My last few articles on this blog have covered weight loss. Whilst losing weight in a controlled way can improve both your appearance and your health, there are certain instances when calorie restriction should be avoided. In this article I discuss why you should avoid weight loss during pregnancy and how to moderate your caloric intake throughout each of the three trimesters.

The main reason you should avoid losing weight whilst pregnant is that you no longer have just yourself to think about. Although your baby is not yet born you still need to consider the implications your actions will have on your baby. Restricting your calories during pregnancy will more than likely have a negative impact on your unborn child. Your baby may be born underweight, or in the worst cases, even suffer from poor fetal development. Plus, even if you do reduce your daily caloric consumption, weight gain is inevitable as the baby develops.

Therefore, it is crucial to eat enough food and consume enough calories during your pregnancy. To begin you need to calculate your pre-pregnancy Recommended Daily Caloric Intake which can be done using the following BMR & Caloric Intake Calculator. You will then need to modify your eating plans as follows:

1) FIRST TRIMESTER (FIRST THREE MONTHS):- You will not need any additional calories during your first trimester. The number of calories the above calculator recommends will be sufficient.

2) SECOND TRIMESTER AND THIRD TRIMESTER (LAST SIX MONTHS):- You will need to increase your daily caloric intake by approximately 300 calories during the second and third trimester. During this time your baby will be growing at an ever increasing rate and the additional calories will help support this growth.

Although I mentioned above that you should avoid losing weight whilst pregnant, this does not apply to all women universally. Women who are hugely overweight may be advised to consume fewer calories during pregnancy to avoid excess weight gain. Excess weight places increased pressure on the heart and lungs, leading to an increased risk of blood pressure related problems. In this scenario, consuming fewer calories during pregnancy would be beneficial to you and your baby.

Contrastingly, women who are underweight may be advised to consume more than than the 300 extra daily calories recommend above. As already discussed, not getting enough calories to your baby whilst pregnant can lead to a number of problems during and after birth. In this situation, consuming more than the recommended level of calories would be OK.

In conclusion, you need to find the caloric intake that is right for you during pregnancy. The recommendations in this article should help but you need to remember every woman is unique. It is essential that you consult a trained doctor to workout a unique and optimal Daily Caloric Intake that is suitable for both you and your baby.

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If you enjoyed this article and want to learn more about the other issues surrounding pregnancy I recommend The Pregnancy Secrets. This helpful ebook discusses how your life will change during pregnancy, breastfeeding, how to prepare for delivery and much more.

Hi Everyone. Today’s video is the last of the current batch. It covers four fitness plans; ‘Jenny Craig’, ‘Nutrisystem’, ‘Curves for Women’ and ‘Weight Watchers’.

Hi Everyone. I hope you enjoyed the last two videos. Today’s video looks at four diet plans; ‘The Atkins Nutritional Approach’, ‘The Zone Diet Plan’, ‘The Raw Food Diet’ and ‘The South Beach Diet’.

Hello again. Today’s video covers the increasingly global problem of childhood obesity.

Hi Everyone. I hope you are enjoying all the articles on the Free Fitness Tips Blog so far. Over the next few days I’ve got some great fitness videos for you. Today we have a short, fun video outlining how you can feel good and get fit in five easy steps. Enjoy!!

Have you ever found yourself thinking “Why can I not lose weight?”. The truth is that asking yourself questions like this can lead you astray. By asking the above question you are already admitting defeat in your quest to lose weight. In this article I outline in greater detail how negative thinking can be detrimental to your weight loss efforts and how positive thinking is essential.

When you ask yourself “Why?” you have already started to make excuses. You may come up with answers such as “I have a slow metabolism” or “I do not have the time to exercise”. Well, if you really want to lose weight you will work around your slow metabolism and find the time to exercise. Negative thinking leads to excuses and not solutions. It does not achieve anything. By thinking in this way you have failed before you have even started.

Instead of asking yourself “Why?” you need to start asking yourself “How?”. “How can I lose weight?” is a much more positive question with much more positive answers. The answers to this question will lead you to the effective, long term solutions of diet and exercise. With positive thinking you can even make your targets more specific. For example, you can ask “How can I lose 50lbs this year?” and then seek out the answers. By restricting your caloric intake, starting a more intensive exercise program and eating a healthy, well planned diet this is a very achievable target.

Positive thinking makes you look for answers and leads to solutions. Negative thinking makes you look for excuses and leads to nothing more. If you do not truly believe that you can lose weight, what is the point of starting a weight loss program. Negative thinking will ultimately make you fail. Positive thinking will make you believe in yourself, meaning you will work harder to burn fat and ultimately you will achieve your weight loss goals.

