‘Z’ amount people and an ‘A’ diet which will suit ‘B’ amount of people.

Dieting is a personal thing; we all have different tastes, different lifestyles, different metabolism, different habits and preferences. To try and fit everybody in one box will be like setting up our self to fail.

What does the Combination Diet has to offer then?

Through our experience in the weight loss field, (the team who some of you may already know through the weight loss articles) we have seen that people are looking for answers. We gathered this experience and all the information you all have passed to us through the time with your contact, comments and questions and we decided to put the ‘Combination Diet’ together. So basically the project was inspired by what people have showed us they want and need. 

Why that diet regime? We looked at our scientific knowledge and we looked at what science says and we put together a healthy, balanced diet which aims to return weight loss results. Our no 1 goal was weight loss and our no 2 goal was health. Our philosophy was try to provide people with a solution which will be easy, practical and above all healthy. As you may know there are numerous ways and diets you can go about losing weight but there are not always healthy.

From the above, and to quote my own self, we thought that not everybody is the same and so the ‘Combination Diet’ had to offer flexibility. Indeed flexibility in terms of food choices and calories to be consumed is the no1 philosophy of the diet.

What else is different?

Weight loss is not always an easy job, as some of you may know. We did not want to just sell a diet to people but put together a lifelong solution. Therefore, we have created the ‘combination diet’ package. The book itself is packed with tips and guidance for every step of dieting whether being with following the ‘combination’ regime or whether being making a lifestyle change, or following any weight loss regime. In addition, we have added an exercise section to further help you tackle and improve abdominal condition.

But it doesn’t stop there…there is actually more added on to it. With buying the combination diet you are actually buying to a membership which entitles you to online services such as calorie counter, food and activities diaries and support from our experts. In other words you are not alone. We are there to guide you and help you in your weight loss steps. Our aim is to continuously update the members’ site with tips, menus, recipes and with whatever else you tell us you need.

More on the diet.

I was looking at the diet 2 days ago with one of my colleagues and I simply said tell me any comments. After going through the diet she said to me I could never eat tuna for breakfast, I would be sick, I don’t like salmon and I think I could only eat eggs for a couple of days. My response to her was ‘What do you like to eat?’ It turns out that she can only eat porridge and although she wants to lose her belly ready for the Christmas period she couldn’t give up her porridge.

I bring this example as I am sure a lot of people may think along similar ways. I would never in a million years want to create a diet which would be a torture for people. This is one main reason why the diet had to be flexible. The diet offers lists of menus for main meals and additional choices which you can combine with your main meals. In that respect you can chose what you want to eat, when you want to eat it and how much you want to eat. There will be choices which you don’t like at all, well then you don’t have to eat them.

The nutritional and calorie information which come with all the choices will further help you to set your own calorie range to follow every day. There is a step by step guide to help you determine how to set your own calorie range depending on how much weight you want to lose. Are you having difficulty to decide how or what to do, then ask us and we will help you.

To go back to my colleagues comments I have added a few weight loss tips to further take with you with the ‘Combination Diet’.

        Tip1.   You do not have to be rigid in following the combination diet. The menus provided are a guide. For some people the choices may suit them just fine for others it may not be all to their taste and preference.

        Tip2.   If the above is the case then make a list of the foods which is no absolute way that you can give up. For Stella it was porridge for breakfast, for you it may be something else. Once you done the list go through it and try to think if you can give it up for a few days, not at all, or if they could comfortably go to a ‘once a week’ category.

        Tip3.   Be realistic with your list. Well if your list includes I can’t give up on chips and pizza, be realistic that this kind of food will not lead to weight loss if eaten every day unless you starve all day just to have chips and pizza for dinner. Well that is unrealistic and unhealthy. If you are willing to eat chips and pizza once a week then this is more realistic and possible.

        Tip4.   Put foods which you can’t stop eating in small portions (bag or container etc). For example: Is it chocolate your biggest weakness? Cut the chocolate in small portions and store it in separate bags. Make an agreement with yourself as to when you will eat a portion of chocolate and stick to it. The agreement could be I will eat one portion a day, or I will eat it only when my friend come around for coffee, it can be as specific or as general as it suits you. Make sure you calculate the calories of a portion of the food of your choice and add it to your daily calorie intake.

        Tip5.   If you are like Stella and you can only have one thing for breakfast then don’t torture yourself trying to give it up. Try to make it as healthy as possible. In the case of Stella I would say that porridge can be high in sugars especially when adding syrup, sugar, jam etc for taste. Avoid the syrup and add a handful of nuts. Nuts can keep you feeling full for longer so you will not be getting the sugar cravings mid day. Or make sure you have a nice protein based snack or nuts if you do feel the mid day cravings. Use our food finder to calculate how many calories are in porridge and add it up. Adapt the diet to your needs and not your needs to the diet.

