Atkins Diet Plan for weight loss is an attractive choice over other diets because it allows a substantially larger list of foods you can eat while still being able to lose weight. Atkins Diet Plan is low-carb, not no-carb - and you'll never have to worry about hunger pains while you're on the Atkins Diet Plan.
Atkins Diet Plan is often mistakenly believed to be a no-carb diet rather than low-carb diet. Although the first two weeks of the Atkins Diet is challenging, there is a long list of fulfilling foods that you can eat - and still lose weight with - during the induction phase of Atkins Diet Plan. The induction phase is the first phase of the Atkins Diet, and severely limits the carbohydrate-rich foods you can eat for two weeks. During the second phase of Atkins Diet Plan, which is the "ongoing weight loss" phase, you can slowly add small amounts of carbohydrates to the list of foods you can eat. Later in the Atkins Diet Plan, you will be able to increase the foods you enjoy by burning more calories.
Atkins' induction phase has severe limitations on carbohydrates because the purpose of this phase is to get your body to rely on burning fat, instead of the glucose produced by the carbohydrates. In the medical community, this is the state of "ketosis." But even the two-week induction phase in Atkins Diet Plan is not "no-carb," it is "low-carb."
Many dieters feel that the most attractive benefit of the Atkins Diet Plan is that it allows for substantially more types of foods, which you can eat and still be able to lose weight. Throughout the induction phase, and the ongoing weight loss phase of Atkins Diet, a dieter is allowed to eat a liberal amount fish, fowl, shellfish, meat and eggs, including bacon.
An Atkins dieter can also eat cheese and still lose weight with the Atkins Diet. (They may, however, have to give up Cheez-wiz because fake cheese is not allowed.) Cheese you can eat and still be able to lose weight with are the firmer varieties such as Cheddar, and the soft and semi-soft cheeses, such as goat cheese, cream cheese, mozzarella, Swiss and blue cheese. Just like any diet, there's a long list of vegetables you can eat when you're on the Atkins Diet Plan to lose weight. Unlike other diets, the Atkins Diet Plan allows you to eat the fats, salad dressings and condiments that low-fat diets disallow. However, Atkins still advises dieters to choose the healthier fats in their diet eating plans.
The science behind the Atkins Diet Plan uses fat consumption from the new diet eating habits to inhibit cravings for carbohydrates. Although "sweets" are not allowed, there are enough viable low-sugar and low-carbohydrate options on the market today that can compensate for food cravings. Sugar substitutes are allowed, and dedicated Atkins dieters have posted thousands of recipes over the Internet for Atkins carb-friendly desserts. Today's creative food technologists and food marketers have provided substitutes for virtually everything that's not allowed. A good example of "sweet" in Atkins "no sweet" diet would be Atkins Advantage™ Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar.
Atkins Diet Plan is the diet plan of choice if you have a hearty appetite and are interested in a weight loss program that will provide you with plenty of foods that you can eat and still lose weight with. Diet eating with the Atkins Diet Plan is challenging the first two weeks, but millions of people, and many scientific studies, have proven that the Atkins Diet Plan is a successful method to reach weight loss goals. If you enjoy eating and are evaluating your diet plan options, the Atkins Diet Plan is worthy of serious consideration. You can eat and still lose weight with the Atkins Diet Plan. Lose weight without the hunger pains by trying the Atkins Diet Plan - they have a hearty menu waiting just for you.
Melissa Webster is the guru of diet eating for weight loss. She specialized in Atkins diet
For more information click here
Monday, 19 September 2011
5 Weight Loss Diet Plans for Diabetics
Diabetic weight loss options may have become a top priority for you to research, especially if you have just received news from your doctor that you have diabetes and you should lose weight.
Trying to find a good weight loss program is hard enough. It may also seem an impossible task to find a good diabetic weight loss diet. This is where we may help out, by explaining 5 different diabetic weight loss diet options.
5 Diabetic Weight Loss Options:
Diabetic Food Exchange Diet: This diabetic diet plan is one of the main eating plans that doctors prescribe to people with diabetes. It may be confusing at first, yet once you understand its concept, you will find that it has two positive outcomes. It will help you lose weight and maintain your blood sugar.
Basically, the diabetic food exchange diet separates food into groups. Each group lists certain foods that may be eaten and the exact portion that may be eaten. Measuring the food portions exactly is very important on this diabetic weight loss diet. It is also important to eat on a very regular schedule.
Diabetic Food Pyramid: This diabetic food plan is easier to understand and implement than the diabetic food exchange diet. With this plan the foods are separated into different groups. The food group that allows the most servings is the base of the food pyramid. The next set of groups of foods follow up the pyramid, with the top of the pyramid representing the food group allowed the list.
You can lose weight on this diet and be satisfied, if you stay within the servings allowed each group and choose healthy, low calorie foods.
Atkins Diabetic Diet: This diet is found within the Atkins series of dieting books. The book, Atkins Diabetes Revolution, offers diabetic meal plans allowing three different levels of carbohydrate consumption. This diet plan begins with the person having only 20 grams of carbohydrates a day. Gradually, 40 grams of carbs are allowed, and finally, 60 grams of carbs are allowed per day. This diabetic weight loss diet may be a bit extreme for many people because it almost eliminates breads, rice and potatoes. Yet, many people do control their diabetes as well as their weight with this diet.
Nutrisystem Diabetic Diet Plan: The diabetic weight loss diet plan offered by Nutrisystem may be considered one of the most convenient diabetic weight loss options. The diabetic meals are specifically made for people with diabetes Type II. They are low calorie pre-packaged and pre-portioned, and require no refrigeration. Fresh fruits, vegetables and milk should be added to completely balance the diet. If you are a busy person and find it difficult to plan meals, this particular diabetic diet should be considered.
Medifast Diabetic Diet Plan: This diabetic diet weight loss plan claims to help you lose 20 pounds in 30 days. Medifast has a simple, yet powerful diet plan called "5 in 1." This means, you choose 5 items to eat a day from Medifast's prepackaged meals, and make your own one "lean and green" meal a day. The "lean and green" meal should consist of a lean meat and green vegetable. Many people with diabetes and weight issues have been help greatly with Medifast's diabetic diet plan.
Any one of the above diabetic diet weight loss plans can help you manage your diabetes and weight loss goals.
------
Anne Dixon writes about a variety of topics including health and wellness subjects. If you would like to learn more about diabetic diet food and weight loss, and managing your diabetes with healthy food, then you may wish to visit her website at:
http://www.diabeticdietfood.com
For more information click here
Trying to find a good weight loss program is hard enough. It may also seem an impossible task to find a good diabetic weight loss diet. This is where we may help out, by explaining 5 different diabetic weight loss diet options.
