Wednesday, December 23, 2015

HMR Diet

HMR Diet:
Lose weight and keep it off by reducing calories via meal replacement with added fruits and vegetables, learning healthy lifestyle strategies and increasing physical activity and personal accountability.

Low-calorie Diet: These diets provide far fewer calories than is generally recommended, which leads to weight loss.

HMR meal replacements – low-calorie shakes, meals, nutrition bars and multigrain hot cereal – are eaten in place of other meals and snacks. In addition, eating fruits and vegetables, which are naturally low in calories, helps displace higher-calorie foods from a diet. By mixing vegetables and fruits with HMR meal replacements, you have filling, nutritious meals. Physical activity is essential for successful long-term weight management, and a little exercise – just 10 to 20 minutes of walking per day – will help you attain weight-loss goals.

Pros & Cons
Meals delivered to you
Phased approach for quick start on weight loss
Eating out limited
Shakes could get humdrum

The HMR Diet was developed more than 30 years ago by Lawrence Stifler, a behavioral psychologist and president of HMR. The HMR at Home Program – also referred to as the Healthy Solutions Diet – involves two phases. Phase 1 is the Quick Start phase, when the goal is to lose weight as quickly as possible. The Quick Start diet kit includes all the HMR foods you need for the first three weeks, except for fruit and vegetables, which you provide yourself. Automatic food shipments will then arrive every two weeks. Home delivery helps ensure you never run out of food, which could interrupt your weight loss. You’ll also start learning healthy lifestyle strategies. You then transition to Phase 2 once you reach your goal weight, or you’re ready for less structure in your diet. While the time in Phase 1 depends on the your individual weight-loss goal, expected weight loss is 1 to 2 pounds per week, with an average weight loss of 23 pounds over the first 12 weeks.
In Phase 2, you’ll receive HMR food monthly, work in other healthy food options and focus more on lifestyle changes while either maintaining your Phase 1 weight loss or continuing to lose weight at your own pace. Weekly telephone coaching sessions with dietitians and exercise physiologists provide support and encourage.

How much does it cost?
The initial three-week HMR starter kit costs $295 (with free shipping when joining the program). The standard two-week reorder kit costs $180. Individually, shakes, cereal and soup run between roughly $2 and $2.50 per serving. Entrees cost $3.65 per serving and can be ordered online. You'll save on costs in the meat and processed-food sections of your grocery store, while possibly spending more money than you used to in the produce aisle.

Friday, December 4, 2015

Tips to avoid weight gain during the holidays

Helpful Hints to keep your weight under control during the holidays:

Never arrive hungry
Pace yourself when you are eating
Limit alcohol consumption
Use a small plate instead of a large plate to feast
When you are full do not continue to eat
Limit your sweets
Take a walk after you eat

**Get back to healthy eat as soon as possible**
**Continue working out**

Sunday, November 15, 2015

Eat To Live Diet

Eat to Live Diet -

The Promise
Losing 20-plus pounds is a great accomplishment, and Joel Fuhrman, MD, aims to help you do that with his book, Eat to Live.
Eat to Live isn't just about losing weight without feeling deprived or hungry. It's also about improving your blood pressure, cholesterol, and more.

The 6-week plan shows that if you eat foods that are high in nutrients and low in calories, you can eat more and feel fuller for longer.

On this plan, you cut down on some carbs (bread, pasta), sugar, and oil. You also quit meat and dairy for at least 6 weeks, and eat more whole fruits, vegetables, beans and other legumes, and whole grains.

What You Can Eat:

Raw veggies
Steamed or cooked green vegetables, eggplant, mushrooms, peppers, onions, tomatoes, carrots, cauliflower, ect..
Beans and other legumes

In limited quantities:

1 cup per day of cooked starchy vegetables or whole grains (winter squash, corn, potatoes, rice, bread, cereal)
1 ounce per day of raw nuts and seeds
2 tablespoons per day of dried fruit
1 tablespoon per day of ground flaxseed


Dairy products
Animal products
Snacks between meals
Fruit juice
Processed foods

Fuhrman says it’s best to avoid alcohol if possible, but you can have one drink a day if that will help you stay on the plan.

Limitations: This is a very restrictive diet. You will be eating tons of vegetables at most meals, with some fruit, some legumes, and a limited amount of starch at one meal. You will not eat meat, dairy, sugar, or oil at all on the initial 6-week plan. After you complete the first 6 weeks, you may reintroduce fat-free dairy, meat, fish, refined carbs, and olive oil in very small amounts.

Sunday, November 8, 2015

The Fast Diet

The Fast Diet -
The Promise
"Fast," in this case, is not about speed. It's about fasting.
This diet, which started in the U.K., slashes your calories so drastically 2 days a week that you're basically fasting. That's not safe for everyone, so you should check with your doctor if you're considering trying it.

The Fast Diet says that you shouldn’t fast if you’re pregnant or underweight, or if you have a history of eating disorders or diabetes, and that you should check with your doctor first if you take medication. The diet also isn't recommended for kids, teens, frail seniors, or anyone who isn't feeling well or has a fever.

The basic concept behind The Fast Diet by Michael Mosley, MD, and Mimi Spencer is to eat normally for 5 days per week and eat very restricted calories on the other 2 days.
Mosley tried this "intermittent fasting" diet when his doctor showed him that though he was only a few pounds overweight, his cholesterol was high and his blood sugar was headed in the wrong direction. He writes that he knew fasting would be difficult, but his hunger pangs passed quicker than he expected. He also felt that fasting sharpened his senses and his brain. Plus, the diet delivered all the results he hoped for.

On its web site, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says that although there is evidence that intermittent fasting diets may help prevent chronic disease, more research is needed. It doesn't recommend the diet because "it is not a realistic long-term solution.” The academy also notes that "any variation of fasting may make a person irritable, cause daytime sleepiness/sleeplessness at night, and can even lead to dehydration."