        Tip6.   Follow the principles of the diet for any other food changes. For example if you don’t like chicken and you prefer turkey then make sure you grill it and not fry it and again use the food finder in the site to find how many calories that food has.

        Tip7.   Be realistic with your weight loss goals and the diet results. Well is needless to say that if you do chose to have a small portion of chips with your dinner every day, because you cannot live without chips then you will also need to be more linear with your expectation. It could mean that losing that extra pound it may take a little bit longer. At the end of the day you will not be losing loads of weight by eating chips. The idea is that if keeping the chips will mean sticking to a diet then that is better than not losing weight at all or resulting to extreme and possibly unhealthy option (i.e. tape warms).

 Click here to find out more details about The Combination diet benefits for weight loss.

Article by H. Hagikalfa. Hara is also the writer of “The combination diet for abdominal fat”.

1200 calorie diet for women

Dieting is one of the ways to lose weight but from the questions we get from our readers it seems that many people do not know where to start. This is normal since the word ‘diet’ has been associated with deprivation and this keeps people away from even trying to control what they eat. As a result their weight is increasing and the problem becomes even more difficult to handle.

Our goal with this article is to give you an idea of a diet you can follow to lose weight quickly but at the same time healthy and without restricting any food group from your meals. The diet is easy to follow and will give you about 1200 calories per day. See below some common questions/answers about this diet.

How many pounds can you lose by following a 1200 calorie diet? This depends on your BMR and your daily calorie requirements. If for example you need 1500 calories per day to maintain your normal weight then by following this diet correctly for 1 month you can lose up to 2 ½ pounds. The logic is the following: You need 45,000 calories per month (1500 calories per day x 30 days) to maintain your normal weight. If you consume 36000 calories per month (1200 calories per day x 30 days) then you will save 9000 calories per month (45000 – 36000). Taking into account that 1 pound = 3500 calories, this means you will lose about 2 ½ pounds per month.

Is it safe? As a general rule you should always consult your doctor before making drastic changes to your diet. The average woman needs about 1500-1800 calories per day to maintain normal weight. The suggested diet is for about 1200 calories per day which is just 300 calories less than the average. You can also read how to lose 5 pounds quickly for more information on quick weight loss and calorie burning.

For how long should I follow this diet? A month is the shortest period you can follow this diet if you want to get fast results. Depending on your results you can choose to stay within the 1200 calories per day or gradually increase it to 1500 and 1800. This of course depends on your activity level, age and exercise.

Do I have to exercise? Yes. Dieting alone cannot help you lose weight and keep it off. We mentioned above that dieting is one of the ways to lose weight but you also need to exercise regularly in order to increase your metabolism, accelerate the fat burning process and convert the fat tissues into muscles. Cardio exercises for 3-4 times per week are sufficient for beginners.

How to you call this diet? This is an example of a balanced diet where you get to eat all kinds of foods but in moderate quantities. More attention is given to carbohydrates and protein and less to fat (but it is not eliminated completely).

What do I need to get started? You should first download and print the diet and read it carefully. Take note of the items that you do not have available and create your shopping list. Have a look at the recipes and make sure that you can prepare those meals using the correct ingredients in the proper portions. Once you have everything ready take a note of your weight (early in the morning) and start with the diet. Make sure that you do not break the diet rules very often and once per week take note of your weight and mark your progress.

Is this diet for women only? No. Both men and women can follow this diet but it will be easier for women to adjust to the proposed meals because it is closer to the recommended amount of calories they consume per day.

I still have questions, who can I contact? If you still have questions about the diet you can contact our team of experts at diet@weightlosshelpandtips.net

1200 calorie diet for women ( download as PDF )

Day 1

Breakfast: whole grain bar with yogurt and fruit

1 wholemeal cereal bar

1 / 2 yogurt, (Low fat 0% -2%)

1 fruit of your choice (apple, orange etc.)

Snack: Croissant with butter and honey or jam

1 / 2 butter croissants

1 teaspoon honey or jam

Lunch: Spaghetti with tomato sauce with peppers and mushrooms and salad

1 cup cooked pasta

3 tablespoons tomato sauce with peppers and mushrooms

2 cups salad of your choice

Snack: Half a sandwich with wholemeal bread, ham (pork or turkey), cream cheese, tomato and lettuce

1 slice whole wheat bread

1 / 2 slice of ham or ham turkey fillet

1 tablespoon cream cheese

1-2 slices tomato

1 leaf lettuce

Dinner: Peas with cheese, salad and bread

1 / 2 cup cooked peas

1 piece (30 g) cheese (feta cheese or yellow cheese, low fat or 2 tablespoons of cream cheese)

1 cup salad of your choice

1 slice whole wheat bread

Day 2

Breakfast: whole grain cereals with fruit and milk, bread, margarine and honey or jam

