My blog has moved to http://www.fast-weight-loss-tips.com/. I apologize for any inconvenience. Hope to see you there. Read more!

If you haven't checked out my squidoo lens, Quick Weight Loss Tips, do so now for some great tips. It has been entered in the Fresh Squid Contest for February as one of featured lenses on the Fresh Squid group. Come by and vote!

I have almost broken the Top 100 in the Health & Medicine category. So be sure to go check out my lens and vote for me .


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Quickly Check Your Body Fat Percentage

You will want to check out this post too:
Top Picks for Body Fat Monitor Scales


Recommended Reading:
Burn Fat Fast
Lose That Fat Belly! 5 Simple Steps
Calculate How Many Calories You Burn
Free Weight Loss Ebooks


Read more!

Trying to Lose Fat?

Then you need a scale that tells you more than just weight.

Does your scale tell you your body fat percentage?

Well now it can. I went through and checked out a bunch of body fat monitor scales and was amazed at how far they’ve come since I bought my first hand held body fat analyzer.

If you want an accurate way to track your body fat percentage then you definitely need to check these out. Any person who is serious about making progress should really invest in one of these body fat monitor scales.

Body Fat Monitor Scales - Top Picks

1. Tanita Body Fat Monitor With Body Water %
   $79.99

   Tanita's new Scale plus Body Fat monitors with Body Water % calculate body water levels using bioelectric impedance analysis (BIA), the same highly accurate method used in all our body fat monitoring products.
   

   • Tracks 10 previous weight and body fat% readings with calendar date.
   • Easy-to-read 2.25" 2-line display.
   • 4-person memory with athlete mode.
   • Power: AA batteries x 4 (included).
   • Capacity: 330 lbs (150 kg).
   • Weight Increments: 0.2 lbs.
   • Body Fat Increments: .1 %.
   • Modes: Adult, Children, Athlete.
   • Memory: 4 people.





2. Homedics Body Fat Monitor Scale
   $39.99

   The Homedics body fat monitor and scale uses BIA to measure body fat to the 1.0% and has up to 4 user memories. It has a 300-lb weight capacity and is designed with an LCD readout and body fat range graph.
   

   • Uses BIA to measure body fat to the 1.0%
   • Up to 4 user memories
   • 0.8 in LCD readout
   • Body fat range graph
   • 300 lb weight capacity
   • Reads to the 0.5 lb
   • Scale only mode-instant on and auto zero
   • Requires one 9 volt batter (not included)





3. Omron HBF-306 BodyLogic Pro Hand Held Body Fat Monitor
   $39.95

   Omron Body Logic body fat body fat monitors accurately measure body fat percentage in only 7 seconds!

   • Slim design for easy travel
   • Comfortable contoured design and large LCD readout for ease of use
   • Advanced technology for fast and accurate results
   • Advanced technology for fast and accurate results
   • Storage of up to 9 personal data profiles
   • Includes athlete mode and body mass index reading
   • Displays body fat percentage in only 7 seconds!

I've personally used the Omron for several years now but after seeing the Tanita body fat monitor scale I think it's time for a change. Any one serious about losing weight should make buying a body fat monitor a number 1 priority.

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Do you want to take your
fat burning to the next level?

Have you hit a rut losing
those last few pounds?

So why are you killing yourself by
doing more of the same boring cardio?

I am going to show you how you can take fat burning to the next level with interval training to help you burn more calories.

Why should I do interval training and not cardio?

The reason is simple. Research shows that interval training is much more effective for burning calories than cardio. Cardio will only take you so far before you need to do it longer and longer to burn the fat off. Your body starts to acclimate to it and before you know it you're killing yourself with long boring bouts of it.

What is interval training?

It's not as tough as you might think. The basic idea is simple you need to alternate between high intensity and low intensity.

How do I do burn more calories with interval training?

Let's use the treadmill as an example. One way you could do interval training would be to set the treadmill to the highest inclination and start out walking up hill. Then crank up the speed to a fast walk or running speed for 45 seconds then slow it back down to a walking speed. Now catch your breath and do it again. Keep repeating this for 15 minutes and I guarantee you will burn more calories with interval training than if you simply did cardio.

For a simple how to check out my recent article on ehow.com

How to Burn More Calories with Interval Training

How can I learn more about interval training?