What You Can Eat and What You Can't

You eat normally 5 days a week, and fast for the other 2 days. Your fasting days should not be back-to-back; you should have at least 1 normal eating day in between them.
During your fast days, you can eat, but not very much. Women get 500 calories per day; men get 600. That’s far less than what’s usually recommended. Depending on age, gender, and how active you are, you could need three or four times as many calories.
The Fast Diet encourages you to eat lean protein, vegetables, and fruit on fasting days, usually as two small meals plus a few snacks.

A typical 500-calorie fasting day might include oatmeal with fresh blueberries for breakfast, a tangerine for a snack, and a chicken and vegetable stir-fry for dinner. You will drink lots of water and may also have calorie-free beverages such as tea, coffee (no milk or sugar), and club soda.
On your 5 "off days," you can eat anything. Surprisingly, the research team that studied the diet found that people didn’t gorge themselves on off days.
The Fast Diet strongly discourages drinking alcohol on fasting days and suggests that if you drink on your "off days," you drink only in moderation. Once you reach your weight loss goal, 1 day of fasting per week is recommended for maintenance.

Exercise: The Fast Diet recommends exercise, but the diet's web site cautions that you shouldn't try to do a lot of endurance training on fasting days, and to stop if you feel uncomfortable.

Does It Work?

Even though many health experts don’t recommend fasting, if you’re going to do it, the authors of this plan have it right. Eating 500-600 calories a couple of days a week will be tough, but it’s doable.
One reason experts tell people not to cut way back on calories is that it can slow your metabolism, making it even harder to lose weight. But studies show that fasting from time to time can be an effective strategy for weight loss. In addition, cutting calories on a couple of days instead of every day may help preserve muscle, so you lose mostly fat.
Mosley’s team found that people don’t overindulge on the non-fasting days. Other research suggests he they may be right. But it’s ultimately up to you to make sure you don’t sabotage your weight loss efforts on the “off” days.

If fasting interests you, The Fast Diet is a decent approach. It’s going to take some serious willpower, but if you’re up for the challenge, it can work. It’s definitely not meant for everyone, so don’t ignore the warnings.

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Flexitarian Diet

Flexitarian Diet

The Promise

Go meatless most of the time, and you'll lose weight and get healthy with ease. That’s the mission of the Flexitarian Diet.

Author and dietitian Dawn Jackson Blatner says that eating mainly plant-based foods is a smart way to cut calories. Flexitarians (“flexible vegetarians”) eat a lot less meat than they used to but don't give it up completely.

Nothing is off-limits, but the goal is to add more plant-based foods to your diet while cutting back on meat.

The book has a short assessment of eating habits that will determine how you begin. Blatner considers you a beginner flexitarian if you have two meatless days per week (26 ounces of meat or poultry per week).

Advanced flexitarians skip meat 3 to 4 days a week (18 ounces of meat or poultry a week).

Experts go meatless 5 or more days a week (9 ounces of meat or poultry).

The Flexitarian Diet does urge you to make more meatless changes, but baby steps are OK. Blatner suggests making at least one shift per day, so you won't feel overwhelmed. The recipes also focus on simplicity; each one includes just five main ingredients.

Meal prep is kept relatively easy, but you will need to stock up on fresh produce regularly and get comfortable in the kitchen.

You will need to be active for 30 minutes most days just for good health. Shift to 90 minutes most days if you want to slim down.

The "flex" in flexitarian means that it's all about options.

Cost: Just your food. Though fresh produce can be expensive, you may actually save money because vegetarian proteins (tofu, beans, etc.) are generally less expensive than meat and poultry.

Does It Work?

It can help you lose weight, but how much you eat still counts.

Research shows that vegetarians tend to weigh less than people who eat meat. Plus, plant-based foods such as fruits and vegetables are generally high in nutrition and low in calories, and are important parts of a heart-healthy diet.

Becoming a vegetarian doesn’t guarantee weight loss, but adding more plant-based foods to your diet can help your health in many ways.

The diet’s strengths are that it can help anyone eat a more healthful, plant-based diet. This, in turn, may help you manage your weight and improve your health.

If you’re looking to add more plant-based foods to your diet gradually without the commitment of becoming a full-fledged vegetarian, this is the ideal plan for you. The recipes are simple and geared toward beginner cooks.

Thursday, October 22, 2015


The Promise
Eat six meals a day and still lose weight? Medifast calls it its "5 & 1 Plan." If you eat five Medifast meal replacements and one meal that you provide, Medifast says you can lose 2-5 pounds during the first 2 weeks of the plan. People typically lose 1-2 pounds per week after that.
Once you reach your goal weight, you gradually add calories over a 6-week transition period. Medifast encourages following its "3 & 3 Plan" (three meals plus three meal replacements) indefinitely to keep off the weight.

Medifast has more than 70 meal replacements. The meal you provide each day should include 5-7 ounces of lean protein, three servings of vegetables, and up to two servings of healthy fats.
You can also have condiments, sauces, dressings, and one snack per day. Snack choices include celery, Jell-O, a Popsicle, pickles, gum, or mints, and half an ounce of either walnuts, pistachios, or almonds. Alcohol is off-limits; so is everything that is not on the approved food list.
You'll need Medifast's meal replacements for most of your food, but you have some flexibility for the meal you provide.

Medifast has more than 70 meal replacement options including shakes, bars, cereals, and snacks like pretzel sticks. Fruit, dairy products, and starches aren't allowed in the 5 & 1 Plan.

In-person meetings: Optional. There are more than 100 nationwide Medifast Weight Control Centers.
Daily exercise is encouraged, but the program doesn’t offer a specific workout.