1 / 2 cup whole grain cereal with fruit

1 / 2 cup low-fat milk (1% -1.5%)

1 slice whole wheat bread

1 teaspoon margarine

1 teaspoon honey or jam

Snack: Half a sandwich with whole wheat bread, smoked salmon and cream cheese

1 slice whole wheat bread

1 thin slice (30gr.) smoked salmon

1 tablespoon cream cheese

Freshly ground pepper

Lunch: Chicken soup with cheese and salad

1 cup of chicken soup

1 piece (30 g) cheese (feta cheese or yellow cheese and low fat)

1 cup salad of your choice

Snack: Cookie with yogurt

1 cookie

1 / 2 yogurt (0% -2%)

Dinner: Omelet with vegetables and ham and salad

1 egg

2 egg whites

1 / 2 cup vegetables of your choice

1 slice of ham or ham turkey fillet

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 cup salad of your choice

Day 3

Breakfast: Half a sandwich with wholemeal bread, ham (pork or turkey) and cottage cheese and milk

1 slice whole wheat bread

1 / 2 slice of ham or ham turkey fillet

2 tablespoons cottage cheese

1 cup low-fat milk (1% -1.5%)

Snack: Fruit

2 fruit of your choice

Lunch: Artichokes with potato, cheese and salad

3 / 4 cup artichokes

1 piece (30 g) cheese (feta cheese or yellow cheese and low fat)

1 cup salad of your choice

1 small boiled potato (125gr.)

Snack: Cream crackers with ham

2 cream Crackers

1 slice of ham or ham turkey fillet

Dinner: Fish soup (with rice) and bread

1 cup of soup (with rice)

2 slices whole wheat bread

Day 4

Breakfast: Cereal maize (corn flakes) with milk and fruit

1 / 2 cup corn cereal (corn flakes)

1 cup low-fat milk (1% -1.5%)

1 fruit of your choice

Snack: Croissant with butter and honey or jam

1 / 2 butter croissants

1 teaspoon honey or jam

Lunch: Fish soup (with rice) with bread and mayonnaise

1 cup of soup (with rice)

1 slice whole wheat bread

2 tablespoons light mayonnaise

Snack: Half a sandwich with wholemeal bread, ham (pork or turkey), cream cheese, tomato and lettuce

1 slice whole wheat bread

1 / 2 slice of ham or ham turkey fillet

1 tablespoon cream cheese

1-2 slices tomato

1 leaf lettuce

Dinner: Risotto with prawns and salad

1 / 2 cup cooked rice (3 tablespoons uncooked)

5 shrimp (large)

1 teaspoon olive oil

Fresh chives, parsley

2 cups salad of your choice

Day 5

Breakfast: whole grain cereals with fruit and milk, bread, margarine and honey or jam

1 / 2 cup whole grain cereal with fruit

1 / 2 cup low-fat milk (1% -1.5%)

1 slice whole wheat bread

1 teaspoon margarine

1 teaspoon honey or jam

Snack: Breadsticks with ham

2 breadsticks

1 slice of ham or ham turkey fillet

Lunch: salad with Giants

1 cup cooked beans

1 cup salad of your choice

Snack: Half a sandwich with whole wheat bread, smoked salmon and cream cheese

1 slice whole wheat bread

1 thin slice (30gr.) smoked salmon

1 tablespoon cream cheese

Freshly ground pepper

Dinner: Salad with pasta, tuna and mayonnaise

1 / 2 cup pasta (cooked)

1 / 2 cup chopped tomato

1 / 2 cup chopped bell peppers

80g. tuna in water

1 tablespoon light mayonnaise

1 teaspoon of mustard or ketchup

Fresh chives, basil

Day 6

Breakfast: Half a sandwich with wholemeal bread, ham (pork or turkey) and cottage cheese and milk

1 slice whole wheat bread

1 / 2 slice of ham or ham turkey fillet

2 tablespoons cottage cheese

1 cup low-fat milk (1% -1.5%)

Snack: Yogurt with fruit

1 / 2 yogurt (0% -2%)

1 fruit of your choice

Lunch: Fried Prawns with salad

10 shrimp

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 / 3 cup tomato juice

45gr. slice

1 cup salad of your choice

Snack: Half a sandwich with wholemeal bread, ham (pork or turkey), cream cheese, tomato and lettuce

1 slice whole wheat bread

1 / 2 slice of ham or ham turkey fillet

1 tablespoon cream cheese

1-2 slices tomato

1 leaf lettuce

Dinner: Pizza cheese and salad

1 slice of pizza with cheese

1 cup salad of your choice

Day 7

Breakfast: Cereal maize (corn flakes) with milk and fruit

1 / 2 cup corn cereal (corn flakes)

1 cup low-fat milk (1% -1.5%)

1 fruit of your choice

Snack: Breadsticks

3 breadsticks

Lunch: Meat soups with bread and salad

1 cup consommé

1 slice whole wheat bread

1 cup salad of your choice

Snack: Croissant with butter and honey or jam

1 / 2 butter croissants

1 teaspoon honey or jam

Dinner: Half a sandwich with wholemeal bread, ham (pork or turkey), egg and cream cheese and salad

1 slice whole wheat bread

1 / 2 slice of ham or ham turkey fillet

1 egg (boiled or scrambled eggs without oil)

1 tablespoon cream cheese

2 cups salad of your choice

How to lose weight while in college?