There are some great books out there on the subject from novice to athlete level. One of the first books I ever bought on it was:



The Interval Training Workout: Build Muscle and Burn Fat With Anaerobic Exercise


It's a great book to start off with and learn more about interval training and creating routines with it. Last I checked it was $13.22 if you follow the link which is cheaper than amazon.

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Will Acai Berry help you
lose weight quick?

Uh, no.

Every weight loss or health website I go to I see acai berry everywhere. Because of all this mass marketing going on, people are believing that it has some special power or something. It's really making me sick to see all of these spammers trying to sell you the next greatest thing.

So what do we know about it?

Answer: Not much

You can see in my article Health Benefits of Acai Berry - Real or Hype? where I talk about the research on it. Bottom line is there is very little. It may have some really good antioxidant benefits but its not going to be some miracle weight loss cure. I couldn't even find a research article on weight loss for it.

Let me ask you this; do you want to lose weight quick?

Well there are no quick weight loss potions out there. If you want to burn fat, lose weight quick, and look good you have to work at it. You can lose weight quickly if you do it right.

Are you going to lose 10 pounds in 3 days?

No, but you can lose a couple of pounds a week and you can really start improving the way you look in a couple of weeks. Your body cannot burn that much fat in that short of time. All that you are losing is water and maybe muscle.

So what do you do?

Well you can start by reading my other articles. I also have ehow.com postings up on how to speed up your metabolism, choosing diet pills that work, and losing weight quickly.

You can also check out my squidoo lens tips to lose weight quicker.

You follow those tips and you will lose weight.

If you want to add a weight loss supplement then I would highly recommend Hydroxycut.

I've used it for many years and have thoroughly researched the ingredients. It is by far one of the best out there. Easily top 5.

Read more!

For those of you interested in some quick weight loss tips check out my new eHow.com articles.

How to Lose Weight Quickly
How to Choose Diet Pills That Work
How to Speed Up Metabolism
How to Lose Belly Fat
How to Measure Body Fat Percentage
How to Burn More Calories Interval Training


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For those of you not familiar with Squidoo it's a site where you can create what are called lenses. They are like mini blogs.

You can see my new lens Quick Weight Loss Tips for even more weight loss tips.

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Do you want to get rid of
that fat stomach?

So what works? With the endless advice from books and web pages and TV commercials on how to lose the belly fat, I keep coming across people who have little to no success. With all of the advice out there you would think that everybody would look like a celebrity.

First we need to clear up a big myth.

Abs are made in the kitchen not in the gym.

What do you need to do to lose that fat stomach then?

What you need is a solid diet strategy that involves a healthy diet plan. Changing your diet is crucial because you can do crunches/sit-ups till you’re blue in the face but you won’t get that toned stomach until you change how you eat.

So what works? With the endless advice from books and web pages and TV commercials on how to lose the belly fat, I keep coming across people who have little to no success. With all of the advice out there you would think that everybody would look like a celebrity.

Here are some tips to help you burn that fat off your waistline:

1. Cut sugar out of your diet.
   
   If you don’t understand why sugar will make you fat then read Insulin: The Fat Hormone to see why.



2. Stop skipping breakfast.
   
   We live in a fast paced society and breakfast is the easiest meal to skip. You are only doing yourself harm by skipping breakfast. This is the most crucial meal of the day to get your metabolism started and out of conservation mode from sleeping all night.



3. Eat 5-6 meals a day.
   
   Nothing will help more to keep your metabolism fired up and burning calories than eating several small meals a day. Skipping meals only sends your body into fat storage mode to conserve energy and slows down your metabolism.



4. Cut out the bad carbs.
   
   We are a lazy nation and the food industry loves to cater to lazy people. We fill ourselves with processed foods that don’t require cooking and then wonder why we have fat bellies. Stop and look at all of the junk you eat everyday. Cut out those bad calories and start eating less high Glycemic carbs.



5. Move your body.
   
   You don’t have to be a gym rat to slim down that waistline. There are plenty of things you can do right at home to burn calories. Go for a walk or play wii with the kids and stop lying there on the couch watching reruns of lost.

Life is short so stop wasting it by doing nothing.

Recommended Reading:

• How to Lose Belly Fat


• How to Speed Up Metabolism


• Flat Stomach for Women


• 6 Pack Abs for Men

Get a FREE week of meals with your first eDiets' Deliciously Yours meal delivery order

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Take Dr. Kushner's Free Diet Personality Test Today!

