The Paleo Diet, which is also known as the Paleolithic or Caveman Diet, is a diet that is focused on natural foods to obtain great health and fitness. It has also been observed to be the best diet to lose weight quickly.  It focuses on the premise that the human body evolved over a two million year period eating the food that is found in nature.  Humans ate primarily meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, eggs and nuts.  Humans basically thrived eating these foods and it is only recently that we have deviated from this very specific and healthful diet.  Proponents of this diet blame the processed and unnatural foods found on the plates of many people today as the cause for the obesity epidemic as well as a host of modern illnesses and diseases. This is why the Paleo Diet ranks highly among diets to lose weight quickly.
Supporters of the Paleo Diet criticize many of the foods which are recommended by the government and popular health organizations.  Many of their suggested diets include large amounts of grain products, excess sugars, vegetable oils, legumes and dairy which are items that are eliminated or severely reduced in the Paleo Diet.  Popular diets today tend to eliminate things like saturated fat, cholesterol and red meat, all of which are supported within the Paleo Diet.

Banksy

The low carbohydrate nature of this diet is conducive to weight loss and many people who start to embrace this type of lifestyle find that they lose a substantial amount of weight early on, such as within a three month period.  However, they also experience some very substantive health benefits as well.  It has long been shown that eating processed carbohydrates has many different side effects.  By avoiding these types of foods in the Paleo Diet, the practitioner will decrease their chances of developing heart disease, various cancers, and diabetes.
A great strategy to begin thinking about the Paleo Diet is to change the way you approach shopping at the supermarket.  By staying with the edges of the market instead of going into the aisles, you will naturally buy foods that are supported by the diet while avoiding the ones that are not. This way you can start to adapt to this diet which is a quick way to lose weight in a healthy fashion.

Steak © by promeus123

Ketogenic diets have been used for a long time to control epileptic seizures in kids. Recently, they have also been suggested in recent years as one of the best ways to lose weight. The ketogenic diet is one that allows for relative high fat intake combined with moderate levels of protein and very little in terms of carbohydrates. Studies out there have shown a lot of success with this diet in controlling epileptic seizures. There is less data available regarding the ketogenic diets efficacy as a weight-loss plan, although some results seem very promising. It may very well be the case that the best way to lose weight is by employing this type of diet.
The theory behind ketogenic weight loss mandates that the ratio of fat intake to the combined intake of protein and carbohydrates is 4-to-1. The high intake of fat increases ketosis which is a process that converts the fat into ketone bodies and fatty acids. The body uses these byproducts as sources of energy instead of glucose. The thinking here is that by increasing the number of ketones and through the reduction of carbohydrates, the body will then start to burn ketones. This allows the body to more efficiently use the energy stored in fat.
Breakfast foods in the typical ketogenic diet include bacon, eggs, sausage, and items light in flour. Lunch and dinner items might include tuna salad, burgers, tacos, chicken, chili, pork and grilled steak. Side dishes and snacks may include vegetable soup, coleslaw, almonds, chicken salad and cheese. The diet tries to eliminate sugar as much as possible and stresses alternative sweeteners.  The diet also focuses on coconut oil and flax oil are known to increase levels of ketones. The diet is fairly customizable, with the focus on the 4-to-1 ratio of fat to protein and carbohydrate ratio.
People who criticize these diets propose that ketosis is the human emergency response to chronic starvation caused by carbohydrate shortage. The general assertion of these folks is that the human body has a glucose preference and that the process of ketosis is dangerous and may even endanger human life.
One study conducted in 2004 found in the Annals of Internal Medicine did a comparison of a ketogenic diet low in carbohydrates to a diet low in fat in treating obesity. The researchers found that over a 24 week period, the participants who followed the ketogenic diet lost more weight and reduced higher amounts of fat than did those who followed a diet low in fat. Clearly there is some evidence that is emerging that shows that this may be the best way to lose weight.

A lot of folks are looking for rapid fat loss diets all the time.  The so-called experts in this field are always looking to promote the old theory that one should reduce calorie count as well as embrace moderate exercise as the means to achieve fast diet success.  Yet the reality is that the majority of this rapid fat loss dieting are not working.  People are getting more obese by the day, despite the fact that billions are spent annually on different workout routines, diet programs, and consultation.