It is very common for college students to gain weight during their first year in college. In this article we explain what you should do in order to reverse the situation and actually propose 6 weight loss tips on how to lose weight while in college.

Question: Hello! I’m 18 years old and just returned home from my first year away at college.  I’ve always been very skinny (5′ 3″ and 110 lbs), but my first year of college I gained the dreaded freshman 15, more like 20.  I’m home for summer now and weigh 132 lbs.  I’m so devastated that I gained that much weight that quickly, especially considering I was more physically active at college than I had been my last year of high school. I took up running as a hobby and even ran my first 10K race.  With that in mind, I cannot believe the amount of weight that I gained.  The areas I am most concerned with are my tummy, love handles, thighs, and rear. It’s now almost summer and I’m embarrassed with my weight, especially given all of the running I’ve done.  I want to lose this weight as quickly as possible. WHAT CAN I DO? Please help.

Answer (by Hara Hagikalfa)

Hello,

Thank you for your question and apologies for any delays in responding to you. I have calculated your BMI and as far as I can tell from the information you have provided you are within the normal range. At your pre-college weight (110 lbs) you were actually borderline underweight, which is not actually very good. I understand that it may not feel right to you as you are used to be thinner but is not always healthy or good to be too thin. Therefore, if you do want to lose a little bit of weight I would suggest you don’t aim to lose more than a stone (14 lbs). Also you do not need to be embarrassed about your weight. As I said you are within the healthy weight range and I am sure that with all the running you are quite fit as well.

You mention that you did quite a lot of running this year. That would mean that you have probably put on some more muscle on your legs. Muscle does weigh more than fat and I wouldn’t be surprised if a couple of pounds are due to developing muscles. This is a good thing though and it does not mean to say that you have put on weight.

It is sometimes common that people who take on exercising such as running to increase their carbohydrate intake. You do need to have an adequate carbohydrate intake to fuel exercise however, if you have overly increased your carbohydrate intake your diet could be consisting by more calories than you need and therefore gaining weight. Also things like alcohol can add calories which you may not think were there.

It very good that you have been exercising and I would hugely recommend you keep with it and don’t let your weight gain put you off. If you can keep on doing some of your running at your holidays as well it would be even better not only because is good for you but also if you stop exercising you would decrease your energy expenditure which will make losing weight harder.

Weight loss tips for college students

1. I always suggest that people keep a diary of their food/drink intake and their activities for a few days or 1 week. This will give you the opportunity to see what you eat or drink which may contribute in putting on weight. You can also see what could have changed in what or how much you eat in comparison to pre-college time.

2. You could add some resistance exercises as well targeting the areas which you are most worried such as tummy, thighs and waist (love handles). You don’t have to join the gym you can spend 30min before you go running (recommended before as it helps with fat burning) in the house. Some example exercises are:

crunches (for you tummy),

the bridge exercise (works bottom, hamstrings which are the muscles at the back of your legs and tummy)

side leg circles (thighs, tummy and bottom),

flatter kicks (hamstrings and tummy) and push ups.

You can find information about these exercises in the internet, but if unsure about performing any of these do consult an exercise professional i.e. gym instructor to avoid any injuries (see also 28 weight loss tips with exercise). Also do exercises according to your own ability and level and increase intensity and/or difficulty as your ability and fitness increase. You don’t need to do a lot of repetitions, maybe start with like 10 crunches, and 2-3 push ups and 5 reps for the other exercises. You will find that by toning your torso and hamstrings it will help you with your running and also will create a balance in muscles and can help to avoid running injuries such as knee injuries which can be common with runners. Most of all it will help to condition the muscles in the areas you want to target and get rid of the fat around. You can also look on my answer for ‘How can I get rid of love handles’ for more ideas. Always have a day off from exercise though to allow your body to rest and rebuild.

In terms of food:

3. 1^st look at your diary to see what could be that you can cut out. It may be the extra biscuit or one too many cereal bars (not as good as they meant to be). Start by making these little changes.

4. Have a delayed protein breakfast. When I say delayed it doesn’t mean to say wait for hours, just delaying your breakfast by 30min is enough. This helps to burn more fat. Example of protein breakfast could be eggs, bacon (grilled not fried), cheese, ham and yogurt. You can see more information on ‘How can I get rid of love handles’.

