Are you ready to get rid of your extra weight once and for all in 2012? No matter how many fad diets pass through the celebrity scene or new “revolutionary” workout regimes are touted as the latest and greatest, there are a few facts that will help you meet your physical goals and they all involve natural weight loss.

To Experience Natural Weight Loss, You Have to Let Go

Your body naturally wants to be at its most perfect weight – not too thin and definitely not too fat, but the stresses in our modern society often cause our bodies to be out of equilibrium. The first step to getting to a goal weight is to STOP THE STRESS! You’ve probably heard of the “flight or fight” reaction, a leftover coping mechanism that the parasympathetic nervous system uses to generate adrenaline and cortisol when we need to react to dangerous situations.

Over time, the body forgets how to respond to every-day demands and starts a feedback loop that begins over-straining the adrenals. These are important glands for controlling hormones and when we produce too many stress hormones, we have a tendency to hold onto extra fat – another way the body prepares for danger. If it thinks Armageddon is coming it will save your fat stores just in case you can’t eat for several days. Conversely, when you are relaxed and happy, the body sees no need to protect you from danger and stops making all those stress hormones. Your body will then naturally slim down.

To de-stress you can start with getting at least 8 hours of sleep every night and try more activities like a yoga class, Thai chi, Chi gong, meditation, practice relaxation and visualization techniques, or just find five minutes out of the day to do nothing but sit in absolute silence. Not only will you start to lose weight naturally but you will feel more uplifted mentally too.

Relaxation techniques have been known to help with everything from weight loss to smoking cessation to relief from Parkinson’s, Heart Disease and even Diabetes.

Eat Metabolism Boosting Foods

Another great way to experience natural weight loss is to eat the variety of foods that mother nature created to help boost the metabolic rate. Your metabolic rate is the average amount of energy it takes a person to get through his or her every day activities. When your metabolic rate is high, you burn more calories sitting still than someone with a lower metabolic rate does doing light exercise. There are several foods that naturally boost your metabolism:

• Water! It is truly the gift of life. It helps the cells stay clean, increases their metabolic process so they can rid themselves of toxins quicker which accelerate the process of weight loss.
• Green tea extract or green tea brewed in the smallest amounts (even two cups a day) can increase metabolism and even has anti-cancer causing properties.
• Grapefruit. This super-fruit helps to reduce the body’s insulin levels and therefore helps to curb appetite.
• Fruit and vegetables. These anti-oxidant packed foods are also full of soluble fiber that helps to fill us up. Fruits and vegetables are also usually very low in calories, so you can eat lots of them without consuming more calories than your body can burn within a day.

You don’t need to take toxic diet pills or use drastic means to get healthy. To experience true natural weight loss, start with these simple steps and you can experience a change in your body that can make you feel so great, your attitude will get an overhaul in the process!

Can you think of a way to boost your own peace today, and reduce your stress levels to experience natural weight loss?

Are you trying to find a weight loss system that actually works? You are smart enough to know that fad diets and magic pills don’t really keep the weight off for the long haul, television shows like The Biggest Loser have been happy to point out!

Losing weight takes hard work and commitment. You can expect to change some of your lifestyle habits and add new ones that work better for you, but knowing which program to use is challenging. Here are some questions to ask yourself before engaging in your assault on body fat:

• How Not to Eat Like A Super Model. Does the plan call for a sound, well balanced diet with enough calories to sustain you, yet not starve you? There have been thousands of studies proving that if you starve your body you will lose weight, but as soon as you start eating regular meals again, you’ll put it all back on again, and more. You want a weight loss system that addresses healthy caloric intake. Simply starving yourself like super model or eating nothing but a pack of Twizzlers and a Diet Coke, simply won’t give you the results you want.

• Some Foods Boost Your Metabolism! Does the plan give you real tips and tricks to boost your metabolism? There are lots of foods that naturally help you burn fat. These foods trigger the important metabolic process in your body, making the kind of calories you eat just as important as how many. Foods like eggs, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, black beans, grilled chicken and fish are the standards of a fat-loss diet. If a weight loss system tells you that you can lose weight while eating loads of ice cream and chocolate cake, don’t trust it!

• Jump, Skip and Run Towards Weight Loss. Choose a weight loss system that incorporates exercise. You can head out to your riding lawn mower to trim the back 40 acres or push a hand-mower to burn extra calories. You can hang glide, scuba dive or take ballet lessons. You can run, jog, jump, box, do yoga, climb stairs, or swim. There are endless forms of movement and if you want to be thin, strong and vibrant, your lifestyle MUST include movement.

