Losing Weight With Phentermine

To be healthy is the ultimate desire of the young generation. A healthy body is defined as a proper ratio of height and weight of an individual and it is called mass index. If mass index exceeds the body ratio then it is treated as an obesity case. There are mainly two advantages of healthy body; increase in resistive power to fight back the disease, and improve self-confidence level of the individual. Keeping body fit helps the individual to progress in all the walks of life. 

 

To overcome obesity is the primary requirement of an individual and to overcome this, strong will power and patience play an important role. But in most of the cases, people are unable to cope up with these factors; thus some of the medicine experts introduced weight loss tablets in the market. These pills help in reducing the excess weight and keep the individual fit and healthy. One of such pill is the Phentermine, which acts as an agent in suppressing the diet and appetite. When diet and appetite is in control, body automatically responds to the mass index of the individual. The Phentermine is one of the best diet suppressant medicines available in the recent market. It has a certificate approved by the FDA and it is working in this field since 1953. It helps in reducing weight in just two to three months. The proper ratio of metabolic rate and the calorie ratios are properly maintained with the help of Phentermine. Another reason for Phentermine to be popular world-wide is the cost of the pills as compared to other weight loss pills. Phentermine pills are cheap and fulfill the desire of being healthy and fit.

 

As we know that the Phentermine is a medicine that controls the appetite, it is also an Anorectics class of drug. The main job of these pills is to affect the serotonin conditions of the brain and in turn reduce the quantity of intake. Due to this the individual is less attracted towards the fatty foodstuffs and gains control over the excess calories. Every medicine takes time to show actual effects and the same is the case with Phentermine, so people taking Phentermine pills should have patience and will power.

 

Phentermine does not boast about its popularity neither it is a magic pill because Phentermine work for those people who are ready to carry out daily workouts nor stick to the balanced diet. It is a two way process. Once you are ready to follow the system then only Phentermine will work for you otherwise the result will not be achieved as per your anticipation. The Phentermine pills are recommended to those patients who are suffering from obesity and other illness related to over-weight. People with heart problems should not go for Phentermine. Pregnant women are advised to stay away from Phentermine and in case they are already taking Phentermine, should consult their doctor for the right kind of doses; otherwise the new born baby may lead to abnormalities. Brest feeding mothers are not recommended to take Phentermine pills.

 

There are various formulae available in case of Phentermine pills, one of them is quick release formula that provides fast impact on the blood stream and helps in controlling the appetite and reduces the weight enormously. The second formula works with time frame, in which the medicine mixes in blood stream after 12 hours and after this period only, the actions start for controlling the appetite. The obesity patients who are undergoing treatment with Phentermine are advised not to engage in activities such as driving and working on heavy machineries.

 

Individuals have to follow Phentermine pills for three to four months and during this period they have to carry out regular exercise and follow correct dose of the pills.

Losing Weight With PCOS - Low Carb May Help Insulin Response

Learn about PCOS and how a low carb diet can potentially help the many women whose fertility is threatened by this condition. And discover why a 40 year old woman who had been following the Atkins diet for a month was admitted to intensive care recently.

 

PCOS is a condition that has a strong impact on a woman's fertility, and affects between 5% to 10% of women of child bearing age. Because a woman's body doesn't produce enough eggs when she suffers from PCOS, it can cause infertility and contribute to difficulties in falling pregnant.

 

Most cases of PCOS are not genetic, but they are all related to hormonal abnormalities. The reason not enough eggs are produced is because of an excess of the androgen, or 'male' hormones. Both men and women have androgen hormones, but men have them in much greater quantities. This hormonal imbalance means that the cysts that are a normal part of producing eggs, do not grow. So a woman with PCOS has a lot of small cysts on her ovaries that do not mature to release their eggs. Normally, once this process happened, the cysts would go.

 

Another consequence of the higher levels of androgen hormones is the increased risk of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, as well as a likelihood of having more facial hair.

 

Interestingly, low carb diets such as the zone diet may help overweight women with PCOS. A recent study of 11 non diabetic, overweight women with PCOS who had an average age of 33 was conducted. The study compared a 'standard' diet with 56% carbohydrates and 16% protein, with a lower carb diet of 43% carbohydrate and 15% protein. The fat component of the lower carb diet was a lot higher than the standard diet, by 14%. This is higher than it would be in the Zone diet. The fat content of the low carb diet was almost evenly split between polyunsaturated fatty acids and monounsaturated fatty acids. The fat content of the standard diet was almost evenly split between the two types of fatty acids, but was slightly higher (by 3%) in the monounsaturated variety.

