Source: atkins.com

 
You might be doubtful and chances are that mainstream diets are the reason. Of course you couldn’t avoid opinions like the below Q&A posted by Health Care Reality Check:

 Q: Can a person eat unlimited calories, and still lose weight, as long as they severely restrict carbohydrates?

 A: No, she can not. The basis of ketogenic diets, such as the Atkins Diet, is a severe restriction of carbohydrate calories, which simply causes a net reduction in total calories. Since carbohydrate calories are limited, intake of fat usually increases. This high fat diet causes ketosis (increased blood ketones from fat breakdown), which suppresses hunger, and thus contributes to caloric restriction. — Ellen Coleman, RD, MA, MPH

 Is this a correct answer?

 Let’s first discuss whether it’s a correct question. Or, rather, is this the real question so frequently asked by dieters. In my experience, this in fact sounds a little bit different but this makes ALL the difference.

This is what real dieters ask:

 Q: Can low carb dieters eat all they want, and still lose weight as long as they only eat allowed foods?

 A: Yes, they can. The basis of ketogenic diets, such as the Atkins Diet, is a restriction of carbohydrate-containing foods in favor of fat and protein containing foods, which causes the state of ketosis resulting in significant decrease in appetite. Since appetite decreases, most of low carb dieters consume significantly less calories WITHOUT INTENTIONAL CALORIE RESTRICTION.

Is there scientific evidence?
 There is.

 Study #1 by: Bassett Research Institute in
 Cooperstown, NY and Durham (N.C.) Veterans Affairs
 Medical Center.

 Reported: Proceedings of North American Association
 for the Study of Obesity, Oct. 29, 2000, Long Beach,
 Calif.

 Who participated:

 18 obese men and women with 30 or more pounds to lose.

 Average calorie intake before the study: 2,481
 calories a day

 Method:

 Dr. Atkins’ Book, the “New Diet Revolution” used as
 instruction for the dieters.

 Results:

 1. Calorie intake during the most restrictive
 induction phase (when only 20 g of carbohydrates were
 allowed) was 1,419 calories a day on average and weight loss
 was more than 8 pounds on average.

 2. Calorie intake during the ongoing weight-loss
 phase (when carbohydrate intake is being increased
 gradually, by 5 g a day) dieters ate an average of
 1,500 calories a day and lost an additional 3 pounds
 in two weeks.

 3. The calorie reduction was attributed almost
 completely to carbohydrate abstaining. Intake of fat
 and protein remained practically the same as before
 the diet.

 4. After 6 months on Atkins diet, 41 overweight people
 lost an average of 10% of their weight. Most dieters
 lowered their cholesterol by 5%, but there were a few
 whose cholesterol increased.

 5. 20 out of 41 dieters continued the program, and
 kept the lost weight off for more than a year.

 Study #2 by: Harvard School of Public Health.

 Reported: American Association for the Study of
 Obesity, October 16, 2003

 Who participated: 21 overweight volunteers.

 Two groups were randomly assigned to either lowfat or
 low-carb diets with 1,500 calories for women and 1,800
 for men; a third group was also low-carb but got an
 extra 300 calories a day.

 Method: All the food was prepared at a restaurant in
 Cambridge, Massachusetts. Note that most earlier
 studies including the above Study #1 simply gave out
 diet plans.

 So in this study, dieters were given dinner and a
 bedtime snack as well as breakfast and lunch for the
 next day, which made the setting a carefully
 controlled one. Foods were mostly fish, chicken,
 salads, vegetables and unsaturated oils. Red meats and
 saturated fats were limited (as opposed to traditional
 Atkins menus.)

 All meals looked similar but were cooked to different
 recipes. The low-carb meals were 5% carbs, 15%
 protein, 65% fat. The low fat group got 55%
 carbohydrate, 15% protein, 30% fat.
 Results:

 1. All dieters lost weight, but those on low carb diet
 lost more than the low fat group — even while consuming
 MORE calories:

 - Group on lower-cal, low-carb diet lost an average of 23
 lbs.
 - Group on same-calories low-fat diet lost an average of
 17 lbs.
 - Group on extra 300 calories, low-carb diet lost an
 average of 20 lbs.

 2. Over the course of the study, the group of low carb
 dieters who got an extra 300 calories a day consumed extra 25,000
calories. That should have added up to
 about seven pounds. But for some reason, it did not.
 Discussion:

 ”It doesn’t make sense, does it?” said Barbara Rolls
 of Pennsylvania State University. “It violates the
 laws of thermodynamics. No one has ever found any
 miraculous metabolic effects.”
 So it violates the laws of thermodynamics, huh? Not so
 fast! When it comes to calorie counting, the “calorie
 is a calorie” concept is very deceiving.