• Stop Stressing! Choose a weight loss system that addresses the need to eliminate or reduce stress. Did you know that if your body doesn’t get enough sleep, you tend to eat more throughout a regular day? Did you know that stressed out people have a harder time burning fat because the body thinks that it is in fight-or-flight mode and hangs on to fat as a means to save you from starvation? Taking yoga, meditating, or spending more time in nature can all help you reduce your stress and your waistline.

A weight loss system that works will always incorporate these important principles. How might you change your life today with one small corrective action from these suggestions?

After all the weight loss methods you’ve tried, I’m sure you could think of at least one reason never to diet again. If you are having trouble remembering what a great success your last diet was, chances are that you have joined the millions of normal people who have found it too challenging and ineffective. The good news is that you’re not alone. In the article I have put together a list of ten reasons not to diet:

1. Dieting in the traditional sense of the word means that you restrict calories in general in addition to not getting to eat the things you like.

Although you shouldn’t gorge on fattening foods and lead a sedentary lifestyle, diets that don’t allow you to occasionally indulge in your favorite foods are doomed to fail. Instead, try increasing the number of good foods you eat so that you are too full to fill up on junk. An occasional piece of chocolate cake won’t set you back if done in moderation.

2. Don’t diet because it will make you cranky. The first thing that is affected when people diet is their mood. It should come as no surprise that if you are obsessing all day about the things you can’t eat with your stomach rumbling, then you are probably going to be in a bad mood. Even a saint would struggle with the common courtesies on a highly restricted diet.

3. Another reason weight loss methods that focus on dieting don’t work is because the minute you go back to eating ‘normally’ again, you will put back on all the weight you just lost.

4. Diets make you stupider. They truly much you dumber. I mean…I need to eat something! Did you know that the hunger mechanism is so strong that when you start to diet, there are certain neurotransmitters in your brain that start screaming, “I’m hungry!” If you don’t feed them, they actually start to attack themselves. This process can not only leave you frustrated but also make you less intelligent. When you are hungry you lose focus and suffer from impaired judgment.

5. Diets increase stress. It’s proven. They raise cortisol levels. High cortisol levels can make your body hold onto fat instead of burn it off. Instead, try eating well with nutrient rich foods such as fruits and vegetables. More soluble fiber can be found in whole grains as well as legumes, beans and olive oil. You can also incorporate mind-body aspects to your training such as a yoga or Thai Chi class in order to decrease your cortisol and adrenaline levels which leads to natural weight loss.

6. Diets are only a temporary solution for a long-term problem. Would you fix your car’s air conditioning system and then when it runs out of Freon again think to yourself, “Oh, this air conditioner is always breaking.” Likely, you wouldn’t. You would just realize that it needs more Freon. Your body is the same type of machine. It needs ongoing maintenance to stay healthy. You can’t just lose some weight dieting and then expect it to never come back. If you change your lifestyle instead, adopting healthier eating habits and increasing your exercise levels, then you will have a happy body all the time.

7. Diets are so 80’s. Gone are the days of the grapefruit diet, high protein diet (Atkin’s Diet) and a thousand other diets that aren’t really good for you. Instead, don’t diet. Eat healthy and exercise.

8. Most diets lack nutrition. This is why they don’t work. Your body has certain requirements and there is no getting around that. You need fats, carbs and proteins as well as a host of vitamins, minerals and nutrients. You can’t be healthy with an absence of any of these important elements.

9. Diets make your weight yo-yo, which is really hard on your adrenaline glands and confuses your metabolism. It is better to eat really healthy foods in an amount that fills you up and to get off that sofa.

10. Our world doesn’t support dieting. Think of the social engagements, parties, office lunches, and every day demands that make it hard to diet. Instead, learn to choose wisely when you are out and occasionally indulge in a Margarita at a special event. You’ll be able to sustain these habits longer if you aren’t constantly dieting and restricting yourself. Moderation is the key to any healthy weight loss method.

What has your experience been with the various weight loss methods you’ve tried? Share in the comments below.

Many people look to celebrities for fashion tips, for the latest gossip or even for motivation to change their personal lives. Have you been looking to your favorite celebrities for weight loss success stories to inspire you to remake your own figure?

If you have seen celebrities whittle down their chubby physique to fit into the million dollar Galliano gowns they wear on the red carpet, then you have probably wondered how they did it.

