When it comes to losing weight there are only two things which will achieve this, eating less (cutting calories) and exercising, fad diets etc., weight loss drugs and other ‘health’ things won’t ever really help you successfully lose weight and keep it off.

Cutting your daily intake of calories is quite an easy way to get you started on weight loss, by cutting as little as 100 calories a day you will find that it will have an effect on your weight loss. In fact you could save around 36,500 calories a year and this could help you lose up to ten pounds. That’s before you even think about exercising.

It’s a lot easier to cut 100 calories a day than you may think, swapping simple things or cutting down or other things is the place to start:

Cutting out spread/butter on your bread, go nude only add your jam to toast or sandwich filler instead.

Switch your milk from semi skimmed to skimmed and knock any fattening coffee to go drinks on the head and opt for a standard coffee or tea.

For part of your five-a-day go for fresh fruit rather than fruit juice, it may seem like an easier way to get your fruit but juices and Smoothies can have a lot of sugars in them which equates to calories.

Cut down on the olive oil, although the Mediterranean diet may be healthy, olive oil does contain quite a few calories, so try and restrict your intake for example cut it out of your salad dressings.

Say no to the alcohol and fizzy drinks, it can be quite hard to do without when you’re out but at home cutting down on fizzy drinks and alcohol, swapping them for water will help cut the cals!

Healthy tinned fish contain the Omega 3 oils which are good for your health, cut the cals with these by buying fish in spring water rather than sunflower oil and olive oil.

Steaming is best for your veg, although a stir-fry may seem like a healthy option the oil or butter people use to fry their veg in adds cals which is why steaming is better!

Cut out the fat by choosing lean cuts of meat, or cut off any visible bit and you should be able to reduce your calories which also goes for chicken skin too!

Thermogenic foods are foods use more calories to digest than they contain and this process aids weight loss and can help you to shift those pounds quicker than if you didn’t include Thermogenic foods into your diet and it’s also a great way to maintain a healthy weight.

Digesting food requires burning calories, some food need more calories to be digested than others, and some foods need more calories to burn than they actually contain. The increase in metabolic rate is referred to as the diet-induced thermogenesis where energy is used to break down food.

The following foods will help speed up your metabolism and are known as Thermogenic foods:

Oily fish – Omega 3 fatty acids, found in tuna, salmon, mackerel, and other fatty fish
Protein – Lean meats and fish help you feel full for longer
Celery – Great for snaking on
Chilli – Capsaicin in chilli stimulates your body’s ability to burn fat
Garlic – Helps break down fat deposits in the body
Grapefruit – Contains naringin which also accelerates the fat burning process
Orange – Rich in vitamin C
Green tea – Inhibits the action of amylase, a primary digestive enzyme of carbohydrates
Ice water – Drinking ice cold water burns more calories
Caffeine – Drink and eat caffeine rich products like coffee, dark chocolate and cola

Obesity is a worldwide epidemic, notably in the US, UK and now even China. In the US a lot of obesity is attributed to an unhealthy lifestyle, large portions, greasy and high fat foods which is probably why they have one of the highest obesity rates in the world.

The problem with obesity is that there is no one simple way for everyone to lose weight, because everyone is different, online now you are inundated with weight loss plans, from celebrity endorsed ones to the latest fad diet, you can also buy weight loss drugs online like Xenical as well as find out a ton of information on operations such as gastric bands. It can be hard for people to know what best to do, which weight loss method will be successful for them and which is safest.

However new research from the University of Texas Health Science Centre at Houston has shown that it is possible to prevent stem cells from producing the belly fat, so basically your body will be unable to retain fat. A dream come true for the millions of obese people in the world then? Well not quite yet, so far the method has only been tested on mice, small artificial proteins were used in mice to identify the adipose stem cells responsible for fat storage in the body of both mice and humans.

Speaking about the new breakthrough, Alexes Daquinag, Ph.D., the study’s first author and postdoctoral fellow at the UTHealth Medical School, said, “In obesity, you have an overgrowth of white adipose tissue. It is made of adipocytes (fat cells) and one way to stop obesity is to target the progenitor cells — adipose stem cells.”

When it comes to losing weight there are many options, from simple diets to increased exercise as well as taking weight loss drug Xenical or major surgery like having a gastric band fitted. The latter two options do have side effects unfortunately in the news recently there has been a story about horrific complications from having a gastric band fitted.