 Let’s see what we count when we think we
 count calories. When you burn a piece of wood in a
 stove, you can directly measure how much heat energy
 it produces. Then you can claim that you know how many
 calories a piece of wood contains, right? Not exactly.
 You should specify what kind of wood it was, dry or
 wet, how you burned it, etc. Because if you spent
 another material to start the burning, you should
 subtract these calories from the total; if the wood was wet you
 should take into account the calories that the water
 evaporation took. So even with a piece of wood, it’s
 not that simple.

 Now look at a piece of food. You know how they tell
 how many calories it contains? Same way they talk
 about a piece of wood in a stove. It’s the calorie
 number that the food would produce by being burnt in a
 stove.

 Then in addition to the wood’s calorie estimation (that takes
 into account the dryness, etc.), you should add many
 more circumstances: how hard should one chew it
 before being able to swallow, how hard one’s enzyme
 system will have work to digest it, will it influence
 the hormones in charge of fat storing? What about its effect on the
hormones in charge of fat burning?

 Which chain of reactions will it trigger, activity-wise
 or metabolism-wise? Will it make one sleepy, thus
 conserving the energy? Ot will it make one jumpy, thus
 wasting the energy?

 Study #3 by: Laboratory of Applied Physiology,
 Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies,
 Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan

 Reported: J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2003
 Dec;88(12):5661-7

 Method:

 Healthy boys, aged 8-11 yr, were examined for resting
 energy expenditure and the thermic effect of a meal,
 which were measured for three hours after a
 same-calorie but high-fat or a high-carb meals.

 Results:

 There was no changes after high carbohydrate meals but
 there was an increase in resting energy expenditure
 after a high-fat meal.

 If the researchers in the Study #2 would have measured
 resting energy expenditure and the thermic effects of the
 meals, they would probably have registered the same changes.
 Then everybody would make a sigh of relief:
 none of the laws of thermodynamics have been violated:
 yes, the low-carb dieters COULD INDEED eat more
 calories and lose more weight than the low-fat group
 while violating no physical laws because — they just
 burnt more, all the time, even at rest. It’s that simple.

 PS. It’s possible to count nothing at all, even carb grams, as long as you are within correct ratios of fat grams to carb+protein grams.

 by Tanya Zilberter, PhD
 bantadiet.com

With all these extra calories, it’s easy to sabotage your diet. Plus, we all want to get our money’s worth and because we’re often paying a lot more for food served at a restaurant, we may use the prices themselves as justification for cleaning the plate.

The truth is, you don’t have to sacrifice flavor and nutrition when you are treating yourself to a night out. Just follow these simple guidelines.

Be wary of your drinking glass. It’s easy to consume vast quantities of empty calories through a straw. A large Coke at McDonalds has more than 300 calories. And when we are sitting in a restaurant, we often find our drinks refilled over and over. The bar is no better: A pint of beer will give you about 150 calories. And a glass of dry wine will contribute 100 or so, while a jumbo margarita can get up in the 400-calorie range. You can save lots of calories (and a few dollars, too) by opting for unsweetened iced tea, a diet soft drink, or simply water with lemon or lime wedges.

Skip the appetizers. Some of these pre-meal splurges contain more fat and calories than the entree. And many appetizers are deep fried and served with rich and heavy sauces. An order of cheese fries with Ranch dressing can exceed 3,000 calories, for example. Cut this part of the meal altogether.

Go for a salad. Replace those fatty appetizers with a pre-meal salad. Fill up on the good stuff before the main meal begins and you will eat fewer calories by meal’s end. And be careful not to ruin the healthy salad. Skip the Caesar option because Caesar salads are often saturated with creamy dressing. If there’s an option between spinach and iceberg, choose the former. Make sure that you ask for no cheese or croutons (or remove them once the salad arrives at your table.) Opt for a vinegar-based dressing if possible. If you love Ranch or Bleu Cheese, order it on the side, and try dipping your fork into the dressing before each bite. That will give you a nice distribution of flavor and you might be surprised by how little dressing you have used once your salad plate is clear.

When choosing your entree, opt for something that has been grilled or broiled, not fried. You’ll save fat grams and calories, and you’ll also eat fewer of those unhealthy trans fats.

Ask your waiter or waitress to replace the starch with a second order of vegetables. You’ll save on calories and get another serving of the good stuff.