5. You do need carbohydrates if you are exercising, but you can opt for healthier options such as brown rice and have plenty of vegetables and salads. For example you could have a chicken salad for lunch and rice with tuna and veg/salad for dinner. You don’t need to starve yourself or deprive yourself from things you may like. Just make them healthier. Have a take away but make it be only once a week. Have a fruit salad or a handful of nuts instead of a cake (eat nuts with caution. They are very nutritious but also they have high calorie content); avoid too many coffees with sugar and cream or too many sugary fizzy drinks (coke, orange drinks etc). Some studies suggest that green tea helps with weight loss, you can add some in your day; don’t fry your food grill it instead or have roasted potatoes (in moderation) instead of chips.

6. If you keep on exercising you will not need to lower your calories dramatically in order to lose weight. You do need to have adequate energy intake. By making some of the above changes, such as eating smaller carb (i.e. pasta, potatoes, bread) portions with salad instead of one big carb meal such as pizza, you will find that you will be eating fewer calories anyway. The good thing about veg and salad is that you can eat loads of it and they have low calorie content, and off course they are healthy. However, try not to drown them in salad sauces such as mayonnaise. Opt for a bit of oil, vinaigrette, lemon instead. Women in average need 1500 – 2000 kcal. If you are exercising you are probably in the higher end of the range if not more. Calorie requirements for each individual can be different and can depend on age, activities, environment, build etc. To lose weight you just need to have a small calorie deficiency, and use more energy than you burn. As long as you don’t consume massive amount of calories exercise should create that deficiency. However, always make sure that you don’t create a massive deficiency as you need the energy for exercising and you don’t want to make yourself ill either.

If at any point you have any concerns, health complaints or if you do suffer from any health conditions always consult a medical professional before making any changes in your diet or exercise.

What is HCG Diet and can it help you lose weight?

The HCG diet dates as far back as 1954 when it was first introduced by Dr, Simeons. Dr. Simeons was a British physician and who carried out studies on obesity and came across HCG while in Rome practicing medicine.

The HCG diet has since been a controversial subject and although it is practiced in a number of clinics it is still not recognised by the FDA as safe. In this article we will look at what is the HCG, if safe and most of all does it work for weight loss?

The HCG diet explained

The HCG diet as practiced today is pretty much the same as the HCG diet Dr. Simeons introduced 57 years ago. There may be different variation of the diet available; however they are all based on the principles of Dr. Simeons. The original form of the diet consists of consuming a very low calorie diet of 500 kcal supplemented with low doses of HCG on a daily basis. The HCG can be taken via injection, orally (liquid or pills) and more recently is available as a transdermal (on the skin) cream.

The hormone used in the weight loss programs is usually laboratory produced from cell cultures and not harvested from pregnant women. In some diet protocols a homeopathic version may be used which can be taken in the form of a spray or drops.

The diet can be followed for a long period, and usually a 40 injection or a 15 kg weight loss limit is imposed at a time.

What can you eat with the HCG diet?

The 500 kcal food intake proposed with the diet can be quite strict. The original protocol devised by Dr. Simeons allows seasoning, tea, coffee and water. Also the ratios for the 500 kcal should come from approximately 200gr of fat-free protein and a very small amount of starch. A list of vegetables is allowed as is a specific list of fruit.

Some variations of the diet can be less strict; however they still do limit the food intake in 500 kcal per day. One of the popular protocols available is that devised by Kevin Tredeau. His protocol is divided into four phases. Kevin Trudeau’s protocol in general recommends organic food, plenty of herbal teas and some exercise and is a little bit less strict than the original protocol.

What is HCG?

HCG stands for Human Chorionic Gonadotropin hormone and is secreted during pregnancy from the fertilised embryo at first and then from the placenta. The role of HCG during pregnancy is to preserve the corpus luteum (the site in the ovaries where the egg has come from). The corpus luteum in return will secrete the hormone progesterone and oestrogen. It is also considered to be involved in the foetal production of testosterone, enhance corticosteroid production and suppress the mother’s immune reaction to the foetus. Some studies also suggest that HCG hormone in pregnancy is involved in conserving energy and fat deposition and is one of the mechanisms responsible for women gaining weight during pregnancy.

HCG is also used to treat some medical conditions and as a fertility treatment.