 

A third diet, one high in both carbohydrates and monounsaturated fatty acids, was also compared. The study participants only followed each diet for 16 days. They had a 3 week break between each diet, and tried all 3.

 

Because production of the androgen hormones are influenced by the presence of insulin, the researchers were interested in finding out whether a low carb diet could reduce the amount of insulin circulating in the body. They believed this would have an indirectly positive effect on PCOS.

 

The results of this study found that whilst hormones that were circulating weren't significantly affected by the lower carb diet, the women's cholesterol, fasting insulin levels, free fatty acids, and their response to insulin were positively affected. The fact that their response to insulin improved is an indicator of the possible benefit of a low carb diet to PCOS sufferers. And because the women only followed the diet for 16 days, this may be why their levels of circulating insulin were not more prominently affected.

 

The authors of the study state that: “Because elevated insulin is thought to contribute to the endocrine abnormalities in PCOS, a reduction in insulin would be expected to ultimately result in an improved endocrine profile." 

 

They go on to say that these improvements indicate that using a low carb type diet, with a lower calorie intake, would probably benefit overweight women who suffer from PCOS.

 

Not all low carb diets are created equal however. The Atkins diet has been associated with an increased risk of heart problems for some, as well as being implicated in the hospitalization of others.

 

A 40 year old woman was hospitalized with very high levels of acids in her blood as a result of following the Atkins diet strictly for about a month. The release of acids in the blood, called ketosis, is an indicator of the 'success' of the Atkins diet, and is actually a result of the process of starving the body of certain nutrients beyond a threshold level. The nutrient being, of course, carbohydrates. 

 

Carbohydrates are a source of energy for the body, the only source used by the brain. But when the body is deprived of carbohydrates after the threshold level, it will use alternate methods of metabolizing energy. It uses stored fats and protein, but this is not a very biologically efficient way of producing energy for the body. So, there are a lot of acidic metabolic by products, called ketones. These are released into the bloodstream, to be excreted by the body.

 

In the case of this woman, these metabolic by products weren't excreted fast enough and built up in her bloodstream. She was vomiting 4 to 6 times a day. This build up of blood acids represented a dangerous situation and she was admitted to intensive care.

 

The Atkins Foundation responded that this woman must have had abnormal metabolic or clinical issues. But given that this woman, who was obese, is in a category at which the Atkins diet is marketed, there is a real cause for concern here. With obesity, there is a greater likelihood for both general medical problems, and metabolic problems. If an obese person did not have metabolic problems of one form or another, they would not be obese. Perhaps there were circumstances that were particular to this woman here, but until those potential dangers are understood more fully, this is a significant issue. It's ironic that a diet should be implied as not being suitable for anyone with metabolic issues, particularly if this diet is marketed as a 'way of life' - that is, recommended for long term use.

 

References:

 

1. nutraingredients-usa.com/news/ng.asp?n=67217&m=1NIU421&c=qgtqmovbyiaxdub

2. nutraingredients-usa.com/news/ng.asp?n=66493-atkins-low-carb-weight-loss

Losing Weight With Ephedrine

Ephedrine has been shown to increase the effectiveness of thermogenesis (fat burning) in the body. It contributes to the release and blocks the re-uptake of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine. This gives norepinephrine the ability to continuously stimulate receptors in your body, causing fat cell "flood gates" to open and facilitate fat loss resulting in weight loss.

 

Not only does ephedrine increase the rate at which fat is lost, it preserves muscle at the same time, making it an ideal dieting aid for athletes. The most comprehensive look at ephedrine for weight loss is a recent meta-analysis published in The Journal of the American Medical Association. This meta-analysis was done by the request of the US Department of Health and Human Services. It reviewed 44 controlled trials on the use of ephedrine for weight loss it found that on average, it increased weight loss 1.3 lbs. per month more than placebo. However, combinations of ephedrine or ephedra with caffeine or herbs containing caffeine resulted in an average weight loss of 2.2 lbs. per month. Through nutrient repartitioning, ephedrine promotes fat loss while preserving fat-free mass.

