Diet Pills That Work

Why slow weight loss is the “new” quick weight loss for women!

Losing weight is an ongoing struggle for many women.  But is quick weight loss for women the ultimate fix?

I personally have tried all the quick weight loss for wowmen diets there is out there. Yes some of them do work, but only for a short period of time.

Let’s look at these quick weight loss diets and understand why they work, but only for the short term.

How Do You Lose Weight Quickly?

In order to lose weight quickly you need to eat a much lower number of calories than you burn in a given day.

This means that you either have to calorie count or follow one of those “lose ten pounds in ten days” diets.

Many people say that in order to lose weight quickly you should only consume 800 calories a day. Wow – that’s not much food is it?

Yes you can keep this up for a short period of time and lose weight quickly, but as soon as you start eating properly again… yes you’ve guessed it – up goes your weight again.

Therefore you are back to square one. Six months later you have tried so many quick weight loss fixes and given up so you are still at your overweight state. Not exactly quick weight loss now is it!

I know this from first hand experience, time and time again. Before I know it a whole year has passed and I still have not lost any weight even though I have spent money on many quick weight loss fixes!

Why Losing Weight Slowly Is The Way To Go

Now that we’ve established that quick weight loss is not the best way to go, let’s look at why losing 1-2 lb a week is actually the “new” quick weight loss for women routine.

You see giving yourself enough calories to live off will give you a slow steady weight loss which is much more manageable to stick to and attain. After all you can eat a good amount of food plus have treats such as wine and the odd pizza slice etc.. This is just so much more natural making it much more achievable to stick to it and lose 1-2lb week.

You still have to watch what you eat and go down the healthy route with plenty of fruit, vegetables and fibre, but you can also fit in foods you like so you won’t cheat.

So in the same six months you are much more likely to be able to stick to the higher calorie diet with a slower weight loss and be able to reach your goal. As opposed to keep trying quick fix fads which are practically humanly impossible to stick to so you give up and you are back to square one.

I finally realised this a few months ago when I was still 21lbs overweight after being on a ‘diet’ for about two years! So I set a target of losing only 1lb a week. This was so easy to stick to by being able to have the odd glass of red wine and a few treats. I ate healthy most of the week and introduced some exercise in the form of swimming. I am now half way to losing my 21lb but if I had stuck to my quick weight loss diet fads, I would still be 21lb overweight!

