Can you pick and choose foods to increase your metabolism so that you lose weight without being hungry? Are there foods you can eat to create a "calorie deficit?"Sorry, but foods don't really act like drugs to melt away extra calories or fat. They can't speed up your metabolism, and they will not break down your fat.Don't believe it; if it sounds too good to be true... it is! You can't lose weight by taking a pill, rubbing a cellulite reduction cream on your thighs, and there are no foods that can cause weight loss.I've heard about to...

I do great at dieting. Where I have trouble with a healthy lifestyle is starting and sticking with a fitness plan. Oh, sure... I always have high hopes of trimming down and toning up. I plan fitness regimens of 3 days a week of exercise and 4 days a week of treadmill.I start. Then I stop. Then I start again. Then life throws me yet another curve and I tell myself I'll put fitness on hiatus until things smooth out.A few days turns into a few weeks. My resolve melts... and so do any muscles I've managed to build.I now...

When I was a kid, a band called The Archies had a huge hit called Sugar, Sugar. It was "bubble gum pop" about a boy's crush on a girl. If re-released today it could very well be about our nation's love affair with sugar... and the hidden sugars that spike our daily consumption.Food makers are clever. They use different forms of sugars to sweeten their goodies (far more foods than just sweets) and lure us in. As a nation, we have an insatiable sweet tooth -- one that may have to be extracted if we are ever to overcome our...

They say a fool and his money are soon parted. I say a dieting fool and his weight are doomed to stay together!Today we're turning our attention to the ways we fool ourselves into failing at dieting.Here are five foolish things you say or think while derailing your desire to lose weight or keep it off.1. I'll start my diet Monday... or tomorrow.The best time to start a diet is today... right now, in fact. I'm a procrastinator. I know how easy it is to set a future date to get started on a project... or a diet.But by giving...

Snacking is a smart weight loss strategy, especially when you're getting started on a weight loss plan. Eating smaller meals more frequently keeps you from getting hungry, and it keeps you focused on your goal.Weight loss should not mean deprivation: you're taking good care of yourself, and the results will be fantastic! Fasting depletes you of energy and motivation; healthy snacking keeps your engine burning.Fueling your body with healthy snacks is going to help you achieve your goals.But keep in mind that a snack doesn't mean something that adds extra calories to your daily diet. Nor does it mean...

Our world is in the grips of a terrible energy crisis. No, I'm not talking about the rising costs of gasoline. There is also is a hidden energy crisis that leaves most of us physically, emotionally and spiritually drained.Worst of all, many people have started to accept the notion that feeling tired and joyless is the normal state of existence."There is an epidemic of exhaustion out there," says best-selling author Dr. Judith Orloff. "People are tired and burned out, and many of them resort to overeating in order to self-medicate themselves against all of the negative energy that surrounds them."A...

Admit it. Sometimes you eat fast food. Sometimes you may even not get out of your car to eat. In fact, you eat in your car. You might even do it more than once a week or even a day.If you're eating lots of fast food, you're more than likely overweight. Research consistently shows that adults and kids who eat the most fast food are the fattest and unhealthiest. Parents like McDonald's and Burger King because they have playgrounds -- many times it's the only play area in inner cities. That's a shame, because a fast-food habit is dangerous. The...

There's no getting around it: we live in super stressful times.Whether we're worried about our job, our finances, our weight, our health or our loved ones, our minds are always racing.I got tired of stressing and turned to an expert for 6 great ways to stop stressing.Meet Ellen Simon, a nationally recognized guru in the field of mind body health.Ellen will help you step back, take a deep breath, and let go of the stress that's strangling your joy for life. 6 Sound Strategies to Stress Less!by Ellen Simon, M.S., M. Ed., LPC Stress happens in your body but...

When I was in my late teens I naively thought that in a few short years I'd enjoy spot-free skin. Here I am on the threshold of 50 and I still find myself scrubbing and squeezing away facial flaws on an almost daily basis. What's with that?Noted dermatologist Dr. Herbert Goodheart has the skinny on clear skin at almost any age. We've got Dr. Goodheart and today he's here with a look at a skin condition that mirrors acne but won't be cleared with common zit creams or pimple preparations.It's a condition known as rosacea. Check it out and see...

In my 10-year role as editor for several top online diet 'n fitness websites, I've had the pleasure of working with many insightful experts. Case in point: Wendy Chant, author of the bestselling books Crack the Fat-Loss Code and Conquer the Fat-Loss Code (both McGraw-Hill).Wendy is here to help you conquer your personal problem with extra pounds. Her common-sense, science-backed approach to weight loss includes the mantra slow and steady wins the race.You didn't gain all your extra pounds overnight, so you shouldn't expect to shed them in a flash.Get started on the road to a healthy new you with...

