Discover How To Lose 100 Pounds And Keep It Off Without Going On A Diet

You are staring at your umpteenth bland plate of salad or bowl of cabbage soup, while hubby and the kids tuck greedily into mouth-watering dinners. Does this sound familiar? How about the frustration of seeing the pounds you have just lost, reappearing out of the blue and bringing along a bunch of uninvited friends? What if you could discover how to lose 100 pounds in one year and keep it off permanently, without once taking a peek at a diet book or popping a weight loss pill? These 9 tips are all you need for a running start.

1. Stop The Couch Potato Syndrome

Every extra bit of activity helps you to lose weight and revs up your metabolism. Get going now! You don't necessarily need an expensive gym membership, an elliptical cross trainer or a stair climber. Why not try a dancing, yoga or pilates class? Or what about a swimming session, a brisk walk or a fun bicycle ride? Any activity is acceptable. Just choose something you will enjoy doing, otherwise you will soon be coming up with excuses to skip it. Exercise for half an hour five times a week and you will be burning roughly 98,800 calories extra every year (around 380 calories per day). The calories burned will vary according to your body weight, the workout you opt for, and the level of intensity. This vital step will make up to 28 pounds disappear over a period of a year.

2. Kick The Tea and Coffee Sugar Habit

Are you dumping teaspoon after teaspoon of sugar into your beverages without thinking? By reducing your sugar intake by one teaspoon in three cups of tea or coffee per day, you will save 75 calories daily. This adds up to 27,375 calories every year, or around 8 pounds of body weight. Your taste buds will soon adjust. In fact, within a week or two, you will begin to detest overly sweet tea and coffee.

3. Skip The Whole Milk, Take The Skim Milk

While on the subject of tea and coffee: Did you know that whole milk has a fat content of 4%, whereas skim milk comes with less than 0.5% fat? This reduces one cup of skim milk's calorie count to 86, compared to whole milk's 149 calories. Switching to a cup of skim milk a day will reduce your calorie intake with 60 per day. In one year, this is a further 22,000 unnecessary calories. This translates into 6 pounds weight-wise.

4. From Full-Fat Yogurt To Fat-Free Tubs

Why not exchange the 6 ounces of full-fat yogurt for 6 ounces of the fat-free variation? This will take away another 100 calories every single day, without a noticeable change in taste. Taken over a year, the count is a whopping 36,500 calories. There goes yet another 10 pounds of flab.

5. Hold The Mayonnaise

You don't have to cut this delicacy out completely. Just be somewhat less generous with it. If you can reduce your daily intake by 1 tablespoon, you will bank another 90 calories a day, or an astonishing 32,800 calories per year. Who's game for dropping another 9 pounds of body weight? All this while you still indulge in your regular, healthy recipes.

6. Way Less Wining

Say no to 4 fluid ounces or roughly 120 milliliters of wine a day, and you will reduce your diet and nutrition plan's calories by 100 a day. Tot these up and you reach 36,500 calories per year. That is another fairly easy to maintain 10 pounds in one year.

7. Stop The Soda Streams

While on the subject of beverages, you may want to take a look at those cans of sweetened soda guzzled down without a thought. A single 12 ounce (355ml) serving daily comes at a yearly calorie cost of 65,700! Breaking this habit will take care of 18 pounds of flab and fat. In fact, these numbers are likely to be even better, as many servings these days are more in the 20 ounce or 42 ounce region. Measure out 250 cups of sugar, and you will see what you or your kids gulp down in a year. Is that a scary thought, or what?

In addition to the weight you will lose, your digestive system is likely to function more efficiently. You will also have a less acidic body, making your insides less of a breeding ground for ailments. Your wellbeing will improve drastically once your body's PH gets into a more normal range. You will also support your dentist less regularly. Don't worry, you won't die of thirst. How about drinking some ordinary water, fresh veggie juice, or one of the refreshing, unsweetened iced teas on the market? You body will see this as much needed health news.

8. Preserving Your Health

Another simple to implement change is to swop your twice-a-day two teaspoons of sweetened jam or preserves for one of the tasty low-sugar alternatives. This trims another 64 calories a day, or 23,360 calories yearly. Do you choose a jam jar body, or 7 pounds less in the flab department?

9. Potato Chip Pounds Or Popcorn?

Every time you crunch through one small bag (1 ounce or 28 grams) of potato chips, you add 150 calories, with loads of fat and no fibre. In contrast, 1 cup of air popped Sour Cream & Chives popcorn is fibre-rich and fat-free and weighs in at only 50 calories. This is another massive saving of 100 calories. If this swop happens just 3 times a week, you have taken off 15,600 calories in a year, or 4,5 pounds.