Costs: Prices vary, but a 4-week supply of meal replacements will cost at least $300 plus shipping. A seven-pack of any meal replacement (smoothies, oatmeal bars, shakes, or other foods) costs $16.95.
The Medifast 5 & 1 Plan provides only 800 to 1,000 calories a day. You will lose weight due to the severe calorie restriction, but it’s an approach that will be tough to stick with.

Getting enough nutrients would be a concern on such a low-calorie diet, but the replacements are enriched with nutrients to help offset any deficiency that may occur.
Medifast cuts out certain food groups, including dairy, so you’ll have to take steps to make sure you get plenty of calcium and vitamin D from other sources.

The lack of energy often caused by very-low-calorie diets may make exercise a challenge, but regular exercise is critical if you want to keep the weight off.
If you’re looking to make big changes in your weight and your health, Medifast can deliver results. But those extreme changes may make sticking with the program a challenge.

To keep the weight off, you’ll need to transition successfully into the maintenance phase. While limitations ease up at that point, you will need to learn to live with and accept some restrictions in your diet to make it work for the long-term.

Remember, this is an extreme diet, so don’t try it without talking to your doctor first.

Saturday, October 17, 2015

Looking to Workout in Howard County, MD

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Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Body for Life

The Body for Life

The Promise

Open the best-selling Body for Life book, and you'll see before-and-after photos of people who went from flab to fab. Give the diet 12 weeks, and you'll have your best body ever, too, the founder promises. But you're going to work hard for it -- with intense exercise nearly every day.

You'll also have to get used to eating six small meals a day -- mostly lean protein and healthy carbs -- instead of three larger ones. This schedule is to steady your blood sugar, boost your energy, and help you prevent binge eating caused by getting too hungry.

The premise of the diet, founded by Bill Phillips, is that you're more likely to stick to a diet and workout if you see fast results.
What You Can Eat and What You Can't

At every meal, you get a fist-sized serving each of protein and carbs. Overall, the diet breaks down to 40% to 50% of each, with very little fat.

You can have bread, pasta, potatoes, lean meats, fruits, vegetables, and small amounts of certain fats. The diet requires that you eat at least two servings of vegetables and drink 10 glasses of water daily.

Once a week, you get a "free" day, when you can eat whatever you want.

Except on your free day, you can't have bacon, fatty cuts of beef, hot dogs, or deep-fried meats. You're not allowed sugary or processed foods like cookies, cake, candy, white rice, chips, and soda. Some fats -- such as butter, lard, mayonnaise, coconut oil, and full-fat dairy products -- also are off-limits.

Though you may see some quick results, Body for Life is meant to be a lifestyle change. If you don't want to commit to fitting six small meals into your daily life, it could be tough to follow. The intense workouts 6 days a week may also be too much for many people.

Limitations: Preparing more meals a day can take more planning, though they can include the program's shakes or nutrition bars twice a day. The diet is also higher in protein than what is typically recommended.

Exercise: You work out six times a week: 45 minutes of targeted weight training 3 days, and 20 minutes of high-intensity cardio 3 days.
Does It Allow for Dietary Restrictions or Preferences?

Vegetarians and vegans: Plant sources of protein, like beans, often include carbs. You need to make sure you stay within the plan's carb rules. This diet would be difficult for vegans to follow.

Low-fat diet: There’s very little fat in this diet, unless you fill up on fats on your free day.
What Else You Should Know

Cost: None beyond grocery shopping. The emphasis on meat, fish, and other costly proteins might add costs to your food budget. The optional protein powders, shakes, and nutrition bars can also add up.

Support: The Body for Life web site includes online tools and forums with an active community.

The Body for Life program combines two proven elements of weight loss: fewer calories in and more calories burned. If you follow it closely, you'll likely shed pounds and build muscle. But be careful not to overdo it on your “free day.”

Research hasn’t shown that eating frequent, small meals boosts weight loss success -- though it may have other health advantages. And eating more often may lessen the feelings of hunger that can sabotage anyone’s good intentions.

You may struggle with this plan if you have a hectic schedule, since it takes time to plan and cook your meals, as well as to fit in the exercise required.

The Body for Life Plan is an intense physical program. It may not be for you if you hate to exercise or have certain medical problems.

The plan is geared to strength training and falls short of the amount of aerobic activity (150 minutes a week) recommended by the American Heart Association.

You may feel tired as you cut back on calories and up your exercise, so start slow and listen to your body. Check with your doctor first if you have any health issues or have been inactive.

Thursday, October 8, 2015

The Fat Smash Diet

The Fat Smash Diet -
The Promise
If you’re ready to “smash” bad eating habits in favor of building good ones, The Fat Smash Diet might be for you.

The plan is based on healthy principles. For instance, you eat a lot of fruits and vegetables.
It's not an overnight fix. Give it 90 days, and you'll change your relationship with food.
The plan comes from Ian K. Smith, MD, who serves on the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition and is the author of other diet books including Shred and The 4-Day Diet.

What You Can Eat and What You Can't

This diet has four phases:
Detox: The program starts with a 9-day vegetarian “detox” phase based on meals of mostly produce. Meat, fish, pasta, and alcohol are forbidden.
Foundation: This phase loosens up. You can have meats, fish, and some alcohol and healthy grains and fats. You exercise a bit longer, too.
Construction: You add more variety to the diet to sharpen your focus on portion control.
Temple: You keep adding more foods, and work to get back on track if you had any slip-ups on the plan earlier.
The plan starts out strict, but it becomes pretty easy to follow later on, and it leaves you with good habits that last.

Limitations: You have the most limitations during the diet’s first phase. It only lasts 9 days, but it's a big change from the typical American diet.
Cooking and shopping: You can buy many foods ready-made. But preparing at home is recommended so that you control portion sizes and know exactly what's in it. The book includes easy sample recipes for each phase.