Instead of asking yourself “Why is my stomach so fat?” start asking yourself “Which exercises can I do to improve the appearance of my stomach?” Instead of saying “I do not have the time to exercise” try and think “Which parts of my day or week could I possibly dedicate to exercise?” There is a fine line between positive and negative thinking but a significant difference in the impact they will have on your weight loss efforts. I hope this article has shown you just how critical positive thinking is for weight loss success.

If you are on a weight loss program of any kind grocery shopping can be a very difficult task. Many food packets mislead you with claims of low fat and neglect to inform you that they are still high in calories and sugar. In this article provide some helpful hints to make sure you pick up the right foods on your next shopping trip.

1) ALWAYS CHECK THE CALORIES:- Just because it says ‘low in sugar’ does not mean the product is low in fat or low in calories. The main thing you want to know when purchasing groceries is how many calories they contain. Foods that are low in fats or sugars but high in calories will sabotage your weight loss efforts. Therefore, when you are next out grocery shopping check the calories on all the foods you buy and make sure they are in line with your target daily caloric intake.

2) AVOID ARTIFICIAL PRESERVATIVES AND SWEETENERS:- Many modern foods contain artificial preservatives and sweeteners to improve food flavour or appearance. They include aspartame, saccharin and stevia. These artificial preservatives and sweeteners can make you gain weight rapidly and should be avoided where possible.

3) AVOID SODIUM RICH FOODS:- It has been well documented that sodium (salt) is harmful to your health. Sodium rich foods make you feel bloated and can make you retain excessive amounts of water. If you want to lose weight and improve your health you need to monitor the levels of sodium in your food and try to keep your intake as low as possible.

4) BUY POTASSIUM RICH FOODS:- Bananas, avocados and apricots are all rich in potassium. Potassium can help flush sodium from your cells and is a particularly important mineral for those trying to lose weight.

Modern foods with their additional ingredients and misleading packaging can turn grocery shopping into a potential minefield for those trying to lose weight. However, as long as you check food packaging carefully you will leave the store with the right foods for your weight loss plan. I hope these four tips help you pick the best foods on your next shopping trip.

There are multiple motivations behind losing weight. Weight loss can be beneficial to your health, improve your appearance and boost your performance in a number of areas. In this article I provide you with four more tips to assist you in your weight loss efforts:

1) AVOID FAD DIETS:- I’ve already written a full article on why fad diets are bad for you but this really is important. Fad diets will work in the short term but in the long term they are detrimental to your weight loss efforts and can also be damaging to your health. You may lose quite a lot of weight whilst on a fad diet but when you return to normal eating you will almost always put it back on. To keep the weight off you need to learn about healthy eating and cut down your daily calorie consumption.

2) DRINK LOTS OF WATER:- Most of my weight loss articles have focussed on the importance of a healthy diet and reducing your caloric intake. However, you should not neglect the importance of drinking water. Drinking lots of water makes you feel fuller meaning you are less likely to overeat. It also reduces water retention (so you will not be holding any excess water weight) and helps your body function at its optimal level (meaning that it can burn more fat). Plus, drinking lots of water has multiple other benefits such as; maintaining a healthy skin tone, ensuring proper digestion and flushing out toxins. If you try to drink 2-3 litres a day you will start to notice the difference.

3) EXERCISE:- A healthy diet is half of the battle but you need to combine this with exercise. Try to exercise at least 15 minutes per day (more if you can manage it). Exercising does not necessarily mean joining a gym. You can take up a sport, start walking more or even do some exercises in your home. Remember, the more active you are – the more fat you will burn.

4) EAT RIGHT:- As I have mentioned multiple times, eating right is essential if you want to lose weight. Your diet needs to contain lots of nutritious, low calorie foods including; fruits, vegetables and whole grain carbohydrates. You also need to eat smaller meals more frequently. Break your typical three large meals down into five or six smaller meals which you eat every two or three hours. Finally, you need to calculate the average number of calories you are consuming each day and then reduce your daily consumption.

Losing weight is a difficult task for many and there is a lot of bad advice out there. However, a good exercise plan and a healthy, nutritional diet are all you really need. I hope these four tips help you achieve your weight loss goals.

There is a lot of pressure on people in modern society to slim down and lose weight. As a result there is a big market for weight loss products and programs. Since there are so many products and programs out there people are often sceptical and have a lot of questions. In this article I attempt to answer three key questions concerning weight loss plans, programs, products and services:

1) WHAT IS THE BEST WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM AVAILABLE?:- There is not a single best weight loss program out there. Most of the programs have different end goals and recommend different methods. Some are bad, some are good but overall different people will have different experiences of the same weight loss program. Certain programs are best suited to certain individual so you need to do some research and then choose one you think that best matches your goals and personality.