When you first saw the title of this article, you immediately thought it was hogwash, right? You were a bit disappointed, too, because doctors are supposed to be honest, and discuss only the treatments that have been scientifically proven to work; and everyone knows that there is no such thing as a miracle treatment that keeps you healthy as you age. But, here’s the thing: we are telling you the truth. First, let us tell you what this miracle treatment can do.  It can help you to retain your memory, and possibly even prevent dementia, or at least postpone it for years.  It can prevent you from falling, the most common cause of injuries to those of us who no longer even count the number of candles on our birthday cakes.  It can, in some cases, keep you from getting arthritis in your knees, and if you already have it, keep you up and moving.  It can keep your heart healthy, and if you already have heart disease, it can get you back to feeling great. It can prevent some cancers. If you have diabetes, or high blood pressure, or high cholesterol, it can, in some cases, make them go away, and at the very least, it may allow you to lower your dose of medication for each of these three.  It can help you to breathe easy. It can keep you buff and help your sex life. It can help you sleep better, suppress your appetite, and even increase your metabolism. And it can improve your sense of wellbeing, keep your mood positive, and increase how long you live.  We know you’re still doubtful because if such a thing really existed, it would be on TV constantly and all over the internet, and you would’ve probably bought a huge amount of stock in it.  But in fact, it not only exists, but all of the effects mentioned above of our miracle treatment have been scientifically proven!Human beings were meant to move. Every aspect of our bodies’ functioning is geared toward that. On the flip side, movement and mobility are very important to the quality of life. What does this have to do with the miracle treatment? Easy — the miraculous new treatment for all our ills, particularly those accompanying the aging process, is movement.  Because of all the negative connotations, we won’t call it exercise or any of those other clinical-sounding names, like “workout” or “physical activity.”  It really does all the things we said it can do. In fact, a recent study that followed more than 2500 people over the age of sixty for an average period of twelve years found that those who were fit from regular and adequate movement, whether they were overweight or not, had a significantly lower death rate at a young age than those who were not fit. Here are the specifics. The official recommendations, released in 2007 by the American Heart Association and the American College of Sports Medicine, for the amount of physical activity necessary to improve and maintain our health include not one, but three different types of exercise:  aerobic activity, muscle-strengthening activity, and balance/flexibility training.  These are the recommendations. 1) Aerobic activity of moderate intensity for thirty minutes a day, five days per week — Go for a walk or climb those stairs in your building — anything goes here as long as you do it for thirty minutes; 2) Muscle strengthening activity including eight to ten exercises involving the major muscle groups, with eight to twelve repetitions each, at least twice a week — Use free weights, a barbell, or a machine that simulates weight lifting by resistance;3) Balance and flexibility activity at least two days a week — do yoga, pilates, or Tai Chi. And be sure to stretch. So now you know about the magic bullet for staying healthy. But, even though you know you need to stay active, sometimes, the whole idea of getting up and actually doing it is overwhelming. It is particularly hard to find the time when most of us have such a busy lifestyle. But there’s even more good news about our miracle treatment. For those who hate the gym, workouts , jogging and barbells, there is an alternative called “Exercise Lite”.Several years ago, a very interesting study was done at the Cooper Institute in Dallas, Texas.  255 volunteers were divided into two groups. One group went to the gym regularly for a standard workout. The other group tried to integrate regular physical activities into their usual daily routines. They would walk up stairs instead of taking an elevator, clean their own houses and apartments, work in their own gardens; in other words, they took every opportunity to do the maximum physical activity with their daily activities.  After six months, both groups had improved their fitness levels, lowered their blood pressures, and lost fat.   But, after two years, only those in the group that had incorporated fitness into their routines were more likely to maintain their fitness level. Exercise lite worked and kept on working!To receive the full health benefits as we mentioned above, you need to do at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic (cardio) exercise each day.  With exercise lite, you can break it down into 10-minute segments so that the cumulative time is still 30 minutes a day. If you only have a couple of 10 minute breaks a day, go walking for those breaks and then take a quick walk before or after work.  You want to shoot for 15-20 minute miles, and you want to get your pulse rate up but still be able to have a conversation.  If you garden, you need to do it while moving around a lot, in other words, active gardening. Same thing goes for housework. The vacuum can be your best workout buddy!  One easy way to do exercise lite is to wear a pedometer, a little meter you wear on your belt that records your steps. With the pedometer you want to aim for 10,000 steps a day. Most important, make it fun and you’ll keep doing it.  Do things you like. Find a class that is fun or start riding your bicycle or swimming. Get some great music and use it for your activity. If you need support, grab your friends and family to do an activity with you.  And remember, don’t tell yourself that you are doing the dreaded “exercise”; fool yourself and have it become a normal part of your daily life.Before starting any exercise program, check with your doctor!©2008 Janet Horn, M.D. and Robin H. Miller, M.D.Author Bio          Dr. Janet Horn is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, with training in Obstetrics and Gynecology. She spent many years on the fulltime faculty of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where she published articles in medical journals on her research interests, including sexually transmitted diseases, AIDS, and women’s health. She started her solo private practice in 1990 while continuing to teach as an Associate Professor of Medicine on the part time faculty at Hopkins. She has been selected by Baltimore Magazine as one of the “Top Doctors in Baltimore” and by the Maryland Daily Record as one of the “Top 100 Women in Maryland.” Dr. Robin Miller, in addition to being an experienced Board Certified Internist, is also an Integrative Medicine specialist, having trained with Dr. Andrew Weil as a Fellow at the University of Arizona. She is the founder and medical director of Triune Integrative Medicine, an innovative medical clinic in Medford, Oregon. She is an award winning medical correspondent on regional and national television, radio, and the internet. She is an award winning medical correspondent on regional and national television, radio, and the internet, the author of a health book for children, Kids Ask the Doctor, and a board member of The National Association of Medical Communicators, a society of medical journalists in all media.