Packaged foods or meals: No.
In-person meetings: No.

Exercise: Exercise is required, and you'll work out longer and harder in each phase. You start with at least 30 minutes of cardio training, and gradually add more time. You start weight training in the last phase of the plan.

Friday, October 2, 2015

Biggest Loser Diet

The Biggest Loser Diet:
The Promise
Are you ready to train and eat like people on the NBC TV show The Biggest Loser, but without cameras following you around 24-7?
You can do a similar plan at home to lose weight, get stronger, feel better, and help lower your cholesterol and blood pressure. It could transform your life -- if you're ready for the intense commitment.
Does It Work?
Choosing healthy foods and getting lots of exercise is a winning combo. You can build strength, lose pounds, and be healthier. Be prepared to work hard and change your long-term eating and exercise habits.
What You Can Eat and What You Can't
You’ll eat small, frequent meals. Most of your food is lean protein, low-fat dairy or soy, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, and nuts.
It’s based on The Biggest Loser's 4-3-2-1 Pyramid: four servings of fruits and vegetables, three servings of lean protein, two servings of whole grains, and 200 calories of “extras.”
Most foods are low in calories but high in fiber, to help you feel fuller longer. By eating five to six small meals and snacks, you’ll keep your blood sugar and hunger in check.
The diet recommends drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day and avoiding caffeine.Costs:
If you join The Biggest Loser Club ($39.99, first three months), you’ll follow an express, 6-week weight loss plan. You get meal plans and recipes, workouts featuring the show's trainers, a food and exercise tracker, and online support. You’ll chart your progress online and get weigh-in reminders.

Saturday, September 26, 2015

The 3 Hour Diet

The 3-Hour Diet - The Promise:
The opposite of those extreme plans that call for fasting, The 3-Hour Diet by fitness expert Jorge Cruise, requires you to eat five times a day, including a tiny dessert. All your favorite foods, including carbs and sweets, are allowed, as long as you eat them on a strict timetable.

If you don’t eat often enough, he explains, your body goes into “starvation protection” mode, conserving calories, storing fat, and burning muscle (not fat) for energy. Cruise says that if you eat every 3 hours, you repeatedly reset your metabolism so it stays in high gear, and you burn fat all day long.

His rules around meal timing are:
Eat breakfast within 1 hour of rising.
Eat every 3 hours after that.
Stop eating 3 hours before bedtime.

Stick to the recommended portion sizes. Meals should average 400 calories; snacks, 100 calories; and dessert, 50 calories (like a Reese’s Mini), for a total of about 1,450 calories a day.
He says you’ll drop up to 10 pounds in the first 2 weeks, and 2 pounds a week after that, without losing any fat-burning muscle tissue.
You’ll also curb your levels of cortisol -- the “stress hormone” -- and flatten your belly in the process, Cruise says. And you’ll have more energy and less hunger, because eating every 3 hours keeps your blood sugar levels steady.
That's not proven, though some research suggests that eating smaller, more frequent meals can help manage hunger.

What You Can Eat and What You Can't

On this diet, there are no bad foods, only bad portion sizes. In other words, you can eat whatever you want -- carbs, meat, fast food, frozen foods, sweets -- as long as you stay within your calorie limits and eat at the right intervals.
Meal suggestions included in the book are designed to provide “balanced portions of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.”
Though you can choose your own foods, Cruise does favor lean proteins and flaxseed oil or extra-virgin olive oil.
To keep portion sizes in check, he encourages you to picture a Rubik’s cube for a serving of carbs, a deck of cards for meat and other proteins, and a water bottle cap for salad dressing and other fats.

Saturday, September 12, 2015

Dukan Diet

Dukan Diet - Drop 10 pounds in one week and never gain it back. You can do it if you follow the Dukan Diet's rules, claims French general practitioner and nutritionist Pierre Dukan, who created the diet in 2000.
Lean protein, oat bran, water, and a daily 20-minute walk are at the heart of the plan. The theory is that limiting carbohydrates forces your body to burn fat.
Basically, you can eat unlimited quantities of food, as long as they’re on the approved foods list, which includes very few carbs, if any.
You will be eating a lot of protein and oat bran.
The diet has four phases.
During the “Attack” phase (1-10 days), you eat all the lean protein you can handle, plus 1.5 tablespoons of oat bran and at least 6 cups of water daily.
In the “Cruise” phase (which can last several months), you add unlimited amounts of non-starchy veggies every other day, plus an extra half-tablespoon of oat bran.
When you get to the third stage, “Consolidation” (5 days for every pound you've lost), you can have veggies every day, plus one piece of fruit, 2 slices of whole-grain bread, and 1 serving of hard cheese. During this phase, you can also have 1 or 2 servings of starchy foods and 1 or 2 “celebration” meals where you can eat whatever you want.
The final phase, “Stabilization” (ongoing), is all about maintenance. You can eat whatever you like, except for one day a week when you follow the all-protein rules from the diet’s “Attack” phase. In this phase, you also eat 3 tablespoons of oat bran a day and walk 20 minutes every day.
Sugar-free gum, artificial sweeteners, spices, and unsweetened coffee and tea are allowed. As for alcohol, you can have a glass of wine per day during the consolidation and stabilization phases.

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

The Sonoma Diet

The Sonoma Diet -
The Promise is that you will have a trimmer waist and better health in just 10 days, without depriving yourself. That is the promise of the Sonoma Diet, named for California’s wine country and influenced by a Mediterranean plant-focused way of eating.
Besides losing weight, the plan will help you break your sugar addiction and teach you to how to satisfy cravings with healthy foods.

