The Difference between Weight Loss and Fat Loss and Why You Should Care

What is really the difference between weight loss, fat loss and muscle loss and should you really care? Does the scale lie or is there a relationship between weight and fat loss?

The answer is straightforward and this is what we are discussing below.

Weight loss – Water Weight – Fat loss – Muscle loss

The percentage of total overweight and even obese people is rising at alarming levels (Around 33% of Adults are Obese and 17% of Children). People are looking for more ways then ever to lose weight and that is fine, but what is not fine is some of the methods people are using to achieve weight loss and how it truly affects their body.

If the average person loses 12 pounds for example, they will automatically assume it was ALL fat loss and this can be a very costly assumption.  When you lose weight or gain weight for that matter, you are changing your bodies’ composition of Water, Fat, and or Muscle. Now I listed them in that order for a reason, water weight is the quickest to change and we will discuss that first.

Water Weight

Water weight commonly refers to the amount of weight in water your body is carrying at that given time and is a constantly changing, considering the human body is estimated to be made up of around 60% of water. Water weight can be affected by many variables in your day-to-day life and can cause your weight loss to be misleading.  If most the weight you lose is from water weight, you will most likely gain it back very quickly and that can be a main reason people are turned off by dieting. Most diets these days actually capitalize on this misunderstanding and promise quick weight loss when all they are doing is manipulating your water weight through sodium and water intake itself.

If you do not drink enough water throughout the day, your body will go into a “survival mode” in which it holds on to every ounce of water it can.  The other major factor in water weight changes is salt or sodium intake, if you consume less sodium you will hold less water weight and if you consume more sodium your body will retain more water weight, sodium directly affects your body’s tendency to store water.

So hopefully by being  more informed on that variable in your weight loss, you can now watch your weight  loss more closely from that aspect  and understand whether the weight you are losing is mostly coming from water weight, which means the weight is likely to come back quickly and is not true fat loss.

Fat Loss

Luckily, the next easiest form of weight loss can be done by losing fat, which is what people actually want to lose. Fat is built up over time and stored around your body, in what experts have coined fat stores.  However, it is also important to note where you actually store your fat is largely dependent on your genetics and this is not the same in every individual.  To target these fat stores and get rid of excess fat you will need to force your body to burn the stored fat as energy. That is what they are there for after all, your body stores fat for later energy use.  However, if you never take any measures to get rid of this excess fat it will just keep building and building.

To lose fat efficiently you need to be in a calorie deficit for the day, meaning you need to have burnt more calories that day then you consumed, if you did not consume enough calories that day your body will be forced to find other ways to create the energy, such as using its fat stores. However, there is more to consider when trying to achieve fat loss through calorie deficits and exercise and that brings us to the final variable.

Muscle Loss

Muscle loss is the hardest thing to achieve and that is a good thing, you never under any circumstance should lose muscle no matter how bad you want to lose weight. Muscle loss is the hardest to do because to lose muscle you need to either be in too big of a calorie deficit (Approaching Starvation) or doing too intense of cardio where your body burns muscle instead of fat.  If you cut calories too much and are barely getting enough to even function, like some extreme diets recommend is very dangerous to your short and long-term health. Most experts have agreed that by following a very low calorie diet you may lose 1 pound of muscle per 1 pound of fat so a 50/50 ratio, which is unacceptable.

The other way I mentioned you might lose muscle is through too intense of cardio sessions. Cardio should be done in a pretty comfortable pace if done for long periods of time and if you do  need to  do intense cardio, be sure to  do it in short intervals , long bouts of intense cardio is very  likely to use muscle as energy and is a big risk to your general health.

How to ensure you are losing fat…

So, in summary the easiest way to make sure you are losing weight in the desired way of fat loss is to monitor how fast you are actually losing the weight.  If you are losing the weight at too fast you are most likely losing water weight or even worse muscle.  A good goal for fat loss is to lose 2-5 pounds a week depending on how overweight you are, but remember 5 pounds for most individuals is the top of the line.

More than 5 pounds per week would be a strong indication that not all of the weight loss is resulting from fat loss and you need to reconsider the methods you are using.  I included a helpful list of weight loss tips below that hit the key points in being sure your weight loss is mostly fat loss and truly beneficial for you in the long run.

