5 Of The Biggest Weight Loss Myths

Low fat diets

Low fat diets have had many people fooled for years, and with the result just about every brand has come up with a low fat or fat free alternative at a higher price of course, but do not be fooled any longer. Our bodies need certain amounts of fat to survive and actually help us to lose weight. Unsaturated fats are the good fats and can be found in most “fatty” foods as well avocados, nuts, others. The real culprit to gaining weight is sugar. It is not the high fat content in chocolates, pizza, sauces, and sweets that cause weight gain, but the sugar content. Sugar is used to make fat free products taste much better, so most fat free “diet” products actually have more sugar then their normal counterparts. Sugar is turned into glucose, or energy, by the body and when you have too mush of it, it is stored in the fat reserves until you need it.


Eat less

Eating less is good to a point. When you think that you have to eat less to lose weight you could be in actual fact going in reverse. The body needs a certain amount of food to be able to burn calories and then use up existing calories, so you must not cut out food all together. The metabolism slows down, making it even more difficult to lose weight. You should eat smaller meals more often and do not skip meals.

Fruit and Vegetables only

Some people realize that eating fresh foods can help in their weight loss effort, but it is a myth that only eating fruits and vegetables will help you to lose weight. Your body needs other minerals and vitamins which will help you to lose weight that are only found in fish, chicken, red meats and fats. Eat everything in moderation and eat an average portion of fresh fruit and vegetables every day.

Can be done in a few weeks

No exercise routine, pill, or program can make you lose weight successfully in a few weeks. While some products can give the appearance of weight loss, it could only be temporary and you will end up gaining the weight again plus more. Pills are not good for your health and even the natural ones that aim to boost the metabolism will work without effort from you. They can assist along with good eating habits and exercise.

Sit ups will get rid of flab

Sit ups will not get rid of flab and make you lose weight around your mid section. The bodies fat reserves are all spread over the while body and you will lose weight equally and the same time. This is why most people get frustrated that they seem to be losing weight on their fingers and toes first, when in actual fact they are losing everywhere, but only notice it there first. The tummy will take a while to lose its fat reserves and sit ups will only work the muscles underneath all that fat. Only cardio vascular exercise will improve the body’s rate of calorie conversion to energy.

By: Mark McDonald

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This article was written by Mark McDonald as a dedication to Jacob at: www.whatwouldjacobdo.com He's 438 lbs. and Running the Boston Marathon; an amazingly inspirational weightloss story

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How To Protect Yourself From Negativity

I am writing this article direct from the filming set of a new BBC1 primetime TV series called "Run For Glory." Run for Glory charts 15 people who have amazingly valiant reasons for wanting to raise money for charity by running the London Marathon.

None of them were runners before this show and they are being trained by UK Olympic gold medallists Steve Cram and Sally Gunnell. I have been filming for one of the Run For Glory shows to help the participants overcome psychological barriers and get in control of their minds with regards to running the marathon and their preparation.

I have found it very interesting to observe the relations between the crew, the producers and the interactions with and in between the participants of the Run for Glory show and how other people really do affect each other and have an impact on each other.

Recently, I wrote about developing rapport without even speaking. Lots of people do this without even being instructed on how to do it. One of the things that I have noticed since I started working within the various fields of personal development is that I am much more aware of other people and how I interact with them.

I have practiced and practiced achieving a really enjoyable sense of rapport with people when I meet them and develop relationships with them. It has been great to observe my own improvements in how I do this and the kind of intuitive and instinctive way that I do this.

When working on the set of this TV show "Run for Glory", I was chatting to one of the participants who is about to become very famous here in the UK thanks to this show, and they were telling me that at the end of filming each episode of Run for Glory, with everything going really well, they would finish the day feeling drained and verging on being depressed.

I spoke to them for a while and I was not sure about this until I observed all the kinds of interaction that was there in this unusual TV environment filming for Run for Glory – the participant was getting excellent results, I mean they are doing so amazingly well, so why were they feeling so low?

