Why Your New Year's Diet Will Fail (And the 4 Simple Rules Which Will Help You Succeed)

By Verity Hartley

Let's be honest. Most of us will be considering starting a New Year's Diet this January. The lure of the mince pies and extra portion of Christmas pudding was just too strong and suddenly that top button on your favourite jeans isn't doing up anymore.

Unfortunately for a whopping 80% of dieters the harsh reality is that their diet will fail. Many dieters fall off the wagon within only a measly three weeks of making their resolutions. Worse still, once they have stopped they tend to gain back the weight lost plus an extra few pounds. This compounds the misery and starts a continual cycle of overeating and dieting, known as yo-yo dieting.

So what can you do to stop your New Year's Diet ending up on the scrapheap of failed resolutions? Sticking to these simple rules you could help you beat the odds and start the New Year as a much healthier you.

Rule 1 - Plan, plan plan.

As American Founding Father Benjamin Franklin once said, "He who fails to plan, is planning to fail". Starting your New Year's Diet without a plan in mind will end in disaster. As tempting as it may be to shun your previous lifestyle and jump in feet first, don't! Without out a decent plan you might not land on them. Research which diets will suit you and your lifestyle and make the right choice.

Rule 2 - Keep a food and exercise diary

Keeping a log of what you eat and when as well as the amount of exercise you are doing is essential. It is easy to fool yourself into thinking you are eating much less than you actually are if you are not keeping a log. There are many free online resources such as My Fitness Pal which allow you to keep a food diary online.

Rule 3 - Get yourself a diet buddy

Going it alone is hard as keeping yourself motivated can be difficult on your own. Finding somebody who can help motivate you and join you on your weight loss journey can be a lifesaver. If you work in an office you may be able to find a diet club to join and lose weight as part of a group. Don't forget, many others will be looking to start a New Year's Diet too.

Rule 4 - Make yourself accountable to others

When you only have to answer to yourself then you only have yourself to disappoint if you don't succeed. Try announcing your intentions on Facebook or other social sites. If you're feeling brave you can even share photos showing off your progress. Report in regularly to your friends and family to keep your motivation high. Making yourself answerable to others might give you the edge you need to keep your New Year's Diet ticking over till next Christmas!

So there you have it. If you stick to these rules and stay on track there's no reason why you can't one of the few who make this year's New Year's Diet into a resounding success!

Find out more top tips for shaking off that New Year's bulge at My Fitness Pal.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Verity_Hartley

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weight loss programs for kids: 7 Tips to Health and Weight Loss for Kids

weight loss programs for kids:

Try these 7 easy tips to promote health and weight loss for your kids.






1 Role Model

 –Your heath and weight directly effect your child’s health and weight.  Children with just one overweight parent have a 25% risk of becoming an overweight or obese adult.  If both parents are overweight the risk of becoming an overweight adult jumps to 50%.


2 Be Positive

- No one enjoys receiving negative feedback.  Talk to your child with compassion and encouragement. Instead of saying, 'Lose weight', say, 'Let's be healthy and start taking care of our bodies'.  Focus on the foods you can eat, not the ones that you cannot. Say, 'Let's go pick out fruits and make a fruit salad,' not 'Don't eat that.'


3 Make healthy eating a family affair

 - A family that eats together, eats better, according to a recent study in the journal Archives of Family Medicine. Children who report frequent family dinners have healthier diets than their peers who don't, the study showed. Also fill your refrigerator and cabinets with fresh fruits, nuts, low-fat cheese, and things for everyone to snack on.


4 Eat Breakfast

 – A breakfast that consists of protein, starch and fat will keep your children more alert during school.  Studies have shown that weight loss is much more difficult in people who skip breakfast.


5 Make time for physical activity 

- Make physical activity a family activity. Every night after dinner in the summer, go for a half-hour walk and make it an activity that kids look forward to. If you can afford it, enroll your kids in dancing or a sporting activity that they enjoy because they need to enjoy it to keep doing it. Or just turn on some dance music and have a dance party around the house.


6 Don't say diet

- Put your child on any diet and you are setting them up for an eating disorder - whether binge eating or closet eating or another type of disorder.  Lifestyle changes have proven to be the most effective to lose weight and keep it off.


7 Avoid portion distortion 

- When serving the food try to portion out meal on dishes and avoid buffet-type or family-style eating.  When exposed to so much food it is easy for your eyes to be bigger than your stomach.  Resist the first temptation to have seconds then check in with yourself to see if you are really hungry.

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Thyroid fasting and it's effects magical

Health and Fitness are considered most important in our daily life and our every day diet plays an important role in it. The Thyroid fasting has magical secrets of weight loss. Thyroid fasting includes food you want to eat and lose weight overnight. Thyroid fasting is the best for people who have weight challenges due to thyroid conditions. It helps us to return to a healthy weight, without a rigorous change in our diet and exercise.