Benefits of Flaxseeds
Aside from alpha linolenic acid, flax seed is rich in lignan. Lignan is a type phytoestrogen (antioxidant) and also provides fiber. Researches reveal that lignan in flax seed shows a lot of promise in fighting disease — including a possible role in cancer prevention especially breast cancer. It is thought that lignan metabolites can bind to estrogen receptors, hence inhibiting the onset of estrogen-stimulated breast cancer.

What Does Flaxseed Contain?
The seeds and oil of the flax plant contain substances which promote good health. Flaxseed and flaxseed oil are rich in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an essential fatty acid that appears to be beneficial for heart disease. ALA belongs to a group of substances called omega-3 fatty acids.

Lignans are a type of fiber, and at the same time a type of phytoestrogen—a chemical similar to the human hormone estrogen. Flaxseeds are the richest source of lignans. When you eat lignans, bacteria in the digestive tract convert them into estrogen-like substances called enterodiol and enterolactone, which are thought to have anti-tumor effects. Lignans and other flaxseed components may also have antioxidant properties—that is, they may reduce the activity of cell-damaging free radicals. (Flaxseed oil lacks lignans, but some processors add them to their oil.)

Flaxseed Lowers Cholesterol in Postmenopausal Women
At the onset of menopause, a woman’s risk of cardiovascular disease drastically increases. Until recently, women were told that conventional hormone replacement therapy (Premarin and progestin) could offer protection against this increased cardiovascular risk, but studies have now conclusively shown that this is not the case. So, what can a woman do to protect her heart during and after menopause?

One simple, yet powerful action a woman can take is to make flaxseed, one of the World’s Healthiest Foods, a daily part of her healthy way of eating. A study published in the September 2002 issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, found that flaxseed, a rich source of phytoestrogens called lignans, reduced total cholesterol levels in the blood of postmenopausal women by an average of 6%.

To lose weight requires motivation and that can be harder to find than diet books or exercise machines. Experts suggest setting goals and rewarding yourself when you reach those goals. Other suggestions include going to exercise classes, working out with a partner and keeping an exercise log. Although one exercise guru suggested putting a before picture on the refrigerator, I think this quote from Margaret Thatcher would be more effective. “You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it”. That’s how England’s prime minister dealt with the weight on her shoulders and it should work just as well for other parts of the body.
Sixty-four percent of American bodies are overweight and the other thirty-four percent think they know what to do about it. One blogger suggested overweight people should pay more for gas because extra pounds require more gas to move them. It seems the blogger didn’t understand that requiring more gas requires more to be purchased and thus overweight people already pay more for gas. It seems many solutions for weight problems come from lightweights.
Another solution may be grapefruit. According to a recent study, eating grapefruit before each meal will make it easier to lose weight. In the study ninety-one obese patients added grapefruit to their regular diets. This resulted in an average loss of four pounds in twelve weeks. The researchers attributed this to grapefruit having compounds that improve insulin resistance and that facilitate fat loss. When eight ounces of unsweetened grapefruit juice were substituted for the fruit, the average loss was three pounds in twelve weeks. If gin were added to the before-dinner grapefruit juice – making a greyhound cocktail – the loss would undoubtedly be less; but would we care as much?
Experts at the University of South Carolina say we should care about walking. They say walking an easy three miles per hour – which is twenty minutes per mile – for thirty minutes five times a week provides enough exercise to protect us cardiovascularly, as well as to increase our longevity. For those of us who don’t think we have an extra thirty minutes in our day, there’s plan B. The same results can be achieved by splitting the time into smaller segments – as long as each segment is at least ten minutes. Not being able to find three, ten-minute segments in our day would itself be a weighty problem.