 

One of the reasons why it is such a powerful weight loss agent is that it operates through a variety of mechanisms, including increasing levels of norepinephrine, epinephrine, and dopamine, and stimulating both alpha and beta adrenoreceptors. It (through facilitating the release of adrenaline and noradrenaline) stimulates the alpha(1)-adrenoreceptor subtype, which is known to induce hypophagia (appetite suppression). It is estimated that appetite supression accounts for 75-80% of the weight loss with ephedrine.

 

What is Ephedrine?

 

Ma Huang (Ephedrine) is known as one of the world's oldest medicines. Ma Huang (Ephedrine) is a member of the family of herbs known as the Ephedraceae. Ma Huang is a shrub-like plant found in desert regions throughout the world. It is distributed from northern China to Inner Mongolia. The dried green stems of the three Asian species (Ephedra sinica, Ephedra intermedia, Ephedra equisetina) are used medicinally. The North American species of ephedra, sometimes called Desert Tea or Mormon Tea, does not appear to contain the active ingredients of its Asian ephedra counterparts.

 

Ephedrine is a naturally occuring central nervous system stimulant obtained from the plant Ephedra equisetina. Ephedrine is produced by chemical synthesis, the synthetic product being marketed in the form of its salt, ephedrine sulfate; it occurs as a white crystalline powder with a bitter taste, soluble in water and very soluble in alcohol. Ephedrine's peripheral stimulant actions are similar to but less powerful than those of epinephrine (also called adrenaline), a hormone produced in the body by the adrenal glands.

 

What is Ephedrine used for?

 

Ephedrine has been used in China for more than 5,000 years to treat symptoms of asthma and upper respiratory infections. It has also been used in the treatment of headaches, fevers, colds, and hay fever. Today, compounds derived from this herb are commonly found in many over-the-counter (OTC) cold and allergy medications. Ma Huang is also found in some weight loss and energy products. For dieters, Ephedrine suppresses the appetite and stimulates metabolism through a process known as thermogenesis. Recently, Ma Huang has been the subject of scientific research for obesity because of this thermogenic fat-burning effect. It is used to increase heart rate, blood pressure and performance. This is normally released by your body under stress to enhance sports performance.

 

Ephedrine has moderately potent bronchial muscle relaxant properties, and therefore is used for symptomatic relief in milder cases of asthmatic attack; it is also used to reduce the risk of acute attacks in the treatment of chronic asthma. Ephedrine is also used to treat low blood pressure, because it constricts blood vessels and stimulates certain actions of the heart.

 

What are the side effects of use and Ephedrine Weight Loss?

 

Some of the more common side effects people experience from taking the drug are nervousness, dizziness, tremors, rapid heart rate, headaches, jitters, palpitations, insomnia, increased blood pressure. When taken at higher levels, ephedra can cause drastic increases in blood pressure, as well as cardiac arrhythmias. Discontine use if you experience any side effects.

 

Do not use this ephedrine weight loss product if you are now taking a prescription containing Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor (MAOI) (Certain drugs for depression, psychiatric or emotional conditions, Parkinson's disease) or 2 weeks after stopping the MAOI drug. If you are uncertain whether your prescription drug contains an MAOI, consult a health professional before taking this product. Do not store above 30 degrees C (86 degrees F). Protect from moisture.

 

What is an ECA stack?

 

The ECA Stack is a component found in thermogenic weight loss pills, composed of ephedrine, caffeine and aspirin working to speed up the metabolism and thus cause calories to burn faster and result in weight loss. Anyone with high blood pressure or heart problems should not take the stack.

 

Benefits of Ephedrine (Ephedrine Weight Loss):

• ephedrine increases metabolism

• ephedrine suppresses appetite

• ephedrine preserves muscle tissue

• ephedrine treats symptoms of asthma and upper respiratory infections

 

Losing Weight While Keeping Your Skin Firm

Losing weight and keeping your skin firm in the process is possible if you do everything right. Don't get too eager about losing weight too fast and follow the right program and you will be celebrating your success.

 

Considering you don't have an excessive amount of loose skin already it is possible to lose weight and keep your skin firm in the process. The idea is to keep your body well hydrated day in and day out. NEVER EVER let yourself become dehydrated. Drink plenty of water throughout the day and NEVER EVER totally eliminate your carbohydrate intake. From my experience most people who have lost weight too fast by eliminating their carbohydrates ended up with a lot of excess skin afterwards. The whole idea is to lose the weight to get healthier and of course to look better with your clothes ON and with your clothes OFF. Here are some tips:

 

1. Follow a well-rounded balanced diet such as my insulin response diet located at http://www.tbfinc.com

 

2. Follow a full body exercise routine alternating with a split routine every 4 weeks. For example, full body routine 4 weeks, split routine 4 weeks, full body routine 4 weeks, and so on. 