The Thyroid fasting explores brands, mixtures and dosage of thyroid medicines right for us considering the other lifestyle issues and supplements that help to optimize thyroid treatment. It resolves nutritional deficiencies, treats depression and corrects brain chemistry imbalances, reduces stress, combats insulin resistance, treats food allergies and sensitivities, and exercise.

Thyroid fasting recommends a very low-calorie diet for weight loss in cases of hypothyroidism but it is necessary to maintain metabolism. Low calories and lower metabolism sends body into hoard mode, which is a process, thyroid patients are susceptible to. Thyroid fasting suggests breaking up calories into multiple “mini-meals” per day. The Thyroid fasting manages metabolism for Lasting Weight Loss. These thyroid conditions result in metabolic slowdown. The Thyroid fasting gives diagnosed and proper thyroid treatment for successfully loses weight.

This diet has many frustrating impediments for weight loss. It offers both conventional and alternative solution for help. The Thyroid fasting has optimal dietary changes. Thyroid sufferer have to focus on a low-glycemic, high-fiber, lower-calorie diet, optimal timing of meals for maximum hormonal impact, thyroid-damaging foods to avoid, helpful herbs and supplements. They face unexpected weight gain, despite diet and exercise showing symptoms as:

- Fatigue and exhaustion

- More hair loss than usual

- Moodiness

- Muscle and joint pains and aches

Hyperthyroid leads to metabolism that stores every calorie even after rigorous diet and exercise programs. Even optimal treatment doesn’t help weight problems plague for many thyroid patients. For the majority of thyroid patients, treatment alone doesn’t seem to resolve our weight problems. Thyroid fasting is a simple, understandable way that offers you the support, encouragement and information to pursue the right diagnosis and treatment.

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Pit Dogs : How Is Your Pit Bull S Diet Dog Nutrition Tips

Pit Dogs,Pit Dogs,Pit Dogs,Pit Dogs

Part of being a loving, responsible Pit Dog owner is providing him with the proper diet to ensure he stays healthy. Many owners believe just because they purchase the most expensive brands of dog food for their Pit Dog that he is getting all of the vitamins and nutrients he needs, but often times, that is not the case. Humans can’t meet all of their nutritional requirements by eating one particular food, and neither can your Pit Dog. You are the one who is in control of this day to day aspect of your Pit Dog’s life, so essentially his health is up to you.

It is important to try to make sure your Pit Dog’s diet consists of all the vitamins and nutrients he needs to be healthy. A lack of vital vitamins and nutrients can cause your Pit Dog to have stomach problems, bones that break easily, and have weight problems. You can take the best care of your Pit Dog, but if he doesn’t have a proper diet, it isn’t going to make any difference. Diet also plays a role in your dog’s ability to fight off disease and infection, much the same as it does with humans. Your veterinarian can help made recommendations to help you provide the best diet possible for your Pit Dog.

When purchasing food for your Pit Dog, you should get a variety. Mixing up dry food and canned food will help give you a good mixture of ingredients and nutritional value that should help you to cover all the bases. Your dog will also enjoy the different textures of the food. They also enjoy bones and meant flavored treats.



Pit Bulls prefer dog foods made of meat, as they are primarily carnivores. Meat is a good source of energy and helps your Pit Dog grow, but he also needs fiber and carbohydrates to help with food absorption.



Many Pit Bulls also love to eat vegetables, hard to believe, huh? Check with your veterinarian first to make sure it is okay, then try it out. If your Pit Dog likes them, he will be getting plenty of additional vitamins and nutrients that dog food alone may not offer. It will also help to add some variety into his diet.



Making certain your Pit Dog’s diet is up to par is one of your responsibilities as a loving owner. It is important to talk to your veterinarian to see what his thoughts are and what he recommends, but whatever you decide, your Pit Dog’s health depends on you making smart choices on his behalf.

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Diet comparison,The Low Down On Diet Comparison

Low carbs and high protein is the way to lose weight, or so you’ll hear from one diet guru, and he has the testimonials to back it up. Low fat, lots of carbs and fresh fruits and veggies, says another – and he’s got the back up from satisfied users, too. A third swears that you need to count the amount of sugar; another tells you the enemy is white flour – if you want to lose real weight and keep it off, who do you listen to?

Take a look at the brief summaries below for a quick overview of the pros and cons of each of the popular types of diet plans.
 - diet comparison - diet comparison -

Low Carb-Hi Protein Diets :

Diets like the Atkins, the South Beach and the Zone Diet all recommend restricted carbohydrates and allow liberal amounts of protein, including protein derived from animal sources. Generally, they limit the overall amount of carbohydrates, or teach you to differentiate between “good” and “bad” carbohydrates. Bad carbohydrates, which are forbidden, include white flour, white bread, and white sugar.

Pros: The diets all encourage learning healthy eating as part of losing weight. Deriving most of your daily calories from high fiber sources of carbs like leafy green vegetables and grains is generally considered the best diet for nutrition by the established medical community. The popularity of the diets makes it easy to find low-carb foods.