I suggested that this person might be picking up other people’s issues, thoughts and feelings. I suggested that maybe they needed to protect themselves from the other Run for Glory participants. She used the technique that I then demonstrated to her and subsequently reported back that she felt amazing, so much better than she was before when she was around these people that were stressed, having great demands placed upon them and facing some very challenging situations in their lives.

When you develop rapport with people and get close to them, you can and often do access some of what they are thinking and feeling. This is not the best when the person you are in rapport with is not in a great or a productive state.

It is like a friend of mine who I joke is a "fun vampire." Sometimes he is so morose and seemingly depressed when we are out socially that he seems to "suck the life and the fun" out of all the people that he encounters! I know you all know someone like that too.

I tend to find this is particularly important when I am running seminars with people that are making a lot of changes in their lives or if I am working therapeutically with individuals; I want to be sure not to take on board too much of their feelings and way of thinking. So I want to show you some ways of protecting yourself too.

The way I suggest of doing this requires your natural ability to use your imagination and visualise. Now, if you believe you have difficulty visualising or using your imagination, trust me when I tell you that you use your imagination every day. Your imagination is what reminds you what your partner or spouse looks like, what colour your front door is and how your childhood bedroom looked. You do not have to visualising in perfect cinema screen pictures in your mind, just do it in a way that is right for you. This method is just as effective if you visualise the things I ask or if you just pretend to visualise them in your mind.

Firstly, get yourself nice and relaxed. Sit still and take some longer, deeper breaths and then allow your breathing to be natural and become rhythmic and easy. Focus on the moment; be aware of how your body feels in that moment.

Secondly, as you get more relaxed, imagine the relaxation spreading through your body. If you want to, give it a colour or a texture or imagine it as a sensation.

Thirdly, imagine the relaxation, or the sensation of stillness moving out of your body, just a few centimetres. Imagine that you are extending it to become a protective shield that is all around you.

Imagine that it acts as a filter, so only you to take on things that are for your better good and understanding and does not allow you to take on anything that is going to affect you detrimentally.

I don't know if any of you remember adverts for the oat cereal "Ready Brek"? The people used to have a glow about them when they were going to work if they had eaten their Ready Brek. When I first started protecting myself in this wonderful way, I used to imagine that I had a glow around me that acted like emotional armour and any unwanted thoughts or feelings or even comments of others that I did not want to carry around with me, just bounced off my armour.

Finally, when relaxing tell yourself that this protective shield is there working for you even if you are not consciously aware of it. That way you can be sure that you are not carrying anyone else’s vibes around with you and leaves you free to enjoy your experiences for what they really are. Then go ahead and practice this a few times, putting conscious effort into it, imagine making it more powerful with your attention and really getting it strong.

These ideas are just metaphors for protecting yourself, but because your mind and body are one system, they can be extremely effective ways of letting your unconscious know what you want. One of the things that you may begin to notice after you have used this approach a few times and over a prolonged period of time is that you just need to remind yourself of it every now and then, and then it works even better and better. The long term effects of establishing some protection are so very good for you; just as good as finding a good sun screen, that's for sure. It was so successful with that participant for Run for Glory too.

One of the first things I disocvered when I really looked at the people on the set for Run for Glory was how many people out there make negative or bad suggestions (ie. people who say things which guide attention in less than helpful directions). It is the same in life as on the Run For Glory Set! The number of well-meaning doctors, family members, colleagues and friends that I have heard giving people suggestions for ill health, stress and negativity is truly amazing! If you maintain some good protection for yourself, you can be sure not to allow other peoples negative language, thoughts and feelings to affect you in a way that is not for your better good.

The ability to protect myself from the things going on around me has been instrumental in my latter life, being able to block out most unhelpful messages that come my way leaves a very nice state of well-being and it did so too for the participant in Run for Glory.

By: Adam Eason

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Please visit Adam's website for a vast range of resources from the fields of hypnosis, personal development and human potential and to receive your amazing, free, instantly downloadable hypnosis session for relaxation: www.adam-eason.com

Article Posted By the Webmaster Foras Aje. He invites you to visit his website for more information on the Latest Health news, Healthy Living and Lifestyle choices at http://www.bodyhealthsoul.com

All about beating depression

This article is all about beating depression. I am a person who suffered from long bouts of depression, however after deciding to change my whole outlook on life, I now have a much happier, successful and stress-free life. I will explain how I went about achieving this new life.