HCG and weight loss: the theory

• The theory behind the HCG is that the hormone plays a role in stimulating the hypothalamus (part of the brain). The hypothalamus which is related in controlling metabolism will then mobilise the fat from the fat stores of the body and make them available for use. Some of the clinics / theories support that the HCG diet will ‘reset’ the hypothalamus.
• The 500 kcal food intake is related in that the dieter does not need any more calories as the body will be using the fat which is released from the fat stores. Some studies have also suggested that HCG works in releasing fat when a low calorie intake (energy deficiency) is present.
• Dieters should expect to lose an average of 1 – 2 pounds of fat per day. The clinics support that it is healthy to lose that amount of weight per day as it all comes from fat and not from muscle. Exercise is sometimes recommended to guarantee fast weight loss, as is increasing vegetable and fibre intake.
• Dieters should be expected to feel hunger at the first few days but that will slowly stop. Supported on the theory that energy will be coming from the fat stores, dieters are advised that they will feel healthy and will report a feeling of wellbeing.
• HCG diet will ‘reset’ the hypothalamus and it will also help in making a change for the better in appetite. The eating behaviours adopted through the HCG diet will stay with the dieters even after they have finished. Exercise is recommended in order to maintain the weight loss.

HCG diet the facts and weight loss tips to take with you

• Most of Dr. Simeons theories come from observations he made himself through his practice. There are a few studies carried out in the 1960’s and ‘70’s however they have shown controversial results. More recent studies and reviews carried out in the effectiveness of HCG hormone in obesity and weight loss suggest that there is not enough scientific evidence to support that it actually works. More specifically they suggest that there is not enough scientific evidence to show that HCG causes weight loss, redistribution of fat, decreases hunger or that it induces a feeling of well-being.

• A study carried out in 2007 looked at the effects of HCG in vitro (in the direct cellular level rather than indirect measurements i.e. weight measurements, observations etc). Researchers found that HCG had no direct effect in the breakdown and mobilisation of fat from the tissues. They also suggested that HCG plays a role in conserving energy and may be an influencing factor in weight gain and fat deposition in pregnancy. One of the side effects included for use of HCG as a fertility drug is weight gain.

• One theory the above study suggested is that HCG may indirectly through other pathways stimulate growth hormone which can influence weight loss. An argument that can be made here is that, if weight loss is achieved through growth hormone stimulation and not directly from the HCG, then why not supplement with growth hormone instead and get the same results.

• Most clinics will argue that there aren’t any serious side effects or dangers with using HCG in the low dosages the diet suggests. Some of the people, who have reviewed HCG, suggest that some of the side effects include nausea, headaches, constipation, cramps, and trouble with sleeping.

• Supplementation of HCG is not approved by the FDA as a safe weight loss protocol.

• A lot of people will testify that it works and they will lose weight. With a 500 kcal food intake anybody would lose weight. That calorie intake would be borderline malnutrition and if you starve yourself for as long as the diet suggests no doubt you will lose a lot of weight. This is not miracle or magic cure. Even with metabolism slowing down, 500 kcal are hardly enough to cover for basic energy requirements. The energy you need to be alive let alone function has to come from somewhere, so your body will mobilise its stores, including fat, glycogen (sugar store) and protein.

• With such a low calorie regime you will not just lose weight, you will lose water and protein (in the form of muscle, enzymes etc). This is not recommended as healthy and can have negative effects to health.

• Another testimony that I have come across is that people must stick to the 500 kcal as even an alcoholic drink or the slightest of deviation will cause them to put on a couple of pound overnight. Well I will argue here that if HCG is such a miracle making weight loss cure a slight calorie deviation surely shouldn’t cause you to put on weight? With such a low calorie intake the body will try to reserve as much as possible. So if you give it a little bit of extra calories will think that it needs to save it as is hard times.

• Hunger will disappear after a few days. This is normal and observed in starvation as well. There are a number of things that happen in the body such as using ketone bodies (derived from break down of fat and protein) to make energy.

• If you are determined to follow the HCG diet regardless do try to do it in the safest of ways.

• Consult a medical professional. You could have an underlined medical condition that could be affected from HCG. In addition, the low calorie intake could affect your health. Do not follow if pregnant.

• I would not recommend following exercise through the diet. This is not something I would usually say, but such a low calorie intake coupled with exercise can place considerable amounts of stress to the body. Moreover, 500 kcal may not be sufficient energy intake to sustain the exercise requirements. If you are putting too much strain in your body can have detrimental effects to your well-being and health.

• Try buying the hormone or following the diet form a reputable source. Especially when purchasing from the internet, as you have no means to know what they are selling you. Prefilled injections could also be contaminated, not prepared under proper conditions and guidelines, and most of all the quality could be compromised. It is your body and it is your health. Make sure is safe.

• Give the healthy balanced diet coupled with exercise option a try. It may prove as effective and healthier.

HCG diet review by Hara Hagikalfa

Are quick weight loss diets healthy?

A couple of days ago we reviewed the most popular weight loss diets. Today we are going to discuss another hot topic in the area of weight loss and this is no other than quick weight loss. Is there such thing as quick weight loss? Are there any quick weight loss diets that work and is losing weight quickly healthy?