 

3. Considering you don't have stomach ulcers and you are not on blood thinners you should also take ONE TEASPOON of cold artic cod liver oil ONCE PER DAY with your evening meal. 

 

4. Take 1000-1500mg of lecithin per day. Lecithin has been known to increase the elasticity of the skin. 

 

5. Anything you can do to increase circulation will also help. Skin brushing techniques are very good. Do a search on the internet for skin brushing to get all the info you need. Deep massages are also good. 

 

6. Most importantly if you are more than 75 pounds overweight DO NOT try to lose weight too fast. The more you weigh the easier it will be to lose weight on this program so ease into it slowly so you only lose about 3 pounds per week. Doing this will prevent the sagging skin. If you lose weight too fast you will end up with loose skin 90% of the time. 

 

7. Some of my clients have done weekly body wraps with great success but it can get messy. You can do this as an option but it's really not necessary. 

 

As an option you can also take a supplement called collagen. 

 

As I stated above one key to increasing the elasticity of your skin is to keep your body well hydrated. Yes, drinking water will do this. The average person needs at least 1/2 an ounce of water per pound of body weight. Possibly more depending on the type of exercise you do on a daily basis. The reason why so many people end up with loose skin after losing weight is because they go on low carbohydrate diets that will in turn dehydrate the body. If you lose weight and are dehydrated in the process you will see the scale weight go down but unfortunately most of the weight being lost is nothing more than water weight. If you are losing 2-3 pounds per week you are doing great. If you are losing 4-6 pounds you are pushing the limit. Any more than 6 pounds per week and you are sure to end up with loose skin after losing the weight because chances are you are restricting too many carbohydrates from your diet. Cutting out refined flours/breads and sugars will yield the best results.

 

Also, instead of getting on the scale every week to measure your progress go more by how your clothes are fitting. I always tell my clients to try on the tightest pair of pants they have and then follow my program for 4 weeks and then try them on again. After 4 weeks those tight fitting pants will be a thing of the past.

 

Follow all the above and you will see satisfactory results.

Losing Weight the Healthy Way is the Best Way

Almost 108 million Americans were overweight or obese in 1999. Until now, obesity continues to be a serious problem and is predicted to reach epidemic levels by the year 2020.

 

One way to prevent this scenario is to make people aware of the risks of being overweight or obese. 

 

Here are some diseases that you are putting yourself in risk of if you are carrying a lot of extra pounds: 

• heart disease

• stroke 

• diabetes

• cancer

• arthritis

• hypertension

 

Losing weight helps to prevent and control these diseases. 

 

The quick weight loss methods which have spread like fire these days do not provide lasting results. More often than not, dieting methods which involve dietary drinks, foods and supplement or pills do not work. If they do, the results are just temporary. 

 

It is better to rely on a healthy weight loss option which will provide lifetime results. You have to set realistic goals and not expect to lose a lot of pounds in a short span of time. 

 

Here are some tips on how you can lose those unwanted pounds the healthy way:

 

1. Do not starve yourself. 

 

The key to a healthier way of losing weight is: Do not diet. 

 

You may seem happy and feel that you are losing those unwanted flabs on your belly and thighs by skipping meals. But remember that this would not last long. Your body cannot tolerate having insufficient food to fuel the energy that you use up every day. 

 

If you get used to skipping one or two meals a day, your stored calories will be used up instead of the energy that should have been provided by your meals. So if you just eat one huge sandwich in one day, it will end up straight to your problem area (i.e. highs, buttocks, hips). 

 

2. Start your day right. 

 

Mothers always say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Have a healthy meal in the morning to jump-start your metabolism. 

 

Your food intake after you wake up will be used to burn fat all day long.

 

3. Eat small, healthy meals frequently. 

 

Five small-serving snacks per day is better than three hearty meals. Eating more frequently, and in small servings, can prevent over-eating. This will also increase your metabolism and make calories burn faster. 

 

4. Decide on how much weight you want to lose. 

 

Keep your goals realistic. In the long run, it is virtually impossible for you to lose 40 pounds in 2 weeks. Have a mindset that you want to eat healthy to stay healthy for the rest of your life.