5 Diabetic Weight Loss Options:
Diabetic Food Exchange Diet: This diabetic diet plan is one of the main eating plans that doctors prescribe to people with diabetes. It may be confusing at first, yet once you understand its concept, you will find that it has two positive outcomes. It will help you lose weight and maintain your blood sugar.
Basically, the diabetic food exchange diet separates food into groups. Each group lists certain foods that may be eaten and the exact portion that may be eaten. Measuring the food portions exactly is very important on this diabetic weight loss diet. It is also important to eat on a very regular schedule.
Diabetic Food Pyramid: This diabetic food plan is easier to understand and implement than the diabetic food exchange diet. With this plan the foods are separated into different groups. The food group that allows the most servings is the base of the food pyramid. The next set of groups of foods follow up the pyramid, with the top of the pyramid representing the food group allowed the list.
You can lose weight on this diet and be satisfied, if you stay within the servings allowed each group and choose healthy, low calorie foods.
Atkins Diabetic Diet: This diet is found within the Atkins series of dieting books. The book, Atkins Diabetes Revolution, offers diabetic meal plans allowing three different levels of carbohydrate consumption. This diet plan begins with the person having only 20 grams of carbohydrates a day. Gradually, 40 grams of carbs are allowed, and finally, 60 grams of carbs are allowed per day. This diabetic weight loss diet may be a bit extreme for many people because it almost eliminates breads, rice and potatoes. Yet, many people do control their diabetes as well as their weight with this diet.
Nutrisystem Diabetic Diet Plan: The diabetic weight loss diet plan offered by Nutrisystem may be considered one of the most convenient diabetic weight loss options. The diabetic meals are specifically made for people with diabetes Type II. They are low calorie pre-packaged and pre-portioned, and require no refrigeration. Fresh fruits, vegetables and milk should be added to completely balance the diet. If you are a busy person and find it difficult to plan meals, this particular diabetic diet should be considered.
Medifast Diabetic Diet Plan: This diabetic diet weight loss plan claims to help you lose 20 pounds in 30 days. Medifast has a simple, yet powerful diet plan called "5 in 1." This means, you choose 5 items to eat a day from Medifast's prepackaged meals, and make your own one "lean and green" meal a day. The "lean and green" meal should consist of a lean meat and green vegetable. Many people with diabetes and weight issues have been help greatly with Medifast's diabetic diet plan.
Any one of the above diabetic diet weight loss plans can help you manage your diabetes and weight loss goals.
------
Anne Dixon writes about a variety of topics including health and wellness subjects. If you would like to learn more about diabetic diet food and weight loss, and managing your diabetes with healthy food, then you may wish to visit her website at:
http://www.diabeticdietfood.com
For more information click here
Calorie Shifting Diet Meal Plan - The 5 Basic Rules For Following This Diet
If you follow the Calorie Shifting Diet meal plan strictly to the tee, you can reasonably expect to lose at least 9 pounds every 11 days. This is tantamount to approximately 1 pound of weight loss every single day.Calorie shifting is an example of a rapid weight loss diet that manipulates your body's metabolism, at will, to burn through your body's fat stores. This is achieved by deliberately cycling through different calorie types at every meal. Doing so creates a sustained, simulated nutritional deficit which your body naturally responds to by burning fat. The major difference is that you are not playing only with your carbohydrates but also with proteins and fats. Think of it as a "low-carb", "low-protein", and "low-fat" diet all rolled up into one.Over the course of each day and over the course of several days, your diet will cycle through highs and lows of caloric intake that comprise each of the various different types of calories. This "shock treatment" is what is directly responsible for the rapid weight loss effect you will exhibit.Of course, the reality is that you are not suffering from any type of nutritional deficit or malnourishment whatsoever. You are, in fat, eating a healthy balance of foods from all four food groups, and you are eating them in plentiful quantity. You are merely spoofing a nutritional deficit by shifting the sequence in which you consume the foods.The rules of the Calorie Shifting Diet meal plan are very straight-forward:1. Eat as much food as you want at each meal until you are completely satisfied, but not too full.2. You will be eating four meals every day, which must be spaced out by at least 2.5 to 3 hours in between each.3. Your meals must be consumed in the proper calorie shifting sequence.4. You must drink at least 10 glasses of water daily.5. You must take a 3-day break from the diet every fortnight (two weeks). So you will be dieting for 11 days, followed by a 3 day break during which you are allowed to eat anything you want.
Would you like to try out an 11-day sample menu?
The Calorie Shifting Diet is a revolutionary dieting breakthrough.
This diet succeeds where others fail.
Low-calorie, low-carbohydrate, low-fat, and low-sodium diets are all doomed to fail.
It's very hard to maintain those diets without running the risk of falling into temptation and sabotaging your own diet.
Calorie Shifting works on an entirely different principle: Eat as much food as you want at each meal until you are completely satisfied. You can eat foods from all four major food groups.
Is there a catch? There sure is, but once you learn what it is, you'll be pleasantly surprised.
You'll kick yourself for wondering why you wasted your time on other diets when you should have been following the Calorie Shifting diet!
The Calorie Shifting diet even offers its own customizable Online Diet Generator to help you create fool-proof diet plans that are guaranteed to help you lose at least 9 pounds every 11 days!
Calorie Shifting Diet Meal Plan - The 5 Basic Rules For Following This Diet
For more information click here
Would you like to try out an 11-day sample menu?
The Calorie Shifting Diet is a revolutionary dieting breakthrough.
This diet succeeds where others fail.
Low-calorie, low-carbohydrate, low-fat, and low-sodium diets are all doomed to fail.
It's very hard to maintain those diets without running the risk of falling into temptation and sabotaging your own diet.
Calorie Shifting works on an entirely different principle: Eat as much food as you want at each meal until you are completely satisfied. You can eat foods from all four major food groups.
Is there a catch? There sure is, but once you learn what it is, you'll be pleasantly surprised.
You'll kick yourself for wondering why you wasted your time on other diets when you should have been following the Calorie Shifting diet!
The Calorie Shifting diet even offers its own customizable Online Diet Generator to help you create fool-proof diet plans that are guaranteed to help you lose at least 9 pounds every 11 days!
Calorie Shifting Diet Meal Plan - The 5 Basic Rules For Following This Diet
For more information click here
5 Weight Loss Diet Plans for Diabetics
Diabetic weight loss options may have become a top priority for you to research, especially if you have just received news from your doctor that you have diabetes and you should lose weight.