For those of us looking for quick weight loss, Halloween can be a scary experience! While just one night of indulgence in Halloween candy might not be enough to break your belt, dipping into the leftover stockpile for weeks on end will surely derail your diet or weight loss program.

In 1921, in Anoka, MN, the United States enjoyed our first recorded instance of a Halloween celebration. Annual candy consumption has climbed almost unabated since then. According to the Census Bureau, Americans eat nearly a half-pound of candy each week for an average of 25 pounds of candy a year. Candy is big business, with the United States boasting 1,040 manufacturing establishments producing chocolate and cocoa products in 2001. These establishments employed 45,913 people and shipped $12 billion worth of goods that year. Another 616 U.S. establishments manufactured non-chocolate confectionery products in 2001. These establishments employed 26,400 people and shipped $7 billion worth of goods that year (source: census.gov).

The overwhelming popularity of the South Beach Diet, Zone Diet, and Atkins Diet has prompted low-carb weight watchers to eat less candy. Overall consumption has actually declined over the last few years; as recently as 1997 the average annual candy consumption was a sky-high 27 pounds.

The Problem:
Most people on a diet plan or weight control program look at candy as little brightly-colored fat bombs. That assessment isn’t far off the mark, either, with most candy packing little nutritional value and a ton of calories.

Some of the more popular Halloween candy has too many calories to be included in any healthy diet:
Twizzlers 1 treat size pkg.= 45 calories
Almond Joy 1 snack size bar = 90 calories
Milk Duds 1 treat size box = 40 calories
Butterfinger 1 snack size bar = 100 calories
Milky Way 1 snack size bar = 90 calories
SweetTarts 1 treat size pkg. = 50 calories
1 Tootsie Pop 1 pop = 60 calories
1 Tootsie Roll 1 small roll = 13 calories

Note: Calorie content is based on 1 serving of Halloween ’snack’ or ‘fun’ size packages, not full size servings found in the candy aisle.

While just a few pieces of Halloween candy won’t obliterate your diet program or weight loss plan, it’s the temptation to keep having ‘just one more’ that will pack on the pounds. It only takes nine small fun-size candy bars to put on a quarter-pound of fat. Besides candy, Halloween threatens many other high-calorie treats like Caramel apples (243 calories), 8-oz. apple cider and a cake donut (319 calories), or a slice of pumpkin pie (240 calories).

The Solution:
Is it possible to cope with the menace of Halloween candy without taking all the fun out of the holiday? Absolutely! If you’re looking for fast weight loss, and don’t want Halloween to bring your fat loss to a screeching halt, consider these healthy Halloween tips:

1. Walk with your kids while they’re trick-or-treating. A 165-lb. woman strolling along (walking slowly) for one hour will burn approximately 150 calories (source: caloriesperhour.com).
2. Out of sight, out of mind. When the kids have unloaded their stash, store it in an airtight container and put it in the cupboard. A bowl full of candy on the counter is an open invitation to have ‘just one’, but a stockpile you can’t see is less tempting.
3. If you’re going to give out candy to trick-or-treaters on Halloween, don’t buy it until October 31st. Having a candy supply in the house before Halloween only entices you to have some early.
4. If you must buy candy before Halloween, buy a kind you don’t like. Again, this will reduce the temptation for you to dig in.
5. Hosting a Halloween party? Supply vegetables, healthy dips, and low fat snacking alternatives instead of candy.
6. Set a Halloween candy deadline by which all Halloween candy must be either consumed (by the kids) or it will be thrown away. Saving that candy for weeks, or even months, only keeps temptation in the house.
7. Put more emphasis on dressing up in a great costume, and less on candy. This is especially true for the kids, who often view Halloween as a candy free-for-all dream come true.
8. By hosting a party on Halloween night, you can control the menu and have fun with friends at the same time.
9. Focus on Halloween activities other than eating. There are lots of options available, from hayrides to haunted houses to bonfires.
10. Candy has a long shelf life, and there’s no reason why you couldn’t put some of it in airtight bags and store it in the freezer. Allow the kids to take out one bag every two weeks until it’s gone. This tactic will at least space out the temptation and minimize candy binge eating.