 

Once you have decided on a weight loss plan or program, stick to it and make sure that you follow your own set of dieting rules. 

 

5. Drink lots of water. 

 

Your body needs sufficient water to burn fat and keep your cells hydrated and healthy. 

 

6. Avoid too much sugar. 

 

Plan your meals around lots of fruits and vegetables, some bread, rice or pasta for that carbo fix that you need, plus lean meat and protein rich-foods. Sweets, sodas and pastries should be once-in-a-while indulgences only.

 

7. Watch your fat intake. 

 

Fat is not the culprit to being overweight. You need this to keep your weight at the proper level. 

 

There is such a thing as healthy fats. Olive, peanuts and canola oil have them. Tuna, salmon and mackerel have omega-3 fats which is good for the heart. 

 

8. Exercise. 

 

Leave your car if you are only going a few blocks from home, take the stairs instead of the elevator, jog, cycle or skate. Use these activites and other home chores if you are too lazy to go to the gym and take exercise classes. Make sure that you do this regularly and you will not even notice that you are already shedding pounds with these mundane activities. 

 

It does not matter how much weight you plan or need to lose. What is important is that you set realistic goals for yourself. 

 

Go slow. If you have already lost 5 or 6 pounds, give yourself a break then try to lose the next 5 pounds. 

 

Eat healthy, drink lots of water, have enough sleep and exercise. This will give you a higher chance of losing weight and improving your health, which would result to a new, healthier you.

Losing Weight One Pound at a Time!

Over two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese. That’s quite a high percentage of adults who have a need to shed a little or a lot of fat! The only way to do this is one pound at a time!

 

Many overweight individuals wish and hope for a quick cure to their weight problems. They’ll try anything that promises instant results! Unfortunately, these ‘miracle weight loss’ products are scams! They may help a person shed some water weight, initially. But, the fat isn’t going anywhere without a little effort on that person’s part!

 

For those of you who have tried weight loss diets or are thinking about trying one, consider all the dieters who have tried the same diets and failed. The number one reason for permanent weight loss failure is the inability to stick with the diet!

 

Many individuals become ‘yo-yo’ dieters. They try one diet for a while, lose a few pounds, quit the diet, gain back the weight (and then some), and move on to another diet. The process is repeated. With each new attempt, there is often more weight to lose than there was initially! 

 

Successful Weight Loss Strategies

 

If you want to lose weight successfully, you must realize, first, that there are no miracle diets or products that will blast away the fat! You didn’t gain the weight overnight! You aren’t going to lose it overnight, either! You will have to put forth effort to lose the fat, one pound at a time! Even after you’ve shed those extra pounds, you will have to continue to work at controlling your weight, if you wish to keep the fat off! 

 

In an article on Consumer Reports.org which rates various popular diets, Cathy Nonas, R.D., M.S., (an obesity researcher at North General Hospital in New York) states, “The best diet is the one you can stay on.” Consumer Reports goes on to say that “adherence is important... To maintain lost weight, dieters must permanently reduce their calorie intake, because they will need fewer calories to fuel their now-smaller body.”

 

Fad diets typically fail in the end. From my own personal experience, I have found that eating sensibly works best! If you want to lose weight (one pound at a time), keep it off, and feel good, too, why not try cutting down on the empty calories found in most American diets? Eat more raw vegetables and fruits and whole grains. Go easy on the fats and processed sugary or salty snacks. Limit yourself to smaller portions and avoid having second helpings. This type of diet is one that you CAN stick with and live with for the rest of your life!

 

Yes, you’ll have to make a few lifestyle changes, and you’ll have to work on being more disciplined in your eating habits. But, in the end, it will be worth it! You’ll look better! You’ll feel better! Your confidence will return, and you’ll believe that there isn’t anything that you cannot do! 

 

Wouldn’t it be worth giving up that 44-ounce Coke and that huge order of greasy French fries for a healthier, happier you? If you simply can’t do without a few French fries and a Coke now and then, go ahead and treat yourself to a small serving. Cut back on calories somewhere else that day. Occasionally, it’s okay to indulge. But, if you seriously want to shed the extra fat and keep it off, be conscious about everything you put into your mouth. You’ll lose that weight, a pound at a time!

 

Note: Before beginning any weight loss program, be sure to check with your medical professional.

Losing Weight Is As Easy As 1, 2, 3, 4 with Dr. Fitness and the Fat Guy

This week's four tips include suggestions in each of the four elements you need to work on in order to achieve your health, fitness, wellness and weight loss goals: (eating right, exercise, support and accountability).