This is a must watch video for some great quick weight loss tips.

For those of you who measure food and count calories do not miss this video it will open your eyes.

I have been in the health care field for quite awhile and I had never caught on to this before. I almost always recommended weighing food but I had no clue how far off you can be by measuring it instead of weighing it. Definitely learned something from watching this video.

I hope you remember this quick weight loss tip when counting calories. I know I will.

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Yes, I know it was on Oprah so it must be legit then…or is it?

Now normally I just ignore all the hyped up marketing campaigns for the new in thing but I have been asked so many times about the health benefits of acai berry and if it is legit. I decided to do a little research to see what I could find out about it.


Here are a few excerpts from the scientific literature.

“This study demonstrated that açai offers a rich source of bioactive polyphenolics and confirmed the importance of investigating whole food systems when evaluating the potential health benefits of individual phytochemical compounds.”

J. Agric. Food Chem., 2006, 54 (4), pp 1222–1229

“The fruit of Euterpe oleraceae, commonly known as acai, has been demonstrated to exhibit significantly high antioxidant capacity in vitro, especially for superoxide and peroxyl scavenging, and, therefore, may have possible health benefits.”

J. Agric. Food Chem., 2006, 54 (22), pp 8604–8610

“The ac¸ai berry is the fruit of the acai palm and is traditionally consumed in Brazil but has gained popularity abroad as a food and functional ingredient, yet little information exists on its health effect in humans.”

J. Agric. Food Chem., 2008, 56 (17), pp 7796–7802

At first glance you might think hey this is some great stuff. It’s been on Oprah and Rachel Ray and it even has scientific articles.

Do the health benefits of acai berry have potential…absolutely.

Problem is the hype doesn’t equal the research. I only found 4 articles when doing a search of scientific journals. The bottom line is there is very little research out there to support all the claims.

I’ll leave you with a quote from the head researcher Dr. Talcott.

“A lot of claims are being made, but most of them haven’t been tested scientifically,” Talcott said. “We are just beginning to understand the complexity of the acai berry and its health-promoting effects.”



If you would like to try acai berry I would recommend
LifeTime Acai Juice, it has been getting good reviews.

Read more!

Free Ebooks on Weight Loss, Exercise, & Dieting

I am creating a page of free ebooks related to weight loss, dieting, exercise, and anything else that I can find related to health.



I will be periodically updating this list so make sure to check back for newly listed ebooks. They are all free for you to download and pass on.


Truth About Burning Fat

A Guide to Healthy Living

Top 20 Ways to Screw Up in the Gym

Healthy Diet System

36 Potent Foods for Weight Loss

Read more!

Angela Stokes speaks about her remarkable weight loss transformation with raw foods. She lost around 160lbs with a raw lifestyle.

One thing people may not realize is just how easy it is to lose weight eating raw foods. This video should serve as an example of the power of a raw food diet. Read more!

Atro-Phex Review

“Atro-Phex is one of the most powerful, innovative, and unique formulas ever introduced into the realm of weight management, energy, and performance enhancement."

That is the claim made on their website. As with all diet pills and weight loss supplements the question is does it pass the test?

Let's take a look at the ingredients and see.

• Phenylethylamine - A neurotransmitter in the brain, Phenethylamine is claimed to help increase the levels of dopamine. Dopamine is the feel good neurotransmitter and may have some correlation to overeating but research is still slim.

• Methylxanthine - Contains caffeine which is a proven diet pill ingredient.

• Green Tea - A proven weight loss ingredient, green tea has been shown to increase the metabolic rate, helping you to lose weight. Unfortunately, Atro-Phex doesn’t state how much Green Tea is in it to fully determine the effectiveness.

• L-Phenylalanine - Has been shown in clinical studies to aid in appetite suppression.

• Razberi Ketone - Found in raspberries hence the name and has been shown in certain studies to aid in weight loss.

• Advantra Z - Contains synephrine from bitter orange which at the right concentration is a high quality ingredient with fat burning properties. Unfortunately most companies that claim to use this ingredient don’t disclose the concentration of synephrine.

• Bioperine - Helps to increase the bioavailability of nutrients.

• Vinpocetine – Aids in increase blood flow to the brain and has not been shown to aid in weight loss.

• 7-Keto – Some studies show it is effective in weight loss, but at high dosages side effects such as heart palpitations were found.