Skip the cream. When ordering soup, opt for clear soups instead of cream soups. When ordering sauces, choose the tomato-based sauce over the creamy one. You’ll save even more calories if you ask for all sauces to be served on the side.

When the meal comes, split it. Make a mental line down the center of your plate and stop eating once you’ve reached the halfway point, if not before. If you have a hard time quitting when it’s time, ask for a takeout container at the beginning of your meal and remove half the meal from your plate before you even begin eating.

If you can’t skip dessert altogether, choose fresh fruit or another low calorie treat. Many restaurants are offering at least one or two dessert choices that are lower in fat or calories. Give these a try. Or simply order one dessert for the entire table and make a point to eat very, very slowly. Before you know it, the dessert will be gone and so will all that temptation. And here’s food for thought: Have you ever noticed that it’s the first three bites of any big indulgence that we truly enjoy: way more than we enjoy subsequent bites? So take a few nibbles and truly enjoy them. Then put down your spoon. Order a cup of coffee (with some skim milk) if you still need a little something to cap your meal.

Many restaurants are offering more healthy choices than ever before, so it is becoming easier to stick to a healthy diet and have an enjoyable dining experience, as well.
 

About the Author
 Jamie Jefferson writes for Susies-Coupons.com and Susies-Travel-Coupons.com where you’ll find hand-selected online coupons, coupon codes and travel discounts.

I?m confident that you answered YES! to each of those questions, just as the hundreds of individuals I?ve counseled, coached, and trained in my career as a Certified Personal Fitness Trainer and Rehabilitation Specialist.

I?m now going to reveal to you the 16 essential strategies that have enabled my clients to achieve the health and fitness goals they always wanted!

16 Essential Weight Loss and Fitness Strategies

1. In the beginning, your fitness program should not be overly aggressive. One of the biggest problems people encounter when starting a fitness program is rapidly depleted motivation after only a few weeks due to an overly ambitious fitness program. Attempting to do too much too fast is worse than doing nothing at all! Because then you feel like exercise is too hard and it?s just not for you.

Start out slow, maybe just shooting for 1 or 2 workouts a week. Once you have successfully added that to your normal routine, then attempt to slowly add to your fitness program. Plus, most people don?t need to exercise more than 3-4 times a week. That doesn?t mean you can?t exercise more; it?s just not necessary.

2. Always have a detailed plan! In order to reach your health and fitness goals, you must have a road map to follow. I can?t stress this enough. If you are unsure of how to put together a fitness plan, or if you?re uncertain of the effectiveness of the one you have, I highly recommend you consult a professional fitness trainer. With a well thought out plan you are much more likely to be successful!

3. Set realistic, attainable goals. You must have tangible, quantifiable, short and long-term goals so you can measure and assess your progress. Too many people have totally unrealistic expectations of what to expect from an exercise and nutrition program. The best way for you to understand what is realistic and attainable is to talk with a fitness professional ? not to buy into the ?hype? of infomercials and diet and fitness products that are blatantly misleading.

4. Keep a journal! This is one of the most important things you can do. If you?re not tracking what you?re doing, how will you know what worked? There are quite a few great exercise and nutrition logs I?ve come across. You should keep track of all your exercise and also each day?s food intake.

There?s a company called NutraBiotics that makes a great 90-day journal that can be used to track strength training, cardiovascular exercise, and daily nutrition. If you would like more information on this journal, please feel free to call me at 240-731-3724.

5. You must be accountable! Set exercise appointments with yourself if you?re not working with a personal fitness trainer. Use your appointment book to set aside times for exercise, just like you do for meetings or events. Don?t let things get in the way. Nothing is more important than your health! If you don?t have your health you can?t effectively do anything. I often have mothers tell me that they can?t find time to exercise because they have to take care of their children. I have 4 daughters myself, and a baby on the way, so I know exactly how hard it is. Whatever your situation is, making the commitment to exercise and your health IS possible, and very important. Plus, it sets a great example for the children!

6. Remember the benefits of exercise. Being physically fit affects every aspect of your life: you sleep better, eat better, love better, overcome stress better, work better, communicate better, and live better! Remember how good it feels to finish a workout, and how great it feels to meet your goals!

7. Exercise safely and correctly. So much time is wasted doing, at best, unproductive exercise, or at worst, dangerous exercise. Educate yourself on how to exercise correctly. The best way to do that is to hire a personal fitness trainer. It could be for just a few sessions to learn the basics, or it could be for a few months to learn everything. It?s completely up to you. But statistics prove that those who understand how to exercise correctly get better, faster results. And that?s what you want, right?