Trying to find a good weight loss program is hard enough. It may also seem an impossible task to find a good diabetic weight loss diet. This is where we may help out, by explaining 5 different diabetic weight loss diet options.
5 Diabetic Weight Loss Options:
Diabetic Food Exchange Diet: This diabetic diet plan is one of the main eating plans that doctors prescribe to people with diabetes. It may be confusing at first, yet once you understand its concept, you will find that it has two positive outcomes. It will help you lose weight and maintain your blood sugar.
Basically, the diabetic food exchange diet separates food into groups. Each group lists certain foods that may be eaten and the exact portion that may be eaten. Measuring the food portions exactly is very important on this diabetic weight loss diet. It is also important to eat on a very regular schedule.
Diabetic Food Pyramid: This diabetic food plan is easier to understand and implement than the diabetic food exchange diet. With this plan the foods are separated into different groups. The food group that allows the most servings is the base of the food pyramid. The next set of groups of foods follow up the pyramid, with the top of the pyramid representing the food group allowed the list.
You can lose weight on this diet and be satisfied, if you stay within the servings allowed each group and choose healthy, low calorie foods.
Atkins Diabetic Diet: This diet is found within the Atkins series of dieting books. The book, Atkins Diabetes Revolution, offers diabetic meal plans allowing three different levels of carbohydrate consumption. This diet plan begins with the person having only 20 grams of carbohydrates a day. Gradually, 40 grams of carbs are allowed, and finally, 60 grams of carbs are allowed per day. This diabetic weight loss diet may be a bit extreme for many people because it almost eliminates breads, rice and potatoes. Yet, many people do control their diabetes as well as their weight with this diet.
Nutrisystem Diabetic Diet Plan: The diabetic weight loss diet plan offered by Nutrisystem may be considered one of the most convenient diabetic weight loss options. The diabetic meals are specifically made for people with diabetes Type II. They are low calorie pre-packaged and pre-portioned, and require no refrigeration. Fresh fruits, vegetables and milk should be added to completely balance the diet. If you are a busy person and find it difficult to plan meals, this particular diabetic diet should be considered.
Medifast Diabetic Diet Plan: This diabetic diet weight loss plan claims to help you lose 20 pounds in 30 days. Medifast has a simple, yet powerful diet plan called "5 in 1." This means, you choose 5 items to eat a day from Medifast's prepackaged meals, and make your own one "lean and green" meal a day. The "lean and green" meal should consist of a lean meat and green vegetable. Many people with diabetes and weight issues have been help greatly with Medifast's diabetic diet plan.
Any one of the above diabetic diet weight loss plans can help you manage your diabetes and weight loss goals.
------
Anne Dixon writes about a variety of topics including health and wellness subjects. If you would like to learn more about diabetic diet food and weight loss, and managing your diabetes with healthy food, then you may wish to visit her website at:
http://www.diabeticdietfood.com
For more information click here
Trying to find a good weight loss program is hard enough. It may also seem an impossible task to find a good diabetic weight loss diet. This is where we may help out, by explaining 5 different diabetic weight loss diet options.
5 Diabetic Weight Loss Options:
Diabetic Food Exchange Diet: This diabetic diet plan is one of the main eating plans that doctors prescribe to people with diabetes. It may be confusing at first, yet once you understand its concept, you will find that it has two positive outcomes. It will help you lose weight and maintain your blood sugar.
Basically, the diabetic food exchange diet separates food into groups. Each group lists certain foods that may be eaten and the exact portion that may be eaten. Measuring the food portions exactly is very important on this diabetic weight loss diet. It is also important to eat on a very regular schedule.
Diabetic Food Pyramid: This diabetic food plan is easier to understand and implement than the diabetic food exchange diet. With this plan the foods are separated into different groups. The food group that allows the most servings is the base of the food pyramid. The next set of groups of foods follow up the pyramid, with the top of the pyramid representing the food group allowed the list.
You can lose weight on this diet and be satisfied, if you stay within the servings allowed each group and choose healthy, low calorie foods.
Atkins Diabetic Diet: This diet is found within the Atkins series of dieting books. The book, Atkins Diabetes Revolution, offers diabetic meal plans allowing three different levels of carbohydrate consumption. This diet plan begins with the person having only 20 grams of carbohydrates a day. Gradually, 40 grams of carbs are allowed, and finally, 60 grams of carbs are allowed per day. This diabetic weight loss diet may be a bit extreme for many people because it almost eliminates breads, rice and potatoes. Yet, many people do control their diabetes as well as their weight with this diet.
Nutrisystem Diabetic Diet Plan: The diabetic weight loss diet plan offered by Nutrisystem may be considered one of the most convenient diabetic weight loss options. The diabetic meals are specifically made for people with diabetes Type II. They are low calorie pre-packaged and pre-portioned, and require no refrigeration. Fresh fruits, vegetables and milk should be added to completely balance the diet. If you are a busy person and find it difficult to plan meals, this particular diabetic diet should be considered.
Medifast Diabetic Diet Plan: This diabetic diet weight loss plan claims to help you lose 20 pounds in 30 days. Medifast has a simple, yet powerful diet plan called "5 in 1." This means, you choose 5 items to eat a day from Medifast's prepackaged meals, and make your own one "lean and green" meal a day. The "lean and green" meal should consist of a lean meat and green vegetable. Many people with diabetes and weight issues have been help greatly with Medifast's diabetic diet plan.
Any one of the above diabetic diet weight loss plans can help you manage your diabetes and weight loss goals.
------
Anne Dixon writes about a variety of topics including health and wellness subjects. If you would like to learn more about diabetic diet food and weight loss, and managing your diabetes with healthy food, then you may wish to visit her website at:
http://www.diabeticdietfood.com
For more information click here
Bodybuilding Pre-Contest Diet Plan
Bodybuilding Pre-Contest Diet Plan
It's no secret that competitive bodybuilders are among the most successful dieters in the world at losing pure bodyfat and getting "ripped". Bodybuilders do things differently than the 95% of dieters who fail. And in this article I will outline the basics of a good bodybuilding pre-contest diet plan. This information will really help you if you are planning on competing in the future. And even if you are not really interested in getting on stage as competitive bodybuilder, but you would like to look like one, then the info covered here will help you get that lean "beach body" look.
I've been competing in bodybuilding competitions since 1995 so I've picked up a few tricks over the years and I'm going to share them with you here...