Here are a few weight loss stories from your favorite A-listers to inspire you to make your own changes:

Watch What You Eat

Kim Kardashian may have what seems to be a flawless figure, but she works hard for it. She exercises weekly and also watches her food choices. More recently she has mentioned that she wakes up to turkey bacon and eggs for breakfast and salad or fish for lunch. Following a sensible diet means that you don’t starve yourself, but that you eat enough calories to sustain a great figure, and reduce them if you are still working toward one.

Breastfeed Like an Underwear Model

Victoria Secret’s model, Miranda Kerr says that breastfeeding helped her to loose extra weight after giving birth. Many women report a similar boost to their post-baby figures by breast-feeding. Although it is not an option for every woman, breastfeeding can burn as much as twice the calories you are normally used to consuming, so it is a great way to get your pre-baby body back. It is also great for building your baby’s immune system, too.

Choose Pre-Made Meals to Limit Caloric Intake

Mariah Carey wanted to lose weight after having her baby and relied on pre-prepared meals that have the exact number of calories you need to consume daily if you are trying to lose weight. This ensures that you don’t over-eat. If you have a problem limiting portion sizes or knowing what to eat, programs like Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers can help do the calculating for you. For busy men and women, this can be a godsend.

Do it the Old Fashioned Way

Jessica Alba and Jennifer Aniston limit their calories and workout vigorously several times a week. Aniston has been known to champion spinning classes and yoga, while Alba limited her caloric intake to 1200 calories a day, and did four, 90-minute workouts a week. For true weight loss success, look at Hillary Swank. She had to lose fat and put on over 10 pounds of muscle in a very short time. In preparation for Million Dollar Baby, she did almost two hours of boxing plus over an hour of weight training six days a week for 90 days to get ripped for her part.

Staying fit means eating right and keeping active…it’s one of the oldest recipes around! Have you seen another favorite celebrity break through her plateaus with weight loss success?

Have you started buying organic foods? Wondering if the extra cost is worth it? There is a list of 12 foods fruits and vegetables that I recommend buying organic, they are referred to as The Dirty Dozen.

You’ve no doubt heard the old adage “you are what you eat” – and people are becoming more and more concerned about agricultural practices and food safety. The Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) dirty dozen raises the red flag on those produce items most likely to be subjected to pesticide exposure during growing and shipping in conventional mass agricultural practices.

They are listed as follows:

1 – Apples
2 – Celery
3 – Strawberries
4 – Peaches
5 – Spinach
6 – Nectarines– imported
7 – Grapes – imported
8 – Sweet bell peppers
9 – Potatoes
10 – Blueberries – domestic
11 – Lettuce
12 – Kale/collard greens

It is important to know that these potential “dirty” crops are both domestic and imported, so be sure to check if they are marked as “organic”, “organically grown”, or “unsprayed” when purchasing. Better yet – fully understand where they came from by buying your produce at a farmer’s market. This allows you to talk to the farmers of your food about their growing and harvesting methods, and learn more about your food at the same time!

Many people who have been struggling with their weight are sick and tired of all the crazy diets out there that have left them still overweight and with lost hope. Most weight loss programs are a one size fits all approach and are very impersonal. Well if we’re all different how can one approach work for everyone?  The key is to find a program that includes expert one-on-one weight loss coaching.

To have someone to really support your unique situation, hold you accountable, give you expert nutrition and fitness guidance could be exactly what you need to finally beat this cycle of yo-yo dieting! Having a personal weight loss coach is completely unlike following any of the standard and more well known programs out there like Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, U Weight Loss or LA Weight Loss.

Why you want to hire your own personal weight loss coach?

•    You’ve failed many times and you’re sick and tired of dieting
•    You know how to lose weight but you just can’t seem to get started
•    You don’t have the faith that you can succeed
•    You think you doomed to remain fat and unhappy for the rest of your life
•    You are suffering from a trauma or pain causing you to eat emotionally
•    You eat to feel guilty afterwards

If any of those sound familiar than having a weight loss program completely geared to you with your own personal coach will make all the difference.

How can a weight loss coach help you?

Weight loss coaching is a great choice for people who want to lose weight and keep it off forever. Whatever your reason is for losing weight, a weight loss coach can help you achieve this. But first, it all starts with your decision. Are you willing to do it? I mean are you really serious about it? When that moment comes, don’t hesitate to consult a personal weight loss coach because these are just some of the many benefits you will experience.

The benefits of weight loss coaching

1.  A weight loss coach is your own personal support person. The good thing about weight loss coaching is that your coach will guide you to lose weight step-by-step. A weight loss coach provides you with all of the support, encouragement, and motivation that you need to become a better, fitter, healthy, more confident YOU!