1.  Be sure you are meeting your recommended daily servings of water, which is 96 ounces plus an extra 8 ounces for every 25 pounds you are above your goal weight.

(Recommended by theNationalAcademyof Sports Medicine)

2.  Avoid very low calorie diets. Calculate your BMR to find out how many calories you should consume per day just for normal function and never go beyond this number.

3.  Be sure your cardio sessions are not too intense to avoid your body using muscle as energy instead of fat.

4.  Monitor the rate that you are losing your weight at weekly intervals, if you are losing more than 5 pounds a week it is most likely that not all is coming from fat loss and is dangerous to your health.

10 most popular weight loss articles of 2011

During 2011 thousands of people visited our web site, read our articles, commented on our posts and interacted with our free online tools. To wrap up a successful year for Weight Loss Help and Tips we have selected the 10 most popular posts of 2011. These are the posts that received the most comments and social media mentions (Facebook likes, Google+ and tweets). Go through our list and select your favorite posts and do not forge to share them with your social media friends! You can also register to our RSS Feed (on the sidebar) to receive our new articles directly in your inbox.

Weight Loss Tips
The most visited page of our web site was the home page. More than 1000,000 people landed on our home page in 2011 and selected one of our articles. Our huge collection includes more than 500+ weight loss tips.

Fast weight loss
20+6 tips that matter the most when it comes to fast weight loss. This post explains the most important factors that affect weight loss and what you can do to ensure that you will lose weight and keep it off.

20 Healthy weight loss tips
We always encourage and promote healthy weight loss methods. This post outlines 20 healthy weight loss tips you can easily fit in your lifestyle and get results without making too much effort.

FREE Diet and Exercise Planner
During 2011 we also introduced our free diet and exercise planner. Our on-line tools include a food calorie counter and fitness calorie counter as well as a diet calendar and weight tracker.

Weight loss for women
The majority of our readers are women and this post is especially for them. 12 Weight loss tips for women of any age and body type. If you are not the woman that can spend endless hours in the gym then this post is for you.

Weight loss tips for Teenage girls
More than 60 teenage girls commented on this post asking for weight loss advice and more than 50 got a personalized answer (by email) from our experts. We try our best to reply to all emails and help even more teens get into the right path of following a good diet and exercise program suitable for their age.

Weight loss motivation
You cannot lose weight if you are not motivated enough. Motivation is perhaps the most important success factor. If you are motivated and know what to do you cannot fail. Set your weight loss goals today!

7 Best tips for fast weight loss
The 7 most effective tips for quick results. If you need results fast you must ensure that you follow these 7 tips. Start now and post your favorite weight loss tip in the comment and see  what works for other people.

Best weight loss programs
There are hundreds or even thousands of weight loss programs on the Internet today but which ones are the best? Which programs can you trust that they can generate results in a healthy way.

Exercise for weight loss
Last but not least, exercise for weight loss. Regular exercise promotes good health, well-being and weight loss. If you are serious about losing weight then exercise is a must.

7 weight loss tips for Christmas

Christmas is approaching and along with the big present’s shopping comes the big eat. Christmas is almost synonymous with putting on weight. After all there are so many festive parties, dinners and goodies which you only get to enjoy once a year.

Can you go through the party season and not topple the scales but at the same time enjoy what the festivities have to offer? I say yes and it is easier than you may have thought. Read below our weight loss tips for Christmas.

Tip #1: Beware of the sweets

I think we all may know that sugar and sweets do contain a lot of calories and are what I call sticky; they stick in the thighs, belly, and bottom and well just about everywhere. If you have the will power of superman then you can go through the festive season without touching them but I’m sure there will not be many people who can do that.

1. Have a daily allowance of sweets. For example set a 200kcal limit a day or 2 sweets a day. Work it out in whichever way it suits you, whether it is keeping your sweet eating for one meal, or a little bit per day, or once a week.

2. Keep your sweet eat allowance for those sweets which you really want. Boxes of chocolates change hands constantly through the season and you could find a couple in work, a couple in the house, sweet sampling in the streets or shops, in your neighbour’s or friend’s house. As a matter of fact there are in every corner and they look inviting and delicious. Don’t spend your day picking and picking and picking, instead save it for those specific sweets which you have been waiting all year for.