Solely for the purposes of this article I will divide these diets into 2 categories. This is not a scientific division of diet regimes just an easy way of looking into them. One category includes the low calorie diets with or without a miracle nutritional aid and the other the nutritional and lifestyle modifying diets.

1. Low calorie diets and very low calorie diets (VLCD). With low calorie diets weight loss will be achieved if followed for a period of time. However, a lot of them tend to lack of essential nutrients, and they can result in the metabolism slowing down. Other adverse effects can include headaches, gastrointestinal complaints, tiredness and irritability. Needless to say that, such diets are not healthy especially if followed for long periods. Side effects can depend on the severity of the calorie restriction. Diets such as the HCG diet restrict the calories to 500 per day which is by far a healthy recommended calorie level.

Apart from the health issues which surround VLCDs, such diets, are hard to follow and after the initial few days the metabolism tends to slow down resulting in actually decreasing the rate in which weight is lost. Moreover, a lot of the weight lost does not come only from fat reserves but also from protein. The actual reserves of stored protein in the body are very small which means that large amount of the protein lost during radical calorie restrictions would come from enzymes, muscles, organs and tissues.

Fasting style diets and increased calorie restriction can influence thyroid and hormone functions. These diets can also be stressful for the body and/or increase the levels of stress.

Some studies indicate that in the case of obesity, very VLCDs are the best solution. However, it should be considered that in obesity the body has been adapted and used to a specific way of working. Any sudden and radical changes could be a huge shock for the body to cope. Such changes should be made under medical consultation and supervision.

2. Nutritional and lifestyle modifying diets. Through the years the trends in modifying everyday diets has shifted from high carb – low fat to high protein diets. Although it must be noted that high protein diets are not a new thing and some of them date back in the 70s, and some of them such as the Atkins diet, tend to come in and out of popularity.

More and more studies suggest that high protein diets can have favourable results in weight loss and health. However, a lot of the diets can be restrictive in the vegetable intake or not include a wide variety of nutrients. In addition, when moving from a high carb to an extremely low carbohydrate diet, the body can take up to 2 weeks to adjust. During that period of adjustment, adverse effects can include tiredness, carb craving, mood changes, constipation, and irritability. In addition, intake of vegetables and fruit is highly recommended for better health outcomes.

One could argue that making a whole diet and lifestyle change it is a better option than short fix diets. That could be true, as long as the diet modifications do have better health outcomes and are a diet that an individual is happy with. If happy with the diet there are more chances to adhere with it.

10 Diet tips to identify which quick weight loss diets work?

Bellow I have summarised some diet tips about quick weight loss diets to help you navigate through them.

1. To my knowledge there is not such a thing as miracle food, food aid or diet which will break the rules of nature. Weight loss is a very lucrative business and there are a lot of diets which aim in you spending money or advertising a specific product.

2. The first week of dieting you will not lose significant measurable amount of fat and it will mostly be water. Fact

3. Therefore, a lot of the VLCDs which are design for a small period of time i.e. 2days-1week will not actually lead to significant fat reductions. Once you stop following these diets the weight will be gained back as most of it was just water.

4. You should not follow VLCDs for long periods as the health effects can be serious.

5. If you have any health conditions or concerns, always consult a health professional.

6. It is best when modifying your diet to do it gradually to allow for your body to adjust and avoid adverse effects such as mood changes, cravings, and constipation.

7. If following a higher protein diet increase your water and liquid intake as high protein can increase the water loss.

7. The best and most efficient way to speed up weight loss is with exercise. Opt for a mixture between aerobic and strength exercise. You don’t have to join the gym or torture yourself, sometimes simple everyday activities such as walking, cycling and cleaning the house can be as good.

8. Always look at the credentials of a diet. Just because it carries the name of a doctor it doesn’t necessarily make it healthy or safe. A lot of the diets regimes in circulation do not have good quality research to back them up in terms of results and safety.

In addition, just because the celebrity world or the stars follow one regime doesn’t mean is healthy, or even results in sustainable weight loss. Celebrities have the time, the personal assistants, and cooks, trainers and so on to help them lose weight and sustain it. Moreover, celebrities can suffer from adverse effects and health conditions as a result of their dieting even if it’s not made public. Most importantly they have airbrushing and photo manipulation, there is a whole different world out there in the naked eye…

9. With VLVCDs is almost guaranteed that the weight will be re-gained. The best way to sustain weight loss is to change lifestyle and follow a healthy and balanced diet in general. You can lose weight with a radical diet but as soon as you go back to old eating habits the weight will come back. There was a reason why you put on the weight in the first place. Changing those habits is a lot more effective than yo-yoing in kilos.

10. You could probably achieve similar results with just moderately decreasing your calorie intake, decreasing fat, and carb intake and increasing exercise. Then just follow a reasonable healthy and balanced diet to sustain the weight loss.

