We repeat again – QUICK FIXES DO NOT WORK! You have to sacrifice to get results, be it giving up your favorite food or making time to work out at the gym. For those who fallen victim to these slimming methods, our advice is – ‘Never Give Up!’
To add on to our ‘Weight Loss Scams In Singapore’ article, now we bring you another piece of very informative article by the Federal Trade Commission & Food and Drug Administration, USA. This is a must read if you are embarking on a journey to get a slimmer you.

Presented as a Public Service by:
Federal Trade Commission
Food and Drug Administration
National Association of Attorneys General
The Slimming Industry

Looking for a quick and easy way to slimming? You’re not alone. An estimated 50 million Americans will go on slimming diets this year. And while some will succeed in taking the weight off, very few–perhaps 5 percent–will manage to keep all of it off in the long run.

 
One reason for the low success rate is that many people look for quick and easy solutions to their weight problems. They find it hard to believe in this age of scientific innovations and medical miracles that an effortless slimming method doesn’t exist.

So they succumb to quick-fix slimming claims like “Eat All You Want and Still Get Slim!” or “Melt Fat Away While You Sleep!” And they invest their hopes (and their money) in all manner of slimming pills, potions, gadgets, and slimming programs that hold the promise of a slimmer, happier future.
The slimming business is a booming industry. Americans spend an estimated $30 billion a year on all types of slimming programs and products, including diet foods and drinks. Trying to sort out all of the competing claims–often misleading, unproven, or just plain false–can be confusing and costly.

This brochure is designed to give you the facts behind the claims, to help you avoid the outright scams, and to encourage you to consider thoroughly the costs and consequences of the slimming decisions you make.

The Facts About Slimming
Being obese can have serious health consequences. These include an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, gallstones, and some forms of cancer. Losing weight can help reduce these risks. Here are some general points to keep in mind:

Any claims that you can get slim effortlessly are false. The only proven way to get slim is either to reduce the number of calories you eat or to increase the number of calories you burn off through exercise. Most experts recommend a combination of both.

Very low-calorie diets are not without risk and should be pursued only under medical supervision. Unsupervised very low-calorie diets can deprive you of important nutrients and are potentially dangerous.

Fad diets rarely have any permanent effect. Sudden and radical changes in your eating patterns are difficult to sustain over time. In addition, so-called “crash” diets often send dieters into a cycle of quick slimming, followed by a “rebound” weight gain once normal eating resumes, and even more difficulty reducing when the next diet is attempted.

To slim down and keep weight off requires long-term changes in daily eating and exercise habits. Many experts recommend a goal of losing about a pound a week. A modest reduction of 500 calories per day will achieve this goal, since a total reduction of 3,500 calories is required to lose a pound of fat. An important way to lower your calorie intake is to learn and practice healthy eating habits.

In Search of the “Magic Bullet”

Some dieters peg their hopes on pills and capsules that promise to “burn,” “block,” “flush,” or otherwise eliminate fat from the system. But science has yet to come up with a low-risk “magic bullet” for slimming. Some pills may help control the appetite, but they can have serious side effects. (Amphetamines, for instance, are highly addictive and can have an adverse impact on the heart and central nervous system.) Other pills are utterly worthless.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and a number of state Attorney General have successfully brought cases against marketers of pills claiming to absorb or burn fat. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has banned 111 ingredients once found in over-the-counter diet products. None of these substances, which include alcohol, caffeine, dextrose, and guar gum, have proved effective in slimming or appetite suppression.

Beware of the following products that are touted as slimming wonders:

Slimming patches, which are worn on the skin, have not been proven to be safe or effective. The FDA has seized millions of these products from manufacturers and promoters.
“Fat blockers” purport to physically absorb fat and mechanically interfere with the fat a person eats.
“Starch blockers” promise to block or impede starch digestion. Not only is the claim unproven, but users have complained of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach pains.

“Magnet” slimming pills allegedly “flush fat out of the body.” The FTC has brought legal action against several marketers of these pills.

Glucomannan is advertised as the “Slimming Secret That’s Been in the Orient for Over 500 Years.” There is little evidence supporting this plant root’s effectiveness as a slimming product.
Some bulk producers or fillers, such as fiber-based products, may absorb liquid and swell in the stomach, thereby reducing hunger. Some fillers, such as guar gum, can even prove harmful, causing obstructions in the intestines, stomach, or esophagus. The FDA has taken legal action against several promoters containing guar gum.
Spirulina, a species of blue-green algae, has not been proven effective for slimming.