Tip #2: Save your calories for the main meals

Cut down on snacking through the day. A lot people tend to pick food all day, and do what we call grazing. Once upon a time everybody used to advise that the secret to weight loss is to eat a little bit and often. This may be recommended if you have insulin/blood sugar problems or if your doctor has advised it for other reasons. However, in general grazing all day can have some problems.

1. You could be consuming more food than you think. Snacks such as a packet of crisps, a biscuit, and a cereal bar etc can contain a lot more calories than you think and when all put together they may be more than your main meal. Be especially careful during the festive period where there are snacks and nibbles everywhere.

2. Plan your snacks and meals so you have an account of how many times and what you are eating.

Tip #3: Plan for the dinner party

Do not skip meals. Do make sure you have the 3 main meals through the day. If you have a dinner party don’t just starve all day so you can save your calories for the evening meal. Starving all day and then having one big meal once a day will not do any favours to insulin levels or other metabolism and hunger controlling hormones. The result could be that you may be feeling hungrier and end up eating more or storing more calories as fat.

Tip #4: The ‘It is a healthy food so it is ok to eat it’ misconception

Well dried mixed nuts are good for you, right? So it is fine if you have a load of those caramelised hot nuts which are popular in Christmas markets, right? Actually the answer is no. Just because a food item contains some healthy ingredients it doesn’t mean that is automatically healthy or low on calories. For example a mixed fruit stew, cooked in masses of margarine and sugar probably has as much trans fats and calories as a portion of chips. Same could go for apples covered in chocolate or caramel, or other popular festive foods.

1. Think how far has this food come from its natural form and how much cooking and processing it has gone through before you eat it. Also what ingredients does it contain? A lot of commercially prepared food could be fried or cooked in vegetable oils and margarines. They could also contain high amounts of salts and sugars preservatives etc or you could be adding on top of it loads of toppings such as creams and sauces which are far from healthy.

2. Try home cooking. You could save a lot of money and calories. Well sugar is sugar but if you make your own apples and bake them instead of frying them or add less sugar, or in general go for healthier cooking options you could be better off. You could also be having some quality family time as well.

3. Count all calories. If you are trying to stay on a calorie budget then all calories do count no matter how small or secret or healthy they are. Be aware not to go mad or obsessed with calorie counting but be aware what’s coming in.

Tip #5: Work the buffet food.

Buffets are a common festive practice and in general are full of pastries, sandwiches, chips or potato wedges, pizza pieces, breads, mini burgers…and you can fill your plate as much as you like and usually as many times as you like!

1. Look carefully the options contained in a buffet and don’t just go through adding everything and anything. There are healthier options such as chicken pieces, salad, some past options. Avoid things which are drowning on mayonnaise or other creamy sauces, loads of pastries or bready foods such pizzas, burgers etc.

2. Don’t add it on your plate just because is there and don’t eat just for the sake of it. You do not have to eat from every single platter just because is there.

3. Don’t over fill your plate as if you are not going to see food for the next 10 years. It is a buffet and it could well be that there is enough food to feed the whole of the neighbourhood. However, it doesn’t mean that you have to eat it all. Add one layer not mountains and when you finish wait 5 minutes before you have a second helping. Think are you really hungry or do you just eat because it is there.

4. Don’t stand over the buffet and keep on picking. Do you ever say ‘I am on a diet’ or ‘I don’t want to eat loads’ and you just put one small piece of something on your plate? Then you sit or stand by the buffet and every 2 minutes you go and pick one thing. You can so easily loose count of how much food you had or what you had. Better put on your plate what you think you are going to eat and eat that, than kid yourself with regular trips and grazing.

4. Sit yourself away from the buffet or with your back to it. You will be less likely to go for seconds if you are not constantly looking for food or if you are sitting in a sit which is harder to go back out to the buffet.

Tip #6: Just because it’s free it doesn’t mean you have to eat it.

You walk through the mall or though the supermarket and there are tones of people who want to sample this and that. You have a tiny piece of chocolate, a piece of cheese, or a piece of cake. In addition, this morning someone brought a box of doughnuts in the office, or there was a buffet in the kid’s school. It is all offered for free so why turn it down.