 

I recently came across some great information from the folks at crossfit.com that really sums up what people really need to know about rapid fat loss.  They explained it a whole lot better than the awful advice I am seeing out there:

 

Vegetables © by Martin Cathrae

“In plain language, base your diet on garden vegetables, especially greens, lean meats, nuts and seeds, little starch, and no sugar. That’s about as simple as we can get. Many have observed that keeping your grocery cart to the perimeter of the grocery store while avoiding the aisles is a great way to protect your health. Food is perishable. The stuff with long shelf life is all suspect. If you follow these simple guidelines you will benefit from nearly all that can be achieved through nutrition.”

 

The message here is very clear.  People should eat lean meats, vegetables, nuts, seeds, some fruit, a little starch and no sugar.  People should avoid processed foods as much as possible, as our bodies are not designed to eat those types of foods.  The focus should be on eating foods that are on the low end of the glycemic index.

 

If you just stay away from any foods items that come in a box, a wrapper or any package whatsoever, you will see some rapid fat loss in very short order.  Remember, the key to losing weight fast is focusing on what you eat, rather than how much you eat.  Just give this rapid fat loss diet a try – there is a good chance you will see results in a very short period of time.

 

Low Carb Spicy Meat Balls1 © by t_l_lynch

It is really not that challenging to identify the kinds of foods that have little or no carbohydrates.  Rather, the tough part is sticking to a diet that is limited in carbs.  The fact of the matter is, so many of the foods that are eaten in today’s society are laden with low quality carbohydrates and sugars and this is why we have such an epidemic of obesity. The challenge of maintaining a healthy weight relates very closely to the commitment of individuals to stay away from carbohydrate laden processed food sources.

As any participant knows with the Atkin’s diet low carb foods are virtually any item of meat, game, poultry, fish, or dairy products.   Sticking with any of these protein sources will allow for very little consumption of carbohydrates.  Unfortunately so many of us are used to pairing our proteins with some sort of heavy carbohydrate, and this is what makes a no carb diet very tough.  It is finding the alternatives that pair well with the protein that is key.

Fortunately some of the best foods for the low carb diet are found among the various vegetables to be found in the supermarket.  Great examples of low carbohydrate vegetables include beans of various sorts, asparagus, cabbage, brussel sprouts, spinach, pumpkin, mushrooms, peas, turnips and tomatoes.

One of the easiest ways to identify foods that are low in carbohydrates is to use the glycemic index.  Foods that have a high index tend to convert into energy quickly in the body.  These are typically foods that are high carbohydrate.  Foods with a low index take a long time to convert into energy and are low in carbohydrates.  Diabetics use these diets to maintain their blood sugar levels and improve their health.

Individuals who want to lose weight by limiting their carbohydrate consumption can use the glycemic index charts as a reference. By mixing and matching among these selections, they can determine their best foods for low carb diet.

 

 

 

There are a number of diets out there that promise to help you lose weight.  They vary in their strategies, theories and approaches to getting rid of fat.  But when one is looking for the best weight loss methods for themselves, they really have to personalize their search to the kind of existing diet that they have, their current weight, exercise routine, sleep patterns and so forth.

The majority of the popular diets out there can generally be broken down into two categories – those that focus on the amount of calories consumed, and those that focus on carbohydrates consumed.

Diets that focus on the amount of calories consumed include NutriSystem, Jenny Craig, and Weight Watchers. The premise behind these diets is that overweight people consume too many calories so they need to emphasize portion control to bring their weight down.  the methods that are employed by these companies is to help people count the number of calories they consume to make sure they stay below a certain number or prepare the food for them meeting a certain caloric daily level. The companies that promote these diets claim that calorie restriction is the key to effective weight loss methods.

Obesity in the US © by Global X

Other fast weight loss methods are focused on limiting the number of carbohydrates that one consumes.  These diets include the Caveman Diet, the Atkins Diet and the South Beach Diet.  All these diets emphasize eating a lot of proteins while forgoing carbohydrates, especially so called “white carbohydrates” such as white bread and pasta.  Proponents of these types of diets do not necessarily rely on reducing the overall amount of food consumption as the primary driver for weight loss.  Rather, they believe that it is the composition of the diet that is key to losing weight.

Of course there are several other weight loss methods out there that have nothing to do with diet, such as liposuction and the Lap Band.   And there are other diets that take a combination of the above listed approaches to help people lose inches from their waistlines.  Some diets put a heavy emphasis on the psychological causes for obesity, such as Phil McGraw’s Weight Loss Diet.  At the end of the day, with the various causes for obesity, people should choose the diet that works best for them.

Everyone always wants to know how they can boost their metabolism.  Is it more exercise?  Is it something that one should eat?  Does it have something to do with sleeping patterns?  Well, for the most part it is none of these things.  A large part of metabolism speed is simply what we are born with.  Some people have a high metabolism and stay that way throughout their lives.  Other folks have slow metabolism.  The average man has a higher metabolism than the average woman owing to larger size and greater muscle mass.  All people will see their metabolism decrease over time with age.