Of course, the absolute best way to avoid weight gain, and perhaps even achieve some easy weight loss, during the Halloween season is to bump up the amount of exercise you’re getting. There’s no better way to lose weight fast than a healthy diet and regular exercise.

Make sure the workout you’re doing includes both aerobic and resistance training, as it is critical to get both types of exercise to maximize weight loss. It’s also important to exercise for at least thirty minutes, three times per week, which is the most recent recommendation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (source: cdc.gov).

A fantastic strategy is to find the best weight loss program for you now, before Halloween hits. The reason is that the last three months of the year are packed with holidays, special dinners and seasonal treats. Starting with Halloween candy and ending with Christmas fudge, many people find that they’re packing on more pounds during this period than they do any other time of year.

Joining a gym is an excellent way to combat Halloween and holiday weight gain. Finding a good gym to join now will not only help keep off those holiday pounds, but will even make you slimmer by New Years.

Researchers from Venezuela have found a solution for overweight people that wants to have a permanent weight reduction.

The diet starts the day with a big, well composed bereakfast with carbohydrates, proteins and fat. The rest of the day you should eat small meals with very little carbohydrates.

If a diet shall be effective over longer periods of time, it has to give a good feeling of not being hungry at the same time as it set a stop for your sugar cravings. The researchers tell us they have found such a method or diet now.

The researchers had 94 overweight women with little activities on their schedule on two different diets. 46 of the participants should follow a traditional diet almost without any carbohydrates at all. The daily ration allowed for 1085 calories, and allowed for only 17 grams of carbohydrates, like from bread, fruit, breakfast mixes or milk. In addition the women could eat 51 grams of proteins and 78 grams of fat pr day.  The breakfast consisted of around 290 calories and was the smallest meal of the day.

The other group could eat 1240 calories a day, with 46 grams of fat, 93 grams of proteins and as much as 97 grams of carbohydrates. More than half of the carbohydrates would be in the breakfast.

The trial went on for 8 months, where in the first 4 months the participants focused on weight loss. The last 4 months the women should focus on not gaining any weight.

At halfway time, the women in the low carbohydrate diet had lost almost 13 kilos, as the ladies in the big breakfast diet had lost almost 11 kilos. But after the second half of the race had gone it was pretty clear who the winners were and were the wieghtloss was most effective.

The women in the low carbohydrate diet group had gained in average over 8 kilos, while the women in the big breakfast group had continued to loose weight and had actually lost over 7 kilos more.

They had all together lost around 21 percent of their body weight, while the other group had only lost around 4.5 percent.

So you’ve been trying to eat healthy for some time now. And getting enough calcium is something you know you should do. After all, women run four times the risk men do for osteoporosis, a disease that can set you up for brittle, broken bones later in life. And currently, over 20 million of us suffer from the problem. So how are you doing in getting what you need?

If you’re like most women, you’re still falling short on this critical nutrient. Studies show on average American women get only about half the recommended amount. We’re supposed to be getting 1000 to 1200 milligrams (mg) a day; we average around 600 mg.

And that’s why, in survey results released this week, nearly 98% of the nation’s leading nutrition experts ranked calcium intake as one of the top health issues for women today.

But that’s not the whole story. Moving your body regularly is also critical. So here’s some easy-to-follow advice that’s been put to the test over the years to help put you solidly on the path to healthy bones and feeling great throughout life.