You also need to think about what the weight loss program requires of you. Will you have to change your diet? Will a lifestyle change be required? Once you know exactly what the weight loss plan requires you need to decide whether you are capable of taking on these changes. For example, if one of the weight loss programs requires you to do 2 hours of cardiovascular exercise every day you need to seriously think about whether you can achieve this.

The third thing you need to consider is finances. A lot of weight loss programs will charge you for membership. You may also need to buy additional resources such as equipment and supplements to participate in the program. Once you have calculated the total cost of participating in a weight loss program you then need to see if it is financially feasible to become a member.

Overall, the key factor with a weight loss program is dedication. A dedicated person will always get better results than one who does not give it their all. Therefore, the most important thing you need to think about before starting any weight loss program is can you dedicate yourself to the program in the long term?

2) DO DIET PATCHES OR PILLS ACTUALLY WORK?:- Yes, but the effects are usually very moderate. Diet patches and pills often claim to make miraculous weight loss possible with a simple patch or pill. However, the evidence behind these claims is often lacking with many patches and pills having a mild thermogenic effect that can be easily replicated by eating certain foods. The truth is that many people in today’s society are looking for a quick fix. The marketing of diet patches and pills appeals to this side of people. The reality is that long term weight loss is best achieved through regular exercise, healthier eating and restricting your daily caloric intake. There is no quick solution and it will take time and dedication.

3) SHOULD YOU OPT FOR WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY?:- Before I start to answer this question I must state that weight loss surgery is a dangerous medical procedure with serious health risks. There are too many to discuss here but this article provides a good overview. Weight loss surgery should not even be considered without significant consultation with your doctor or another medical practitioner. They are likely to recommend any alternative weight loss options before weight loss surgery and I would agree with this advice. Weight loss surgery should be an absolute last resort and only used when your weight is posing a serious risk to your health. If a healthy diet, exercise, or even prescription drugs are a feasible option, they should be chosen over weight loss surgery every time.

I hope this article answers some of the questions you have concerning weight loss products, plans and services. As I have stated in all my weight loss articles the best way to lose weight is to combine a healthy diet with regular exercise and reduce your daily caloric intake. There is no quick fix without serious side effects or health complications. Ultimately, you are the one who determines the success of your weight loss efforts – not a weight loss program, pill or surgery.

With obesity becoming a global problem the market for weight loss products has rocketed. Diet pills, weight loss patches and more have all found their way onto the market as people look for the quick solution to permanent weight loss. In this article I will discuss weight loss patches in greater detail and analyse whether they really are worth your hard earned cash.

Weight loss patches are small patches which you place on a smooth part of your skin such as the arm or leg. The patches contain herbal medicines such as; guarana, chromium and hoodia which are released directly into your blood stream. Weight loss patches claim that they can; increase your metabolic rate, burn fat, suppress your appetite and more. But how much truth is there behind these claims?

Well before I answer this question it is useful to state that there are actually two types of weight loss patch available;

NON-PRESCRIPTION PATCHES:- These are the patches that are heavily marketed and are often accompanied by the above claims.

PRESCRIPTION PATCHES:- Many people are unaware of these types of patches (I certainly did not know about them till writing this article). They are only available if your doctor prescribes them to you and this will only happen after a thorough evaluation to verify if your weight problems require medical attention.

Although the non-prescription patches are the ones that claim to lead to significant weight loss, many of their claims cannot be verified. This article entitled Diet Patch Review: Do Diet Patches Really Work? analyses in detail the herbs that you will find in the majority of diet patches. The article suggests that at best some of the herbs will have moderate fat burning effects but overall diet patches will not lead to significant weight loss on their own. It concludes that diet patches are a waste of money and contain nothing to justify experimentation.

So are there any effective diet patches out there? Well this article by Pink Fridge suggests that prescription weight loss patches are effective. However, to be prescribed this type of patch you will need to be classified as clinically overweight or obese by a medical practitioner with a Body Mass Index (which you can calculate using the following BMI Calculator) of over 30. For the majority of people being prescribed this type of patch is not a feasible option.

In conclusion I would advise you to save your money and instead spend it on healthy food, a personal trainer, a gym membership or fitness equipment. Many people are looking for a quick fix when it comes to weight loss but it does not exist without serious unwanted side effects. Even if you qualify for a prescription weight loss patch your doctor will advise you to improve your diet and get more active whilst using the patch. As I have discussed in previous articles reducing your caloric intake, eating healthy foods and increasing your activity levels are the only proven methods for losing weight in the long term.