Cons: The allowance of eating all the protein and fats you like flies in the face of conventional medical wisdom. A diet high in saturated fats could lead to heart disease, diabetes, gout and other chronic health conditions. Following the diets’ cautions and advice to keep portions reasonable should mitigate that concern, though.
- diet comparison - diet comparison -

Weight Loss “Programs” :

Jenny Craig, NutriSystem, Weight Watchers, SlimFast and a number of other weight loss programs rely heavily on pre-packaged ‘diet’ foods. They incorporate professional coaching, social structure and reinforcement.

Pros: The professional coaching and nutritional benefits are a big plus, as are the reinforcement and support aspect of the diets. Meals and supplements are prepackaged in the right proportions, and if you stick to the diets and exercise as directed you will lose weight.

Cons: The weekly fees and cost of meals can be expensive. In addition, if you rely completely on the packaged foods, you miss out on the re-education of your eating habits, which is important to maintaining any weight lost.
- diet comparison - diet comparison -

The Real Mayo Clinic Diet : 

This is not the diet that has circulated for the past thirty or more years and purported to have originated at the Mayo Clinic! The true Mayo Clinic’s nutrition and diet center recommends a healthy eating weight loss plan based on limiting fats, proteins and carbohydrates, counting calories and deriving most of the daily nutrition from vegetables, grains and fruit.

Pros: There’s no ‘diet’. Instead, you’re encouraged to take control of your eating. Portion control and sensible balance of nutrients are the cornerstones of a weight loss plan that takes weight off gradually, and helps you keep it off permanently.

Cons: It may be difficult to stay on the diet. Counting calories and portions can be difficult if you’re eating out or on the run.

There are many diets that promise to take weight off quickly and painlessly, without exercise or changing your eating habits. The three major variations of diets above all will result in 1-2 pounds of loss per week, which most doctors believe is the optimum way to lose weight for long lasting results.

- diet comparison - diet comparison - diet comparison - diet comparison - diet comparison .
- diet comparison - diet comparison - diet comparison - diet comparison - diet comparison .

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The Truth About Fat In Foods

Fat has had a lot of bad press and for many people, just a mention of the word can evoke misery. You can try to lose it, try to hide it, try to avoid it, but your body still needs it! Did you know that fat helps to insulate our nerve cells, keeps us warm, balances our hormones, keeps skin and arteries supple, lubricates joints and is a component in every cell?

The key issue here is recognizing which type of fat your body needs, how much your body requires and which type is your enemy. Armed with the right information, you can focus on getting more of the good fats and less of the bad fats into your daily diet.

There are two types of fat to be aware of. Saturated fats - let's call them "the enemy" and unsaturated fats - "the good guys"! It is easy to tell the difference because saturated fats are hard at room temperature. Saturated fats are not essential to your health. They come from animals and are found in meat, eggs and cheese. They are harder to digest and full of cholesterol.

Unsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature and have been divided into two groups. Monounsaturated fats such as olive oil, and polyunsaturated fats such as sunflower oil. Polyunsaturated fats are split into Omega 3 fatty acids and Omega 6 fatty acids. Monounsaturated fat (Omega 9) although not essential, is not harmful in moderation - a good quality (extra virgin first cold pressed) olive oil is a healthier alternative to the usual vegetable oil. Good sources of Omega 6: safflower oil, sunflower oil, evening primrose oil, walnut oil, pumpkin oil, sesame oil. Good sources of Omega 3 are mackerel, herring, salmon, pilchards, sardines, tuna and flax seed oil. Here are some important facts about fat in our diet.

1. Fat is the 'energy reserve' of animals, plants and humans.

2. The ideal body-fat ratio should be approximately 19-26% of a woman's body weight, and 12- 18% of a man's body weight.

3. There are two different types of body fat - brown and yellow. Brown fat is situated inside the body and is 'active', containing mitochondria that produce heat (thermogenesis) and as a result burn energy. Yellow fat is found nearer the surface, is less active and more likely to accumulate. Women tend to have a higher ratio of yellow fat than men.

4. Women need higher levels of fat because it is essential for reproduction and so the body stores it 'just in case'.

5. An average healthy intake of good fats in the diet should be approximately 30-40 grams a day. The fat content of diets in affluent populations can be nearly four times this amount!

6. Most foods containing fat combine saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat in varying quantities. For instance, butter's fat content is almost 100%, of which 60% is saturated, 30% monounsaturated and 10% polyunsaturated, compared with sunflower seeds' fat content of 73%, of which just 12% is saturated and 21% monounsaturated and 67% is polyunsaturated.

7. Heat, light and oxygen destroy essential fatty acids, which is why it is best to keep oils in dark containers.

8. Essential fats must come from the diet because your body cannot produce them. The essential healthy fats are Omega 3 and Omega 6 (known as essential fatty acids).

9. Weight for weight, fat provides more than twice the amount of usable energy than carbohydrates or protein (you'll find 9 calories in every gram of fat).

10. Fat contributes to the palatability, texture and the smell of many foods, it also slows down the process of digestion providing an extended period of satiation after a meal.

When you know the good from the bad, fat is fabulous!

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