What You Can Eat: The emphasis is on a cornucopia of flavorful, nutrient-dense “power foods,” including almonds, bell peppers, blueberries, broccoli, grapes, olive oil, spinach, strawberries, tomatoes, and whole grains.

The diet is divided into three "waves": The first wave lasts 10 days and is designed to promote quick weight loss. It is the most dramatic phase of the diet, when you are encouraged to get rid of all processed foods and some fatty foods like chips, butter, and bacon. Other banned foods in this wave include items that contain natural sugars, like wine, fruit, juice, and some vegetables. The long list of allowed foods include lean beef, eggs, asparagus, soba noodles, olive oil, walnuts, and spices.

 In the second wave, you eat the same foods as you did in Wave 1, except you can add some fruit, more veggies, sugar-free treats, and up to 6 ounces of wine daily. You stay with this phase until you reach your goal weight.

Once you have reached your ideal weight, you can jump into the third wave of the program, which focuses on making the Sonoma Diet a part of your lifestyle. You can experiment with different fruits, enjoying full-fat sweets as a rare treat, and adding fitness into your daily life.

The diet utilizes portion management via plate size -- you eat off a 7-inch plate for breakfast and a 9-inch plate for lunch and dinner.

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

The Sugar Busters Diet

The Sugar Busters Diet- No need to count calories on this plan. You can lose weight with a high-fiber diet made up of the right kinds of fruits, vegetables, proteins, and whole grains. You have to give up refined sugar and flour and make other adjustments to the way you eat. The plan emphasizes foods with a low glycemic index (GI), which help keep your blood sugar levels steady such as meats, cheese, nuts, seeds ect..Foods with a higher GI make your blood sugar rise  such as cakes, cookies, soda ect..

The foods with the highest GI are simple carbohydrates, including white bread, white rice, white potatoes, white flour, and sugar.

No major food groups are off-limits, but you will need to avoid foods with a high GI.

Fruits and vegetables: You can eat lots of fruits and vegetables, but  stay away from parsnips, watermelon, and pineapple.


Protein: You can eat low-fat dairy like milk, cheese, and yogurt, eggs, nuts, fish and shellfish, and many lean meats, including beef and pork.

Alcohol: You can have moderate amounts of alcohol, preferably heart-healthy red wine.

Sweeteners: Table sugar is forbidden, but artificial sweeteners like Equal, Sweet'N Low, and NutraSweet are allowed. Sugar-free ice cream is recommended instead of cookies and cakes.

Forbidden foods: You will have to give up white potatoes, white rice, white bread, white flour, corn, beets, soda, candy, baked goods, and refined sugar.

Thursday, August 20, 2015

The Best Life Diet

The Best Life Diet - The Best Life Diet comes from exercise physiologist and certified personal trainer Bob Greene, who worked closely with Oprah Winfrey for years.
Even though "diet" is in the title, this isn't the sort of diet you can do for a few days for quick weight loss. Instead, it is a way of eating, and living, that helps you gradually change your eating habits so they stick with you for good.
You will go through three phases:
Baby Steps (at least 4 weeks): Prepare your body for weight loss by being more active, revving up your metabolism, getting rid of six "problem foods," and increasing the number of calories you burn.
Get Moving (at least 4 weeks): Keep calories in check by increasing your activity at least one level, understanding emotional reasons for hunger, introducing "anything-goes calories," and portion control.
Your Best Life (ongoing): Add even more activity; cut back on saturated fat, sodium, and added sugar; eliminate trans fats; and include wholesome foods.
What You Can Eat and What You Can't
You will eat three meals and at least one snack a day and drink lots of water.
Phase 1: You will have a fiber- and calcium-rich breakfast every day, healthy 100- to 200-calorie snacks, no eating for at least 2 hours before bedtime, and lots of water. You cannot eat the six problem foods: alcohol, soda, trans fats, fried foods, white bread, and full-fat milk and yogurt.
Phase 2: This phase is all about controlling your portions. You will eat the same types of food as in Phase 1, but you’ll add "anything-goes calories," with the amount depending on your activity level. In short, you have to earn them by being active.
Phase 3: You still keep portions in check, and you shift toward nutritious foods (leaner proteins, fruit, whole grains, colorful vegetables). You'll also focus on the quality of your diet. Everything you eat should offer great taste, vitamins, minerals, and nutrients you need to be satisfied and stay healthy.
The Best Life Diet doesn’t allow alcohol in Phase 1 but allows it in moderation in Phases 2 and 3 as part of your "anything-goes calories."
Limitations: In Phase 1, you cannot have alcohol, soda, trans fats, fried foods, white bread, or full-fat milk and yogurt. In Phases 2 and 3, you may use some of those foods as your "anything-goes calories."
Exercise: Required. You will do cardio and strength training, increasing it up with each phase of the diet. It will take time, ranging from 90 minutes a week to 6 hours a week or more.

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

The Mayo Clinic Diet

The Mayo Clinic Diet - The claim: You will shed 6 to 10 pounds in two weeks and continue losing 1 to 2 pounds weekly until you’ve hit your goal weight.
The theory: You recalibrate your eating habits, breaking bad ones and replacing them with good ones with the help of the Mayo Clinic’s unique food pyramid.

You start with Part 1- Lose It!! You don’t count calories, and you can snack all you want on fruits and veggies. After two weeks, you begin part 2, learning how many calories you should eat to either lose or maintain weight and where those calories should come from.

In “Lose it!” you will add a healthy breakfast, lots of fruits and veggies, whole grains, healthy fats and at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day. You will ban eating while watching TV, sugar (except what’s found in fruit), snacking (except on fruits and veggies), consuming too much meat and full-fat dairy, and eating out (unless the food you order follows the rules). You will eat  natural or minimally processed food.