Samantha Haworth, 25, had a gastric band fitted to lose weight but was left fighting for her life when the procedure caused her stomach to ‘explode’.  Weighing 28 stone at age 25 the young woman was putting her life at risk, so she took the decision to have the band fitted and for two years it seemed to be a success after she lost fourteen stone.  However after a rare complication where her band slipped and turned septic, Samantha was left in pain which at first she mistook for heartburn. She was rushed to hospital when her stomach ruptured and was minutes from death, surgeons faced a race against time to save the young lady and salvage what they could of her stomach. Samantha spent nearly a month in hospital and is still recovering at home now.

This incident does highlight some of the dangers involved in having major surgery to lose weight, however it must be mentioned that cases like this are rare.

Taking weight loss drugs can also have adverse effects on your health medications like Xenical have mild side effects as well as more serious ones:

Mild

-Headache.
-Oily spotting from the rectum.
-Abdominal pain or discomfort.
-Flatulence (wind), sometimes with discharge.
-Oily or fatty stools.
-Urgent or increased need to open the bowels.
-Diarrhoea.
-Low blood sugar levels (hypoglycaemia) in people with type 2 diabetes.
-Pain or discomfort in the rectum.
-Abdominal bloating in people with type 2 diabetes.
-Faecal incontinence.
-Tooth or gum disorders.
-Chest infections.
-Urinary tract infections.
-Fatigue.
-Irregular menstrual cycle.
-Anxiety.

Serious

-Rectal bleeding.
-Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis).
-Diverticulitis.
-Gallstones.
-Raised liver enzymes.
-Inflammation of the liver (hepatitis).
-Kidney stones in people with chronic kidney disease.
-Skin blistering.

Dieting can be quite hard for many people, it takes a lot of dedication and willpower, however there are certain foods that can give you a helping hand when it comes to loosing lbs! Basically to lose weight you need to restrict calories you eat and increase calories you lose through exercise.

Eating oats – Having oats for breakfast is a great way to start your day, they are rich in fibre which helps increase your metabolism and they also break down slowly releasing energy slowly, so you don’t crash after eating.

Adding more eggs – Contrary to popular belief, eggs are actual very good for you and have a range of health benefits, they are easily digested, a great source of protein, making you feel fuller for longer which means you reduce your calorie intake. Great for breakfasts and if you want to cut out as much fat as you can opt for using just the egg white, if you can.

Detox with lemons – Lemon is great at eliminating toxins in your body, which cause you to store more fat and hold more water, leading to water retention. Adding lemon to hot water, dressings, food and other dinks will help reverse the problems above.

Spice up with chillies – Hot, hot, hot chillies might not feel that great on your tongue but they are good for you, they help increase your metabolism as well as being calorie free, bonus! Try adding a chilli to your diet every day, from salads to stir fries, even to your egg white omelette on a morning.

Eat your greens – A lot of people keep away from green, put off from childhood, no doubt, however adding plenty of greens to your diet is a great way of filling up without adding lots of lbs. Greens such as spinach, kale, watercress and rocket are packed full of nutrients and enzymes which are very, very good for you, so try to eat as much as you can on a daily basis.

In the US consumer watchdog Public Citizen issued a petition to the US Food and Drug Administration calling for a ban on the class of drugs called orlistat, which are known as Xenical and Alli. Both are they only FDA approved weight loss drugs in the US; however it’s believed that they can cause liver damage, pancreatitis and kidney stones.

Speaking about the weight loss drugs, Dr. Sidney Wolfe, director of Public Citizen’s Health Research Group said: “These drugs have the potential to cause significant damage to multiple critical organs, yet they provide meagre benefits in reducing weight loss in obese and overweight patients.”

Recent studies suggest that taking Xenical or Alli would only help people lose 4 to 6 pounds more than they would with only diet and exercise. According to Wolf “The benefit was never that great, but many people thought they’d take their chances.”

Worldwide it’s estimated that around 40 million people have taken either Xenical or Alli in the last decade, however GlaxoSmithKline who make the drug are finding a decrease in sales. According to a report released by Public Citizen Alli sales dropped from $145 million in 2007 to $84 million by mid-2010.

The weight loss drug Xenical was sold on prescription in 1997 and was touted as a breakthrough weight loss drug and in 2007 Alli became an over the counter approved weight loss drug. In the past the FDA have banned two previous market leading weight loss drugs, Fen-phen and ephedra, because of potentially fatal side effects. So it may only be a matter of time before they do the same again.

One sure fire way to gain weight is over eating, the biggest mistake people make is portion size, often its far more than necessary, if you want to lose weight you need to successfully cut down your portion sizes to the amount your body needs. I you live a very sedentary lifestyle then you will need a lot less calories, or fuel than someone who leads a very active lifestyle.