As with everything else a little piece at the time adds up to a massive piece. You also loose count of what you had and finally just because it is free and someone offers it to you doesn’t mean you have to have it. Saying no thank you is not a bad thing.

Tip #7: Don’t fall into the festive moment of compulsive buying & compulsive eating.

The festive season more than often does end up with masses of money being spend and giving in to compulsive buying. As with everything else left post festivities you have loads of food still to eat in your kitchen.

Marketing is well designed to make you buy and with the festive season is so easy to give in to compulsive shopping without a second thought. But think to yourself do you really need so much of everything. The more you buy the more you are likely to eat and from experience it is usually around March that the last box of chocolate gets eaten.  

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”.

How to prepare your healthy weight loss plan

Pre-designed diet regimes do not suit everybody. In addition, not every diet circulating in the market is healthy or returns weight loss results. Understandably many people just want to follow a simple healthy balanced diet which will help them lose weight. This is what most experts profess anyway, as the right way forward.

At the same time most people don’t know where to start. What is healthy, how do you go about it, what is balanced and how much are you meant to be eating to lose weight? All these are common questions people ask and in this article I will try to provide some tips on how to prepare a healthy weight loss plan.

Before you even think about food

A weight loss plan is not just about food but all the other steps you need to make to set up. These steps can help you with any weight loss regime you may want to do.

First: Weigh yourself and decide how much weight you need or want to lose. This way you can plan on how long it will take you to lose the weight, how many calories should you be eating and most of all you can have a clear goal of what you want to achieve. For your weight loss is always recommended not to exceed 1 – 1.5 kg per week.

Second: Keep a foods and drinks diary for a week. I have mentioned the importance and role of food diaries in a number of previous articles such as ‘How to control your desire for food’ and ‘Weight loss: An introduction to a healthier life style’. What, when and why you eat what you eat can play a role in how you plan your meals and your weight loss plan.

Third: Make a list of the reasons why you want to lose weight and what it means to you. Also make a list of coping strategies for the times you may struggle. Use the lists to remind yourself why you are following a healthy weight loss plan in the times you want to give up or give in to that pizza.

Food planning

Before you attack the super market for food shopping you should have an idea of what ‘healthy’ is. This part could be the most complicated. There is a plethora of foods which do claim to be a ‘healthier’ option however the reality may be different. For example a lot of oily sprays which derive from vegetable oils and margarines may advertise that they are healthier as they contain less saturated fats. However, they tend to contain a high amount of trans fats which may be more harmful.

1. Do some research on which foods are best to avoid. There is a lot of information available. You don’t have to study for a PhD in Nutrition or spend hours on the internet. Make a small list with some basic foods, containing for example trans fats, soy and processed foods and try to avoid including them in your shopping list.

2. Stick with simple and natural foods but do have a variety. Include foods from all 3 categories, which are proteins, carbohydrates and fats. In simple words include meats, vegetables, and fruits. When it comes to more processed carbohydrates such as pasta and bread aim for wholemeal and less refined options. Aim for ‘good’ fats such as the Omega fats and avoid trans fats.

3. Do try to avoid sugars as much as you can. It is quite well known that the cookies, cakes, and sweets don’t help with losing weight. But apart from the obvious sweets can you cut down on the sugar you add in your coffee, or the sugary drinks and fruit juices you drink? You will be pleasantly surprised how many calories and sugars you can avoid consuming in a day. If you have to have a drink or have to have a sweet try to replace them with healthier and less calorific options. For example have a green tea or a fruit tea (no sugar) instead of a fruit juice, or have a fruit instead of a cookie or even a spoonful of yogurt with a tiny amount of honey instead of a cake.

4. Replace and don’t exclude. Healthy food doesn’t have to be rabbit bland food. As I have already mentioned apart from some exceptions, a healthy weight loss plan is not about restricting yourself with food. It is important to have variety of nutrients. So when you plan your diet replace those foods which may be harmful or calorific. Replace vegetable oils and margarines with olive oil, a cereal bar with a fruit, chips with mash potatoes or even better with a big salad, fruit juice with fruit tea (no sugar), mayonnaise with vinaigrette and so on.