Atro-Phex has a long list of ingredients but the ones highlighted above are the only ones of concern when it comes to weight loss. Don’t let long lists of ingredients fool you into believing that it must be better, this is a common marketing ploy.

Atro-Phex Review Conclusion:

Atro-Phex, like most diet pill companies, lists a few quality ingredients that have been proven to aid in weight loss and like most companies they neglect to tell you the amounts in their proprietary blend.

Bottom Line:

I am only tentatively recommending it because I don't have a full breakdown of the concentrations of the ingredients. That's not to say it won't help you lose weight though.

Try Atro-Phex and let me know your results.

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Lean System 7 (LS7), by iSatori, contains a proprietary blend of 7 fat burning herbal compounds. LS7 claims that it is a “must-have on your supplement list” if you’re serious about losing weight.

Diet pill claims are always debatable so let’s take a look at the ingredients and see if it passes the test.

• 7-Keto - Studies show it is effective in weight loss, but at high dosages side effects such as heart palpitations were found.

• Yerba mate and Guarana – Similar properties to caffeine which claims to help in thermogenesis (fat burning). Research is limited but both are commonly found ingredients in diet supplements.
  

• Citrus Aurantium – AKA Bitter Orange contains synephrine which at the right concentration is high quality diet pill ingredient with fat burning properties. Unfortunately most companies that claim to use this ingredient don’t disclose the concentration of synephrine.

• Green Tea – Numerous studies have shown Green Tea to be a proven ingredient that will increase your metabolic rate which will in turn increase the amount of calories you burn.

• Dandelion – Diuretic properties that cause you to excrete more water and salt lowering your water retention which in turn lowers body weight.

• Bioperine - Helps to increase the bioavailability of nutrients.

Lean System 7 (LS7) Review Conclusion:

I have my reservations about 7-keto DHEA due too the negative publicity it has received for anti-aging claims. With that said it does appear to have some promise as a diet supplement. Further studies need to be done.

With that said I am a big fan of products that contain Citrus Aurantium and Green Tea. Both have solid clinical studies to support them. My only concern is the lack of concentrations of each ingredient in LS7.

Bottom Line:

Until more studies are done we won’t really know how effective it is. My suggestion is
try Lean System 7 for yourself and see if it works.

If you have tried it leave me some feedback on it.

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“Can You Imagine Losing 4-7 Pounds Per Week Effortlessly?”

I recently came across this question (claim) by Apidexin so I decided to do a little research on it to find out.

Their website states that they “set out to create the world's strongest fat burner - Even stronger than Prescription Weight Loss Medications. In order to accomplish this tremendous feat we had to use ingredients that were: 1. Clinically Proven 2. Patented or Patent-Pending 3. And Produce Visible Results Fast!”

Obviously I agree that any weight loss supplement should have clinically proven ingredients but most companies out there like to stretch the truth about their “clinically proven” results.

Let’s take a look at the ingredients and see if it passes the test.

• Fucoxanthin – Most commonly found in brown sea weed and is used widely in Asian cuisine. Only research I could find was on obese mice which showed to have some positive effects.

• Razberi-K – Found in raspberries hence the name and has been shown in certain studies to aid in weight loss.

• Guggul EZ 100 - There is a small amount of evidence that indicates guggulsterones may also have value as a fat burner but the clinical studies are limited. More research is needed.

• Thermodiamine – Comes from a Chinese fruit that some claim burns fat by increasing the body's production of heat, as well as reducing the body's ability to store fat. Animal studies show some potential for Thermodiamine but more human trials need to be done.

• Forslean – Animal studies and research has shown that Forslean helps to reduce body weight and body fat. One study on humans showed that it helps mitigate weight gain in overweight females with apparently no clinically significant side effects.

• Lipolide SC – Increases the burning of fat by increasing your body’s thyroid hormone levels. Limited research at this time.

• Infinergy DiCaffeine Malate – Caffeine has been used for a long time as a weight loss aid and is a very common ingredient in many diet pills with a well established research history.

• Bioperine – Helps to increase the bioavailability of nutrients.

Apidexin Review Conclusion:

So the question remains “Can You Imagine Losing 4-7 Pounds Per Week Effortlessly?”

As usual the marketing does not live up to the hype. It's possible that Apidexin may have good potential as a weight loss supplement but I am not sold on their claim of losing 4-7 pounds per week effortlessly.