I personally start dieting for a contest at least 6 months in advance. I want to have plenty of time to prepare myself. For the first month I simply cut out all junk foods and eat nothing but clean foods. Such as beef, chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, milk, protein shakes, rice, potatoes, pasta, fruit, vegetables, etc. I eat about 5-6 small meals each day. I drink plenty of water at least 1 gallon a day. I will also do about 30 minutes of cardio exercise 4-6 times each week, before breakfast. I will continue my regular weight training workout.
The second month of preparation is very similar to the first. I will still eat the same as mentioned above. But I will increase my cardio exercise to at least 45 minutes, 5-7 times per week, before breakfast. The whole idea of doing cardio before breakfast is to help burn up more stored bodyfat. At this time there is no food in your system to be used as fuel so you'll burn more bodyfat from your cardio. It also helps to jump start your metabolism for the day. After exercise your metabolism is elevated and remains so for
several hours.
The third month I get stricter with my diet. I will begin to cut back on my portions of starchy carbohydrates while keeping my protein intake high (between 250-300 grams of protein per day). I also eat more vegetables. My diet is now mainly foods such as very lean meat, poultry, fish, protein supplements, vegetables, rice, potatoes, oatmeal, etc. I will increase my cardio to about 60 minutes each morning before breakfast.
I'll also start taking a fat burner. For my last show I used "Palo Alto Labs Leviathan". I found that it worked great, I would take 2 caps twice per day on an empty stomach. Once before cardio and again before my weight training workouts because it helps give me an energy boost, curb my appetite, and raise my metabolism enabling me to burn more bodyfat.
The fourth month is pretty much like the third month with dieting and doing cardio each morning before breakfast. I will also start practicing my mandatory poses 3-4 days per week. At this stage I am getting lean and can start to see the definition showing in my abs, legs, back, chest, etc...
The fifth month before the contest I get stricter with my diet. I will eat approx. 1 gram of carbohydrate and 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight each day. I don't normally count fat grams, but they are kept as low as possible. But I will include essential fats through flaxseeds, fish oil, etc.
A typical day will go like this:
Cardio
- take fat burner and black coffee
- 1 hour of cardio
Meal 1
- bowl of oatmeal mixed with protein powder
- egg whites
Meal 2
- chicken breast
- garden salad
Meal 3
- can of tuna
- garden salad
Workout
- take fat burner and black coffee
- weight training workout
- practice posing
- protein drink
Meal 4
- steak
- steamed veggies
- sweet potatoes
Meal 5
- protein drink
I also salt my food and even add a couple shakes of salt to my protein drinks. This may seem off the wall to most people. But I find that if I don't add salt to my diet I get bad muscle cramps when training. Don't worry you will not retain water, your body will adjust to a higher salt intake within a few days and as long as you are drinking lots of fluids your body will flush out any excess water. I'll keep doing this until 2 days out from the show.
I strive to be in shape one month out before the contest and then just keep with the diet, cardio, training, etc. to let my conditioning just harden up. I won't lose a whole lot more bodyweight, but my skin will get tighter and thinner.
I don't try and lift too heavy in the gym at this stage because I know that I will not gain any new muscle during the last month before a contest, I am just trying to maintain my muscle mass and get leaner. I basically have my posing routine down pat. I just want keep plugging away consistently. The temptation to cheat on my diet is very strong now. It is very important not too cheat. I keep my eye on the finish line and know that the dieting will be all over soon.
Carb Loading & Water Intake...
I do not carb deplete or carb load during the last week. I have tried all kinds of crazy stuff like this in the past and I found that it is best to just diet right up to the day of the show. Carb depleting and carb loading is too "hit and miss" you risk screwing up your conditioning, it may make you look a little better, or it could make you look a lot worse. You are better off playing it safe by sticking to your diet and then just slightly increase your carb intake slightly for a couple days before the show (i.e. instead of eating 1 potatoe at a meal, eat 2 potatoes, etc.).
During the last week I will increase my water intake to about 2 gallons per day. I will stop all weight training and cardio a couple days before the contest to let my body rest and recover.
Friday night before the contest I will cut back on my water intake and just have a small glass of water with each meal. I also take herbal diuretic capsules on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday to help get rid of the excess water under my skin. I do not cut my water intake entirely, just cut back. Cutting out water entirely can leave you flat and smooth. You need some water in your system in order to pump up and pose properly.
Tanning...
I'll go to the tanning salon about 4 times per week during the last 6 weeks prior to the contest. This will give me a base tan. Then on Friday before the show I'll put on about 3-4 coats of ProTan. This is a spray tan that you paint on with a sponge brush. Saturday morning before the show I'll also put on a coat of Dream Tan. This is a dark tanning cream that you rub on your skin. I'll put a coat of this on Saturday morning, another coat before pre-judging, and again before the evening show. Dream Tan works great and it has oil in the tan so you do not need to use much if any additional posing oils.
Back Stage...
When I go to the contest I take a MP3 player with my posing music. I try to find a place by myself back stage so I can practice my posing routine. By doing this, my routine is fresh in my mind before going on stage in front of the audience and judges.
When pumping up before going on stage I will do some light, high rep, upper body exercises such as push ups, bent over rows, bicep curls, etc. with a rubber fitness band. Never pump up the legs or the abs, these muscles always look and flex better when they are not pumped. Do not pump up too much because it will make you shake when you pose. Just warm up and get the blood flowing to the muscles.
And the last thing that I recommend is to go out there and have a good time. Be confident and proud of your accomplishments and put on a good show for the crowd. At this point you have done all you can do, now it is up to the judges to decide the rest.
About The Author:
Lee Hayward is a Muscle Building Coach who is committed to helping aspiring bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts gain muscle, burn bodyfat, and develop the lean muscular body that they desire. Visit http://www.LeeHayward.com and sign up for Lee's FREE 10-Part Muscle Building Crash Course.
For more information click here
It's no secret that competitive bodybuilders are among the most successful dieters in the world at losing pure bodyfat and getting "ripped". Bodybuilders do things differently than the 95% of dieters who fail. And in this article I will outline the basics of a good bodybuilding pre-contest diet plan. This information will really help you if you are planning on competing in the future. And even if you are not really interested in getting on stage as competitive bodybuilder, but you would like to look like one, then the info covered here will help you get that lean "beach body" look.
I've been competing in bodybuilding competitions since 1995 so I've picked up a few tricks over the years and I'm going to share them with you here...