2.  A weight loss coach WILL hold you accountable. Your coach will see to it that you are on the right path by consistently checking on your progress and holding you to the commitments you’ve made. A good weight loss coach will never judge you even if you fall off track a little. They will be there to keep you on track and moving you in the direction of your goals.

3.  Having your own weight loss coach helps you to set goals and stick to them. Your coach will help you create realistic and achievable goals and teach you strategies you need to reach them.  Your coach will guide you in the right direction and will also educate you on how to maintain your slim new figure long after your weight loss coaching is over.

4.  Your weight loss coach will help you focus and progress rapidly, much quicker than you would on your own. Losing weight with the help of a weight loss coaching support system is far better than doing it alone. Since weight loss coaches are well versed in both fitness and nutrition they’ll be able to show you the fastest and safest way to a healthier you.

5.  A weight loss coach helps to makes losing weight a fun experience. They’ll keep you motivated and happy while sticking to your weight loss program.  Your coach will keep things light when necessary and add some humor and fun into your experience.

These are just some of the many benefits of signing up for some weight loss coaching to fast track you on your way to a body you are happy and proud of.

You’ve successfully lost a few pounds. Yet, you are not happy with the results. You want more and you want to lose weight fast. You also want to have leaner muscles, toner legs and abs, but you’re having a hard time sticking to your exercise plan. The solution to your problem is a personal weight loss coach who can provide you with support and accountability.

With a personal weight loss coach you can have access to proper fitness and nutrition strategies and techniques. A quality weight loss coach will educate and guide you to proper diet and fitness training. This will save you some time and money from ineffective diet plans and fitness workouts with a plan designed for you to meet your unique goals.

Top 3 Areas a Weight Loss Coach Can Help You With

1. Getting Started With Exercise

Exercise requires planning. A good weight loss coach will have knowledge in fitness and can help you to create a plan. They will know how to create the best fitness plan for you to accomplish your specific goals. So if you want to have the best fitness plan that will cater to your needs, it’s a great idea to hire a weight loss coach to help you with this.

2. Support and Accountability

Getting back to your old shape can sometimes be a nightmare. Many people struggle with this. So instead of struggling find yourself a qualified weight loss coach who will share with you the secrets to successful weight loss while holding you accountable and providing you with all the support you need. A weight loss coach will guide you to reach your goals and maintain a healthy mind and body ongoing long after you’ve finished working with your coach and reached your desired weight loss goal.

3. The Right Nutrition Plan for Weight Loss

With all the different diet plans out there, low carb, no carb, high protein, fat free etc. it’s no wonder why people are confused. A good weight loss coach will help you to separate the facts from the myths when it comes to nutrition and help you to set up a plan that is easy to follow.  The key is finding the right nutrition plan for you, that will support your weight loss and help you to maintain it permanently.

These are just three of the many areas in which having your own personal weight loss coach can benefit you.

As a health coach I often see the same common diet scenario. You refrain from eating a certain type of food for one week, say pizza or doughnuts. After a week of pizza deprivation, you find yourself eating a half a pie in one sitting. You feel guilty after eating your most forbidden food, you promised to start your diet again the next day, this time its ‘no to doughnuts’ time. You successfully resisted the temptation of doughnuts for two weeks but you found yourself in a familiar situation – eating a box of cream-filled doughnuts with chocolate on top.

Again, you feel super-guilty about it and vow not to do the same thing again. The next day you start your ‘no to ice cream’ diet and the cycle goes on and on.

Don’t think you are the only one this happens to, it happens to many people. Avoiding a certain food group or food, makes you want it more. But how can you keep off excess body fat without depriving yourself of the foods you love?

According to health coach, NEDA spokesperson and Director of Eating Disorder Collaborative Sandra Kronberg, M.S.,R.D., “you’ll want it even more because it’s forbidden—and your body will physically crave it if you’re depriving yourself of a given nutrient.” The more you restrict yourself of certain types of food, the more you crave for it. And when you succumb to your cravings, you feel guilty.

Kronberg, as a health coach, tells her clients that the need to cancel out bad through excessive exercise may lead to exercise bulimia. So what can you do? “We don’t just eat for nourishment,” says Kronberg. We eat food we like for other reasons like mood stabilization, socialization and for pleasure. So it is important to keep a balance between exercise and diet.

I always tell my weight loss coaching clients if you give yourself permission to eat something, it’s less forbidden and you’ll want it less, so have a few bites instead of deprivation or excessive binging. Do not entirely cut out foods you love from your diet, but try to lessen your consumption gradually so that you fulfill your cravings but won’t hurt your diet too much. Also seek the support of a health coach to keep you on track with your goals.

