Archive for September 16th, 2012

Losing Weight Starts at Day 1!

Developed by Harley Pasternak, the 5 factor diet is an effective weight loss program that goes around the concept that is linked to a number – 5. This program has been proven to provide effective results within five weeks. In fact, many dieters who use this program have adopted it for a longer term or for a total lifestyle habit after the five-week duration of the diet program.

How It Works?

With the number 5 as the basis, the diet program entails five meals and five workout sessions with five exercises each every day. With the five meals to be consumed every day, this program eliminates the usual hunger pangs and cravings that many dieters need to go through. These meals are also easy to prepare, as each meal is only composed of five different ingredients and can be prepared in just five minutes. One important tip to remember is to prepare the meals ahead of time to make sure that everything is correct and served at the right time. Also, the meal schedules of this diet program do not require a dieter to wait until they feel hungry and eat without limits.

These meals should be low in calories and fats. Protein, like lean cuts of meat, must be included in every meal. The carbohydrates that will be included in the meals should also be low in the glycemic index scale, making the body’s blood sugar level more stable. Each meal should also include fiber. The fiber helps in cleansing the body’s internal system while taking a few unwanted fats off the body. Unlike other diet programs, this program entails drinking water before eating as it helps the dieter to consume less food. Moreover, water helps in cleansing the body from the inside. It is just like giving the body an internal shower.

Amongst the diet programs available, only the 5 factor diet allows cheating. This program allows the dieters to cheat for five days within the five week course of the diet program. Dieters are allowed to cheat for one day of each week on their diet program. However, there is a certain degree of restraint that is imposed when the dieters are allowed to cheat. Cheating is allowed on this diet program to keep the sanity amongst the dieters.

For instance, a dieter may want to eat a decadent cake once in a while. With this diet program, the dieter can do so, provided that the dieter will be content to have a half or a full slice of cake instead of an entire tray of sugary cake. With these cheat days, dieters do not feel detached and deprived from the rest of the world, making them more likely to succeed on their diet.

Along with the daily five meal plans, the 5 factor diet also comes with a recommended exercise regimen. The required physical activity of this especially designed exercise program is divided into 25-minute workouts, of which the number 25 is a multiple of 5. These shorter yet successive workouts are considered to be better than spending an hour or one day for exercise. These mini-workouts are easier and more appealing to those who want to lose excess weight, making them less likely to leave the program.

This diet program does not also require a lot of gym equipment when preforming the suggested workouts. Dieters will only need a dumbbell and a workout bench. For a warm-up exercise, one is advised to do cardio exercises for five minutes, increasing one’s heart rate into seventy percent. After the cardio warm-up exercises, the dieter will proceed to the strength training that includes reps, sets, and rests. Core exercises also include crunches and twists. Finally, one is required to perform another cardio workout to normalize the body. This is also called the “cool down” phase of the exercise regimen.

Is It Healthy?

Many health experts have rated the 5 factor regimen as healthy and safe. Beyond the number five concept, the program’s guiding principle entails plenty of fiber and protein on the diet and lots of exercise. Unlike any other regimens that make dieters feel that there is someone pointing a shotgun on their heads, this diet program does not restrain a lot of things.

Factually, this diet program is one of the simplest regimens that have been developed. It does not require fancy recipes, complicated food ingredients, or climbing the Mt. Everest. This diet program is for those who can focus on consuming five meals every day on a certain schedule and can take up the required physical activities that have been subdivided into 25-minute workouts every day.

This 5 factor fitness regimen is a diet program that has reformed the way people view weight loss and fitness. This program makes people believe that having a healthy body does not need one to go through various unnecessary diet and exercises that only provide minimal results. Also, it eliminates the idea that one needs to starve to fit into a sexy bikini. The whole idea of this program is to make the people realize that fitness and weight loss is just a matter of smart thinking.

Putting the right dietary combinations and the best exercise together makes anyone’s fitness goals more achievable. Truly, some diet programs are simply absurd, while others work. There are numerous ways to lose the unwanted extra pounds, however choosing the right regimen that suits one’s lifestyle is completely left to the dieter.

The 17 Day Diet was developed by Doctor Michael Moreno and aims to decrease calories and reduce the intake of processed foods.

The diet consists of 3 cycles which are each 17 days long. There is a fourth cycle which is known as the maintenance cycle and is used to maintain a healthy weight. This diet plan is useful for anyone who wants to shed a few pounds to a couple hundred pounds and keep it off.