5. On that same note replace the ways by which you cook food. It is not just the ingredients that make a meal healthy or calorific but the preparation of them as well. For example don’t fry the food but grill or roast it, don’t add loads of vegetable oil but only a tablespoon of olive oil and so on. You can find loads of fun, tasty recipes which include healthier cooking options and fresh ingredients. Make a collection of recipes or cooking ideas beforehand so if you are stuck for ideas or not sure how to do it you can use them.

6. Know your maths and calories. Calories are not the end to all means in a weight loss plan; nevertheless, if you only need 2000 kcal per day and consume 3000 kcal of salad you will still put weight on. In addition you are likely to have some serious wind issues. Don’t get obsessed with calorie counting but have an idea how many calories each meal worth.

On average women require 1500 – 2000 kcal per day and men require 2000 – 2500 kcal per day. In simple math’s terms 1lb of fat translates to 3500kcal. So in order to lose 1lb of fat per week you need to eat 500kcal less than you need.

You can find charts which calculate the basal metabolic rate (amount of calories used just to be alive) and charts which calculate calories according to different activities. All these charts will not give 100% accurate calculations but you can use them as a guide.

7. Read the labels. It is always good to have a look at the labels of the food you buy. Look for sugar, carbohydrate and salt content. It is very rarely that trans fat content is actually included in the labels, however, avoid a product if it contains hydrogenated oils or cooked in hydrogenated/ vegetable oils. You don’t have to become obsessed, but is worth check what you eat. As I mentioned earlier a lot of ‘healthy’ products may actually have more risks for health than the benefits they may provide.

Moreover, food can have an accumulative effect. What that means is that the 2 grams of sugar in a sandwich may not tip the scale. However, by the time you add all the things you have consumed in a day the result may be high amounts of sugars, salt etc.

The rest

8. Exercise. Last but not least, include exercise in your weight loss plan. The benefits of exercise are not just limited to increasing weight loss but extend in most areas of life. But to keep it to the point, what can exercise do for your healthy weight loss plan apart from being healthy?

Exercise helps with increasing the amount of calories you burn not only while you exercise but also when you are resting. The more muscle you have the more your metabolic rate increases. Well that doesn’t mean that you have to kill yourself in the gym. In any way you can increase your physical activity will help. In addition, with exercise you do get fitter and you behind does look better in that dress.

9. Do consult the appropriate medical and/or fitness professionals before making changes to your diet and/or physical activity especially if you have any pre-existing health complaints or concerns. The above are only some suggestions and you should only follow what suits your individual needs.

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 pregnancy weight?

We got the following question from a reader: How can I lose my post pregnancy weight? I gained 50 lbs during pregnancy and gone through a miscarriage. I want to lose my tummy fat but not my girls and need some tips to stay motivated.

Firstly with a pregnancy is natural to put on weight and some of it to be extra fat. Extra fat stored can be up to 2kg in a full term pregnancy (without overeating). The body stores the extra fat to make sure that there is adequate energy for the mother and the fetus. Due to the hormonal changes which take place and all the processes of a pregnancy there would be changes in your breasts and rest of your body such as water retention. Going through a miscarriage can be hard both emotionally and physically. I don’t know how long ago you had the miscarriage but if it was recent you will find that your body is still recuperating and recovering from it.

You mention that you would like to lose weight from your tummy but not from your ‘girls’. In very simple words breasts consist of glands, fibrous tissue and fat. Weight pregnancy and hormonal changes are amongst factors which influence their size. An increase in the size of your ‘girls’ could be a combination of those factors. With losing weight you will lose fat tissue from your girls, unfortunately there is not a way by which you can stop fat from being lost from a specific place. However, as some of the changes may be due to hormonal changes that have taken place in your body due to pregnancy and miscarriage, it may mean that they may keep to a larger size. There are some exercises you can do to condition the ‘chest’ muscles which can slightly give the impression of fuller breasts and also help to keep the ‘girls’ from going south. Moreover, some studies do suggest that the belly area is usually the first place to lose the fat.

Secondly, I would recommend you deal with ‘emotional eating’ as part of your attempt to lose weight. By following just a weight loss diet you may lose weight, but unless you tackle the root of your weight gain or you’re eating behavior, the cycle will keep on happening.

