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The Secret To Weight Loss Is A Whole Body Affair

In order to lose the weight from your body, you've got to get your body working correctly. It all comes down to an elemental equation of diet, exercise and healthy habits.

While the existence of mucoid plaque is up for debate between the medical and scientific world and certain "holistic health practitioners," the bare truth of weight loss comes down to what goes into your body (diet), what comes out of your body (proper digestion), and what you do with your body (exercise).

You may very well build up harmful toxins in your body if you're not prepping the machine for prime action. Then you've got a sickly, flabby, rusty contraption that is uncomfortable and doesn't work right. This is what has caused the epidemic of obesity. To reduce weight and experience real weight loss, not just temporarily, look at what goes into your life and your body.

Excessive amounts of processed foods and white flour in your diet may cause a reduction in the body's ability to eliminate waste for a short amount of time. That can lead to bloat, discomfort, lessening of nutritional absorbency, and a lack of energy. These are also the result of improper diet in general, because of an overall lack of the right nutrients and just plain not giving your body what it requires. In turn, your feel less like exercising. Unfortunately, this is part of the cycle that leads to weight gain problems and unhealthy lifestyle.

The more natural and whole foods you include into your diet, the better. Foods higher in fiber content help the body to function optimally and minimize what the body doesn't need. The less processed your food is, the more originally occurring nutrients and vitamins you absorb from your food. The more the body gets what it needs, the less you'll crave the harmful stuff. And the fewer empty calories your body has to store, the less padding you'll have.

It's important to stay fully hydrated to help the body get rid of harmful toxins in your system. This allows your body to function properly by keeping the cells healthy. In turn, food is digested properly and the function of body systems are at their peak, leading to mush improved metabolism. Drinking sufficient water, coupled with high fiber foods, helps you feel more satisfied and less prone to cravings shortly after eating.

Fiber is vital in the digestive process. The body cannot completely break it down. As it moves through the digestive tract, it absorbs and binds intestinal residue to itself. This ensures that the unwanted waste passes from the body in short amounts of time and remains easy to pass, as well as getting all the harmful stuff your body doesn't need out of there!

The best sources for fiber are exactly what you've heard before: fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Fruits such as plums and apples provide much of their fiber from their skins, as does the potato. Leafy greens, of course, carry the fiber in their leaves. Celery contains a high amount of fiber in the stalks, which is also an excellent vehicle for tasty protein such as peanut butter.

Insufficient fiber in the digestive system can lead to all sorts of intestinal complaints, including diverticulitis, hemorrhoids, and it has been linked to bowel cancer. Refined foods are processed so highly that the vast majority of fiber content is removed, not to mention nutritional value. White Bread, white flour white sugar, and instant products are all refined foods. A quick in doesn't mean a quick out, and the high caloric intake of these products means more has to be burned.

Not enough exercise can lead to intestinal disorders and less effective digestive function. Exercise improves the activity of the intestines and keeps the body's metabolism up. So, little or no physical activity not only slows down your metabolism, it also slows digestion. No wonder the less we move around, the more we expand and sag. It only makes sense.

The body's systems are all intertwined, and you really are what you eat and what you do. Pay attention to your body from top to bottom, and be aware of the whole health value of what you eat and your daily activity level. Chances are, then, when you commit to a healthier digestive system and regular exercise, you will see regular weight loss.

By: Ken Nickless
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com
Ken Nickless is a 64 years retired businessman and entrepreneur now living in Brisbane Australia. Having spent over forty years in the manufacturing arena specializing in MIS systems introduction, Quality Control implementation and Operations Management Ken now spends his time with website development and internet marketing. In his spare time Ken enjoys golf and spending more time with family and friends.

For More Weight Loss Information: www.nickmarketing.com/TopSecretFatLoss/

Remember to weight loss

May 2004 I returned with my family from a Disney vacation with the realization I had a weight problem. I had a hard time fitting into some of the safety harnesses on some of the rides. I also had lived in my house for 6months and never saw the end of our own yard. The walk was to hard. I was winded just going to my mail box.