None of these changes are huge, but the results can be life-changing. Best of all, they can be sustained without hardship. By taking a look at what you eat, you should be able to dream up at least another 10 tips to cut calories. By doing so, you will be creating your own easy-to-manage weight loss diet plan. You will also be setting a sensible example for your kids, demonstrating that the diet-treadmill isn't the one they should be trying out.

So, stop doing the diet. Just do the math. Implement a few smart, sensible choices and you will have a workable, long-term weight loss plan.

Best-Juicing.com: Get the FREE Fat-Burning Secrets Series, and read the Juicing For Weight Loss article at Best-Juicing.com - by Rika Susan of Article-Alert.com, where she shows you how your day job can become something of the past. Copyright of this article: 2007 Rika Susan. This article may be reprinted if the resource box and hyperlinks are left intact.

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Chronic Back Pain

I had been to three different physicians. The car accident in 1990 had left me with terrible back pain. The only option offered to me was prescription medication. For three years I lived with chronic pain - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The prescription drugs helped relieve some of the discomfort, but I had to stop taking them when I began getting sick to my stomach which was often worse than the pain itself. Time and again I thought, This cant be the only choice. There must be another alternative.

It wasnt until 3 years later that I heard about magnetic therapy from a friend, and decided to try it. With nothing to lose, I used a magnetic pad on my back during the day and slept on a magnetic mattress pad every night. Much to my surprise, after two weeks my back felt much better. After a few months, the pain was completely gone!

My wife, who had a back problem caused by herniated disks, woke up every morning with pain and stiffness. Not long after sleeping on the magnetic pad, the stiffness began to subside, and she was soon waking up pain-free as well.

Although skeptical at first, I was amazed at the effectiveness of magnetic therapy, and began to intensely investigate the field of biomagnetics. Since my initial experience, I have had the pleasure of helping many people achieve similar results, enhancing the quality of life of those suffering from chronic conditions and injuries.

Now Id like to take the opportunity to help those of you who may be suffering from chronic back pain, and to tell you how to better prevent it.

Back pain is the number one form of pain experienced by people in the U.S. It accounts for 20% of all injuries and illnesses in the workplace, and is responsible for as much as $50 billion in diagnosis and treatment each year [1]. The National Institutes of Health estimate that 4 out of 5 Americans will experience back pain at some point in their lives. Not a pretty picture from any standpoint.

The majority of back pain occurs in the lumbar region of the spine [2]. Here, most of your bodys weight is placed on the lowest 5 of the 24 vertebrae (bones) that make up the spine. Considering all the other muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, disks, and major nerves that are also a part of or connected to the spine, its no surprise that there are so many ways to injure your back as you twist and bend them [3].

Pain is considered chronic if its recurring, lasts more than three months, and can seemingly be stimulated by any small movement (for whatever reason) [4]. In the 21st century, were finally realizing that drugs and surgery are not always the answer for treating chronic pain or other musculoskeletal conditions & injuries.

The future lies in an integrative approach to promoting the bodys own healing ability by using noninvasive, safer treatments. Acupuncture, massage therapy, chiropractic and osteopathic care, and certain physical therapy exercises are just a few options to help with back pain.

Following an individualistic approach to treatment is key. A particular therapy that may work for one person may not work as well for another. Often its necessary to try a combination of treatment methods to begin feeling significant improvements.

For true recovery of back injuries and disease, pain and inflammation need to be reduced, proper function and strength restored, and further injury prevented [4]. With this in mind, lets discuss how magnetic therapy can help.

One of the primary benefits of magnetic therapy is the reduction of inflammation. Localized inflammation following an injury is a natural protective reaction. It creates an imbalance in sodium and potassium ion (charged particle) concentrations at a cellular level. As a result, fluid accumulates in the cells, causing the injured tissue to become inflamed. (Think of it as retaining water after eating salty food.)

If theres no intervention, the body will eventually heal itself and the inflammation will subside. However, this process can be very slow and painful. Because of this, treatments that can safely speed the overall process are needed, particularly in the case of chronic conditions like arthritis.

Applying a bio-north magnetic field safely rebalances electrochemical ion concentrations. Excess fluids and toxins are flushed from the cells and removed through the lymphatic system. As a result, healing time is often reduced by as much as 50%.

Since major nerve bundles run through the spine, its obvious why back pain is so common. Pain is caused by an electrochemical signal sent to the brain. The normal electric potential of a neuron (nerve cell) is around 70mV when in a resting state. When injured, a neurons charge becomes positive due to a shift in chemical ion balances. This triggers a pain signal to be sent to the brain.

