Planning Meals For Your Slimming Programme

By Ahmed Hajouj.


One of the most daunting things about starting a slimming programme is planning what you're going to eat. 

It doesn't have to be as hard as it seems though. Most meals are simple to make, especially if they are using healthy, fresh ingredients. Forget boiling your vegetables to death and eat them raw, or lightly steam them if you want them to be hot. Don't peel fruit that doesn't need peeling, it saves time, and allows you to get the full benefit of the fibre content. There are lots of ways to plan your meals that will help you to achieve your slimming goals. 

1) Eat fish 

Fish is good for you, particularly oily fish like salmon and mackerel. The other bonus is that fish is quick to cook. You can buy it ready-prepared from the supermarket or the fishmongers and most fish will grill in just a few minutes. It's also easy to bake in foil, and you can even add some vegetables such as leeks, peppers or tomatoes into the foil so that it all cooks at the same time. Even poaching fish in a little seasoned water doesn't take long. Plan to eat fish at least twice a week and you have an easy, healthy meal that requires little preparation and little cooking time. 

2) Get used to salads 

Provided you have the ingredients, you can make a wide range of salads in a short amount of time. Green salads made with romaine lettuce, cucumber, celery and avocado are healthy and can be prepared in 10 minutes. Carrots, dried fruit and lemon juice with sesame or sunflower seeds makes a quick and easy salad to serve with chicken or fish. 

3) Steam, don't boil 

Boiling vegetables like broccoli and cabbage reduces the effectiveness of their nutrients and makes them less appetising. Steam broccoli and other vegetables for just a couple of minutes for vibrant, crunchy vegetables and sauté cabbage in some lemon juice. 

Although you have to change your eating habits when you are slimming, you don't have to plan your meals a week in advance to make sure you're eating properly. As long as you're buying the right foods, cooking them well and not over-eating, you should find your weight loss plan is easy and fun.

How To Snack Without Getting Fat

By Ahmed Hajouj.


Did you know that when you are on a diet, if you eat something and no one sees you - it doesn’t contain any calories! Of course that's not true...but it is how many of us think!

Do you eat when you are bored, upset or angry? Do you find that every day requires a chocolate bar to get you through the afternoon? If you are trying to lose weight, you may feel guilty about snacks. As a weight loss coach, I find some folk (particularly women) laugh nervously when I ask them what happens to their food consumption around 4pm. This often is the time of the day when the “Snack Monster” takes control of them! Some berate themselves for being weak, out of control and without discipline. They either eventually give up on their diet altogether or develop counter thoughts so they don’t feel so bad. “It didn’t really matter - it is fat free”. Or, “if no one notices, the calories don’t count”.

The good news is that a healthy eating programme leading to weight does not have to be like this. You can lose weight without being hungry or guilty! It’s possible to take control of the “Snack Monster” and healthy snacking can lead you to weight loss success, not failure. So instead of being full of regret about snacking, choose your snacks wisely and have more energy and vitality, without the guilt.

The keys to healthy snacking are to select foods that:
* Can satisfy your hunger,
* Supply your body with energy, and
* Provide important nutrients

Look for foods that contain the following:

* Whole grains.< Whole-grain snacks are rich in complex carbohydrates and fibre, which give you immediate energy that has some staying power. Consider items such as low-fat whole-grain crackers and whole-grain crispbreads.

* Fruits and vegetables. Eating fruits and vegetables provides a feeling of fullness with no fat and only a small amount of calories. They also provide vitamins, minerals, fibre and other nutrients.

* Nuts and seeds. Nuts and seeds are a good source of protein, which helps keep you feeling fuller longer. Nuts and seeds are high in calories, however, so don't eat them in large quantities.

* Low-fat dairy products. Cheese, yogurt and other dairy products are good sources of calcium, protein, and other nutrients. Be sure to choose low fat versions.

Prepare for your week and have a range of healthy snacks on hand at home or in the office and snack on healthy choices with peace of mind.

Real Weight Loss Solutions

By Ahmed Hajouj.


Much of the weight loss industry likes to focus on overweight Americans. That’s where the money is for them. But the truth is, much of the world is overweight, too.

Studies showed that in 2000, 45% of adults all over the world were overweight. Overweight people are more likely to have chronic health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and knee arthritis. Overweight people also die at younger ages than persons of normal weight.

Many overweight people want to lose weight to improve their health and their appearance. Because so many people want to loose weight and doing it is difficult there are many commercial weight loss programs on the market. Many are expensive, capitalizing on the huge demand. Of those programs many are ineffective.

Each year millions of Americans and Europeans enroll in commercial and self-help weight loss programs. Health care providers and their obese patients know little about these programs because of the absence of systematic reviews. Unfortunately, many patients and their doctors know little about the effectiveness and safety of these programs, either.

Few high-quality studies have assessed weight loss programs. Many of the existing studies present the best-case scenario because they do not account for people who drop out of the program. he evidence to support the effectiveness of major commercial weight loss programs is limited. Patients considering the use of commercial weight loss programs should realize that these programs have not been carefully studied.

So, do weight loss programs really work? Some do in the short term but long term results are doubtful.

The real effective way to lose weight is jsut what we all want to ignore: behavioral change done

diligently over time.