In “Live it!” you will use what you learned in the first phase but be allowed to occasionally break the rules. You will also calculate the number of calories you can eat while still losing a couple of pounds a week. Instead of counting the calories in every grain of (brown) rice you eat, you will focus on servings. On a 1,400-calorie plan, for example, you are allowed four or more servings each of fruits and veggies, five servings of carbs, four of protein/dairy and three of fats. What’s a serving? For fruit it’s the size of a tennis ball; for protein, no bigger than a deck of cards. Round out “Live it!” with regular physical activity and you’re set for life.

The diet is heavy on food that’s naturally rich in nutrients and low in fat and calories, and the diet emphasizes fruits, veggies and whole grains. Recommended foods include healthy carbs (think fruit, legumes, vegetables, whole-wheat flour and wheat bran); fiber-rich foods such as nuts and beans; heart-healthy fish such as salmon, mackerel and tuna; and “good” fats, which include avocadoes, almonds, olives and walnuts. Foods to avoid include saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol and sodium.

Friday, August 7, 2015


Volumetrics - The theory: People tend to eat the same weight, or amount, of food each day, regardless of how many calories they take in. Since some foods are less energy dense than others—that is, they have fewer calories per gram—filling your plate with more of those means you’ll be eating fewer calories without actually eating less food. Low-density foods, which are low in calories but high-volume, help you feel full and satisfied while dropping pounds. Fruits and veggies are ideal, since they’ll fill you up without breaking your calorie bank. (A pound of low-density carrots, for example, contains as many calories as an ounce of high-density peanuts.)
Volumetrics is all about getting more mileage out of what you eat. Food is divided into four groups. Category 1 (very low-density) includes nonstarchy fruits and vegetables, nonfat milk, and broth-based soup. Category 2 (low-density) includes starchy fruits and veggies, grains, breakfast cereal, low-fat meat, legumes, and low-fat mixed dishes, like chili and spaghetti. Category 3 (medium-density) includes meat, cheese, pizza, French fries, salad dressing, bread, pretzels, ice cream, and cake. Category 4 (high-density) includes crackers, chips, chocolate candies, cookies, nuts, butter, and oil. You will go heavy on categories 1 and 2, watch your portion sizes with category 3, and keep category 4 choices to a minimum. Each day, you’ll eat breakfast, lunch, dinner, a couple snacks and dessert. Exactly how strictly you follow Volumetrics is up to you.
Foods high in water play a big role in Volumetrics, since water increases the weight of food without packing in additional calories. Soup (80 to 95 percent water), fruits and veggies (80 to 95 percent), yogurt (75 percent), and yes, pasta (65 percent) are among your best bets.
You’re also encouraged to eat foods similar to what you’re craving: crunchy carrots and hummus, say, instead of chips and dip. No foods are off limits. And if there’s a category 4 favorite you can’t do without, indulge, as long as you make tradeoffs elsewhere.

Monday, August 3, 2015






Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Raw Diet

Raw Food Diet -
Raw food is packed with natural enzymes and nutrients that help the body reach optimal health. Raw food hasn’t been cooked, processed, microwaved, irradiated, genetically engineered or exposed to pesticides or herbicides. It includes fresh fruits, berries, vegetables, nuts, seeds and herbs in their whole, natural state. Most who follow the plan consume only half the calories they would eat on a cooked diet.
Plant-based foods are never heated above 115 degrees Fahrenheit. Some people on the diet choose to consume raw animal products, such as raw (unpasteurized) milk, cheese made from raw milk, sashimi, raw fish and certain kinds of raw meat. You will eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, sprouts, seeds and nuts, including cashews, sunflower seeds and raw almond butter. Grains are also OK, as are dried organic legumes (think lentils, chickpeas, adzuki beans and mung beans) eaten raw. Other common choices include cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil; raw virgin coconut oil; and raw coconut butter. Freshly-squeezed vegetable juice and herbal tea are also staples.
What’s off-limits? Anything pasteurized, all processed foods, refined sugars and flours, table salt and caffeine. Say goodbye to pasta, baked goods, junk food and most store-bought juices, drinks and milks.
You will need to learn how to properly prepare your food. Raw foodies become expert at juicing, blending, dehydrating, sprouting, germinating, cutting, chopping and rehydrating.
It is up to you to create a sensible plan and avoid risks like food poisoning that could stem from eating raw or undercooked meat, fish, milk or eggs.

Sunday, July 19, 2015


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The first step is to take the free HIPPA compliant health assessment at IDNutrition is the foundation on which IDLife is built. The nutritional supplement program takes all the guesswork out of what you need and delivers your truly personalized pharmaceutical grade nutrition, directly to your door. IDNutrition recommends what you need, leaves out what you don’t and blocks things known to the system to have a possible adverse effect based on the answers you provide.
IDLife has the 28-Day IDTransformation. You choose the flavor combinations and it will put together your personalized kit that combines the very best protein shakes in the industry These products provide a boost to your metabolism and supports the preservation of your lean muscle mass, and can give you the immediate boost that you need along with a sustained energy to keep you going throughout the day.
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Monday, July 13, 2015

Mediterranean Diet

Mediterranean Diet - Is a diet low in red meat, sugar and saturated fats and high in produce, nuts and other healthful foods. The diet emphasizes fruits, veggies, whole grains, beans, nuts, legumes, olive oil and flavorful herbs and spices. Fish and seafood are eaten at least a couple of times a week and poultry, eggs, cheese and yogurt in moderation. Sweets and red meat are eaten on special occasions. Emphasis is on a variety of minimally processed foods and olive oil is used instead of butter or margarine.
The Mediterranean diet has been associated with a decreased risk of heart disease, and it’s been shown to reduce blood pressure and “bad” LDL cholesterol. This is because it includes healthier mono- and polyunsaturated fats in moderation (which can reduce cholesterol).