I was 5ft 3 inches and 265 pounds. When we were at the beach and a child said something mean about me to my son, not knowing I was his mother. My son defended me but was very embarrassed. I had just worked my way out of another depression. I was tired of not having energy to do anything. I had had enough. I began with an announcement to my family that I am going to lose this weight! I cut out all junk, extra carbs and doubled my vegetable intake. I made two dinners every night, my family's and mine. I cried the first two weeks at the dinner table. This was so very hard. Being obese was harder though. After one month I dropped 20 pounds. I started to have energy again. I needed to so something physical. I needed to move. I started walking. At first I walked about 1/2 a mile every morning. It was embarrassing and hard. I had reached the point when I didn't leave my house much. I was exposing myself. I was laughed at, yelled at, had things thrown at me, but I remained steady in my course. By the end of the second month, I was walking 3 miles every morning. I was push mowing my yard ( the one I couldn't even walk before). I Lost another 20 pounds. I wanted to move more. I ordered a beginners low impact aerobics video. I did it every morning and followed with a 3 mile walk. I was no longer getting harassed. My husband began telling me he was so proud of me. I decided to keep the dietary changed permanent. My Family joined me. We cut out red meats, sugar, and started eating vegetables, and whole grain products. I was beginning to laugh more. I created a more specific goal. I wanted to get out of plus sized clothes. I started out in a size 26. I was down to an 18. I wanted a 12. I wanted to move more. I decided to try jogging. I lost 15 more pounds. On September 15, 2004, I ran for the first time. I made it a whole 1/10th a mile. I did the walk-run program. All I wanted to do was to be able to run a mile some day. I achieved that goal on October 1, 2004. I cried. I did it. I loved it. I wanted to run more. I had lost another 10 pounds. I decided to try for 5 miles by January. I was still doing aerobics every morning. I graduated to medium impact. So I would wake up every morning at 5 am, do my workout for 45 minutes, then head out the door. I ran 4 times week. I went down another size. The scale became my favorite part of the morning. I wan down to a size 14 and lost another 10 pounds. I made my five mile goal. I decided to see if I could go 8 miles. I did. I was addicted. By May I had left the plus department and bought my first size 12 jeans. I cried again. I bought my first pair of technical running shoes. I bought running shorts. I had a secret goal. I wanted to run a 5 k. I did not tell anyone. Every morning It was on my mind. I read everything I could fine to prepare. September 2005 I ran my first 5k. I had lost almost 90 pounds. I ran it faster than I thought I would. I was flying high. I did it. During a run in October, I broke 10 miles and survived. I decided that I wanted to run a marathon. I picked one out in the following September. I marked my calendar. I was very very scared. Weigh loss was no longer important to me. Training was. I re-arranged my diet to accommodate running. I developed a very strict running schedule. I graduated to high impact aerobics. I began strength training. I made sure I was finished before 9 am. I had a family to take care of. I had found balance. I found my time. I found myself out there some where. September 30, 2006 I ran the Akron road Runners Marathon. It was very hard. I made several mistakes. But at mile 20 I knew I was going to finish. I had run the whole way. I was in pain. My foot was swollen. But I was going to finish. I crossed the finish line at 5:08:10. I sprinted the last 100 feet. I thought I was going to throw up. I did it. I ran 26.2 miles. I was a "runner". When I crossed that line, several things happened to me. I left the old me behind. I found a new identity. The fat me was still at the starting line. I had self esteem for the very first time in my life. I had lost a grand total of 125 pounds and dropped 10 sizes in clothes. My husband takes me out more often. I can go out to eat and not feel like I am under a spotlight. I can keep up with my two kids. I turned 40 and feel better than I have ever in my whole life. I am running a half marathon and a a marathon this coming summer. I encourage others to find themselves through exercise. My son wants to begin running 5k races. My husband even managed to loose weight and become interested in weight lifting. As a family we are happier and healthier. I hope someone reads this and realizes that what I most important is your health, physically and mentally.
by: Chrys Marty

Somebody talking about weight loss

A little over three years ago my first child was born. As I looked at the pictures I realized I was much heavier than I had thought. The scales only went up to 350 so I had not weighed in a while. When I found scales that did weigh me I was closer to 400 pounds than I had imagined. I also happened to have a doctor’s visit that same month and was told that my blood pressure was high, my blood sugar was high, and I have gout arthritis.