Changing behavior over time and engaging in a regular exercise routine is what will take excess weight off and keep it off. There is no magic potion, pill or program. Change behavior from what you eat to how you eat it, how much you eat and when is the key to long term, sucessful wight loss.

It comes down to more calories used each day, called “burning calories,” than taking in, called “eating.”

If you are fighting obesity haphazardly, start to change your behavior TODAY. Use a smart yet systematic approach to behavior modification. It will take time but the long term benefits and permanent weight loss will be there!

Easy To Follow Weight Loss Tips

By Ahmed Hajouj.


Achieving weight loss is not that easy. It needs a good strategy, planning and motivation to lose weight. Some of the weight loss tips, which can be followed at ease, are listed here to stay healthy as well as to stay fit with a perfect body figure.

Eating the right way helps achieving weight loss goals. Taking meals in smaller amounts, frequently helps in being energetic all the day and prevents from eating more.

Eating out is often associated with obesity as when dining outside, most of the people don’t check what they eat. Hence, to achieve weight loss, it is better to avoid dining outside.

Break fast should not be skipped as it has been found out that, people who do not skip their break fast are very successful in losing weight. If break fast is skipped the bodily metabolism slows down and when food is taken during lunch, it results in increased insulin levels and in turn weight gain.

It is good to stay away from beverages rich in fat and sugar as they will increase the insulin levels in the blood, while caffeine content can lead to dehydration.

Diet strategy can be planned in such a way that, without having to cut the favorite foods, they can be consumed in smaller portions along with healthy fresh vegetables or fruits to get a filled up feeling. By this way, the nutritional value of the food consumed is increased and fat rich foods are minimized.

Increased consumption of protein helps in burning the calories and avoids the storage of fat in the body. Protein supplements also help in building and preserving lean muscles.

Water plays an important role in weight loss as water hydrates the organs and the body. It suppresses hunger pangs, and can be taken in more amounts to get a filled up feeling.

Plan how you want your diet plan to be, adhere to it strictly and it is advised to keep a log for noting down what you eat and the amounts you eat with the weight measurement every week to analyze if you are progressing or not. Stay motivated while going through weight loss measures to attain success.

If weight is lost the healthy way, it benefits the person with a lower blood pressure, being able to be energetic in spite of controlled intake, healthy heart and organs, better body figure, less stress made on the bones, joints and muscles, and the most important of all stress free.

Diet And Exercising For Weight Loss

By Ahmed Hajouj.



Obesity is now being called an epidemic in the health community. In fact, it will soon be the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, even ahead of cigarette smoking. Obesity leads to type two diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease or stroke and even an increased risk of cancer. With all of these health risks, as well as the general improvement in the quality of life that can occur, losing weight is one of the best things that you can do for yourself.

No matter what we would like to believe, there simply isn’t a magic solution to losing weight. The body will shed excess fat when it needs more calories to function through the demands you place on it in a given day than the amount of calories that you feed it. It’s that simple. So, in order to lose weight, you need to decrease the number of calories that you eat as well as increase the amount that you burn.

There is a wide range of options to choose from when looking for a weight loss program. All of them often spend a lot of time explaining what to eat, in what amounts and even at what times or in what combinations. But few of them emphasize the importance of exercise – not just for losing weight, but for your general health and wellbeing. Exercise is vital when trying to lose weight for several reasons:

First, as you start to eat less, your metabolism will slow down somewhat. Exercising helps to elevate your metabolism back to an efficient level.Second, as mentioned, exercise burns more calories so that you can lose weight faster and stay motivated in your efforts.Third, exercise actually releases endorphins, chemicals that keep your mood elevated.

Exercise doesn’t have to mean spending hours at the gym or straining through exhausting workouts. In fact, in order for you to stick with it on the long run, exercising should be something that you enjoy. Start by increasing your activity level in an overall way. Take the stairs when you can. Park further from the mall door when you go shopping. Go for a walk in the park or through a neighborhood you love and bring a dog or a friend along for company. Take dance or martial arts lessons.

Once you become more active in general, you’ll find it easier and more natural to move into regular exercise. Which you’ll need to do eventually in order to get regular, noticeable health benefits. You need to raise your heart rate to a fat burning level and keep it there for at least 20 minutes, 3 times or more a week. However, if you don’t want to go to a gym, there are other options. Videos and DVDs are now available in all kinds of exercise types. That way you can change your routine whenever you want so that you don’t get bored with what you’re doing. Try a range of aerobics, kickboxing, yoga, or pretty much any activity you want right in the comfort of your own home.

If you have physical limitations that would keep you off from exercising, you can still find a way to increase your activity level. Water aerobics is a wonderful option for those who have joint problems or limited mobility because it relieves the pressure on your body that your weight provides. But you still get the resistance to challenge your muscles from the water. There are even classes and videos available that let you exercise in a seated position.

Whatever kind of exercise you choose, it’s important to stay motivated and keep it fun. Try gathering a group together to make it a social event. Or get a pedometer, a device that tracks how far you walk, and see how many miles you can walk a week. Make a competition amongst your friends or family members and treat the winner with something special (not food related!). Make the experience of exercising something that you look forward to, and it will soon become a regular part of your healthier lifestyle.