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Glycemic Index Diet

Glycemic Index Diet- Glycemic Index(GI) is a scientific ranking that classifies foods based on how quickly they raise blood sugar levels. High-GI foods trigger a rise in blood sugar and release insulin, which is thought to promote fat storage, increase hunger, and lead to weight gain. The glycemic index runs from 0 to 100 and uses glucose, which has a GI score of 100. The effect foods have on blood sugar levels are compared with this, and then given a GI value of their own.
The GI diet plans suggest eating low-GI foods such as lean protein, vegetables, foods with lots of fiber and whole grains. Foods that are considered to have a high-GI rating (greater than 70) are to be avoided.
Example of Low-GI foods include: oats, whole grains, brown rice, cabbage, strawberries, peanuts, tomatoes, broccoli, mushrooms ect.. However, some foods with a low-GI value are also loaded with salt, fat, and very little nutrients. Foods such as dates, broad beans, and baked potatoes are full of nutrients and should all be considered as part of a healthy diet even though they have high GI values and included in the category of "foods to be avoided" for those on a GI diet. It's important to be aware of the nutritious value of foods, not just their GI score. Research does show, that many low-GI foods could help prevent heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
As long as you use common sense and select healthy whole grains, lean protein, and good fats, a GI diet could be the right approach for a weight loss strategy for you. As with any healthy weight loss program, be aware of portion sizes and include regular physical exercise.

Saturday, June 27, 2015

South Beach Diet

South Beach Diet - Emphasizes eating high-fiber, low-glycemic carbohydrates, unsaturated fats, and lean protein, and categorizes carbohydrates and fats as good or bad.The South Beach diet prohibits foods rich in simple carbohydrates such as white bread, white potatoes and white rice, but does not require dieters to forgo carbohydrates entirely or even measure their intake. Instead, it focuses on the "glycemic impact" (short term change in blood glucose) of foods. Miami-based cardiologist Arthur Agatston, M.D., approach is part of a three-step program. Agatston developed this diet to help his heart patients lose weight and lower cholesterol.

There are three phases, with Phase 1 the most restrictive: no bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, or fruit. In Phase 2, you gradually add back in some of these foods. Phase 3 is when you hit your goal weight, and you stay there for life.

What You Can Eat and What You Can't
Phase 1 is the strictest and includes: A lot of protein, such as beef, poultry, seafood, eggs, and cheese Some fats, including canola oil, extra-virgin olive oil, and avocado. Carbs with the lowest glycemic index, including vegetables such as broccoli, tomatoes, spinach, and eggplant.
Off-limits are fruit, fruit juices, starchy foods, dairy products, and alcohol.

In Phase 2, you slowly reintroduce healthy carbs into your diet -- fruit, whole-grain bread, whole-grain rice, whole wheat pasta, and sweet potatoes. Expect weight loss to slow to 1 to 2 pounds a week, on average.

Phase 3 is about maintaining your weight. There’s no food list to follow. By this time, you’ll know how to make good food choices and how to get back on track if you overindulge once in a while. If cravings return or your eating gets off track, the plan recommends going back to Phase 1 or 2.

Sunday, June 14, 2015

Paleolithic Diet

The Paleolithic Diet - also known as the paleo diet or caveman diet, is a diet based on the food our ancient ancestors might have eaten, such as meat, nuts and berries, and excludes foods to which they likely wouldn't have had access, like dairy.
Proponents claim that human metabolism has been unable to adapt fast enough to handle the foods that have become available to us such as grain, legumes, and dairy, and in particular the high-calorie processed foods.
Proponents claim that modern humans' inability to properly metabolize these comparatively new types of food has led to modern-day problems such as obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. They claim that followers of the Paleolithic diet may enjoy a longer, healthier, more active life.
The diet consists of protein and non-starchy fruits and vegetables. Foods not allowed on the paleo diet are dairy products, grains, for example wheat, rye, canary seed, and barley, which make it a gluten-free diet, legumes, for example beans and peanuts,
processed oils, refined sugar, salt and neither alcohol nor coffee is considered.

Sunday, May 31, 2015

Cabbage Soup Diet

The Cabbage Soup Diet - The cabbage soup diet is a radical weight loss diet designed around a heavy consumption of a low-calorie cabbage soup over the course of seven days. It is considered a fad diet, and is designed for short-term weight-loss and requires no long-term commitment.
The weight that is lost in one week is mostly water weight.
The amount of calories consumed per day is far lower than what is considered safe. Many people feel weak and light-headed during the course of the diet.
There is zero protein consumed and the soup is bland tasting. By the end of the week most people cannot even stand the smell of it. Therefore, a lot of people give up the diet before the seven days is up.

Sunday, May 17, 2015

The Carbohydrate Addicts Diet

The Carbohydrate Addicts Diet - The diet is based on the theories about controlling fat-storing insulin in the body. Insulin, they claim, can be controlled by drastically reducing carbohydrate consumption during most of the day. Based on the book by the Hellers'.
For the first two weeks you eat 2 small meals a day. Each consisting of three or four ounces of protein and two cups of vegetables or salad. The third meal is the reward meal, where you can eat whatever you want within reason, but you only have one hour to eat it.
After the first two weeks, you can pick a snack as well, at either of the 2 small meals, but never carbohydrate-rich foods such as fruit, juices, bread, pasta ect..

The Hellers claim that by restricting carbohydrates during the day, the body releases far less insulin than if you had been eating a high-carb diet at each meal.

Saturday, May 9, 2015

The Zone Diet

The Zone Diet - Is broken down into 40% carbohydrates, 30% protein and 30% good fats. You eat 5 times a day and try not to consume more than 500 calories per meal or 100 calories per snack.
The Zone is a low-calorie diet and therefore will help you lose weight. It limits unhealthy fats and allows for healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables and lean protein. While the 40-30-30 parameters are rigid, the list of foods you are required to eat are not. This diet is good for people who do not have to follow a set menu, but can pick from a list of healthy foods.