I personally start dieting for a contest at least 6 months in advance. I want to have plenty of time to prepare myself. For the first month I simply cut out all junk foods and eat nothing but clean foods. Such as beef, chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, milk, protein shakes, rice, potatoes, pasta, fruit, vegetables, etc. I eat about 5-6 small meals each day. I drink plenty of water at least 1 gallon a day. I will also do about 30 minutes of cardio exercise 4-6 times each week, before breakfast. I will continue my regular weight training workout.
The second month of preparation is very similar to the first. I will still eat the same as mentioned above. But I will increase my cardio exercise to at least 45 minutes, 5-7 times per week, before breakfast. The whole idea of doing cardio before breakfast is to help burn up more stored bodyfat. At this time there is no food in your system to be used as fuel so you'll burn more bodyfat from your cardio. It also helps to jump start your metabolism for the day. After exercise your metabolism is elevated and remains so for
several hours.
The third month I get stricter with my diet. I will begin to cut back on my portions of starchy carbohydrates while keeping my protein intake high (between 250-300 grams of protein per day). I also eat more vegetables. My diet is now mainly foods such as very lean meat, poultry, fish, protein supplements, vegetables, rice, potatoes, oatmeal, etc. I will increase my cardio to about 60 minutes each morning before breakfast.
I'll also start taking a fat burner. For my last show I used "Palo Alto Labs Leviathan". I found that it worked great, I would take 2 caps twice per day on an empty stomach. Once before cardio and again before my weight training workouts because it helps give me an energy boost, curb my appetite, and raise my metabolism enabling me to burn more bodyfat.
The fourth month is pretty much like the third month with dieting and doing cardio each morning before breakfast. I will also start practicing my mandatory poses 3-4 days per week. At this stage I am getting lean and can start to see the definition showing in my abs, legs, back, chest, etc...
The fifth month before the contest I get stricter with my diet. I will eat approx. 1 gram of carbohydrate and 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight each day. I don't normally count fat grams, but they are kept as low as possible. But I will include essential fats through flaxseeds, fish oil, etc.
A typical day will go like this:
Cardio
- take fat burner and black coffee
- 1 hour of cardio
Meal 1
- bowl of oatmeal mixed with protein powder
- egg whites
Meal 2
- chicken breast
- garden salad
Meal 3
- can of tuna
- garden salad
Workout
- take fat burner and black coffee
- weight training workout
- practice posing
- protein drink
Meal 4
- steak
- steamed veggies
- sweet potatoes
Meal 5
- protein drink
I also salt my food and even add a couple shakes of salt to my protein drinks. This may seem off the wall to most people. But I find that if I don't add salt to my diet I get bad muscle cramps when training. Don't worry you will not retain water, your body will adjust to a higher salt intake within a few days and as long as you are drinking lots of fluids your body will flush out any excess water. I'll keep doing this until 2 days out from the show.
I strive to be in shape one month out before the contest and then just keep with the diet, cardio, training, etc. to let my conditioning just harden up. I won't lose a whole lot more bodyweight, but my skin will get tighter and thinner.
I don't try and lift too heavy in the gym at this stage because I know that I will not gain any new muscle during the last month before a contest, I am just trying to maintain my muscle mass and get leaner. I basically have my posing routine down pat. I just want keep plugging away consistently. The temptation to cheat on my diet is very strong now. It is very important not too cheat. I keep my eye on the finish line and know that the dieting will be all over soon.
Carb Loading & Water Intake...
I do not carb deplete or carb load during the last week. I have tried all kinds of crazy stuff like this in the past and I found that it is best to just diet right up to the day of the show. Carb depleting and carb loading is too "hit and miss" you risk screwing up your conditioning, it may make you look a little better, or it could make you look a lot worse. You are better off playing it safe by sticking to your diet and then just slightly increase your carb intake slightly for a couple days before the show (i.e. instead of eating 1 potatoe at a meal, eat 2 potatoes, etc.).
During the last week I will increase my water intake to about 2 gallons per day. I will stop all weight training and cardio a couple days before the contest to let my body rest and recover.
Friday night before the contest I will cut back on my water intake and just have a small glass of water with each meal. I also take herbal diuretic capsules on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday to help get rid of the excess water under my skin. I do not cut my water intake entirely, just cut back. Cutting out water entirely can leave you flat and smooth. You need some water in your system in order to pump up and pose properly.
Tanning...
I'll go to the tanning salon about 4 times per week during the last 6 weeks prior to the contest. This will give me a base tan. Then on Friday before the show I'll put on about 3-4 coats of ProTan. This is a spray tan that you paint on with a sponge brush. Saturday morning before the show I'll also put on a coat of Dream Tan. This is a dark tanning cream that you rub on your skin. I'll put a coat of this on Saturday morning, another coat before pre-judging, and again before the evening show. Dream Tan works great and it has oil in the tan so you do not need to use much if any additional posing oils.
Back Stage...
When I go to the contest I take a MP3 player with my posing music. I try to find a place by myself back stage so I can practice my posing routine. By doing this, my routine is fresh in my mind before going on stage in front of the audience and judges.
When pumping up before going on stage I will do some light, high rep, upper body exercises such as push ups, bent over rows, bicep curls, etc. with a rubber fitness band. Never pump up the legs or the abs, these muscles always look and flex better when they are not pumped. Do not pump up too much because it will make you shake when you pose. Just warm up and get the blood flowing to the muscles.
And the last thing that I recommend is to go out there and have a good time. Be confident and proud of your accomplishments and put on a good show for the crowd. At this point you have done all you can do, now it is up to the judges to decide the rest.
About The Author:
Lee Hayward is a Muscle Building Coach who is committed to helping aspiring bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts gain muscle, burn bodyfat, and develop the lean muscular body that they desire. Visit http://www.LeeHayward.com and sign up for Lee's FREE 10-Part Muscle Building Crash Course.