If you're like me, you probably started out exercising, getting your strength training information from magazines. So with a degree in magazinology, you basically followed every routine that worked out for some oversized gym rat or inexperienced model. What you don't read about are the aches and pains some of these "experts" go through by doing contraindicated exercises. What are contraindicated exercises? Exercises that go against natural movement, and that may cause harm to you in the long run. Because the body is resilient, you can get away with doing something bad for a long time before it puts...

Have you ever been stuck at the point where you can't lose those last 10 pounds?You know, the constant struggle, where no matter which diet you try, you always hit that damn plateau before you bowl over the last few pounds and get to goal weight? Did you ever think about why you can't lose those last 10 pounds? Your body may be trying to tell you something... and you don't wanna listen!So maybe it's time to change lanes and strike back at your plateau.Finding your personal ideal weight and maintaining it forever is different from attaining an idealized...

Sorry folks... weight training doesn't work. Well, at least for some people it doesn't. There are plenty of reasons why one may think that weight training isn't working for them, or that it isn't producing the results they want. I've narrowed down a few things I think have great effects on your results when using weights.Tempo!Slow down jackrabbit! I've seen people do reps like they're in a race with someone. While a quick tempo may work at times, you risk injuring yourself if you lose control. Instead, try going at a slower tempo for better results. Concentrating on...

Dining out is no longer a luxury or treat. It's a fact of our busy life. When pressed for nutritional information, some servers at your favorite eateries will begrudgingly serve up a few numbers. The sad fact is many sit-down restaurants simply do not have that info available.So what's a determined dieter to do? Stick with boring old baked chicken and steamed veggies or throw caution to the wind and order whatever you want with the hopes that "it can't be that bad." Sorry, but it can be that bad... and even worse than you imagined.Making the Best ChoicesDiet-to-Go...

Didja see the latest headlines????Excess Pounds, but Not Too Many, May Lead to Longer Life-- N.Y. Times, June 26, 2009 Now how about that!One might be shocked, unless you read about the huge U.S. government population study (NHANES) which found 86,094 fewer deaths in the overweight range, and 33,746 more deaths in the thin range, compared to "normal" BMI's (18.5 to 24.9). In fact, every population study I have read confirms this phenomenon.This particular study analyzed data on 11,326 Canadian adults, ages 25 and older, for a 12-year period. Overweight people (BMI of 25-29.9) were 17 percent less likely...

I am usually the prolific procurer for listing the top healthiest foods so you can be healthier and thinner. So it's a bit of a departure to be the bearer of bad tidings. I must admit though, it was kind of fun to be a naughty girl - even if it was just a one list stand.Here's my top 10 world's worst foods to be avoided at any cost. Brand names aren't listed, but you will know which stuff to steer clear of next time you're making the rounds in the grocery store.1) Don't Do DonutsCheck it out: white...

Rip Esselstyn has saved lives as a firefighter. But now he's saving millions through his groundbreaking Engine 2 Diet -- a delicious vegetarian eating plan and a no-gym-needed fitness routine which has shown indisputable, dramatic results in lowering cholesterol and slashing weight."It's amazing what you can do with nutrition, not drugs or procedures," Rip says. "Your best medicine is at the end of your fork."We're eating too many refined foods and animal foods. Heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's, hypertension... they're different manifestations of the same thing. "We have been culturally duped and brainwashed that we need protein from animal sources. Many...

Got love handles? Get rid of them and be on the other side of the jealousy fueled insults when you're flaunting your abs on the beach... or working out at the gym in your cut-off shirt!Well if you don't like showing off, maybe you just want to take control of that situation down below. Now I must say that I am a proud member of the AACFF group -- that's Americans Against Crunches For Fat. Although this group exists solely in my mind, I must say that you will only see your abs through diet and exercise. You cannot...

Did you know the average family of four in America wastes $600 worth of groceries a year? That's $50 a month! That's a tank of gas, y'all! Why is this, I wonder? Especially considering the current economic climate, why is this happening? What's going to waste? More likely than not, it's the fresh stuff we buy in our effort to be healthy. It's wilted lettuce, moldy green beans and flaccid carrots being dumped. It's all that wonderful spinach and other greens being tossed well past their prime. We buy it because we know we need to get our nutritional...

Anytime we can eat more salads it's helpful for us in our quest for a healthy weight and for the purposes of adding more vegetables, especially leafy greens, into our diet.I have not known anyone (kids included) who don't like this delicious and nutritious salad. Enjoy!Click here to watch the simple, fun salad creation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ey0dx47gLS4&feature=channel_pageMore recipes are available at http://www.pattyjames.comPatty James. M.S. is a Vital Health Educator and Nutrition Coach who founded the first certified organic cooking school and nutrition center in America....