Thankfully there are things that you can do to help your diet increase metabolism.  The first thing that you can do is increase your intake of protein with every meal.  All foods produce what is called a thermic effect, which is a slight increase in metabolism.  However, proteins, as opposed to carbohydrates and fats have the highest thermic effect, and therefore the greatest impact on metabolism.

The best metabolism pattern is to fire it up early in the day and keep it stable until the evening.  To do this, one should eat a sensible breakfast in the morning and small meals spread out throughout the day.  By eating meals spread out in this fashion, the body is continually processing food at a constant rate thereby keeping the metabolism rate relative high and stable.

Contrary to popular belief, there is a need to maintain at least a minimal level of calorie consumption.  If fewer than 1000 calories are consumed daily, the body will actually lower the metabolism rate to compensation.  You will lose weight because of this severe caloric reduction, but there is a high probability that this weight will return.

Another great suggestion for increasing metabolism is adding more fiber to your diet. Although fiber is a carbohydrate, it is non-digestible, so the body has to work extra hard to break it down.  This extra work uses additional energy which in turn boosts metabolism.  This is why vegetables, which are low in carbohydrates but high in fiber are great foods for helping you boost your metabolism.

So although so much of metabolism is controlled by how by your genes, do not lose hope.  There is much you can do with respect to your diet that can help you manage the speed at which your body burns calories.

People are always asking for the best ways to lose body fat.  Fortunately, there are numerous ways to tackle this problem.  Unfortunately, this multitude of ways also comes with a number of different side effects.  For instance, many of the diets out there deplete the body of necessary nutrients needed to maintain muscle fibers.  This is turn causes the dieter to wonder how they can lose body fat without losing muscle.  Some folks want to maintain their current form but appear leaner and wonder can you lose body fat without losing weight.

The first step for making this happen is establishing a diet for losing body fat.  Many studies have shown that a diet that is high in protein and low in carbohydrates can be very effective in accomplishing this.  By utilizing an induction period over a two week period, a diet that is carbohydrate free can cause the body to enter a state of ketosis, where the body begins to convert fat into energy instead of sugars.  After this induction period, maintain a low glycemic index diet that will keep blood sugar levels relatively stable throughout the day.

The second step is to maintain habits that will keep body fat off over a lifetime.  It is critically important to have some regular level of physical activity.  This will help in keeping one’s metabolism up and burn more calories throughout the day.  Other healthy habits are making sure that you eat breakfast in the morning, eating 5 or 6 small meals throughout the day, and reducing your salt intake.

Of course there are alternative ways to lose body fat quickly.  Many of these are supported by very strong marketing campaigns that are targeted at those folks who do not want to put any work into their weight loss.  A great example of this is liposuction or stomach stapling surgeries, which have really been quite prolific in recent years.  The disappointing thing about these surgeries is that their effects tend to wear off in a short period of time.  Even extreme measures like these will fail to work if people do not make a concerted effort to change their lifestyle.

Other solutions that we see that do not produce sustained body fat loss over time are diet pills.  The majority of offerings out there do not work, and prescription diet pills can have some various serious side effects.  Occasionally, even some of the FDA approved ones prove to be quite dangerous.  Many of us remember the horror stories surrounding fen-phen in the 1990s.  The fact of the matter is, the body is very resilient and not susceptible to fat loss unless we make sustained dietary changes. Any short cut will not provide a long term solution.

In the rapid paced environment that most of us live in today, we are always looking for short term quick fix solutions to our long term problems.  Our weight is absolutely no exception.  The media is constantly hitting us with images of thin actors and actresses and we are made to feel guilty if we are overweight.  Yet, America today is facing one of the greatest obesity epidemics the world has ever seen.

In the midst of this epidemic, so many Americans are looking for a quick diet to lose ten pounds.  It seems like everyone is always coming back from some holiday celebration, some party, and some major event and now needs to sacrifice themselves either through diet and exercise to lose that extra ten pounds of weight.

Of course, this type of thinking is incorrect. People should not be looking for guidance on how to lose ten pounds.  Rather, they should be looking to live a lifestyle that promotes healthy eating and therefore healthy weight.  By embracing a diet that is low in both carbohydrates, processed foods and sugar, individuals can be at a healthy weight almost effortlessly.