My first suggestion is to allow yourself to heal and recover from the miscarriage both emotionally and physically. Counseling or going in a support group can help to deal with the loss and the emotions of a miscarriage. You may have done this already, or you may have been offered the support you needed to get through the situation. As I am not aware if you have I am including it in my suggestions.

In terms of Weight loss Motivation

This is probably the point in which most people struggle. Regardless to what some diets may promise weight loss does not happen in the speed of light and is not easy. Understandably a lot of people get bored of monotonous diets, may not see radical results fast or lose momentum all together. What can you do?

1. Be realistic and prepared. Even if you starve yourself in the 1^st week you may lose some fat but it will mostly be water, glycogen (sugar store) and some protein. Also if you starve yourself your metabolism will slow down and your weight loss will decrease. Set you weight loss goals in a realistic level. In the 1^st week you may see some results but they may not be huge and you haven’t lost a great deal of fat. The body takes around 2 weeks to adapt fully to changes. Aim for 0.5 – 1kg max of weight loss per week.

If you start a weight loss plan expecting fast miracles or setting your targets too high you will be setting up yourself to fail.

2. Be positive. Start a weight loss plan thinking that you can do this. If you are starting thinking that I cannot keep my motivation and I will struggle then you will struggle as you have set your mind on that tune already.

3. Do you really want to lose weight and why? Have a long thought and debate with yourself if you really want to lose weight and the reasons why. Right those reasons down in a piece of paper. When in doubt read what you written to remind yourself why you are doing it. It will help you be strict with yourself as well.

4. Keep your diet varied. Don’t deprive yourself or go hungry. You can still have a treat or have interesting meals and lose weight. Some specific diets do offer variability. You could use ideas from such diets in terms of menus or as a basis. Such diets are the 17 day diet and the Dukan diet (see also quick weight loss diets). I would not recommend following a very low carbohydrate diet and very high protein at the level these diets recommend. However, they do consist of different phases and in some ways breaking a weight loss plan in small chunks can help with boredom and luck of motivation. You can take the principles and some menu ideas from the diets and adapt it according to what suits you.

See also: Weight loss motivation

In terms of Diet and Exercise

Aim for a higher protein – lower carb diet. An example of such diet is the zone diet or a modified Mediterranean diet. I find the ‘New high protein diet’ book by Dr Charles Clark and Maureen Clark quite good. It has a number of recipes and lists of foods for meals which you can choose from. If you are not a person to follow an organized diet to the letter the book can be quite useful. I got this book in the UK and it is fairly cheap but you should be able to find it through the internet if in a different country. This is a suggestion, as there are a number of high protein recipe books or recipe sites in the internet from which you can pick up meal ideas.

The principles I usually suggest are:

1. Have a protein breakfast it will make you feel full for longer. If you can delay it as well by 30min can help in increasing fat burning. Examples of protein breakfasts: Scrambled eggs, bacon (not fried grilled) a slice of bread or cheese 2 crackers and avocado. Tuna with a bit of olive oil and lemon (or any seasoning you like but not mayonnaise/ketchup and avoid vegetable oils). It may sound like a lot of food but you will be surprised how much sugar and how many calories are hidden in a bowl of cereal. Plus with having carbs for breakfast you can get craving for sugar mid-day and so have snacks.

2. In general avoid takeaways, junk food, deep fried food and refined carbs (i.e. white bread, pasta, pastries sugars, and sweets), fizzy drinks and sugary hot drinks such as milky coffees and hot chocolates. In addition, avoid ready meals, margarine and hydrogenated oils such as vegetable oils and processed foods as they contain trans fats. Trans fat are not only fattening but also are harmful to health.

3. You can choose healthy snacks such as fruit, vegetable sticks, and dry fruit and nut instead of snack bars, crisps, cakes energy bars etc.

4. Eat loads of vegetables and salads with your meals. Example: instead of having a steak with potatoes/chips, have a steak with a nice sauce and salad + 1 slice of bread. This way you can reduce the calories you are eating, don’t feel hungry and is healthier. In terms of carbohydrate rich meals, if you can avoid them for majority of time do. If not then replace refined carbs with complex such as white pasta with whole meal, reduce the portion you are having and add vegetables or salad. Example: Instead of a big plate of pasta bolognaise with cheese, have 1/3 of a plate of whole meal pasta with bolognaise sauce and a big salad or vegetables with a bit of olive oil and seasoning/vinigraite.

