Fasting and a Better Weight Loss Program

Fasting is not new. In fact, Indian, Asian, and Middle-Eastern mystics have used fasting as a means to connect with higher levels of consciousness for millennia. There is just something about going without food or drink that strips the soul bare and enables the powerful intellect of man to rid itself of most of the distractions that get in the way of realizing eternal truths. This all sounds pretty heavy and heady and it is. However, for practical purposes, fasting actually leads to a better weight loss program We are not proposing fasting as the main way of losing weight. That would be irresponsible, if not outright dangerous. Instead, we are proposing that used in conjunction with a sensible diet and weight loss regimen, fasting can help boost the effect of your weight-loss program. Moreover, fasting can help dieters clear mental hurdles that get in the way of them fully committing to their weight loss regimen. Indeed, in the battle between mind and body, fasting is a great technique that bridges the body and mind to help the mind take full control.

Mind over body

There is no better way to tell your body that you are its boss than through controlled and regulated fasting. Why do you need to tell your body that you are its master? Well, for the most part, the main reason you are reading this article is because you have a tough time keeping your weight in check. In other words, you have a tough time controlling your body. Appetite is a function of the body. Hunger is, in large part, a signal from your body. When you fast, you make a commitment to keep your body in check. It is a brute force method, but it is effective. Fasting communicates to the body that regardless of whatever signals the body sends to the brain regarding hunger, your mind is still in control. By refusing to give in to the body's signals, your mind actually acts to re-balance your body. This is one of the cornerstone benefits of fasting. Let's face it, many of us have out of control appetites. If we see something that looks yummy, we have to take a bite. When a certain time of the day comes, we need to eat, regardless of what we are doing. If you live like this for quite an extended period of time, you slowly realize that your stomach is controlling you. The more you let your stomach win out, the less power you have over your impulses.

Responsible fasting

If you have decided to go on a fast to effect a better weight loss system, you have to be responsible about it. This means you must not put your health in jeopardy. Consult with your doctor first. Prepare lots of juices and nutritious fluids. Don't jump into your fast whole hog. Ease into it. Make adjustments. Remember, real weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint. Fast nice and easy. Don't rush into it and always feel free to end your fast the moment it becomes uncomfortable.

Emily Shelley has had more than 15 years working as a nutrition professor and is owner of The Diet Connection. Her deep understanding of nutrition will address your unique challenges and concerns. She believes people can learn to nurture themselves with healthy foods and make healthy choices often. This is her article about a better weight loss. Be sure to check out her other weight loss articles.

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Why Most Weight Loss Programs For Women Don't Work And How To Fix It

Too many weight loss programs for women have the same problem. And it's a big, big problem. They aren't programs that get great results because they stay away from what works!

What works is intense workouts with resistance, whether it's using dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells or just using body weight exercises like push ups, pull ups and body weight squats.

Instead of effective programs they have them doing simple cardio, whether it's on the stationary bike or following along with some aerobic dance DVD that once in awhile has them pick up little pink weights or a broomstick.

Ladies, you are not going to get big bulky muscles by using resistance training and some intensity.

But you will develop a lean, sexy, toned body that turns heads. You'll also be much more likely to keep the weight off.

The images of steroid using professional female bodybuilders has scared women away from picking up weights and it's a shame.

Ladies, what would you rather look like, female fitness models like Jennifer Nicole Lee and athletes like Allison Stokke (Google them) or some rail thin, unhealthy looking model.

Another great example of proper exercise for the right results is the difference between a marathon runner and a sprinter.

Marathon runners, who do endless lower intensity cardio work, look unhealthy, too skinny, and lack any kind of muscle mass or tone.

Sprinters look fit, healthy, strong, and shapely.

Hopefully, I've convinced you that weight loss programs for women should include intense workouts with resistance training.

But don't worry, I'm not talking about bench pressing 300 pounds or any of that nonsense.

You see, you can combine your resistance training and your cardio by using body weight exercises, a dumbbell or two, and timed intervals.

Some really popular intervals are 20/10, 30/15, 30/30 and 40/20. These numbers are in seconds.

What this means is that you do an exercise for the first number in seconds and then rest for the second number.

You then either repeat the exercise for a certain number of rounds or you move on to the next exercise.

So the 20/10 means to perform an exercise for 20 seconds, then rest 10 seconds.

The power of this type of routine is that you'll get great calorie burning benefits and cardio, while also utilizing resistance and working all your muscles, helping you to get lean, fit and toned.

Here's a sample workout for you. Complete each exercise in 20/10 fashion for the number of rounds indicated and then move on to the next exercise.

The great thing about timed intervals over reps is that you can stop and rest if you need to.

Over time, try and improve the number of reps you can get in each interval.

Jumping Jacks x 4 rounds
Push Ups x 2 rounds
Body weight Squats x 4 rounds
Jump Rope x 4 rounds
Standing Dumbbell Presses x 2 rounds
Alternate Front Lunges x 4 rounds

Each round is only 30 seconds so that's 2 rounds or only ten and minutes.

Some great things about work outs like this is variety. You can do a ton of different exercises using just body weight and a couple of dumbbells.

Just push ups have lots of variations (normal, close grip, clap, staggered, kneeling, explosive, incline, decline, spiderman style, etc.).

The exercises are intense so they can be really short, ranging from 4 to 25 minutes or so.

You also don't need a lot of space.

When it comes to weight loss programs for women, you should really consider giving this style of workout a try. I think you'll like the results.

Always Women's lean, sexy, toned body that turns heads. That said, it is important for women to know how to maintain their body lean, sexy and toned properly. To know more about weight loss programs for women, follow this link Weight Loss Plan!

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Healthy Weight Loss Programs

People who are overweight and want to lose those extra pounds are most likely in search of a plan or program to follow. However, healthy weight loss programs for losing weight differ, or should anyway, from some of the more, shall we say, spirited claims for losing weight.

There are so many weight loss programs out there, they have become trivialized. And a new fad diet seems to come along every day. Every form of media serves as a marketing tool for the latest craze in weight loss or fitness. Truthfully, there are many good ones. There are also some that could be downright dangerous to your overall health.

Nothing beats common sense when choosing a program. That, and knowing yourself and what sort of changes you are willing to make. Most any good program will help an individual lose weight. The trick is sticking with the program. Remember, the process of losing weight should be about long term changes that keep the weight off for good and allow you to live a healthier life. If you go through some form of dietary torture for two months and lose 30 pounds, it is doubtful you will stick with that kind of radical change for long.

The best programs seem to be those that offer education, incremental and flexible changes in dietary consumption, varied exercise routines and long term goal setting. And, people need and want to understand the process their minds and bodies will undergo while making changes. Staying motivated is a huge issue, and the more educated a person is about nutrition and fitness or how well a particular program educates the consumer, the more likely the individual is to achieve their long term goals. This is not rocket science. It is just about being a cautious, well informed consumer.

Even among the many very good healthy weight loss programs out there, each one may have systems or variations that make them good for one person and not another. Gather as much information as you can on the program, study it, then decide if it fits you and your goals. Don't rely on someone else to influence your decision. Do the necessary research yourself. Get informed before jumping headfirst into a cloudy pool!

Most really good healthy weight loss programs have quite a bit of flexibility. It should not be too hard to find one that is right for you. As in almost all other areas, we know a great deal more today about nutrition, health and fitness. Know what you want to achieve, know what works best for you, be informed and then Go! Be happy!

Boyce Henry has over 15 years researching and managing weight loss and weight loss products. To get a free report on the top diet scams, please go to http://www.yourweightlossinfo.com

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