Americans today more than ever are involved with a roller coaster experience with respect to their weight.  During the week, they fast and diet and on the weekends they binge.  We see so many people starve themselves and then binge eat causing disastrous effects not only to their physical health, but their mental health as well.

A lot of this bad behavior has to do with a diet industry that is focused on selling Americans the false mantra that the only way to control weight is by counting calories and using their will power.  Billions of dollars is made every year by companies that sell diets, products, and supplements based upon this false information.  The majority of these diets do not have any successful records to show that these diets even work.  And millions of overweight people are forced to go through the vicious cycle of losing 10 pounds, gaining it back, and losing it again.

If your goal is to maintain a healthy slim figure, do a quick checklist of the items that you are currently consuming.  Find out the glycemic measurement of the foods you most commonly eat.  Get a sense of how much high fructose corn syrup you are getting every single day.  Make small, but permanent adjustments to your regular diet and you will never have to think about losing ten pounds again.

There has been a real uptick in recent years about the merits of ketogenic diets, whether they work and whether they are safe.  Of course, it is essential that you consult with a physician before undertaking any type of diet but there seems to be some strong evidence out there that these types of diets work.

This diet was first discovered by physicians who prescribed this diet to some people with epilepsy as eating this way may control seizures.  Historically, it had been observed that epileptic people who fasted had lower incidence seizures.

The doctors began suggesting a diet that was high in fat and protein and consisted of little or no carbohydrates.  By forcing the body into a state of ketosis by depriving the body of carbohydrates, the body began to consume ketones as a fuel source instead of glucose.  This essentially caused the body to burn fat as fuel instead of sugar. Because of this fat burning, there appeared to be a strong connection between a ketogenic diet and weight loss.

Although there has been much debate about the effects of ketosis on the liver and kidneys, body builders and those with epilepsy have successfully used this diet for many years.  There are clearly risks that are associated with undertaking any diet, but it is difficult to find actually any studies that have shown that this diet is detrimental over a long period of time.

Ketogenic diet weight loss menus are typically categorized into four areas which are meat, fish, eggs, and cheese. Carbohydrates and sweets are avoided.  The diet typically begins with an induction period, where carbohydrates are strictly avoided to get the body into a ketone burning stage.  This period which takes typically two weeks is the period where the human body goes through the most change, and where people see a pretty substantial weight loss.  After the induction period, carbohydrates are gradually re-introduced, but at substantially lower serving amounts.

When undertaking this type of diet it is very important to make sure that vitamin and mineral needs are met as well as eating an appropriate amount of dietary fiber.  Because many people in America get their dietary fiber from their white carbohydrate foods such as white bread and pasta, when they undertake a ketogenic diet, they get no dietary fiber at all.

Although there are many different diets out there, it is really important to make sure that the diet plan you are undertaking is balanced.  Sometimes the plans may seem simple but it is very important to pay attention to the details to make sure that you are not missing important nutrients or unintentionally consuming foods that are bad for your health. One of the toughest parts of following a ideal protein diet plan is identifying the appropriate sources of healthy protein to eat.  Many folks improve their health dramatically by losing weight using a protein diet only to suffer from other ailments because they consumed too much saturated fat. When undertaking a protein diet that requires that 30 – 50% of the calories consumed come from protein, making sure you eat the right proteins is critical for good health.

Good sources of lean protein are not that hard to find.  Here are some great examples:

1.    Beans
2.    Eggs
3.    Lean Pork such as the tenderloin
4.    Low Fat or No Fat Cheese
5.    Skim or Low Fat Yogurt
6.    Chicken Breast Skin Removed
7.    Lean Cuts of Beef
8.    Fish and other Seafood

The ideal protein diet program should include the items above balanced with healthy organic non starchy vegetables and fresh fruits.  There are some vegetables that are a great source of protein as well, making them particularly attractive for this type of diet. High protein vegetables include:

1.    Soybeans
2.    Lentils
3.    Peas
4.    Broccoli

When many folks start a high protein diet, they start having issues with their digestive system.  The reason for this is that many folks get their dietary fiber from high carbohydrate foods such as pasta and bread.  This fiber needs to be replaced in the diet for healthy digestive function.  Folks on the protein diet would be well served by consuming at least 100 grams daily of the following:

1.    Whole grains
2.    Bran cereal
3.    Rolled oats
4.    Brown Rice

One of the attractions of the protein diet is the idea that you can eat pretty much as much as you want as long as you eat the right things.  At the end of the day, it is not calorie input that dictates how much you will weight is the quality input.  By emphasizing lean protein versus carbohydrates and eating organic, low glycemic index foods, you can be well on your way to maintaining a healthy weight.