I started thinking about my little girl’s future and my lack of ability to get in the floor and play with her when that time comes. I decided then I needed to do something. But like many commitments I had made to myself over time I did not follow through. It was not till about 2 years ago with we were expecting our second child that it hit me. Any story or event that I would have to tell to my daughters would have to start with “I remember when…” My best was in my past. Sure I had always been large, but I was a highly recruited high school football player and had great stories to tell. I knew this was not the example I wanted to set for my little girls. I wanted them to always believe that their best, whatever it is, is in front of them. It was then I decided that I had to set that example. I wanted my athletic best and health best to be in front of me!
I was reading that a local hospital had a new very low calorie plan that was offered under doctor’s care. My mother had just been diagnosed with diabetes and needed to lose weight too. So we started this program together. Over the next twelve weeks I drank just 500 calories of shakes a day and worked out and trained for a 5K. I lost about 97 pounds during this time. Since then I have lost another 25 and run a ½ marathon and a triathlon. The physical activity has played a vital role in helping me keep the weight off. I now look at food at fuel instead of fun (most of the time) and am looking forward to another triathlon in July and my first marathon in October in Chicago. In November I will register for the Florida Ironman and spend next year preparing for that, I want to be able to say that in less than 3 years I went from almost 400 pounds to an ironman. If I have learned anything, I know that will not be the end. Great health is not a destination in itself, it is a journey, a journey that I am enjoying and making the most of each day.
by: Brad

I did it

In the early morning hours of October 6, 2005, my life changed forever. My husband of 35 years, Richard, suffered a massive heart attack and died in my arms. We had decided months earlier to start eating right and losing weight. We knew that our excessive weight was affecting our health and that the numerous prescriptions that we were taking were all weight related – high blood pressure, diabetes and pain medication.

After three months of short term goals written on post it notes daily, i.e., “breathe in and out” and “brush hair and teeth”, I made the decision to LIVE it – not DIEt and changed my daily eating habits.
When Richard died, I weighed 232 pounds. Today, I weigh 155 with 17 pounds to go to get to my goal weight of 138. I am now the “average American woman” in a size 14. It isn’t easy. But I’ve learned that if you don’t have the high calorie food in the house, chances are that you’re not going to drive to the local convenience store at 9 pm to pick up the bag of chips or pint of ice cream.
My daily calorie intake averages 1200. I have cereal and fruit for breakfast. Low calorie snacks for that “afternoon pick me up” and fish, chicken or pork for dinner. I limit my carbs and avoid breads (my weakness). Do I indulge???? Of course! I LOVE dark chocolate – but limit myself to two small miniature pieces three times a week – not a large serving and certainly not every night.
My exercise routine is simple. I walk everyday. And now that I enjoy clothes shopping, when I go to the mall, I park at the opposite end of my favorite department store which means that I have to walk the full mall to get back to my car. I also have a house cleaning schedule that includes cleaning a single room every day (with Sunday’s off to enjoy my Sunday paper) and I play music so I can dance while I clean. Nothing better than listening to the Eagles!!!!!!
I feel great – and people tell me that I look great. It’s still a daily struggle to keep the weight off. I only wish that Richard and I had started this sooner together. I know that he’s looking down at me – with pride – knowing that I’m here for our children and grandchildren.
I DID IT – you can too.
by: Carolyn

Another weight loss story

December 31, 2006. I made my annual New Year's Resolution to get healthy. I had been making that resolution and not sticking to it for some years at that point. But this year was different. I would turn 40 in 2007, and that scared me. No longer did I want to lose weight so I would look good, but rather I wanted to lose weight so that I could live well. With 40 approaching, I realized that it was just a matter of time before I would be taking daily doses of high blood pressure medication, high cholesterol medication, and maybe diabetes medication, if I continued to live as unhealthy as I was. I was 5'2" and at a high weight of 167 pounds and bursting out of my size 14 and just about into a size 16 (although I refused to buy anything in that size). After 3 kids and many bags of chips, fries, and takeout, I realized that I was not the person that I meant to be. I wanted to return to the size that I was before I had kids - a size 6. That was my goal and I wanted to get there before New Year's Eve 2007. And so the journey began...