8. Enjoy your exercise! For example, if you hate doing strength training, try to find ways to make it more enjoyable. Circuit training might be a more fun and exciting way to fit this important part of fitness into your program. The key is you should enjoy it, and if you don?t you need to look for other exercises or activities to replace whatever it is you don?t enjoy.

If you don?t enjoy it, how do you expect to stick with it?

9. Make time to stretch! It has so much benefit and takes very little time. So many people suffer from various aches and pains of which most can be eliminated by basic stretches! Try to spend at least 5 minutes after each workout stretching. For more information on stretching and how it eliminates aches and pains, please call 240-731-3724 to request a FREE copy of my special report ?No More Back Pain?.

10. Don?t think you need to exercise 5 days a week! I touched on this earlier. Many people feel they?re getting fat because they?re not exercising. Totally not the case! Exercise is not the answer! It?s all in your eating habits. However, exercise can aid in burning body fat, plus there are numerous health benefits. Think of exercise as a bonus.

How many people do you know who exercise 3-5 times per week, but still fail to meet their weight loss and fitness goals? I?ve met hundreds!

First look at your eating habits, such as: when you eat, what you eat, how much you eat, where you eat, and how often you eat.

11. Never skip breakfast, or any meal! If you want to maximize your fitness or fat-loss efforts you?ve got to eat breakfast! So many people skip breakfast, and it?s the worst thing you could ever do when it comes to fat-loss. Skipping meals throws your blood sugar all out of whack and it sets you up to store your next meal as fat, almost guaranteed!

12. Eat fat to lose fat. Healthy fats are necessary to your body for numerous reasons: regulating hormonal production, improving immune function, lowering total cholesterol, and providing the basics for healthy hair, nails, and skin.

The key is to eat the right types of fats. The ?good? fats are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats like olive oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, and avocados, to name a few. The ?bad? fats are partially hydrogenated oils, and trans fats. Most processed foods contain large amounts of these bad fats. For more information on the different types of fats, please call 240-731-3724 to request a FREE copy of my Healthy Eating Guidelines.

13. Drink plenty of fresh, clean water. Yes, I know that you have probably heard this one over and over again. But there?s a reason for that ? it?s that important! The recommended daily intake of water is 8 glasses, or 64 oz. You should even be drinking even more if you are active or exercise regularly.

And no, soda, juice, coffee, and tea DON?T count! Nearly every chemical process place in your body, takes place in water! Proper blood flow and digestion are both affected by how much water you drink, and poor blood flow and digestion can be linked to numerous health conditions.

14. Stabilize your blood sugar! If you want to burn fat and prevent your body from putting it back on, you must stabilize your blood sugar. In order to do this you need to eat small, balanced meals or snacks every 2-3 hours.

Fasting, skipping meals, and overly restrictive diets will enable you to lose weight ? in the short run. The weight you lose is primarily water weight and muscle tissue, and in the long run has opposite effect of what you want. When you restrict your diet, your body instinctively thinks it?s being starved and shifts into a protective mode by slowing down the metabolism and storing nearly all calories as body fat. Plus, losing muscle tissue is the last thing you want to do. Muscle burns calories, even while you sleep. You should be focused on increasing, or at least maintaining muscle tissue.

15. Focus on increasing muscle tissue. As I mentioned previously, muscle burns calories, so if you want to increase your metabolism, you have to increase your muscle. The best way to do that is with progressive strength training. That doesn?t mean you have to join a gym, buy expensive fitness equipment, or follow some bodybuilding workout program; it simply means you need to challenge your muscles! You can do that at home in just 15-20 minutes, 2-3 times a week.

16. Get the help of an expert! Obviously, meeting your health and fitness goals is important to you, so why not eliminate the guesswork and start seeing the results you have always wanted? With the help of a qualified professional you can!

If your car breaks down, where do you take it? Mechanic, right? How about if you have a cavity? Dentist. So why is it that so many people attempt to solve their health and fitness problems without consulting an expert? I don?t know exactly, but I encourage you to make the investment in yourself- in your life- by hiring a professional to educate you and help you meet your goals.

So there you have it. The 16 essential strategies for an effective weight loss and fitness program that will have you looking and feeling great!

Jesse Cannone is a certified personal trainer and author of the best-selling fitness ebook, Burn Fat FAST. Be sure to sign up for his free email course as it is full of powerful weight loss and fitness tips that are guaranteed to help you get the results you want. http://www.guaranteed-weightloss.com

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