For more information click here
Calorie Shifting Diet Meal Plan - The 5 Basic Rules For Following This Diet
If you follow the Calorie Shifting Diet meal plan strictly to the tee, you can reasonably expect to lose at least 9 pounds every 11 days. This is tantamount to approximately 1 pound of weight loss every single day.Calorie shifting is an example of a rapid weight loss diet that manipulates your body's metabolism, at will, to burn through your body's fat stores. This is achieved by deliberately cycling through different calorie types at every meal. Doing so creates a sustained, simulated nutritional deficit which your body naturally responds to by burning fat. The major difference is that you are not playing only with your carbohydrates but also with proteins and fats. Think of it as a "low-carb", "low-protein", and "low-fat" diet all rolled up into one.Over the course of each day and over the course of several days, your diet will cycle through highs and lows of caloric intake that comprise each of the various different types of calories. This "shock treatment" is what is directly responsible for the rapid weight loss effect you will exhibit.Of course, the reality is that you are not suffering from any type of nutritional deficit or malnourishment whatsoever. You are, in fat, eating a healthy balance of foods from all four food groups, and you are eating them in plentiful quantity. You are merely spoofing a nutritional deficit by shifting the sequence in which you consume the foods.The rules of the Calorie Shifting Diet meal plan are very straight-forward:1. Eat as much food as you want at each meal until you are completely satisfied, but not too full.2. You will be eating four meals every day, which must be spaced out by at least 2.5 to 3 hours in between each.3. Your meals must be consumed in the proper calorie shifting sequence.4. You must drink at least 10 glasses of water daily.5. You must take a 3-day break from the diet every fortnight (two weeks). So you will be dieting for 11 days, followed by a 3 day break during which you are allowed to eat anything you want.
Would you like to try out an 11-day sample menu?
The Calorie Shifting Diet is a revolutionary dieting breakthrough.
This diet succeeds where others fail.
Low-calorie, low-carbohydrate, low-fat, and low-sodium diets are all doomed to fail.
It's very hard to maintain those diets without running the risk of falling into temptation and sabotaging your own diet.
Calorie Shifting works on an entirely different principle: Eat as much food as you want at each meal until you are completely satisfied. You can eat foods from all four major food groups.
Is there a catch? There sure is, but once you learn what it is, you'll be pleasantly surprised.
You'll kick yourself for wondering why you wasted your time on other diets when you should have been following the Calorie Shifting diet!
The Calorie Shifting diet even offers its own customizable Online Diet Generator to help you create fool-proof diet plans that are guaranteed to help you lose at least 9 pounds every 11 days!
Calorie Shifting Diet Meal Plan - The 5 Basic Rules For Following This Diet
For more information click here
Would you like to try out an 11-day sample menu?
The Calorie Shifting Diet is a revolutionary dieting breakthrough.
This diet succeeds where others fail.
Low-calorie, low-carbohydrate, low-fat, and low-sodium diets are all doomed to fail.
It's very hard to maintain those diets without running the risk of falling into temptation and sabotaging your own diet.
Calorie Shifting works on an entirely different principle: Eat as much food as you want at each meal until you are completely satisfied. You can eat foods from all four major food groups.
Is there a catch? There sure is, but once you learn what it is, you'll be pleasantly surprised.
You'll kick yourself for wondering why you wasted your time on other diets when you should have been following the Calorie Shifting diet!
The Calorie Shifting diet even offers its own customizable Online Diet Generator to help you create fool-proof diet plans that are guaranteed to help you lose at least 9 pounds every 11 days!
Calorie Shifting Diet Meal Plan - The 5 Basic Rules For Following This Diet
For more information click here
The Best Low Fat Diet Meal Plan That Helped Me Lose 24lbs
3 months ago I was in a miserable place. All those office junk foodand fast food meals were taking a serious toll on my body. I was afraid to step on the scale. All my clothes were tight (and these were my fat clothes!) and I could barely button my pants. I either needed to get on a low fat diet meal or buy a new wardrobe. The situation were getting desperate! I was finally pushed over the edge when I looked through some family photos that my husband took over the holidays. I was so unhappy with how I looked in those pictures that I wanted to delete them all! I knew that I had to do something about my weight and I had to do it right away.I tried everything I could think of to lose weight. I went on several different low fat diet meals and VERY low calorie diet plans like the 1200 calorie and 1400 calorie diets everyday. After a couple of days on each plan I'd get so hungry that I'd sneak off to the nearest drive thru and you know the rest. The results was devastating and not what i had expected it to be. In the end after going through such low fat diet meal, i actually gain even more weight. I spent hundreds of dollars on weight loss supplements and diet pills too. I tried the acai berry and colon cleanse combo that you see advertised everywhere and didn't even lose one pound! Hoodia supplements didn't help my weight loss attempts either.Finally a friend told me that she was on a low fat diet meal with eDiets and she said it was the easiest method to lose weight. All she had to do was to order the meals online and the dietitians will plan out her calorie intake and send the ready cooked food to her place and all she had to do was to finish all her food that was sent to her. It was easy and she lose 15lbs in just 5 weeks of eating the meal. so I figured I had to try it
So how well did eDiets Low Fat Diet Meal work?nder 2 months I managed to lose 24 pounds! Not only that, but all my clothes fit me again! I feel better, I look better, and I'm actually looking forward to seeing pictures from our next family gathering. The best part about Cheat Your Way Thin was the ability to 'cheat'. Now that I know how to strategically add higher calorie meals to my diet, I believe I'll keep the weight off for good. If you've been struggling to lose weight and want to try a unique low fat diet plan. www.InstantWeightWatchers gives a very honest review of the different diet plans available in the market and so far their review about eDiets has been spot on and accurate. Check out this low fat diet meal plan articles also which is very helpful as well.also check out this article too on low fat diet meal plans
So how well did eDiets Low Fat Diet Meal work?nder 2 months I managed to lose 24 pounds! Not only that, but all my clothes fit me again! I feel better, I look better, and I'm actually looking forward to seeing pictures from our next family gathering. The best part about Cheat Your Way Thin was the ability to 'cheat'. Now that I know how to strategically add higher calorie meals to my diet, I believe I'll keep the weight off for good. If you've been struggling to lose weight and want to try a unique low fat diet plan. www.InstantWeightWatchers gives a very honest review of the different diet plans available in the market and so far their review about eDiets has been spot on and accurate. Check out this low fat diet meal plan articles also which is very helpful as well.also check out this article too on low fat diet meal plans
Atkins Diet Plan: Foods You Can Eat and Still Lose Weight
Atkins Diet Plan for weight loss is an attractive choice over other diets because it allows a substantially larger list of foods you can eat while still being able to lose weight. Atkins Diet Plan is low-carb, not no-carb - and you'll never have to worry about hunger pains while you're on the Atkins Diet Plan.
Atkins Diet Plan is often mistakenly believed to be a no-carb diet rather than low-carb diet. Although the first two weeks of the Atkins Diet is challenging, there is a long list of fulfilling foods that you can eat - and still lose weight with - during the induction phase of Atkins Diet Plan. The induction phase is the first phase of the Atkins Diet, and severely limits the carbohydrate-rich foods you can eat for two weeks. During the second phase of Atkins Diet Plan, which is the "ongoing weight loss" phase, you can slowly add small amounts of carbohydrates to the list of foods you can eat. Later in the Atkins Diet Plan, you will be able to increase the foods you enjoy by burning more calories.