How to Up Your Calcium Intake, and Keep It Up

Eat what you like. Remember, the #1 reason people choose the foods they do is taste. If it doesn’t taste good, they won’t eat it regularly. So to consistently get enough calcium, look for sources that you enjoy. Try to savor at least three servings of dairy foods every day, fat-free or 1% milk or yogurt, regular and reduced fat cheeses (as long as they’re tasty), soups made with milk, puddings made with milk, even ice cream on occasion. Why dairy foods? Because they are not only great sources of calcium, dairy foods also contain lactose, which helps you absorb calcium better. Plus, milk is fortified with vitamin D, another nutrient important for healthy bones. Other excellent non-dairy sources of calcium are fortified orange or grapefruit juice, and fortified ready-to-eat cereal (check the label to find the calcium fortified varieties and how much they contain).

Expand your taste horizons. Okay, we can’t avoid it. We have to advise you to eat more vegetables, especially the dark-green leafy ones like spinach, kale, turnip greens. Not for calcium*, however. Instead, it’s the vitamin K in dark-green leafies that may be key. A recent study at the USDA Nutrition Research Center on Aging showed that women who ate more dark-green leafy vegetables had fewer hip fractures than those who consumed less of these foods.

Eat regularly. It’s key to helping yourself eat well consistently. Enjoy a mix of grains/starchy vegetables, protein foods and fruits &/or vegetables at most meals, and at snacks at which you are particularly hungry. And don’t go too long between meals. That way, you won’t get too hungry, which can lead to overeating. You’ll also find yourself less drawn to richer foods. With healthy eating you’ll find it easier to stop yo-yo dieting; the more you yo-yo diet, the more bone you may lose.

Laying It Down

Getting enough calcium into your body is the first step. The next is getting it into your bones. And that means physical activity. What kind? While you may have heard that weight-bearing exercise is key, maybe it’s reassuring to reinforce that there are more choices here than lifting weights. Just walking regularly helps your body lay down calcium in bones, thereby helping to preserve or increase bone density. And that makes for stronger bones. What’s more, regular physical activity improves muscle strength, balance, coordination and flexibility, all of which can help prevent falls and fractures.

Already Have Osteoporosis?

How to reverse osteoporosis is the subject of plenty of studies right now. Researchers believe getting plenty of calcium can help, along with plenty of weight-bearing activity. Here’s a new type of activity that can be fun and effective: A pilot study at the University of California showed that working with resistive balls (a form of isometric exercise) just 10 minutes a day for two months helped women who had signs of osteoporosis significantly strengthen their bones. Regular weight bearing exercise such as walking, biking, or resistance training will help you stay healthy for life!

*Actually, while calcium-containing plant foods like some vegetables, fruits and tofu can contribute to calcium intake, you generally have to eat more than you would want to get enough, such as 7 cups of broccoli to get the same amount of calcium in a cup of milk! Milk contains about 300 mg calcium per cup; broccoli only about 45 mg.”

Do you often wonder how women in Hollywood can have children and within a few short weeks have their old body back? Do you then ask yourself why that same outcome doesn’t occur when you or one of your friends has a baby.

Do you think that somehow celbrities just have better genes or possess some magical power that helps with weight loss? You probably do not….

It is hard to look at celebrities strolling around sporting bodies that have practically no body fat, they seem to be super human! This is especially tough for normal women like yourself that have had children and their body has just never bounced back.

Though it may not seem like it, these women are not perfect specimens from a foreign world, they have the same weight and body image issues as any normal woman. The difference is that women in Hollywood have access to resources and luxuries that the average woman doesn’t. This is a very important fact because most women gain a lot of their self image based on what Hollywood portrays as ideal. You must understand that what Hollywood says is ideal is both unrealistic and unhealthy in a lot of cases.

So what is the big secret that Hollywood knows about staying and looking sot thin? What kind of mystical potions do they have?

Women in Hollywood are under a ton of pressure to remain thin and looking like the “ideal.”  They have millions of dollars at stake with new television, movie, and other entertainment career options.  Knowing this, let it be quite clear that these women spare no expense when it comes to staying slim. They do/try very expensive and often unsafe things to slay slim.