1.    Good Eating Tip

 

Next time you order pizza for yourself or your kids ask for half the cheese. You’ll barely notice any taste loss. But what you will lose is tons of calories and a whole lot of grams of saturated fats. Pizza’s doesn’t have to be left off weekly menu anymore.

2.    Making Exercise Safe and Fun

 

In order to lose weight you have to become more active. Most people do anything to avoid moving their bodies. And society is an accomplice. You can pick up food, a prescription, your clothes and your kid without leaving your car. In President Bush’s new “Healthier US “ initiative (http://www.healthierus.gov) he suggests walking for 30 minutes each day. Even if you have to break it up into 10-15 minute chunks. Not only will you burn 200-300 calories, you can walk with your family and increase your quality time as well. Move family time away from the TV and onto the street.

3.    Maintaining Your Support System

 

If you’re the type of person who feels guilty about things, great news. You can use that emotion to help you lose weight. Here’s how. Exercise with a partner. But before you start make a pact that you will not let the other person down and you will pick them up should they start losing interest. It’s much easier to let yourself down then another person. You won’t do it, because you’ll feel guilty if you do.

4.    Accountability Tools

 

A food diary is a great way to keep track of what you eating and when. Keep track of what you consume on an hourly basis throughout the day. If you do this for 2 weeks you will see exactly where those extra calories (and thereby those extra pounds) are coming from. Also, don’t forget to keep track of what you’re drinking.

Losing Weight Is All About What You Gain

Have you thought about losing weight but just can't seem to find enough reasons to really motivate you. This article gives you a thorough look at some very real reasons to consider making weight loss a top priority in your life.

 

Many people have thought about losing weight over the years, but often seem to fall short of an actual attempt to do it. The reason why so many people think about it so much is because deep down, they know that having that extra poundage is not at all good for them. The problem is, just knowing that being overweight is bad is not enough to really push many people to do something about it. Much like wanting to quit smoking, knowing it is bad for you don’t induce people to quit doing it. However, if you were to find some really good reasons to quit smoking, like your doctor told you if you don’t quit, you will lose a lung next year, that might make you act and just do it.

 

Well, losing weight is just like quitting smoking, the more good reasons you have to do it, the more likely you are to act on it and make it happen. If you have something driving your motivation aside from just knowing it is bad for you, you are also more likely to maintain your weight loss goal once you reach it.

 

First and foremost, losing weight means getting healthier. When you lose those extra pounds you greatly reduce the risk or heart disease, stroke, cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes and joint stress, all conditions associated with being overweight. When you reduce these risks, it means you can have a much better chance of being around to see your children grow up and being around to enjoy your grandchildren. That alone is reason enough to get that weight down.

 

Another reason you might want to consider for losing weight is that you will feel better. As you begin to lose some of those extra pounds, you will start to notice your energy levels increasing. Being overweight by 20 pounds is like putting a 20 pound sack of potatoes on your shoulders all day. Extra body fat is nothing more than an extra burden to carry around with you every day, so the extra weight drains your energy. For this reason, overweight people tend to be less active and this promotes more fat to collect up on them. As this continues, they become even less active and so this becomes a vicious cycle leading to obesity. 

 

As a nice little side benefit, losing weight will make you look better, and who doesn’t want to look better? Each and every one of us has a vision of what we want to look like. Most people are not completely satisfied with the way they look. They will always find something they don’t like about themselves and wish they could change and for people who are overweight; this can be a great motivator to lose weight. A recent study done concluded that as early as age 5, girls who had higher body weights had lower self-esteem than girls with normal body weight.

 

When a person loses weight, what are almost always the responses of other people who know that person? You hear things like; you look good; you’ve lost weight haven’t you? And think about how you would feel when you’ve lost enough weight to be able to fit into that dress or that pair of pants you wore back in high school. Now keep in mind, looking better is a great reason to lose weight but it should not be the only one.

 

When you have at least a few good, valid reasons to want to lose weight, it will be a lot easier to motivate yourself to get started and stay with it. Let’s face it, your health, well-being and self-esteem are very good reasons to get rid of those extra pounds and keep them off for good.

Lose Weight: Sushi Is Your Friend

If you're not making sushi at home you're missing out on a delicious and extremely diet-friendly meal. It's easy to make, fast, nutritious, and the raw fish you're afraid of is completely optional.