5. Don’t skip meals. I would not recommend too many small meals through the day but also I would not recommend skipping meals either. Having 3 meals a day is a good place to be.

6. Reduce your calorie intake. Is not only what you eat but also how much you eat. In order to lose weight you must have energy deficiency. In simple words you should spend more calories than those you consume. This can happen by either reducing your calorie intake or increasing your calorie expenditure (for example with exercise) or both together. Women in average require around 1500 – 2000 calories. Reducing your calorie to around 1200 – 1500 should be within a healthy range. Calorie requirement and calorie expenditure does depend on physical activity, age, built among other factors, therefore do account for any physical activity etc. you may be doing when lowering your calories.

7. Exercises. Exercise does increase weight loss but also is good for health. As I mentioned earlier you could do a few chest exercises to boost your girls. Having an allover body workout for an hour a day, 5 days a week is always best, but is better to do the amount of exercise you feel happy with and suits your lifestyle. If all you want or can fit in your day is 20 min then that is better than none at all. If you don’t like doing standard exercises then you can do simple things such as walking instead of taking a bus, use the stairs instead of a lift, clean the house vigorously, go for a cycle, a run or a swim.

An idea is to join a class or an activity group. A group may provide you with the motivation to carry on with exercising and weight loss especially if you are achieving something new through the group. For example if you joined a swimming lessons group you could remain motivated in participating in the group by learning how to swim. What has been quite popular in recent years is pole dancing as part of exercising. Pole dancing can be very demanding for the body therefore you should be choosing a class which is appropriate for your own level and also exercise within your own abilities to avoid injuries. A class like that could be fun you can socialize and gain new skills and exercise at the same time. These are just examples as you should choose according to your personal likes and needs.

Before you take on any exercise or diet you should consult a medical professional especially if there are pre-existing health complaints.

The best way to keep the weight off for long term is to make these changes permanently. If you aim to get through the emotional eating pattern and change your whole behavior of eating then making healthy eating choices will be a lot easier. In addition, following a diet should not be just a remedy for a quick fix but making the changes in our lifestyle towards a healthier way. What I am saying is not that you should diet for the rest of your life. All I am suggesting is to change your food choices towards healthier choices, don’t overeat beyond to what your body needs and keep physically active. This way you are less likely to put on the weight again and decrease health risks, Everybody’s weight can fluctuate in their life time for a number of reasons, and we all go through days of junk food, or that bit extra. Having a general healthy diet your body does get conditioned to want a healthy diet and not too much of the junk food.

I hope my answer is helpful to your enquiry.

The importance of a good breakfast for weight loss

One of the most common weight loss tips is about the importance of having a good breakfast every morning. Despite that many people still do not appreciate the benefits of having a protein rich breakfast.  In this article we explain the role of breakfast in losing weight and provide you with 5 more tips on how to control your hunger throughout the day and also how to make small changes to your everyday diet and enjoy a healthier life.

Question: Hi. I am 16 years old, and in High school. i get up at 5:15 am every morning Monday through Friday. I usually eat breakfast at 6am. My lunch is at 11:30am, and i ALWAYS get so hungry, i end up eating my lunch in class!!! Are there some kind of foods i should eat for breakfast to help me stay more full longer? All i have for breakfast is a buttered bagel and a Cliff bar. Please help. I really need to lose weight. 5 pounds a year is NOT cutting it.

Answer (by Hara Hagikalfa)

Hello and thank you for your question and apologies for any delays in answering.

I must say that you do wake up very early and I am not surprised you are hungry by 11.30 am as it is a long time since 6 am. First of all you are still quite young and developing. Also from what I can see you wake up early and have a busy day at school. So you do need to make sure that you eat adequately and taking all nutrients. My first advice to you would be, don’t opt for low calorie, fad diets, you do need to look after yourself. Bellow I have summarised a few weight loss tips for your enquiry.