With their futures depending so heavily on how they look, these women spend a fortune on personal trainers, nutritionists and other gurus to advise them on how to stay lean and toned. The often end up resorting to hours a day of exercise and severely restrictive diets to get the job done. While they should be admired for their diligence, they often put their looks ahead of health. They feel they have to be perfect and will let nothing get in their way.

To clarify, there is nothing wrong with seeking professional advice from trainers and other specialized individuals. But as most of us don’t have 8 hours a day to devote to building our dream body, we must be realistic with our expecations and goals.

In addition to the severe exercise and nutrition programs available to the Hollywood elite, they also have the advantage of a non-human element. With a few clicks of the mouse a computer with Photoshop installed can do wonders for the human body. It can wipe away wrinkles and fat rolls in just a few seconds. Although many celebrities have great physiques, we are often sold a bill of goods with the click of mouse when we see the magazine covers and other print advertising.

Many in Hollywood also use drugs, injections, plastic surgery, enemas and whatever other procedure they can find to measure up to the strict standards set for them. These procedures are expensive and can be harmful to health and sometimes deadly. So when you see those pictures on magazine covers just realize what happened to make that photo. Also remember that perception is not reality!

THERE IS no doubt about it, the corset is firmly back in fashion; from couture catwalks to High Street shops, this season’s look in dresses, suits and evening wear is a nipped-in waist with bosom and hips proudly on display. And for those not blessed with a natural hour glass silhouette, the quickest way to get that look is to suck in and lace up.
Maybe it’s a reaction against years of androgynous skimpy underwear, but now we are buying lingerie which really does something for our figures and emphasises our femininity. Let’s face it, singlets and briefs might be practical, but they are not very sexy; and with a corset, even the flattest chested can enjoy instant curves.
The 21st century corsetted woman may feel in control of her 19th century style figure and sexuality, in a way her Victorian counterparts never could, but watch out – you may be sending a stronger message than you realise.
Some scientists now believe that the most powerful human sexual trigger is the female waist. In experiments in the USA, men rated as most attractive (sexually and for childbearing) women of average weight with curves, which meant waists 24 to 28 inches with 36 inch hips or waists 27 to 31 inches with 40 inch hips.
Interestingly, this ratio is now recognised as a key indicator of health and is also linked to fertility, as oestrogen, the female sex hormone, concentrates fat on buttocks, while testosterone, the male hormone, builds fat around waist.
So by wearing a garment which emphasises your waist you are actually sending men a powerful subconscious message which says, “I’m young, female, healthy, and ready to mate with you and have your baby.” So use it carefully!

LaBelle Lingerie supply Sexy Lingerie and Underwear online from the UK

Copyright (c) 2009 Neal Spruce

Menopause and weight gain

Menopause is defined as the end of menstruation. The postmenopausal period is associated with symptoms such as hot flashes, changes in libido and weight gain. In America, the typical woman reaches menopause at just over 51 years of age. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2005, the average American woman reaching age 50 could expect to live another 30 years. The weight a woman gains while she’s in menopause is weight she may well struggle with for the rest of her life. Does being menopausal doom you to weight gain? Is losing weight after menopause harder than it would be before menopause? In this article, we’ll take a look at these issues and go a little more in depth about the times in their lives when women are the most likely to gain weight.

The typical American woman will experience numerous changes in body shape during her life, specifically just after high school, childbearing and menopause. The culprit for young women is often a significant decrease in activity after high school leading to the infamous “Freshman 15″. , Pregnancy is an obvious time for weight gain, but most women reach their pre-pregnancy weight within six months of giving birth – at least after their first child.1 The women in both scenarios can change their weight or body fat by eating less and moving more. See Weight Control 101 for a complete discussion.