 

First let's have a brief overview of sushi for those who've never had it or those who have tried it but want to know more.

 

Sushi is the catch-all name for a wide variety of Japanese dishes. The word sushi actually refers to rice with rice vinegar added. Since this is a very basic and lightly flavored food, it is the many ingredients added to it that really define what dish you are eating. The raw fish you have heard of is sashimi - an ingredient of many types of sushi - but you can create sushi with virtually any ingredient that goes with rice.

 

In America by far the most common type of sushi is Maki-sushi, or rice wrapped in seaweed. The seaweed is called nori and forms the green skin you can see around sushi pieces. For this reason maki-sushi are called nori rolls on many menus. Also popular is Nigiri-sushi, small bars of rice topped with wasabi and sashimi. 

 

It's easy to include sushi into a healthy diet. Think of the ingredients: rice, vegetables, and fish. Not exactly a heart-attack in the making, just the opposite in fact. As long as you don't go overboard on the rice it is extremely low calorie in addition to being low fat. Where we chomp pork rinds and potato chips, the Japanese have sushi. Care to guess which country has a longer average life span?

 

Let's learn how to make a California roll, easily the most popular nori roll in America today. You will need the following items, all of which should be easy to find in your supermarket's oriental foods section or at your local Asian market:

 

• Bamboo rolling mat

• Sushi rice (short or medium grain)

• Nori (squares of roasted seaweed)

• Salt

• Sugar

• Rice vinegar

• Imitation crab meat

• Avocado

• Cucumber

• Wasabi

• Soy sauce

 

Prepare the rice according to the directions on the package. You will need about 3/4 cup cooked rice for each sushi roll, and most people will be full after eating 1 or 2 rolls. 

 

In a small pan, place a tablespoon of vinegar and 1/3 tbsp of sugar and salt for each 3/4 cup of rice you are cooking. Heat the resulting mixture briefly and stir until the sugar dissolves. When the rice is almost done cooking, begin cutting your vegetables. Peel a cucumber and cut it into long thin strips, about a 1/4" around. Same for the avocado. If you bought powdered wasabi prepare it also (just mix in tiny amounts of water until you get a thick paste).

 

Once the rice is done, remove it from heat and slowly fold in the vinegar mixture. Then lay the rice out on a sheet of foil or a baking sheet and allow it to cool (traditionally this is done by fanning the rice while slowly stirring it). The rice should be slightly damp and sticky, but not wet and mushy. Getting the rice right is the most difficult part of making sushi, but a little practice will teach you what works.

 

Once the vinegared rice has cooled off, you are ready to put it all together. Lay your bamboo rolling mat in front of you horizontally (the bamboo sticks should run left-right). Take a sheet of nori and lay it on the rolling mat. Spread a layer of rice on the nori, covering about 3/4 of it. The part of the nori not covered in rice will hold the roll closed (think of the glue strip on an envelope or the gum on a cigarette paper). 

 

Place a strip of avocado and a strip of cucumber on the rice, and top it with crab meat. Now wet your fingers with cold water and dampen the part of the nori you left uncovered. Carefully roll the sushi using the mat, starting with the rice side and rolling it up (don't roll the mat into it, silly). If this sounds complicated, don't worry. It is as simple as rolling up a sleeping bag or a beach towel, and it will be obvious to you once you actually have the ingredients in front of you.

 

Take the resulting roll and cut it into bite sized slices, usually 6 per roll. If you are having trouble cutting the roll without damaging it, try dipping your knife into water between each cut. Lay the pieces flat and they will look like little colorful discs. Serve with wasabi and soy sauce on the side.

 

If you feel brave and want to try sashimi, here are a few safety tips. First of all, understand that millions of people eat raw fish every day without getting sick. However, most of them live right next to the sea where fresh fish is abundant. For many land-locked Americans this isn't the case. Fish that is prepared for shipping to a grocery store in Boise is not handled in the same way as that bound for a San Francisco sushi bar. Look for fish that is specially labeled as sushi-grade. Avoid freshwater fish, with the notable exception of Salmon, which spends much of its life at sea. When buying whole fish, make sure the gills are bright red and not slimy, the eyes should be transparent and not cloudy, and there should be no fishy odor.

 

Take up a healthy and nutritious sushi addiction today. It may take you a while to get the rice and the rolling right, but once you are experienced you'll be able to whip out several nori rolls in five minutes.