As I grew older and especially when I was in my early twenties, I used to always compare my life with other people I knew, for example my friends. It seemed to me that my life was so much more of a struggle than what their's was and that most of these people had so much more going for them and so much more to look forward to than I did.

I was not happy at the hand of cards I had been dealt and would regularly be down in the dumps, feeling sorry for myself. I had a number of issues in my life which had a major impact on my self-confidence and self-esteem, which would also lead me into depression. This issues including a weight problem, a stutter, a bald patch on my head and I am quite short in height compared to the average man.

I was in a regular state of depression and found it very difficult to pull my self out of it. The stress for example of socialising when you have a stutter and trying to gain employment would take a lot out of me. My hair started to turn grey when I was only twenty-one years of age.

I was not content at always being depressed and at the age of twenty-two, I decided to attempt to change my whole life. I had to have a whole new approach and a totally different thought process, in a nutshell I needed to chill out, think in a far more positive way and learn how to de-stress.

This was not going to be easy however it was essential to do. I started to read many self-help type books and books about eradicating depression. I learnt many things such as worrying about a situation makes it even harder, not easier and that in life all you can do is to try your best, therefore whatever the outcome you can feel proud that you gave it your best shot. It is also important to remember that we only live once and that that life could come to an end tomorrow, therefore we should treat every day as if it is the last and to enjoy ourselves.

The main change I made was that I started to think and compare my life to people I was reading about in the newspapers or watching on the television instead of comparing my life to my friends for example. From learning about countries in the third world and reading about certain disasters and terrorist acts, I realised what a fool I had been and that I was actually one of the lucky ones. If and when I start feeling down or depressed, I quickly switch on the news and it soon shakes me out of that temporary depressive state.

By: blueboy

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Stephen Hill has a number of websites including: how to eradicate depression stuttering therapy manual article submission service

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Article Posted By the Webmaster Foras Aje. He invites you to visit his website for more information on the Latest Health news, Healthy Living and Lifestyle choices at http://www.bodyhealthsoul.com

So, how does one become genuinely happy?

Life isn't the sweetest candy. Sometimes, when I feel like the world is just too heavy, I look around and find people who continued to live fascinating and wonderful lives. And then thoughts come popping into my mind like bubbles from nowhere – "How did their life become so adorably sweet? How come they still can manage to laugh and play around despite a busy stressful life?" Then I pause and observed for awhile… I figured out that maybe, they start to work on a place called ‘self'.

So, how does one become genuinely happy? Step 1 is to love yourself.

My theology professor once said that "loving means accepting." To love oneself means to accept that you are not a perfect being, but behind the imperfections must lie a great ounce of courage to be able to discover ways on how to improve your repertoire to recover from our mistakes.

Genuine happiness also pertains to contentment. When you are contented with the job you have, the way you look, with your family, your friends, the place you live in, your car, and all the things you now have – truly, you know the answer to the question "how to be genuinely happy."

When we discover a small start somewhere from within, that small start will eventually lead to something else, and to something else. But if you keep questioning life like it has never done you any good, you will never be able to find genuine happiness.

I believe that life is about finding out about right and wrong, trying and failing, wining and losing. These are things that happen as often as you inhale and exhale. Failure, in a person's life has become as abundant and necessary as air. But this should not hinder us from becoming happy.

How to be genuinely happy in spite all these? I tell you… every time you exert effort to improve the quality of life and your being, whether it is cleaning up your room, helping a friend, taking care of your sick dog, fail on board exams and trying again, life gives you equivalent points for that.

Imagine life as a big score board like those which are used in the NFLs. Every time you take a step forward, you make scoring points. Wouldn't it be nice to look at that board at the end of each game and think to yourself "Whew! I got a point today. I'm glad I gave it a shot.", instead of looking at it all blank and murmur "Geez, I didn't even hit a score today. I wish I had the guts to try out. We could have won!" and then walk away.