If you have tried it or you want to try Apidexin let me know what your results are.

Recommended Diet Pills:
Hydroxycut

Read more!

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an alert on tainted weight loss pills in December 2008 of 28 diet pills and as of January 2009 that list has expanded to a staggering 41.

"These tainted weight loss products pose a great risk to public health because they contain undeclared ingredients and, in some cases, contain prescription drugs in amounts that greatly exceed their maximum recommended dosages,” said Janet Woodcock, M.D., director, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, FDA. “Consumers have no way of knowing that these products contain powerful drugs that could cause serious health consequences. Therefore FDA is taking this action to protect the health of the American public."

You can see the full article at FDA news for the full list of products.

People need to be aware that there are many shady companies out there peddling lose weight quick schemes. Anytime you want to put a pill in your body you should know what you are taking. The supplement industry is not as regulated as the drug industry. So if you see a commercial with some fancy marketing be sure to do your homework before buying.

Stay tuned for future updates regarding diet pill reviews.



Read more!

Hydroxycut is probably the most well-known of all weight loss supplements.

Let’s take a looks at the ingredients and see if it passes the test.

• Calcium – nothing special here but it is an essential mineral.
• Chromium – mixed results from clinical studies but it appears to have some promise.
• Potassium – again another essential mineral but not for weight loss.
  

Now let’s get into the proprietary trademarked ingredients of Hydroxagen Plus.

• Garcinia cambogia - 60% Hydroxycitric Acid (HCA) – studies have shown it to act as an appetite suppressive qualities.
  

• Green Tea – Numerous studies have shown that Green Tea will increase your metabolic rate which will increase the amount of calories you burn.

• Gymnema sylvestre – Meant as an appetite suppressive but not backed by any sound clinical studies that I can find.

Hydroxycut Review Conclusion:

Hydroxycut offers one of the better weight loss supplements out there. As with everything there is no magic bullet and anytime you see someone saying they lost 55 lbs in 3 weeks using a diet pill they are lying to you. What you are frequently not told is that these people that lost a lot of weight went on serious exercise programs and diet regimens. The supplements are just that supplements to dieting and exercising.

Bottom line:

Taken alone with a few diet changes will greatly increase your chances of losing weight. Add in an exercise program and you have a 3 pronged approach to getting that body you want.

Hydroxycut is one of my top recommendations for diet pills.

Try Hydroxycut today and leave a comment to let everyone know how it worked for you.

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Hi, my name is (your name), and I’m a sugar addict. If you’re reading this article you have taken your first step to admitting you have a problem.

Now that you are finally coming to terms with your addiction what are you going to do about it?

If you are looking to beat your sugar addiction or just want to cut those fat storing calories out of your diet then I hope you will follow this program and be on your way to a sugar free lifestyle.

Step 1: Admit You Have a Problem

If you are already reading this you have accomplished step 1.

Step 2: Inner Strength

You will never succeed in kicking the sugar habit until you get some will power. Fighting that sugar craving is tough (I know I am a sugar addict too) but if you want to succeed at anything in life you need perseverance, it does get easier. Find things that will motivate you to carry out your goals.

Step 3: Keep Busy

Most of the time we overeat for 2 reasons: We’re bored or emotionally distressed. Stop and look at the times when you tend to eat junk food. Now create a plan to be busy during those times. Find something active to do like taking the dog for a walk or go to a bookstore. Break the cycle and you will find it’s much easier to fight the cravings.

Step 4: Stop Buying Junk Food

It’s much easier to beat your addiction if you don’t have access to it. If you don’t have any junk food around during those times when you’re stuck at home fiending for sugar you won’t eat it. The withdrawals from it can really bring you down so go back to step 3 for help.

Step 5: Buy Sugar Free

One method that might help you break your sugar craving is to buy some sugar free products. Now this isn’t a recommendation to replace one junk food with another but a means of helping you with a craving. Try some sugar free pudding or yogurt to help hold you over during those nasty cravings.

Once you have started your program to stop eating sugar it will take you about 3 - 6 weeks before the cravings stop. Just remember that this will always be an ongoing battle so be diligent and never stop working at it.

Recommended Reading:
Healthy Low Carb Desserts
Diet Myths: The Truth About Weight Loss
Insulin: The Fat Hormone

Read more!