Two Simple Ideas To Drastically Improve Your Weight Loss Plans

Two out of every three people today are overweight. It is a sad fact that more and more people are starting to avoid looking at themselves in the mirror every morning. While there are many ways to lose weight, many different diets you can try, there is one ingredient that must be included if you hope to shed those pounds for good. Exercise.

In this article I’ll outline a couple simple exercises that can dramatically help you to not only boost your metabolism, but cut down on your cravings for fatty foods, and increase your ability to sleep soundly at night. One thing most people overlook is that lack of sleep due to stress can be one contributing factor to weight gain.

The good news is that you don’t need to join any expensive gym, or commit yourself to suffering endlessly on the treadmill every day. The truth is that just a few minutes a day of the right exercises can have a profound effect on your weight loss efforts.

The second important idea is that you only need your body, and the floor to do all the exercises you’ll need to drastically improve your physical condition. Body weight exercises are likely the best thing you can do to get yourself into shape. This is one secret that many people are glad to learn about.

So what exactly do you do? Remember those exercises you hated in P. E. class? Well, those are the ones. Sit ups, push ups, squats, pull ups if you have a bar, and any kind of yoga that you know how to do. If you can only do one of each, that’s perfect. Just do what you can, and let your body naturally respond. Increase the amount as you feel comfortable.

Just by doing a few minutes every morning will be a significant contribution to whatever diet plan you embark on. You’ll quickly be amazed how well you notice an immediate benefit to your health, mental and physical well being.

To find out how so many have discovered the way to effortlessly Exercises To Lose Weight, have a look at Stephanie Wilkinsen’s fat burning Weight Loss Exercises page.

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New weight loss drug aims at fat loss - not muscle loss

One of the primary problems of losing weight is the fact that all weight is not created equal.  When you lose weight you will inevitably lose muscle mass as well.  What if there was a way to tell you body to burn only fat?

Researchers at the Garvin Institute in Sydney, Australia, say they've created a new weight loss drug to do just that. 

In mice, the drug has shown to be an effective tool in changing the signals to the brain that determine what fuel the body is to use for energy.  By stopping certain signals, the body turns to fatty acids rather than protein.  The result? The mice lost body weight while maintaining muscle mass.

This is the opposite of the way traditional weight loss drugs work.  They work to alter the way the brain sends signals to the body in an effort to suppress appetite.

From ABC News, the head of the neuroscience program at the Garvan Institute, Professor Herbert Herzog, says these therapies tend to be ineffective.

"What we've found is that blocking one system that influences appetite and body weight regulation might not be enough to cause a significant change in reducing body weight," he said.

"If you take one signal away, others take over."

The new drug is not being developed for the extremely, or morbidly, obese but, rather, for those that are moderately overweight.  The research suggests that this drug, in conjunction with a normal diet, will yield moderate fat loss and minimal muscle loss.

While the preliminary results are exciting, the drug is still about three years away from human clinical trials.

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Easy, Healthy Recipes from The 5-Factor Diet

Cook up diet-friendly meals -- fast. These five-minute, five-ingredient recipes make eating healthy oh-so-easy.

Omelet

Broccoli-Cheddar Omelet

Makes: 2 servings

5 Core Ingredients

1 1/4 cups egg whites

3 cups broccoli florets, coarsely chopped (NOTE: You can use any green vegetable in your refrigerator in place of the broccoli)

1/4 cup shredded nonfat cheddar cheese

4 slices whole-grain bread, toasted

1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash seasoning mix

Plus

Salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Cooking oil spray

Directions

Whisk together the egg whites, Mrs. Dash, salt, and pepper.

Coat a nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat the skillet. Add the broccoli florets and cook and stir until they are bright green.

Add the egg whites and cook while gently pushing them to the center with a rubber spatula. When the egg mixture begins to set on the bottom, turn it over.

Sprinkle with cheese and cover the pan. Cook for 30 seconds or until the cheese begins to melt.

To serve: Slide the omelet onto a plate and fold in half. Cut in half and serve with toast.

Nutrition facts per serving: 298 calories, 31g protein, 47g carbohydrate, 3g fat (0.1g saturated), 10g fiber.

The 5 Factor Diet: Can It Work for You?

Celebrities like Jessica Simpson are said to be losing weight on the 5 Factor Diet. But will it work east of Beverly Hills?

If you're like most folks, hearing the words "Hollywood" and "diet" in the same sentence leaves you thinking the word "gimmick" can't be far behind. As any serial dieter will tell you, the sheer number of celebrity quick weight loss fixes can make your head spin! Enter stage left: The 5 Factor Diet, the latest weight loss plan reported to help stars like Jessica Simpson, Mandy Moore, Eva Mendes, Alicia Keys, John Mayer, Kanye West, and more get their million-dollar bodies.