Everyone is looking for those secret tips for losing weight. However losing weight is never easy. That’s why we envy people who are naturally skinny. There are some men and women who can eat anything whenever they want without worrying about their weight. Unfortunately, not many people are gifted with a natural, slender physique. People like us, need to constantly visit the gym and watch our diet carefully. But do we really have to envy our ultra-slim friends? You won’t ever have to again.

Here are some research-proven tips for losing weight that will keep you uber motivated in achieving your fitness and weight loss goals!

1.  Happiness is a natural motivator

When you like something, you find the time to do it. Why not apply the same attitude to your workouts? Or better yet, why not treat fitness workouts as the new ‘fun’? Climb to the top of a mountain for the spectacular views. Bike the city for interesting sights. Join your first marathon for some worthy cause. “Enjoyment is a natural motivator”, tells Dr. Sam Zizzi, sport and psychology professor at West Virginia University.

2.  Do it for yourself

Now, this is one of the great tips for losing weight so read carefully. If you are planning to run a marathon just your athletic friend or family member, or you plan to lose fat because you want to impress your partner, forget it. Dr. Jeremy Adams, a sport and performance psychologist and director of Eclectic Consulting in Melbourne, says that gym goers who focus simply on better-body goals are most likely to lose their motivation. In addition, motivation researcher Dr. Michael Segar of the University of Michigan explains that “For most people, trying to meet someone else’s expectations or assuage guilt isn’t sustainable.” In simpler terms, concentrate on the long-term health benefits of your workouts.

3.  Find an exercise buddy

Another proven strategy is to team up with a fitness buff friend. Or join a workout class for a more interactive way to lose fat. Michigan State University kinesiology expert Dr. Deborah Feltz says that “The challenge brings out a competitive side, even if you don’t have that streak.” Nobody wants to be left behind. So, find your fitness partner today!

Following these tips for losing weight will give you a good start in the right direction.

Do you know that the weight loss industry is the only multi-billion dollar industry where 95% of its customers fail at their weight loss programs? Why? Most people have trouble sticking to a diet and regular exercise plan. Ask a plus size woman to choose between diet pills or regular exercise. For sure, she’ll pick the diet pills.

Exercise is an important part of maintaining optimum health and weight. It takes time, persistence and self-motivation. Most people have a hard time sticking with it, for one reason or another. That’s why out of ten gym goers, only one lasts. Not everybody can stick to a regular workout plan. That’s why most weight-loss programs fail.

How can weight loss programs have more success?

Have you heard of the saying “Mind over body”? I’m sure you have encountered it at least once in your life. Your mind controls your body. To do anything or to achieve any goal, you have to condition your mind to reach your target to have success. It can be a promotion, a new house, a new gadget or fitness or weight loss goal. Once you have conditioned your mind and established focus on any of the weight loss programs you choose to follow, you can do everything it takes to get to your goal.

The lack of focus on mindset is the #1 reason why there is such a high failure rate with the weight loss programs out there. Very few weight loss programs ever address the primary cause of the problem – your mindset.

You see your mind plays a major role in the success of your weight loss goals. By looking at things from a different perspective, regarding food and exercise, you will have a greater chance to achieve your health and fitness goals. What do you have to do? Here are a few tips on how to possess the right weight loss mindset in order to stick with any of the weight loss programs you choose to follow.

1.   Burning Desire

Why do you want to lose weight? Is it to impress your partner, or be more popular or desirable. Or perhaps, you just want to be healthy and enjoy your life more. Any wellness coach will tell you that whatever the reason is, you have to have a burning desire for it. However the reasons that work the best, are when they are for you, and not for anyone else.

2.  Make a Commitment

Once you decide to lose weight, you have to tell yourself that you WILL do it no matter what. Because at the end of the day, it is your decision that will reflect the quality of your life and your health. You can consult with a wellness coach, personal trainer and/or nutritionist but they cannot help you until you are truly committed. So make a committed decision and put it in writing! This step alone will go a long way to creating a successful mindset.

3.  Positive Thoughts

I don’t think there is anyone that could say that losing weight is easy.  For all of us who have struggled with our weight, we know this is not true.  Losing weight is not easy. But the good news is, it can be a lot easier if you choose the right weight loss program and learn how to create the right mindset that will ensure success. Don’t lose hope. Be optimistic, energetic and happy. Positive thinking and having belief in yourself will increase the chances of your success regardless of which of the weight loss programs you choose.