Diet Tips: The role of proteins in weight loss

By Hara Hagikalfa, Reviewed by Dr A.Slee

Many people are confused about the use of protein in weight loss. What is the role of protein in losing weight? What are proteins, why they are important and how they can affect our weight loss efforts?

In one of our previous articles we talked about carbohydrates and weight loss and provided 4 diet tips for the role of carbs in any diet. In this article we will focus more on protein and try to explain why protein is necessary for a healthy weight loss.

What are proteins?

Proteins are usually known to be found in animal products such as meat, fish, cheese, eggs, yogurt etc. They are also found in tofu and soya products, and in smaller amounts in legumes. Proteins can be divided into essentials (can only get them from food) and non-essentials (can make them in our body). The quality of the protein we eat is very important as regardless of the amount of protein we consume if it lacks of essential proteins it could have negative effects to health.

Why are proteins important?

Proteins are essential for our body in all levels. We need them to build muscle, hormones, and enzymes, used for the immune system, bone tissue, organs and the list goes on and on. Protein is the last resort the body will use as fuel as it is very important for the body and will try to preserve it as much as it can. Protein is not stored as such as all protein in the body is active and in working component.

Protein and diet

Protein and weight loss

It was very much believed that high consumption of protein could lead to kidney disease and liver disease. However, some recent studies indicate that although high protein intake makes the kidneys work harder, it does not necessarily lead to kidney disease in healthy humans. In general, research has not clearly shown that too much protein has adverse effects for health whereas too little protein can have fatal effects.

Protein has the effect to make you feel fuller for longer, which in effect can help curb the snacks and have one more benefit in weight loss.

4 Essential Diet Tips

1. Quality can be vital. Quality of protein is determined by how easy can it be digested and how many of the essential amino acids (they make proteins up) they have. Some plant proteins are hard to digest and are incomplete. Combinations of foods provide the best solution. Diet should include a large variety of foods both from animal and plant sources.

2. Balance nutrients. Very high protein diets are usually recommended for athletes but not for everybody. Balanced diets in which protein, carbohydrates and fat are in equal or near equal amounts are usually the most recommended.

3. If you have any health problems, especially related to kidney dysfunctions and high cholesterol consult a medical professional before taking on any diet.

4. Increase water intake. Increasing the protein intake can lead to dehydration. Increasing water intake will help both the kidneys and avoid dehydration.

Rapid weight loss diets. Do they work?

Weight loss has become one of the biggest businesses these days. People from all walks of life have become so conscious with their looks that they are willing to go the extra mile just to get the body they want. The importance of catering to everyone’s needs has pushed the industry to come out with different kinds of diets, which were all designed with specific type of people in mind. If you are new to the world of weight loss, you’d no doubt want to lose weight in the fastest time possible. One of the options you might choose is going through rapid weight loss diets, which is very enticing indeed. Who wouldn’t want losing weight in a flash, right? While this sounds really great, it begs one important question—does it really work?

There are a lot of options when it comes to losing weight rapidly. You can go for the Atkin’s diet, the Grapefruit diet, the Russian Airforce diet or even a bread and butter diet. There’s a lot more, and you should have no problem choosing among them. When it comes to losing weight per se, these diets work- there’s no doubt about that. What you need to be concern about though is the effects they have in your body. Here are some reasons why experts don’t suggest going through the rapid weight loss route.

HEALTH RISKS

Fad diets, as how rapid weight loss diets are also called, are linked to a number of health risks. For one, these kinds of diets might lead to bulimia and anorexia. Since you are going to lose weight without waiting for your body to adjust, you may also experience loose skin as a result of the weight lost.

FRUSTRATION

Much of the weight lost in this kind of diet is water weight.  This simply means you’d end up gaining the weight back when you get off the diet. For one, this will end up in a lot of frustration. People who have been losing weight this way are known to be jubilant when they shed off the pounds, only to get down with frustration when they end up going back to their original weight. Maintaining fad diets for a long time is dangerous, so going through it again is not recommended.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

If rapid weight loss diets works, but are not recommended—what should you do? It’s simple. Lose weight the old and tested way. The first thing that you’d need to do is to pay your physician a visit. Some people are not really fit to go on a diet, so it’s best to have yourself checked first. Once your doctor gives you the go sign, choose the best diet and then change your lifestyle. Remember that following an eating pattern is not something you do for a few days—it needs to be incorporated to your lifestyle if you want to truly lose weight. There are a lot of diets you can choose from, but one of the best is the Mediterranean diet.

When it comes to achieving a sexy body, we always recommend doing it slowly—but surely. You’d be better off losing a few pounds a week, than going on a crash diet then end up gaining it all back after a few weeks. By losing weight the right way, you save yourself from a lot of frustration plus you get to maintain the body that you want and be proud of. Just remember to get a clearance from your doctor first, follow a healthy eating pattern, work out, and drink a lot of water.

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