I joined an all women's gym and resolved to walk on the treadmill for 30 minutes for 5 days a week. The gym had a contest. If you could lose at least 10 pounds within the next 6 weeks, you would get the next month's membership for free. I signed on and boosted my walking schedule up to 6 days per week. I resolved to make healthy eating choices and cut my portions in half. By the end of the 6 weeks, I was down 13 pounds, and had bumped up my treadmill walks to a walk/jog. Watch out. I was on a roll!

With the money that I saved on my next month's membership, I made an appointment for a half hour session with a personal trainer. Her name was Lia. Lia called me before our session to discuss exactly what I was looking to get out of our meeting. I told her that although I was doing very well with my cardio, I thought that I needed to add strength training to my routine and didn't really know what to do with that. I asked her to put together a routine that I could do on my own a few times a week that would strength train most of my muscles. Lia went through a routine that she put together for me that included upper body, lower body and core. The only equipment needed would be dumbells. This meant that I could either do these workouts at home or at the gym. My meeting with Lia changed my life. Anytime in the past, when I attempted strength training, I always used lighter dumbells. Lia pointed out how I would need to add more weight. I saw immediate results which motivated me to keep it up and add more weight as I saw fit.

For the first time in my life, my eating was in total control. I three meals per day and snacked only when hungry. I ate the same dinners that I made for my family, but just cut the portion sizes. I also enjoyed a glass of red wine with dinner a few times per week. For the most part, I skipped desserts. I decided that I would only have a dessert, if I really wanted it. That meant skipping the birthday cake at all the kids parties that I attended. I only ever ate that cake because it was given to me. The cake usually wasn't very good, usually some dry commerically baked cake. I decided that I would not waste my calories on stuff like that anymore. The same went for bread. If I went out to dinner, I decided that I would only enjoy a piece of bread from the breadbasket, if the bread was really worth it. My new attitude towards food went a long way in helping me continue to shed the pounds.

By April, I was able to run a mile and a half continuously, so I decided to bring most of my running outdoors. I was also down to a size 10. My annual physical was very successful. My chloesterol was down to 166 from 210 the prior year. My blood pressure was 110/70 and all my other scores were within the healthy range. My husband ran with me to show me a 2 mile cross country trail in our local park. He used to run that trail when he was in high school. The trail had some difficult inclines and hills. I fell in love with running it immediately and decided to make an effort to run that trail at least once per week. In the end, I usually got there at least 3 times per week.

By the end of May, I was just about down to a size 6 and doing the 5K cross country trail in our local park. The hills on that trail were much more challengin, but I loved the run. My goal in running was just to complete the milage. If I had a day where I was feeling tired, I always give myself permission to slow down, or to even walk a bit. I figured that if I was having a bad day, and going slow or walking a bit, at least I was out there and finishing, which was a lot more than if I did nothing at all. At the time, I was going through some marital problems. I found running to be my sanity saver. I would crave my runs. They cleared my mind and I felt so good after them. Some days, I would be so frustrated that I would do an all out fast 2 miler. I would feel sweet relief when I was done - all my frustrated energy was put to good use. Running just about saved my life at this point. And I thank God for those tranquil trails. Just me, my running shoes, the birds, squirrels, and a few other runners running through the woods. I loved the peaceful feelings it would bring me.

At this point, people were really beginning to notice the changes in my body. Not only had I shrunk to a smaller size, but because of my running and strength training, I was firm and strong looking. My body was better than it was when I was the same size in my twenties. I was in better shape too. I continued on with my running and decided at the beginning of August that I would try my first 5K race. My goal was to finish and not to finish last. Image my surprise, when I finished at a time of 28:40. Not too shabby for a beginner. I ran another 5K two weeks later and improved upon my time, finishing at 28:00. By this time I was down to 114 pounds and between a size 2 and 4. I was just trying to get a handle on maintaining my weight and not losing any more. I was amazed by the amount of food that I could now eat without gaining weight. It's really true what they say about what exercise does to your metabolism. Mine went from the speed of slow and backwards to the speed of light. I signed up for three more 5K races. In my third race, I once again improved my time and was down to 27:15. My confidence was now growing. It was at this point I realized that I could really be a runner, not just a tag-a-long. I read somewhere that women have a tendency to downplay their abilities, and it wasn't until this point that I realized that I had been doing that all along. My speed was improving, and with time, I have the ability to be a good runner, or anything else that I put my mind to. It took me 40 years to realize that I had the power all along. My next race, I improved my time once again, coming in at 25:15. This time, I also placed first in my age group. Now, granted, this was the smallest race that I had completed (only 150 entrants), but when I look at how far that I have come in such a short period of time, I have to say that I am very proud of myself. At the beginning of the year, the only race that I might have won, was a race to the refrigerator. I wish that I had found this inner strength years ago. But the fact is, I am grateful to have found it at all. Some women go through life and never discover their inner strength. Running has done this for me. And now I'm addicted.