Phony Devices and Gadgets

Phony weight-loss devices range from those that are simply ineffective to those that are truly dangerous to your health. At minimum, they are a waste of your hard-earned money. Some of the fraudulent gadgets that have been marketed to hopeful dieters over the years include:

Electrical muscle stimulators have legitimate use in physical therapy treatment. But the FDA has taken a number of them off the market because they were promoted for slimming and body toning. When used incorrectly, muscle stimulators can be dangerous, causing electrical shocks and burns.
“Appetite suppressing eyeglasses” are common eyeglasses with colored lenses that claim to project an image to the retina which dampens the desire to eat. There is no evidence these work.
“Magic slimming earrings” and devices custom-fitted to the purchaser’s ear that purport to stimulate acupuncture points controlling hunger have not been proven effective.

Slimming Diet Programs

Approximately 8 million Americans a year enroll in some kind of structured slimming diet program involving liquid diets, special diet regimens, or medical or other supervision. In 1991, about 8,500 commercial slimming centers were in operation across the country, many of them owned by a half-dozen or so well-known national companies.

Before you join such a slimming program, you should know that according to published studies relatively few participants succeed in keeping off weight long-term. Recently, the FTC brought action against several companies challenging slimming and weight-maintenance claims. Unfortunately, some other companies continue to make overblown claims.

The FTC stopped one company from claiming its diet program caused rapid slimming through the use of tablets that would “burn fat” and a protein drink mix that would adjust metabolism. The FTC also took action against three major programs using doctor-supervised, very low-calorie liquid diets, and they agreed to stop making claims unless they could back them up with hard data.
Before you sign up with a diet program, you might ask these questions:

What are the health risks?

What data can you show me that proves your slimming program actually works?

Do customers keep off the weight after they leave the diet program?

What are the costs for membership, weekly fees, food, slimming supplements, maintenance, and counseling? What’s the payment schedule? Are any costs covered under health insurance? Do you give refunds if I drop out?

Do you have a maintenance program? Is it part of the package or does it cost extra?

What kind of slimming professional supervision is provided? What are the credentials of these professionals?

What are the slimming program’s requirements? Are there special menus or foods, counseling visits, or exercise plans?

Clues to Fraud
It is important for consumers to be wary of claims that sound too good to be true. When it comes to slimming schemes, consumers should be particularly skeptical of claims containing words and phrases like:

easy
effortless
guaranteed
miraculous
magical
breakthrough
new discovery
mysterious
exotic
secret
exclusive
ancient

Sensible Weight Maintenance Tips
Slimming may not be effortless, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. To achieve long-term results, it’s best to avoid quick-fix slimming schemes and complex regimens. Focus instead on making modest changes to your life’s daily routine. A balanced, healthy diet and sensible, regular exercise are the keys to maintaining your slim figure. Although nutrition science is constantly evolving, here are some generally-accepted guidelines for slimming:

Consult with your doctor, a dietician, or other qualified health professional to determine your ideal healthy body weight.

Eat smaller portions and choose from a variety of foods.

Load up on foods naturally high in fiber: Fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains.

Limit portions of foods high in fat: dairy products like cheese, butter, and whole milk; red meat; cakes and pastries.

Exercise at least three times a week. 
 

Stop Procrastinating! Act Today!

 So what is the new lifestyle that you have to use to lose weight?  It really boils down to four areas – eating a healthy diet, taking the right supplements, and doing the right exercises, and changing your attitude in life.  To change your life in these four areas is not simple if you are just starting out.  If you have been studying and have started to eat a healthy diet, then you have a good start.

 How do I change my diet, you might ask?  Well, there are two ways to change your diet.  Since you want to move toward eating healthier food and less processed food, you want to replace a good food for a not so good food.  If you eat pizza 3 times a week, cut it down to 2 times a week, then to one and finally to one month and so on.  Replace pizza with a whole grain sandwich or with spaghetti and a salad.  Do this with your other foods.

 To learn how to slim down and to take action to do it is part of your new lifestyle.  What you eat and the way you eat determines the level of your weight and health.  If you shop mostly in a grocery store, then start shopping at the farmers market to buy more fruits and vegetables.  Eat more of these raw or slightly cooked.  You need to education yourself on how to eat healthy.

 Taking supplements is always a good idea and is part of a program on how to slim down.  Most packaged food in grocery stores is stripped of vitamins and minerals, and that is why manufacturers try to get these nutrients back into their food.  Many doctors don’t like to recommend supplements, but, for sure, they used them and so do their family.  One supplement to use is fish oil.  Use 1000 mg per day.  Use a good antioxidant to offset the free radicals you will produce by eating better food and exercising.

 Without doing exercise you can’t slim down and you can’t have good health.  The purpose of exercise is to lower your blood pressure, improve your blood circulation, keep your bones dense and strong, keep you muscles strong and flexible, reduce stress, get rid of excess fat, and increase your metabolism.  Adding exercise slowly to you lifestyle is how to slim down.