The common belief with menopause is that the decrease in female hormones somehow leads to a slower metabolism or increased body fat. Several studies have evaluated whether there is a specific change around menopause that leads to weight gain, or at least makes it easier. These studies have shown that the biggest change affecting body weight around menopause is a reduction in activity. This is a common theme at various stages of a woman’s life. That is, a relatively steady or slight increase in calorie intake with decreasing activity over time. One strong predictor for obesity in a person’s life is age. Since the average woman gains about a pound yearly, it is much more likely that a middle-aged woman will be obese compared to a 20 year-old. Also, a woman with extra weight at adolescence is more likely to gain extra weight at other times such as her freshman year of college.

Some of the stronger studies on menopause looked at women of the same age who either still had periods or were in menopause. When pre and postmenopausal women are matched for age, menopausal women have 1. No difference in weight gain. Both pre and postmenopausal women gain weight. The difference is where the fat is stored.7 2. No difference in loss of lean mass compared to premenopausal women. Both lost muscle tissue with time. 3. An increase in central adiposity – more fat stored around the waist as opposed to the thighs or arms. 4. No change in body composition. It seems the biggest effect of decreased estrogen is where fat is stored, not that more fat is stored. 5. A possible small decrease in resting metabolic rate (RMR) from decreased estrogen, but not enough of a difference that menopausal women gain more weight.7

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)

Some women take medication to replace the hormones lost from menopause. Women often ask if weight gain is something they can expect as a side effect of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). A three-year study found that there was no increase in body weight among HRT users compared to placebo regardless if they used estrogen or estrogen and progesterone combined.9 Women should discuss HRT with a physician who will assess any risk of hormone-dependent cancers.

In summary, menopause only means women will no longer have periods. It does not mean the body slows down to the point a woman is destined to gain weight. Postmenopausal women can lose weight just like premenopausal women. When postmenopausal women lose weight, they can lose both subcutaneous (under the skin) and visceral (around the organs) fat as easily as premenopausal women. This means postmenopausal women can reverse any weight gain. In addition, weight loss among postmenopausal women is accompanied by the same improvements in cholesterol and reduced insulin resistance. This results in a lower risk of heart disease and diabetes. Women can both prevent gaining weight and achieve better overall health during menopause by engaging in regular physical activity.

References–Beckman C, Ling F, Smith R, Barzansky B, Herbert W, Laube D. Obstetrics and Gynecology. Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. Philadelphia PA: 2006; 810p. pp. 128, 375.Kung HC, Hoyert DL, Xu J, Murphy SL. Life expectancy at selected ages by race and sex: United States, 2005 in: Deaths Final Data for 2005. National Vitals Statistics Reports 56(10) Accessed at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr56/nvsr56_10.pdf September 2008.Jung ME, Bray SR, Martin Ginis KA. Behavior change and the freshman 15: tracking physical activity and dietary patterns in 1st-year university women. J Am Coll Health. 2008 Mar-Apr;56(5):523-30.Holm-Denoma JM, Joiner TE, Vohs KD, Heatherton TF. The “freshman fifteen” (the “freshman five” actually): predictors and possible explanations. Health Psychol. 2008 Jan;27(1 Suppl):S3-9.Mihalopoulos NL, Auinger P, Klein JD. The Freshman 15: is it real? J Am Coll Health. 2008 Mar-Apr;56(5):531-3.Simkin-Silverman LR, Wing R. WEIGHT GAIN DURING MENOPAUSE: Is it inevitable or can it be prevented? Postgrad Med. 2000 Sept; 108(3): 47-52.Mazzali G, Di Francesco V, Zoico E, Fantin F, Zamboni G, Benati C, Bambara V, Negri M, Bosello O, Zamboni M. Interrelations between fat distribution, muscle lipid content, adipocytokines, and insulin resistance: effect of moderate weight loss in older women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2006 Nov;84(5):1193-9.Effects of estrogen or estrogen/progestin regimens on heart disease risk factors in postmenopausal women. The Postmenopausal Estrogen/Progestin Interventions (PEPI) Trial. The Writing Group for the PEPI Trial. JAMA. 1995 Jan 18;273(3):199-208.