But is the 5 Factor Diet, from the book of the same name by celebrity trainer Harley Pasternak, just another Hollywood diet gimmick?  Experts are divided on its value.

"I don't see any real science behind the 5 Factor Diet -- no studies to show it works, plus it doesn't seem to address a major problem linked to obesity, which is emotional overeating," says weight control psychologist Abby Aronowitz, PhD, director of SelfHelpDirectives.com.

Others, however, see it as a refreshingly sound and nutritious approach to weight loss, one that can help dieters reign in their appetites and lose extra pounds.

"The 5 Factor Diet puts a new spin on what has been the traditional advice of every major nutrition organization for years," says Angela Kurtz, RD, a nutritionist at New York University Medical Center. "It's a well-balanced eating plan that includes all the food groups, doesn't leave anything out, and in a very subtle and very clever way also helps us change the eating behaviors that caused us to gain weight in the first place."

What Is The 5 Factor Diet?

The "five" in the 5 Factor Diet comes not only from the number of elements each meal should include -- protein, complex carbohydrates, fiber, fat, and fluids -- but from the recommended five meals a day, with recipes that contain no more than five ingredients, or take no more than five minutes of prep time and five minutes of cooking time. 

There is also a five-day exercise plan, which -- no surprise - consists of five exercises you do for 5 minutes each. And, there's a "cheat day" once a week, when you can eat anything you like.

Like Kurtz, nutritionist Cathy Nonas, MS, RD, believes this approach hits all the right notes for orchestrating successful weight control for many people.

"This is a healthy plan that incorporates all the food categories in appropriate proportions. The exercise is a combination of cardio and strength training, and you don't need any expensive equipment to do it," Nonas writes in her review of The5 Factor Diet for the American Dietetic Association. 

Aronowitz agrees the diet is nutritious, but still sees some serious flaws in the plan.

"Yes, it's good nutrition, but outside of the Hollywood community I don't believe there is any evidence to show that eating five meals a day is a secret formula to weight control. In the end, it's just calories in and calories out, and it doesn't really matter when you eat them -- and to try to convince us otherwise is somewhat misleading," says Aronowitz, author of Your Final Diet.

5 Factor Diet: How It Works

The basis of the 5 Factor Diet is the five daily meals, each a balanced mix of lean protein (like chicken, fish, or low-fat dairy); complex carbohydrates (like fruits and vegetables); fiber (like whole grains); healthy fats (like monounsaturated olive oil); and water or another sugar-free beverage. 

But Kurtz tells WebMD that what sets this plan apart is that the recommended food choices have what's known as a "low glycemic index." The glycemic index is a method of rating foods according to their ability to affect blood sugar levels in the body after eating.  Why is this important to weight loss?

Kurtz explains it this way: "Foods that have a low glycemic index help to regulate the amount of insulin that we release or produce after each meal -- and our appetite and hunger is directly related to insulin levels," she says.

So, for example, when we eat foods with a high glycemic index -- simple carbohydrates like cake, white bread, cookies or even certain fruits like grapes -- we release larger amounts of insulin, and our appetite is soon affected, Kurtz says.

"The higher insulin peaks during a meal, the lower it's going to drop within three hours after a meal -- and the hungrier you are going to feel and the more likely you are to overeat, either at your next meal or between meals," says Kurtz.

But when we eat foods low on the glycemic index (like lean protein or vegetables), plus fiber, which further helps slow insulin release, and eat them every three to four hours, insulin levels become more stabilized, Kurtz says -- and hunger is easy to control.

"It's like built-in portion control, and that can help you lose weight," she says.

But does it?

Aronowitz says that if your problem is emotional overeating, then this is not going to do much to curb your appetite.

"If people only ate when they were hungry, then we would not have the obesity epidemic we see today," she says.

She says that for many people, emotions -- not a drop in insulin levels -- trigger eating.  "For these people, controlling insulin is not going to mean much in terms of controlling how much they eat," she says.

Moreover, a new study from Tufts University shows that what matters most in weight loss is cutting calories -- and that both foods high and low on the glycemic index have pretty much the same effect.

In the study, conducted in conjunction with the National Institutes of Health, Tufts researchers compared a diet of high-glycemic foods with one of low-glycemic foods, looking for differences in weight loss as well as hunger and feelings of satiation or fullness.

The conclusion: "Participants in our pilot study achieved and maintained comparable weight loss after one year regardless of whether they were on a low glycemic-load or a high glycemic-load diet," wrote study researcher Susan Roberts, PhD, director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Centers Energy Metabolism Laboratory.

In both dieting groups, she said, it was the reduction of calories that seemed to matter most. The study showed that when both groups restricted calories by 30%, both lost an average of 8% of their body weight after one year -- without any reported differences in hunger or fullness.

Perhaps more important, though, the study found a greater tendency to regain weight among those who ate the low- glycemic diet. This, they say, suggests that a lifelong reduction in food intake may be harder to sustain on a low-glycemic diet.