I'm running another 5K this weekend, but will be running this one with my 6 year old son, so this race will not be about time - it will just be about sharing the experience with my youngest son and helping him to find his inner strength. When I think back to New Year's Eve, I am so grateful that this was the year that I made it - I kept my resolution. And now that I'm here, I never want to go back to the person that I was before. I see so many possibilities for myself in my life now and so many things that I am capable of. My husband and I went out to dinner with friends a few weeks ago and stopped off for a drink afterwards. I was asked to show proof of age before they would serve me - what a hoot! A friend of mine asked me to run a half-marathon with him next year. I'm thinking about doing that, but first I want to successfully complete a few 10K races. That will be my next challenge and I have no doubt that I will be happy with my results....

Weight loss story

At the pinnacle of my obese state, I weighed in at 242 lbs. Not exactly slim given my height of 5’-9”. I had high blood pressure, high blood sugar levels and high cholesterol readings. A two block brisk walk would bring about heavy perspiration and excessive huffing/puffing. My doctor informed me that I was pre-diabetic and had metabolic syndrome. And worst yet, I ended up admitting myself into the emergency ward with what my family doctor believed at the time was a heart attack. Thankfully, the blood tests, ECG’s, treadmill stress test etc. proved otherwise. Since he was unable to find any markers associated with a heart attack, the cardiologist deduced that the severe chest pain I had experienced was likely caused by indigestion of something that I shouldn’t have eaten or shouldn’t have eaten too much of. In any event, the trip to the hospital served as my wakeup call. At age 49, I had arrived at a fork in the road so to speak. Did I want to continue my sedentary lifestyle complemented by pathetic eating habits and head towards an early grave? Or did I want to smarten up by turning my life around and be in a position to look forward to spending time with my future grandchildren. I opted for the latter.

Since June of 2006, I am happy to report that I have lost 56 lbs. How did I do it? Eating sensibly (as I prefer not to use the 4 letter word DIET) and lots of exercise. The concept of course is quite simple. What is difficult is the amount of determination and will power that is required to stick with the program. One thing that I learnt a long time ago, when it comes to weight loss there are simply no quick fixes. To me, this meant lots and lots of healthy foods. Cut back big time on the red meats, pastas/rice, desserts and in general items loaded with saturated and especially trans fats. Ample servings of fruits and vegetables. Eight glasses of water every day. Eat a sensible breakfast every morning (Not bacon, eggs or pancakes slobbered with syrup/butter). Instead of having the King Kong size burger with supersized fries at lunch, I would order an Oriental Chicken Salad with Grilled Chicken together with a supersized Diet soft drink. I also had to conquer some demons. Namely what I refer to as my DANGER/COMFORT foods such as peanut butter and packaged instant noodles. In the past, I could literally polish off half a jar of peanut butter or consume six packages of cooked noodles at one sitting. I’ve managed to overcome my urges for these DANGER foods. In terms of exercise, my regime consisted of a minimum of 90 minutes of Tai Bo mixed in with some elliptical trainer stints. The exercise routine was repeated at least five times a week. In early January of this year, I signed up for a Learn to Run clinic. Thirteen weeks later, I completed my first ever 10K run. At my last checkup, I was advised that I was no longer pre-diabetic. My blood pressure, cholesterol levels, blood sugar levels etc. were normal. My typically resting heart rate is now around 65 beats per minute – a far cry from 85 beats per minute not that long ago. Although I recently turned 50, I have never felt better. I feel (and sometimes act) like I am 20 years younger. In fact, I have signed up for 4 more 10K runs. I also possess every confidence that I will reach my ultimate goals of losing another 26 lbs (to get down to 160 lbs.) AND to run in a marathon within two years’ time.