Atkins' induction phase has severe limitations on carbohydrates because the purpose of this phase is to get your body to rely on burning fat, instead of the glucose produced by the carbohydrates. In the medical community, this is the state of "ketosis." But even the two-week induction phase in Atkins Diet Plan is not "no-carb," it is "low-carb."
Many dieters feel that the most attractive benefit of the Atkins Diet Plan is that it allows for substantially more types of foods, which you can eat and still be able to lose weight. Throughout the induction phase, and the ongoing weight loss phase of Atkins Diet, a dieter is allowed to eat a liberal amount fish, fowl, shellfish, meat and eggs, including bacon.
An Atkins dieter can also eat cheese and still lose weight with the Atkins Diet. (They may, however, have to give up Cheez-wiz because fake cheese is not allowed.) Cheese you can eat and still be able to lose weight with are the firmer varieties such as Cheddar, and the soft and semi-soft cheeses, such as goat cheese, cream cheese, mozzarella, Swiss and blue cheese. Just like any diet, there's a long list of vegetables you can eat when you're on the Atkins Diet Plan to lose weight. Unlike other diets, the Atkins Diet Plan allows you to eat the fats, salad dressings and condiments that low-fat diets disallow. However, Atkins still advises dieters to choose the healthier fats in their diet eating plans.
The science behind the Atkins Diet Plan uses fat consumption from the new diet eating habits to inhibit cravings for carbohydrates. Although "sweets" are not allowed, there are enough viable low-sugar and low-carbohydrate options on the market today that can compensate for food cravings. Sugar substitutes are allowed, and dedicated Atkins dieters have posted thousands of recipes over the Internet for Atkins carb-friendly desserts. Today's creative food technologists and food marketers have provided substitutes for virtually everything that's not allowed. A good example of "sweet" in Atkins "no sweet" diet would be Atkins Advantage™ Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar.
Atkins Diet Plan is the diet plan of choice if you have a hearty appetite and are interested in a weight loss program that will provide you with plenty of foods that you can eat and still lose weight with. Diet eating with the Atkins Diet Plan is challenging the first two weeks, but millions of people, and many scientific studies, have proven that the Atkins Diet Plan is a successful method to reach weight loss goals. If you enjoy eating and are evaluating your diet plan options, the Atkins Diet Plan is worthy of serious consideration. You can eat and still lose weight with the Atkins Diet Plan. Lose weight without the hunger pains by trying the Atkins Diet Plan - they have a hearty menu waiting just for you.
Melissa Webster is the guru of diet eating for weight loss. She specialized in Atkins diet
For more information click here
Atkins Diet Plan is often mistakenly believed to be a no-carb diet rather than low-carb diet. Although the first two weeks of the Atkins Diet is challenging, there is a long list of fulfilling foods that you can eat - and still lose weight with - during the induction phase of Atkins Diet Plan. The induction phase is the first phase of the Atkins Diet, and severely limits the carbohydrate-rich foods you can eat for two weeks. During the second phase of Atkins Diet Plan, which is the "ongoing weight loss" phase, you can slowly add small amounts of carbohydrates to the list of foods you can eat. Later in the Atkins Diet Plan, you will be able to increase the foods you enjoy by burning more calories.
Atkins' induction phase has severe limitations on carbohydrates because the purpose of this phase is to get your body to rely on burning fat, instead of the glucose produced by the carbohydrates. In the medical community, this is the state of "ketosis." But even the two-week induction phase in Atkins Diet Plan is not "no-carb," it is "low-carb."
Many dieters feel that the most attractive benefit of the Atkins Diet Plan is that it allows for substantially more types of foods, which you can eat and still be able to lose weight. Throughout the induction phase, and the ongoing weight loss phase of Atkins Diet, a dieter is allowed to eat a liberal amount fish, fowl, shellfish, meat and eggs, including bacon.
An Atkins dieter can also eat cheese and still lose weight with the Atkins Diet. (They may, however, have to give up Cheez-wiz because fake cheese is not allowed.) Cheese you can eat and still be able to lose weight with are the firmer varieties such as Cheddar, and the soft and semi-soft cheeses, such as goat cheese, cream cheese, mozzarella, Swiss and blue cheese. Just like any diet, there's a long list of vegetables you can eat when you're on the Atkins Diet Plan to lose weight. Unlike other diets, the Atkins Diet Plan allows you to eat the fats, salad dressings and condiments that low-fat diets disallow. However, Atkins still advises dieters to choose the healthier fats in their diet eating plans.
The science behind the Atkins Diet Plan uses fat consumption from the new diet eating habits to inhibit cravings for carbohydrates. Although "sweets" are not allowed, there are enough viable low-sugar and low-carbohydrate options on the market today that can compensate for food cravings. Sugar substitutes are allowed, and dedicated Atkins dieters have posted thousands of recipes over the Internet for Atkins carb-friendly desserts. Today's creative food technologists and food marketers have provided substitutes for virtually everything that's not allowed. A good example of "sweet" in Atkins "no sweet" diet would be Atkins Advantage™ Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar.
Atkins Diet Plan is the diet plan of choice if you have a hearty appetite and are interested in a weight loss program that will provide you with plenty of foods that you can eat and still lose weight with. Diet eating with the Atkins Diet Plan is challenging the first two weeks, but millions of people, and many scientific studies, have proven that the Atkins Diet Plan is a successful method to reach weight loss goals. If you enjoy eating and are evaluating your diet plan options, the Atkins Diet Plan is worthy of serious consideration. You can eat and still lose weight with the Atkins Diet Plan. Lose weight without the hunger pains by trying the Atkins Diet Plan - they have a hearty menu waiting just for you.
Melissa Webster is the guru of diet eating for weight loss. She specialized in Atkins diet
For more information click here
Diabetic Carb Diet and Carbohydrate Counting Machines
Diabetic Carb Diet and Carbohydrate Counting Machines:
People suffering from diabetes need to constantly check the consumption of carbohydrates. In addition, they need to count the amount of calories and fats that they consume. A diabetic carb diet plan is very beneficial in this regard.
Excess intake of carbohydrate may result in increased blood sugar levels affecting your overall health. Some electronic gadgets may help you in counting the daily intake of carbohydrates in a day. In addition, these machines provide you with diet manuals that will help you prepare a healthy and effective diabetic carb diet.