Genuine happiness isn't about driving the hottest Formula 1 car, nor getting the employee of the year award, earning the highest 13th month pay, or beating the sales quota. Sometimes, the most sought after prizes in life doesn't always go to the fastest, the strongest, the bravest or not even the best. So, how do you become genuinely happy? Every one has his own definition of ‘happiness'. Happiness for a writer may mean launching as many best selling books as possible. Happiness for a basketball rookie may mean getting the rookie of the year award. Happiness for a beggar may mean a lot of money. Happiness for a business man may mean success. So, really now, how do we become genuinely happy? Simple. You don't have to have the best things in this world. Its about doing and making the best out of every single thing. When you find yourself smiling at your own mistake and telling your self "Oh, I'll do better next time", you carry with you a flame of strong will power to persevere that may spread out like a brush fire. You possess a willingness to stand up again and try – that will make you a genuinely happy person.

When you learn to accept yourself and your own faults. You pass step 1 in the project "how to become genuinely happy". For as long as you know how to accept others, you will also be accepted. For as long as you love and know how to love, you will receive love ten fold back.

Again, throw me that same question "how to become genuinely happy?". I'll refer you to a friend of mine who strongly quoted- "Most of us know that laughter is the best medicine to life's aches and pain. But most of us don't know that the best kind of laughter is laughter over self. Coz then you don't just become happy… you become free."

By: Tim Maher

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Tim Maher is interested in personal development in all its facets and has read many books on this topic. It is an interest that is fed and nurtured by listening to audio books and seminars when possible. To assist your own personal growth journey get your audio resources at ==> www.magillaudiobooks.com/list.aspx?catId=137

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The power to change things for the better

It's so easy isn't it, to get caught up in daily living, making a career for yourself and chasing achievement, and not pay too much attention to asking questions about how you live. In fact, you can choose to let everyone else make the decisions about politics and ethics, and just go with the flow. Why should matters like that concern you? Surely, you say, it's not up to you to ask at all - that's for politicians and philosophers and people who know what they're talking about.

Think about this for a moment. Were it not for the fact that ordinary people like you and me ask questions, and examine the way we live, and seek change for the better, it would be down to a handful of remote people making decisions on your behalf. About everything! About human rights. Community issues. Foreign trade. Care of the elderly. War.

Everything that you see and experience in the world is worthy of question.

That's why you really can believe in your ability to be a politician and a philosopher, and add to the conversation about what it is to be a human being in the global community. You are truly capable of it. And you have the courage to do it.

Giving someone a label doesn't mean that no-one else has the right to challenge what that person believes or how they act - you have the opportunity to make a difference by being always mindful of what you believe are fundamental requisites for living a truly compassionate and thoughtful life.

You can do this because you are committed to your journey to find the truth in your life and you have asked questions of yourself to understand what holds you back from achieving your goal. It's only a step away from really examining the beliefs and opinions you hold and questioning them to ensure that they are based on your inner truth and your commitment to it.

Living a thoughtful life is about understanding the ethics of how you live, and what you can change to improve the quality of life for all life on the planet. It means always re-evaluating your beliefs and having the humility to reassess them if you find that there is a more loving and compassionate way of thinking.

You have the power to change things for the better. Think about it.

By: Neel Raman

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Neel Raman, is an author, presenter, workshop facilitator and coach to many. He has written ‘Hoops and Freedom’, a powerful self-improvement book, in the form of an entertaining fiction story, targeted at those who want and demand more from life. To get the first chapter for FREE and to receive FREE motivational lessons, visit www.focusedon.com.au/blog To find out more about this book and to register to receive FREE newsletters and other FREE offers, visit: www.hoopsandfreedom.com

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So-called hidden secrets are available for the ultimate in health...

"Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." (Jer. 33: 3)

Have you noticed that all over the internet, in bookstores, and on Oprah 'they' have found the secret? So-called hidden secrets are available for the ultimate in health, wealth and everything you need to lead a satisfied, wonderful and purposeful life. These secrets can be bought for big money, along with consultations by 'enlightened' persons.