Other areas that also increase you overeating is snacking, especially through boredom, many people reach for snacks when they don’t have much to do, boredom can lead to depression and overeating can be a product of that too. So when looking to lose weight it’s important to look at all aspects of your life and make changes accordingly as that’s the only way you will ever make any changes that will work and last.

Looking at the times you find yourself snacking means that you can find other activities to keep you occupied during the time and stop you eating. When does boredom eating usually become a problem for you? Mid-week? Evening? If you know when it’s most likely to strike, you’ll be better prepared to find a solution.

Looking for activities can be easier than you think, if it’s early evening and around 10-20 minutes you can fill that time with simple tasks such as call a friend or relative or email them, go for a walk around the block or do some tidying or washing. If its longer then look at reading a good book, or buy your favourite magazine and sit down with a cup of herbal tea and relax. You can also look at taking up a hobby if you find that you have a lot of free time, this will keep your mind occupied and you will be less likely to think about food.

If you are considerable over weight and have struggled to successfully lose weight through diet then you may need to be prescribed Xenical by your doctor. Xenical is a medication that can help considerably overweight people lose weight and also keep it off, although Xenical is effective at helping people lose weight there are other issues which should be looked at, this should be done with your GP.

If you have a poor relationship with food and turn to it in times of comfort then you should also look at therapy as well to help you with your food issues, especially if you are obese, again your GP will be able to help you with this. It’s also worth while remembering that taking a pill to lose weight will keep you healthy and you also have to change to a healthy diet and exercise. Xenical is not a wonder drug that will make you lose weight whilst still eating a high fat diet with no exercise.

XENICAL works in your digestive system to block about one-third of the fat in the food you eat from being digested, undigested fat cannot be absorbed and is eliminated in your bowel movements rather than been stored by your body. So if you carry on with a high fat diet the drug won’t be as effective as if you were to have a lower fat diet.

So many people struggle to lose weight successfully because they find it hard to continuously stick to strict diet plan and instead tend to ‘fall off the wagon’ early on and give up.  Similarly people who lose weight quickly tend to then go back to how they were before dieting and find the weight piling on as quickly as it came off.

For many people a diet should be looked at as more of a change of lifestyle, something that changes the way you behave and think so that you can stick to it in the long term. Nothing drastic, start off with subtle changes and work on all parts of your life style, from what you eat and drink to what exercise or activities you take part in.

The first aim is to get moving, exercise is key to a healthy lifestyle and it’s something that most people don’t do enough of, however that does not mean hitting the gym on a daily basis for a gruelling work out. Make the effort to get out and about more often and walking rather than driving where possible. Housework should also be considered exercise many of the activities you do to clean your home also burn quite a few calories so you should take that into account when motivating yourself to clean, you can kill two birds with one stone.

You also need to look at what changes can be made to your diet, cutting down on excessive amounts of alcohol and takeaways is the place to start, however you don’t have to completely give up the booze or takeaways, just remember everything in moderation, takeaways are great for a treat every now again if you enjoy them. The same applies with alcohol, binge drinking does more harm than having a small glass of wine a night so remember that when you go out for a night out.

The best part of changing your lifestyle slowly is that your body doesn’t go into shock, stopping yourself eating certain foods suddenly makes you crave them even more and forcing yourself to work out hard when you body isn’t capable of it can cause long term damage, leaving you in a situation where you can’t and don’t have motivation to lose weight and become healthy.

There are many things we know can cause us to put on weight such as eating too much, eating too much unhealthy high fat foods and too little exercise, however there are ways you can gain weight without even realising even if you are trying to stick to a ‘healthy’ life style.

Holidays

Whether you stay at home or go away for a holiday your weight is likely to creep up, some people can actually put on as much as 8lbs on a two week holiday. This is because you are likely to be less active but still eating the same amount of calories if not more. Also when you’re on holiday and eating out you are less likely to stick to the strict regimen you follow at home. Another problem is also all you can eat buffets and all inclusive food and drink so remember although your on holiday remember to be wary of what you’re eating and drinking.

Alcohol

You should always be aware of how many calories you are consuming when drinking alcohol as it soon adds up. For every 3,500 extra calories you eat or drink you put on 1lb, so if you go out and have a lot to drink you are adding a lot of extra calories. A pint of lager contains 250 calories so it doesn’t take long if you add on snacks and the kebab you have on the way home.

Lack of sleep

Recent studies show that a lack of sleep increases levels of the hormone ghrelin which makes you feel hungry, so if you don’t get enough sleep you will feel more hungry and eat more than you need to.