1. Protein based breakfast. Having a buttered bagel and a cliff bar will provide you with loads of calories and energy but to be honest there is not much nutrition to it. Basically what you are doing is throwing loads of sugar into your body 1^st thing in the morning. You probably feel a bit bloated and really hyper for a while and then feel hungry, irritable burned out and a feeling that if you don’t eat you will drop, kill someone or cry. If you look into my article ‘Diet tips: carbohydrates and weight loss’ you will see in more detail why that happens. Now what can you do instead? Bin the clif bars highly recommended. Have a protein based breakfast. This is probably one thing that I recommend to everybody. Examples of protein breakfast are:

• Eggs (scrambled, boiled, omelette, not so good fried though),
• bacon or sausages (grilled not fried and try to aim for low fat sausages and of good quality either wise you could be eating just fat),
• Ham
• Cheese, yogurt
• If more taste adventurous smoked salmon,  a tin of tuna (or fresh grilled)

You do have a busy day so do have a good breakfast. You could have 2 boiled eggs with a slice of toast and a couple of slices of bacon or ham. In terms of calories you may be eating the same amount as before but in terms of nutrition is much healthier and better for you. Also protein does make you feel fuller for longer and you will find that you will not be as hungry through the morning. I must warn you though that your body is used to eating high density carbs in the morning so it will miss it when you take it away and replace it with protein. In result you may have cravings of carb foods such as sugar, bread etc. Also you may feel tired at the beginning. Is normal, your body is not used to it and it needs time to adjust. I suggest starting on the w/end so you give yourself time to get used to the changes a little bit before going to school. For your body to adapt completely will take approximately 2 weeks but after the first few days you should feel more settled. In the long term you will feel more energetic and less bloated.

2. Have a handful of dried fruit and nuts mid day. If you do get sugar craving or you do feel peckish before lunch a handful of nuts or a fruit can help to curb it. Nuts are very nutritious and have a lot of the essential oils. However, don’t eat too many as they are rich in their calorie content. A handful should be enough. Alternatively have a fruit, such a banana. Bananas can be rich in sugar but I do find that they are very filling and one banana will not tip the scales over.

3. If you want to continue the good work through the day opt for healthy lunch and dinner. Avoid sandwiches, fried or processed foods through the day. You can look at my articles and previous answers I have given such as Diet Tips: The role of proteins in weight loss to get ideas of how to eat healthier and lose weight safer and healthier. Some suggestions would be to eat more salads and meat and eat fewer carbohydrates such as pasta, bread, potatoes, rice etc. You are young and you do need the energy and nutrition. Fruit and veg are full of nutrients so it is important to include them in your daily diet as much as possible. They also have less calories and help in losing weight or just not gaining weight. Don’t need to starve yourself or become obsessed with weight and calorie counting or watch everything you eat. Enjoy yourself as well.

4. Make small changes in your everyday diet. As I do not have more details on your food intake through the day I will give some general examples of how to make some changes. For example have a small bowl of pasta with loads of salad or veg instead of a large bowl of just pasta and bread. Have yogurt and fruit instead of a piece of cake or desert. Avoid drinking too many fizzy and sugary drinks such as coke, milkshakes hot chocolates etc; avoid snacking through the day. Have a big lunch instead of loads of little meals and snacks. Cut down on sugars, starches and carbs have loads of veg. salads, and proteins. I would not go to say have half fat milk or cheese as you are young and need it but do avoid as much as you can trans fats which can be found in fried food, some vegetable oils, processed foods and ready meals, crisps etc.(see also the ultimate list of fat burning foods)

5. Exercise. Will give you energy, increase calorie expenditure and is good for health. You are busy so you don’t need to do too much or you could be overloading yourself. Maybe walk to school and back if in walking distance instead of taking the bus. If time is tight then just do some activities in the w/ends such as go for a cycle, a run, clean the house or wash the car, go roller-skating with your friends. Alternatively just spend 20-30min in the house when you have some time to do a few exercises. If you are taking on exercises to do by yourself always make sure you know how to do them correctly and not injure yourself. Always stick to your ability and fitness level and recommended would be to get advice from a fitness professional. This could just be your PE teacher at school.

6. Finally other things that do help are having plenty of rest and sleep. It is very important for your age, health and development and for weight. If you do take on some exercise have one day at least that you do not exercise and rest.

Always consult a medical professional if you have any concerns or health complaints or have any medical conditions before making any changes in your diet or fitness.

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