1. Cycle 1
   Cycle 1, also known as the “Accelerate” phase, cuts down the dieter’s caloric intake to 1,200 calories per day. This cycle can help a person lose around 10-15 pounds, which is mostly water weight. According to Dr. Moreno this stage clears out unhealthy carbohydrates and kicks the metabolism into high gear. Light exercising for at least 17 minutes per day is recommended.
2. Cycle 2
   This cycle is known as the “Activate” stage. Foods with lower calories are eaten on alternating days with higher calorie foods so that it keeps the metabolism busy and prevents boredom. Only 1,500 calories are allowed in this cycle. This cycle also keeps the metabolism working at high rate and can help dieters lose around 5 pounds. Cycle 2 also requires 17 minutes of light exercise, like walking, in order to keep the weight off.
3. Cycle 3
   Cycle 3 is referred to as the “Achieve” portion of the 17 Day Diet. This part of the cycle is used to stabilize the metabolism and more healthy foods are reintroduced. Cycle 3 can help a person lose 2 to 3 pounds. Exercise times increase to around 150 to 300 minutes per week during this cycle.
4. Cycle 4
   The last cycle is called the “Arrive” portion because the dieter should have arrived at their goal weight. Meals from earlier cycles are allowed on the weekdays but the weekends are used for splurging on less healthy food. These splurges must be controlled in order to maintain the weight.

Types of Foods

This diet plan requires its participants to eat only food that is not processed, has no sugar and is not fried. Some examples of food that are allowed in Cycle 1 are:

• low-sugar fruits
• lean protein
• green tea
• vegetables like legumes, corn, squash, sweet potatoes
• low-fat yogurt

What Makes it Different

Unlike other diet plans, the 17 Day Diet encourages its participants to eat breakfast, exercise portion control, eat slower, choose healthy alternatives and eat when they are hungry. Time of day when the food is eaten is not as important as its total caloric content. Doctors agree that the diet plan sends a positive message about eating foods that are delicious and healthy. However, they are not as pleased that the diet puts restrictions on fruits and dairy products.

Weight loss occurs because there is a cut in calories and not because dieters are confusing their metabolism like in other diet plans. Keep in mind that people who exercise more need more calories. That is why Cycle 1 and 2 only require 17 minutes of exercise per day.

Critiques of the Diet

Critics of the diet say that 1,200 calories is too low to be healthy and that the first stage does not have enough fiber. People who have diabetes, women who are pregnant or lactating and teenagers should not go on this diet due to its low caloric content. Many diet plans, however, recommend a caloric intake of this amount.

Some people feel energized and revitalized after the first few days of a diet. However, people could grow bored or give up and revert back to their old eating habits after awhile.

Support

The diet’s official webpage offers additional support for those who are participating in the diet. Dieters can use the free BMI calculator, buy the official cookbook and utilize the calorie counter which tells participants how many calories they should consume per day.

Sample Menu

A sample menu for the first cycle would look like this.

Breakfast:

• eggs, scrambled
• grapefruit
• green tea

Lunch:

• 2 eggs, boiled
• salad with tomatoes, onions, broccoli

Snack:

• yogurt and berries

Dinner:

• steamed carrots
• steamed asparagus
• turkey or chicken breast

Green tea is thought to speed up the body’s metabolism and provide antioxidants. Dieters can drink as much green tea as they want but it must be sugar free. Stevia, an artificial sweetener, is the only approved sugar substitute.

Positives About the Diet
There are some positive aspects of this diet. For one, it promotes the consumption of unprocessed foods. The diet also has a wide variety of foods that a person could eat thus eliminating boredom. A recipe book and meal delivery service is also available to keep dieters on track.

Negatives About the Diet

No diet is completely free of criticisms or negative claims. The cons of this diet are:

• not acceptable for people with diabetes
• may cause eating disorders due to irregular eating habits
• not enough fiber in the diet

The Bottom Line

The 17-day diet has many positive and negative aspects. This diet plan has been shown to be effective at losing weight and keeping it off. However, certain people should avoid this diet, like women who are pregnant and teenagers, and fruit and dairy products are severely limited. The basic principles of cutting out refined sugar and consuming fewer calories are basic ideas that everyone should follow to live a healthy lifestyle.