These gadgets are portable and thus, you may carry them in your pocket or hand. You may even store your diabetic carb diet plan in these machines, as these gadgets come with memory storage options. You will also get vital information on nutrition contents of over 50,000 food items that you may include in your diabetic diet. This will save your time in finding the right foodstuffs for your diabetic carb diet program.
These machines also help you count the actual nutritional and calorie contents of the foodstuffs that you intake. This will help you modify your diabetic carb diet plan, if required.
In fact, you may customize your diet by inserting over 1000 different food items of your choice along with suitable workout details in these machines to prepare a whole new diabetic diet.
This will enhance the effectiveness of your diet plan. You may even connect these machines with your computer to download certain vital information regarding diabetic carb diet.
There are various specialized versions of these machines that serve people having different types of diabetes such as Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes, and Gestational Diabetes.
Thus, enjoying a healthy lifestyle is possible for diabetic people provided they follow a proper diabetic diet plan.
For more information click here
People suffering from diabetes need to constantly check the consumption of carbohydrates. In addition, they need to count the amount of calories and fats that they consume. A diabetic carb diet plan is very beneficial in this regard.
Excess intake of carbohydrate may result in increased blood sugar levels affecting your overall health. Some electronic gadgets may help you in counting the daily intake of carbohydrates in a day. In addition, these machines provide you with diet manuals that will help you prepare a healthy and effective diabetic carb diet.
These gadgets are portable and thus, you may carry them in your pocket or hand. You may even store your diabetic carb diet plan in these machines, as these gadgets come with memory storage options. You will also get vital information on nutrition contents of over 50,000 food items that you may include in your diabetic diet. This will save your time in finding the right foodstuffs for your diabetic carb diet program.
These machines also help you count the actual nutritional and calorie contents of the foodstuffs that you intake. This will help you modify your diabetic carb diet plan, if required.
In fact, you may customize your diet by inserting over 1000 different food items of your choice along with suitable workout details in these machines to prepare a whole new diabetic diet.
This will enhance the effectiveness of your diet plan. You may even connect these machines with your computer to download certain vital information regarding diabetic carb diet.
There are various specialized versions of these machines that serve people having different types of diabetes such as Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes, and Gestational Diabetes.
Thus, enjoying a healthy lifestyle is possible for diabetic people provided they follow a proper diabetic diet plan.
For more information click here
PCOS and Fertility - A Low Carb Diet May Help
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
The Zone Diet does not induce ketosis, nor does it lower the carbohydrate intake below minimum recommended levels. So, even though it is associated with 'low carb' and the Atkins diet, in the minds of many, it is in fact quite different, both in it's effects on the body, and its recommendations. Rebecca Prescott runs the website www.vitaminstohealth.com
For more information click here
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
The Zone Diet does not induce ketosis, nor does it lower the carbohydrate intake below minimum recommended levels. So, even though it is associated with 'low carb' and the Atkins diet, in the minds of many, it is in fact quite different, both in it's effects on the body, and its recommendations. Rebecca Prescott runs the website www.vitaminstohealth.com
For more information click here
Advantages and Disadvantages Of Following A Low Carb Diabetic Diet
Advantages and Disadvantages Of Following A Low Carb Diabetic Diet:
The vital reason for which diabetic people switch to low carb diabetic diet is to improvise on their health issues and accordingly shed extra weight. Carbohydrates are extensively found in vegetables, fruits and whole grains.
Thus, non-overweight and healthy individuals can follow a low carb diabetic diet. A low carb diabetic diet works well on people, who are prone to diseases such as high cholesterol, high hypoglycemia, Type 2 Diabetes and obesity. Mostly, all the doctors and other medical experts recommend a low carb diabetic diet.
Individuals suffering from Type 2 Diabetes and obesity can have control over their exercise and dietary regime. Thus, a low carb diabetic diet and high protein diet accompanied with proper intake of health supplements (under the supervision of the doctor) helps in tempering blood sugar level, promoting loss of weight and accordingly reduce various other cardiovascular problems that occur due to obesity and Type 2 Diabetes.
Meals that contain carbohydrates below 10 grams can escalate levels of blood sugar as stated by diabetes experts. Moreover, these diets cause unwanted rise in glycohemoglobin and glucose levels, which is harmful for any diabetes patient. Individuals prone to Type 2 Diabetes need to lower their insulin and glucose levels and this can be achieved with the help of a low carb diabetic diet.
Not all diabetes patients are comfortable with a low carb diabetic diet, as it differs from one patient to other. A study made by diabetes experts state that people who have been following a low carb diabetic diet actually have more foodstuffs as compared to other individuals following a standardized reduced or a low fat calorific diet, yet lose weight. At times, a low carb diabetic diet might result in obesity and thus, needs to be followed under medical supervision.
Therefore, a low carb diabetic diet has worked wonders for many diabetes patients. Before following a low carb diabetic diet, seek advice from a doctor and accordingly follow the guidelines.
For more information click here
The vital reason for which diabetic people switch to low carb diabetic diet is to improvise on their health issues and accordingly shed extra weight. Carbohydrates are extensively found in vegetables, fruits and whole grains.
Thus, non-overweight and healthy individuals can follow a low carb diabetic diet. A low carb diabetic diet works well on people, who are prone to diseases such as high cholesterol, high hypoglycemia, Type 2 Diabetes and obesity. Mostly, all the doctors and other medical experts recommend a low carb diabetic diet.
Individuals suffering from Type 2 Diabetes and obesity can have control over their exercise and dietary regime. Thus, a low carb diabetic diet and high protein diet accompanied with proper intake of health supplements (under the supervision of the doctor) helps in tempering blood sugar level, promoting loss of weight and accordingly reduce various other cardiovascular problems that occur due to obesity and Type 2 Diabetes.
Meals that contain carbohydrates below 10 grams can escalate levels of blood sugar as stated by diabetes experts. Moreover, these diets cause unwanted rise in glycohemoglobin and glucose levels, which is harmful for any diabetes patient. Individuals prone to Type 2 Diabetes need to lower their insulin and glucose levels and this can be achieved with the help of a low carb diabetic diet.
Not all diabetes patients are comfortable with a low carb diabetic diet, as it differs from one patient to other. A study made by diabetes experts state that people who have been following a low carb diabetic diet actually have more foodstuffs as compared to other individuals following a standardized reduced or a low fat calorific diet, yet lose weight. At times, a low carb diabetic diet might result in obesity and thus, needs to be followed under medical supervision.
Therefore, a low carb diabetic diet has worked wonders for many diabetes patients. Before following a low carb diabetic diet, seek advice from a doctor and accordingly follow the guidelines.
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