 Rebounding is another exercise that is not talked much about.  By bounding up and down you move your lymph liquid and this helps to remove toxic build up in your body that attracts water and adds weight.  This is how you slim down, by doing those exercises that most people don’t do.  Rebounding gives you  tremendous health benefits for your body.  If you buy a rebounder make sure you get this book:  The Golden Seven Plus One, by Samuel West D.N., N.D.  This is a highly recommended book, for creating maximum health and learning how to slim down.

 Well, what does changing your attitude about life help have to do with how to slim down?  First of all, if you are overweight then, you not doing something right in your life.  Every thing that happens in your life and in your physical body is a reflection of your thoughts and actions.  Your thoughts are the originator of your life.  Change your thoughts change your life.

 To change behavior, thoughts, or the way your respond to others is not easy.  Most people find it so difficult the don’t bother.  They say “Accept me for who I am.”   This gives them a good excuse for not improving their appearance and health.  Don’t fall into this trap and continue to deceive yourself.  Improving, who you are mentally and physically are part of life.

 Leaning how to slim down is not an easy life project.  But if you decide on the challenge, you will gain tremendous life and health benefits.  It is a worthy project and can give you a new body shape and outlook on life.  Don’t pass up the suggestion given here.  Start applying them and continue to educate yourself on new ways to improve your lifestyle.

Spirulina is also naturally “pumped” with vitamins, especially the carotenoids like beta-carotene, essential fatty acids (EFA’s), the important fatty acid gamma linolenic acid (GLA), digestive enzymes, minerals and the richest plant source of vitamin B12. Spirulina is the “must have” green food- a complete protein with all eight essential amino acids present. Its 60% protein content is four times greater than beef (18%)! In our society, where the concept of complete protein is meat and dairy, it is very reassuring to know that greens like Spirulina can provide all the high quality protein and other nutrients needed.

A single serving of Spirulina contains 45% of your daily value of vitamin B12. That’s good news and reassuring for vegetarians, many of who are incorrectly led to believe that eating animal food is critical to getting this essential blood building vitamin.

Spirulina also helps with a variety of other ailments. DNA repair, cholesterol, and communication between cells are all helped with just a little bit of this supplement.

One of the main benefits stands to gain is the improvement of immune system. There have been many studies conducted that have shown that spirulina greatly helps to increase not only red blood cell production, but also the activity of the cells of bone marrow. Even T cells and macrophages have been increased.

Other studies conducted by Japanese scientists have shown that the growth of herpes virus, measles, and influenza have all been stunted by spirulina. Polysaccharides, phycocyanin and beta carotene are the active components of spirulina, which work to improve the immune system.

Spirulina also manages to fight bacteria such as E.coli and encourages the growth of good bateria in order to ensure that our bodies function well.

Another great attribute of spirulina is that it detoxifies one’s system well. A study revealed that spirulina actually helps decrease the toxicity of certain other drugs on one’s kidneys.

It also works to increase good cholesterol and reduce bad cholesterol for those who have ingested just a few grams of it a day. Of course as with any other sort of supplement or drug, one should always consult their physician before taking taking it in order to avoid a possible allergic reaction.

Give spirulina a try. I believe you will find that it will improve your health and support your efforts at healthy living.

Firstly and possibly most importantly, watch the size of the portion you serve yourself per meal. It is better and healthier to eat 6 small portions a day rather than 3 large meals a day, naturally slim people know this. In the United States, portion size gets distorted from the enormous plates of food that they serve at restaurants. A few extra minutes when cooking can make all the difference when it comes to your body and waistline.

Having said that, don’t think that you have to starve yourself. There is nothing wrong in having a treat every once in awhile. A good rule to follow is to allow yourself no more than say three “cheat” meals per week. But be honest with yourself about it. A couple of slices of pizza or a decadent dessert make for a good cheat. The whole pizza or three slices of gateau does not. Everything should be done and taken in moderation.

Exercise the dreaded word for people on a diet though it shouldn’t be that way. Doesn’t have to mean breaking out the tracksuit, and, go road running (though if that’s what you like, then there is equally nothing wrong with that). By simply taking the stairs instead of waiting for the lift or why drive when you can walk to the corner store, you’ll get in a bit of exercise. Its a multiplying effect every little bit adds up and more importantly burns calories.

Let your clothes do the talking, there’s  no need to weigh yourself every day, but you do want to pay attention and keep track of where you are. You can do this either with the scale or base it on how your clothes fit and feel.

Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day, an old cliché but very true and often people try to skip it as a way of reducing their consumed calories. This doesn’t work. If you want to stay slim, you should start every day with a good breakfast. It gets your system started and racing for the rest of the day.

Staying slim for life doesn’t require constant dieting. Rather, by creating healthy habits for yourself, including both diet and exercise, you’ll find that the weight just naturally stays off.