The plain truth is that there is absolutely nothing new under the sun. In fact, the many books, motivational speakers and counseling firms claiming to have this secret, are elaborating on a book written over a hundred years ago. James Allen, the author of As A Man Thinketh, discovered the Biblical principle that what and how you think affects your whole life.

This is absolutely true! Although many have taken this man's wisdom to heart and profited greatly by it, they don't know the whole story and the original Author behind the truth!

I am here to encourage you that God has a unique purpose for you. He is the one who puts desires in your heart and encourages you:

"Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert."

In other words, He does not want you to dwell on all the bad stuff in your past, but move on:

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Cor. 5: 17)

Furthermore, and most importantly, He tells you:

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." (Rom. 12: 2)

You see here that God very much wants you to focus your thoughts on Him and what He wants for your life. He wants you to have a clear mind with no worries, trusting that He is your Provider for all your needs.

He does not want you to have a care in the world. All you need to do is bring all your needs in prayer to Him, thanking Him in advance for the result. God honors your faith. You will be in His perfect peace when your mind trusts completely in His provision for your life. Furthermore, He wants your thoughts to be riveted to everything that is true, honest, just, pure, lovely and of high moral value. (Phil. 4: 6-8)

The beautiful thing is that He doesn't leave you stranded by yourself. He has given you a Helper. The Holy Spirit is there to guide you. He will lead you to know God's Perfect Will for your life. The more you develop the habit of spending daily quality time with Him, meditating on His Word, the clearer His Will for your situation will become.

Without a close inter-relationship, you may ask Him whatsoever you want, and wonder why He doesn't seem to hear you. He may even give you your wish. But, be aware that it may end up being disastrous for you. His perfect timing is also important. He will show you His best for you when you're emotionally and spiritually ready to receive it!

"Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it on your lusts." (Jas 5: 3)

God wants you to have riches! He is a big God! He has even crowned you with glory and honor, and made you to have dominion over the works of your hands. (Ps. 8: 5-6)

Furthermore, He has promised to bless you so much in all things that the blessings won't just follow you, but overtake you! In other words, they will show up even before you ask for them, if you obey His commandments. (Deut. 28: 2)

Therefore: "Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." (Ps. 37: 6)

By: Ann Stewart

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Ann Stewart is author of With Wings As Eagles, an inspiring story of unwavering faith in God's Word and answered prayer: www.lifealteringwords.com/with-wings-as-eagles Looking for affirmation, encouragement and inspiration? The welcome door is wide open at Embracing All the Promises of God: www.lifealteringwords.com

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We are in control of our own thoughts

We are in control of our own thoughts and our thoughts lead to our actions.

When you are discouraged, you could choose to fill your mind with negative, limiting thoughts that will deepen and intensify your discouragement.

Or you can use your thoughts to break free of that discouragement.

Your thoughts have incredible power because they determine how you see yourself and your situation.

Your thoughts, powerful as they can be, are yours to choose.

By wisely choosing your own thoughts, you can find new positive energy even when you have previously been overwhelmed with weariness.

With your choice of thoughts, the difficult, challenging situations can be transformed into grand opportunities.

Turn your thoughts around and you can turn your life around, like turning a light switch on and off.

Put positive power into your thoughts and that power will spread to the world around you.

What you think of yourself and your world has an enormous impact on how you relate to and deal with life.

You can, in an instant, flip that switch and choose any thought you wish.

In every moment of life, choose the thoughts that will get you up and point you forward.

Then live out your life in abundance and prosperity as you bring those thoughts to life.

Mary Wozny

By: Mary Wozny

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Mary Wozny is co-author of "How to Build Your Families Million Dollar Real Estate Empire" and specializes in providing quality training and information products teaching women, families, and investors how to accomplish their goals and build wealth through real estate, creatively and legally with little risk. She is the founder of www.MillionaireRiches.com and www.VibrantHealthandProsperity.com.

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