The 5 Factor Diet: Can It Work For You?

While there's no shortage of celebrity testimonies in the book, among the "real people" criticisms noted on book review sites was the inconvenience of eating five times a day -- essentially every three to four hours. Critics also noted that it can be difficult to gain access to the snacks and meals the plan recommends, particularly for people who work outside the home.

Indeed, while it may be healthy to snack on the suggested smoked salmon mousse or roasted asparagus tips with turkey, these foods are expensive -- and not readily available in the workplace cafeteria or vending machine.

That said, Kurtz reminds us that while some of the recommended foods may not be applicable to "real life," once you get the hang of choosing meals with the correct ingredients, it's easy enough to figure out what to choose in a restaurant, or even the workplace cafeteria.

Further, the book provides some recipes for foods that can be made at home and brought to work as you would any other lunchtime fare.

Finally, it's important to note that while some experts believe that staying on the plan for the recommended five weeks can help you lose weight, most agree that the real value may come from being able to master the plan's unspoken rules -- smaller portions, fewer calories, and appetite control -- for life.

As Nonas noted in her review: "Ironically, the only drawback [to the 5 Factor Diet] is that the author presents this as a five-week plan. In fact, it is really a lifelong plan for a healthy lifestyle."

Eva Longoria Parker Talks Desperate Housewives

Golden Globe nominee and two-time ALMA Award-winning actress Eva Longoria Parker stars as Gabrielle Solis on the hit ABC show Desperate Housewives. However, this isn’t the talented actress’ first appearance on television.

After landing roles on The Bold And The Beautiful, General Hospital and Beverly Hills, 90210, she went on to win the role of Isabella on the US soap opera The Young And The Restless. Longoria Parker is also no stranger to the big screen with leading roles in movies such as The Sentinel – opposite Michael Douglas, Kiefer Sutherland and Kim Basinger – and Over My Dead Body, with Paul Rudd and Jason Biggs.

With the season five DVD of Desperate Housewives about to be released, the glamorous actress talks about her not-so-glamorous character in the show, her love of DVDs and the five year jump at the start of the new season…

Why do you think Desperate Housewives is so addictive to fans around the world?

I think you can really fall in love with the characters on Desperate Housewives. Most women identify with at least one of them – or a mixture of them. That's the feedback I've received from the fans. They always tell me, “I'm totally like Gabrielle.” Or, “I'm so much like Bree.” They can really relate to these characters and their stories.

What happens in Wisteria Lane at the start of season five?

What hasn't happened? I love season five because it jumps ahead five years to the future and we stay there. When the audience watches the first episode, you’re immediately transported forward five years and you think, ‘Whoa! What the heck happened?’ Gabrielle has two kids. She's lost her looks and she's gained weight. Nicollette's character, Edie, is back – and she has a new husband.

You also discover that Mike the plumber and Susan have broken up. A lot has gone on. You're totally and utterly confused – and it sets up the stage for the unravelling of what happened and how we got here. I love that. I love the way we started season five that way.

What are your other highlights to season five?

My favourite part has got to be the way we see a new side to Gabrielle. When she eventually goes back to her glamorous good looks, she still takes with her the experience she went through in the past five years. She's not exactly the old Gabby, but she's the old Gabby in looks with the new Gabby inside.

Are you a big fan of DVDs?

Oh, sure. I'm a big DVD person. I love watching a show straight through. In fact, that's how I watch Lost. Tony and I always take the new Lost DVD on vacation and we watch it straight through. Usually, we're on an island in the middle of nowhere, so think to ourselves, ’Should we really be watching this?’ It gets a little creepy, but we love it.

Are you a fan of the blooper reels and interviews found on DVD box sets?

I love the blooper reel – especially if I’m on it. You know what? There are always bloopers involving me because I'm the queen of bloopers. No, wait a minute… Actually, Nicollette Sheridan has the most bloopers, but they’re always hilarious to watch.

I also love those behind-the-scenes features on DVDs. I love to watch them for other shows – especially Lost. That’s a great box set – especially when you watch the first season with the polar bears. You get to go behind the cameras and see exactly how they filmed those scenes. It’s crazy to see how it was made. It was basically just man with a bear claw making a strange noise.

Can you tell us about any of the other extras on the season five DVD for Desperate Housewives?

We filmed the table read for the 100th episode, which is on the DVD. We do table reads every episode where we read through the entire script as a cast. It is a nice thing to experience as a fan. You realize, ‘That’s how they do it. That's how they make the show.’

What else do you think fans of Desperate Housewives will discover when they watch the season five DVD?

There are a lot of interesting features on the DVD and the fans get to learn that we're just actors putting on this elaborate play. They get to see our own personalities behind the scenes, as well as our interaction with each other. It's a voyeuristic view that I think all fans wish they could experience much more. I think they’re going to love it.