The Change One diet and fitness plan is a realistic approach to weight loss that encourages dieters to improve health and fitness by making simple, gradual changes to their lifestyles and eating habits. The main principle of this program is that individuals make one change in their diets and fitness plans each week over a twelve-week period. The concept behind this principle is that making gradual changes, as opposed to the drastic overhauls seen in other diet plans, will increase the chances of long-term diet success, as well as improve overall health and wellness.

The goal of Change One is to reduce calorie intake to 1,300 to 1,600 per day while increasing the intake of essential vitamins and minerals. Fitness is also incorporated into the Change One plan and, like the diet portion of the plan, promotes gradual and sensible changes in fitness and activity levels. Unlike fad or crash diets, Change One does not require the elimination of certain foods or food groups; instead, dieters are encouraged to make healthy, realistic food choices that will stand the test of time. Also, since dieters make only one change to their meal plans and lifestyles per week, there is adequate time to adjust to new habits before moving on to the following steps.

The 12 Steps of the Change One Program

The following is a week-by-week description of the Change One diet plan:

• Week One
  The first week of Change One involves making changes to breakfast meal plans while other meals and snacks remain the same. Change One breakfast plans include filling foods that are high in fiber, vitamins and minerals.
• Week Two
  Week two involves making changes to lunch menus while sticking with the breakfast changes of week one. Dieters are to prepare and pack healthy lunches at home in order to avoid rushed and unhealthy midday meals.
• Week Three
  Changes are made to snacks in week three. Followers of the Change One diet and fitness method are encouraged to plan two healthy snacks each day. This step incorporates the idea that frequent eating throughout the day will increase metabolism, and therefore burn extra fat and calories.
• Week Four
  Week four is where dieters make changes to their dinner plans. By the end of the fourth week, breakfast, lunch and dinner meals plans are complete.
• Week Five
  Week five of Change One focuses on dining out. This can include healthier restaurant choices, portion control and choosing healthier options at not-so-healthy establishments.
• Week Six
  During week six, dieters formulate plans for dieting on the weekends and holidays. Like snacking, holiday and weekend celebrations can undo weeks worth of dieting. But when dieters have a definitive plan in motion, they’re more likely to stick to it.
• Week Seven
  Week seven involves changing the kitchen and dining areas of the home in order to make them more diet-friendly. This can include emptying cupboards of unhealthy food choices, as well as creating a dining space that does not promote overeating.
• Week Eight
  During week eight, Change One dieters will assess their progress in-depth and make any necessary adjustments. Week eight is a great time to check in with past fitness and weight loss goals, and possibly set new goals regarding health and wellness.
• Week Nine
  Week nine focuses on stress and how it relates to unhealthy eating and decreased activity. During this week, dieters are encouraged to identify stress triggers and formulate coping methods in order to avoid and eliminate stress-eating.
• Week Ten
  In week ten, fitness is introduced to the Change One plan. At first, workouts can be as short as 10 minutes, then gradually increase to 30 minutes of physical activity per day.
• Week Eleven
• Week 11 entails the formulation of a self-monitoring system in order to reach and maintain diet and fitness goals. This includes trouble-shooting unresolved fitness issues, as well as identifying and predicting any current or future obstacles. Dieters are encouraged to record their progress and use a checklist for monitoring purposes.
• Week Twelve
  Change One’s week 12 focuses on the avoidance of boredom as a means to prevent slip-ups and resulting weight gain, as well as maintaining all the diet and fitness changes of the following weeks. The Change One support system offers advice for long-term maintenance of health and fitness, and also suggestions on how to shake up meal plans in order to prevent boredom. In addition, dieters are encouraged to avoid monotony by continuing to set new health and fitness goals.
  Once the twelve-week change period is over, Change One clients follow up with an eight-week fitness program provided by customer support.

Added Benefits of Change One

In addition to weight loss, Change One offers a variety of advantages for individuals looking to lead a healthier lifestyle. A few unique benefits of Change One include the following:

• Availability
  The Change One diet plan is available in both book form and through online membership. This allows customers to follow the plan in the privacy of their own home with no public meetings or weigh-ins.
• Affordability
  Of all the available diet plans, Change one is considered one of the most affordable. Depending on which plan a customer chooses, Change One can cost as little as around two dollars per week. There are also no hidden costs such as required equipment or prepackaged meals.
• Support
  Through online membership, customers have access to a good support system that includes tips and advice as well as outside resources.
• Success Rates
  Since Change One is based on scientific methods of weight loss, it often provides enormous success. And since it teaches customers how to maintain weight loss and physical activity, it also leads to healthier lifelong habits.