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Diet To Go

Diet To Go -There are three different types of food menus,
vegetarian, traditional and low carb. You select one of them and then select if you are a women or a man. Next you select 5 or 7 days a week you want diet to go's food. Lastly, you select 2 meals or 3 meals a day.
For 5 traditional days a week and 3 meals a day the cost is $124.99.
Each meal is portioned out and includes entree, sides and condiments. You pick your calories per day from 1200 to 1600.
The food is pretty...
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Saturday, April 25, 2015

Website Personal Training

Monday, April 20, 2015

The Atkins Diet

The Atkins Diet - Is a diet that only allows you to eat protein and extremely limited carbohydrates. It only works if you strictly follow the program. The goal of the program is to put your body into ketosis (A metabolic state in which the body breaks down fat to use as its primary source of energy.) Studies have shown that the Atkins diet is effective, but only followed to the letter. With most other diets if you fall off the wagon it only sets you back that day. However, the Atkins diet will set you back two plus weeks into the induction phase.
This diet is for people who have very high self control. Like most of us, we want to cheat once in a while. I myself tried it for a week. I hated it. Comments are welcome.

Sunday, April 12, 2015

Weight Watchers Information

The first diet program I am talking about is Weight Watchers.
They have weekly meetings for support, where they weigh you and give you weight loss tools to motivate you to reach your goals.
Their philosophy is based on a point system. Every food choice is given a point value. The amount of points each person is given is based on your gender, height, weight, activity level, age and how many pounds you want to lose per week.
For example: A 50 year old woman who weighs 150 poun...
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Many Weight Watchers Points Am I Allowed? It depends on if you are male, female, age, weight, height. Use this calculator to find out!

Sunday, March 29, 2015

BMI Calculator

BMI Body Mass Index is one indication if you are underweight, normal weight or overweight. It is based on height, weight and gender. To learn more about your BMI visit:

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Sunday, March 22, 2015

Can a Person be Fit and Overweight

Can a Person be Fit and Overweight?

Studies have shown that if you are overweight but active and fit you may actually have a lower mortality risk than those that are classified as normal weight and who are sedentary or unfit. When people with similar BMIs were compared, those with greater cardiorespiratory fitness tend to have a lower mortality risk, especially compared with individuals who are not physically active. Therefore, even improving cardiovascular fitness may reduce the risk of mortality independent of a reduction in BMI.

Saturday, March 14, 2015

Some Benefits of Exercise

Best Form Fitness is a personal training company specializing in: One on One Personal Training, Cardiovascular Training, Weight Training, Weight Loss, Nutritional Guidance, Group Training, Couples Training. We offer training in our state of the art studio or your home. Please visit

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Some Benefits of Exercise

Some Benefits of Exercise

*Controls weight
*Combats health conditions and diseases
*Improves mood
*Boosts energy
*Promotes better sleep

Sunday, March 8, 2015

Why Fad Diets Do Not Work

Why Do Fad Diets Don't Work?

Fad diets force you to cut out too many calories leaving you feeling lethargic, shaky, and ready to give up. No one can stay on a fad diet that allows very limited amount of food choices. Eventually you will turn back to your old eating habits and gain the weight back plus more.


Saturday, February 28, 2015

Weight Training For Beginners

Beginners of weight training should build slowly. Untrained individuals may have some muscles that are comparatively stronger than others. An injury can result if, in a particular exercise, the primary muscle is stronger than its stabilizing muscles. Building up slowly allows muscles time to develop appropriate strengths relative to each other. This can also help to minimize delayed onset muscle soreness. A sudden start to an intense program can cause significant muscular soreness. Muscles contain cross-linkages that are torn during intense exercise. If you experience a lot of muscle soreness make sure to rest at least 48 hours until you train those muscles again. Drink plenty of water and make sure you get enough protein and good carbohydrates in your diet.

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

No Equipment Workout

If you do not have alot of equipment or room to workout buy some exercise bands. You can simulate most exercises that you would do with weights. Such as bicep curls, rows, pulldowns, tricep extensions, squats and lunges. Also, if you have no cardio equipment, you can jump rope, march in place, run up and down stairs, and do an exercise video.

Saturday, February 7, 2015

Burning Calories

Do you know that muscle burns more calories than fat?  According to American Council on Exercise,  for every pound of muscle you burn 6 calories. Through weight training you can add muscle and get those tone arms and legs you always wanted.

Sunday, January 25, 2015


Make sure you eat balanced meals everyday that include protein and healthy carbohydrates. Lean meats, chicken, fish, eggs, low fat cheese, low fat yogurt. Good carbohydrates include whole wheat bead, fruits, and vegetables, oatmeal ect. Try and eat 5 small meals a day which will help keep you full and therefore, decrease the chance of nighttime overeating.

Saturday, January 17, 2015

No Excuse for Not Exercising in the Winter

We all know we like to sleep in when its cold out. Our motivation to workout is almost non-existent.
Instead of hitting the snooze button 2 or 3 times get up and start moving. If you do not have any exercise equipment in your home put on some music and dance or run up and down the stairs for 10 minutes. It will get your blood pumping and you will feel more energized to go out into the cold and start your day, plus you have just burned some calories.

Monday, January 5, 2015

After Holiday Weight Loss

If you have gained the usual 5 to 10 pounds during the holidays it is time to take the weight back off. I have seen to many people gain this weight and do not do anything about it. Start slowly reducing your calories daily and start lifting weights 2 to 3 times a wee,k as well as do some type of caridovascular exercise 4 to 5 times a week for at least 30 minutes. Within a month or two you will be back to your normal weight and feeling energized again.