Applying a bio-north (negative polarity) magnetic field lowers a neurons electric potential, bringing it closer to its normal, negative state. As a result, the pain signal diminishes faster, and in most cases, will eventually stop.

Another important goal when recovering from back injuries is restoring mobility. Magnetic therapy helps relax muscle tissue, thereby increasing flexibility and reducing the incidence of muscle spasms.

About four years ago, researchers in Italy tested the effects of a magnetic seating system on several volunteers. Each person participated by either driving or remaining seated at a computer workstation for prolonged periods, both with and without the magnetic system.

The results showed a decreased myoelectric (neuron) activity both at shoulder and lumbar level by using the magnet based sitting system for prolonged seated work tasks...The system appears to be an effective tool in preventing muscle contractures secondary to prolonged, constrained positions [5].

Because it can be so difficult and painful to move, many people feel they need to rest for a few days after injuring their back. But did you know that bed rest should really be minimized or avoided? According to David Lehrman, M.D. (chief of orthopedic surgery at St. Francis Hospital and founder of the Lehrman Back Center in Miami, FL), for every week of bed rest, it takes two weeks to rehabilitate [3].

A 1995 study in Helsinki, Finland found that out of 186 subjects, those who went about their daily activities as tolerated had greater flexibility and less pain than those who underwent backmobilizing exercises. The *slowest* recovery was seen in subjects that were prescribed two days of bed rest [6].

While an interesting fact, its one that some of us may grumble about. Bear in mind we still have to sleep and give our bodies a chance to heal and recuperate. As I found out years ago, sleeping on the proper magnetic mattress pad will help speed the healing process and can significantly reduce chronic pain over time.

Back in 1990, a 12month clinical test on the effects of magnetic mattress pads was conducted in Tokyo, Japan. The study, led by Dr. Kazuo Shimodaira, involved 431 subjects. 375 of them received full-sized magnetic pads and the remaining subjects received sham mattress pads for control. (Each magnetic pad contained 124 permanent ferrite magnets with field strengths of 750950 Gauss.)

Here are the results of the yearlong test:

On average, 53.3% of the subjects realized the effect of the magnetic mattress pad within 3 days, and over 70% within 5 days. Whats more is that thorough testing for side effects was conducted and none were found [7].

(Note: The magnetic mattress pads used in this study did not produce very strong magnetic fields. As stronger magnetic fields are more effective, a higher energy pad would improve results even further.)

Supporting these findings, a 1997 Johns Hopkins pain center treatment study compared magnetic therapy for chronic pain with a placebo therapy. It concluded that people using the magnetic therapy showed a dramatic improvement, whereas the placebo group improved only minimally. Again, there were no side effects detected [8].

Since the vast majority of adults are not in ideal physical condition, the risk of back injury for them is greatly increased.

If youre out of shape and are planning an activity that requires lifting, bending or twisting, its a good idea to take steps that can help prevent injury in the first place. Magnetic therapy is an excellent way of accomplishing this.

There are three primary actions that take place when using magnetic therapy for prevention. The first two are its ability to increase circulation and to relax muscles. The effects are similar to warming up and stretching before a strenuous workout. Its really the third action that sets magnetic therapy apart from anything else though. Magnetic therapy can effectively control energy flow along the bodys acupuncture meridians (energy channels).

Placing a magnetic pad or support over an area channels the bodys energy directly to that location. Increased energy availability, combined with improved circulation, significantly extends the amount of time that one can exert themselves before muscle fatigue sets in. In turn, this reduces the likelihood of muscle strain.

The combination of improving blood flow, relieving muscle tension, and reducing pain makes magnetic therapy ideal for treating back conditions and preventing further injury. While effective on its own, magnetic therapy is also an excellent adjunct to other treatments. Whether chiropractic, acupuncture, therapeutic massage, or another method, it can help improve and prolong a treatments positive results.

The next time youre out and about, make use of a high-energy magnetic support or back pad. Its a simple and effective way to continue through the day with less pain and a greater range of motion. Trust me. Your back will thank you!

SOURCES:

1 Centers for Disease Control National institute for Occupational Safety and Health, June 19, 1999.

2 Pain Central: What Causes Back Pain?

3 Pain Foundation: Back Pain

4 National institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: Low Back Pain Fact Sheet

5 PubMed: Efficacy of a chair with magnets in the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders caused by prolonged sitting.

6 PubMed: The treatment of acute low back pain - bed rest, exercises, or ordinary activity?

7 Summary of a 12month double-blind, clinical test of magnetic mattress pads. Kazuo Shimodaira, M.D. Tokyo Communications and Kouseikai Suzuki Hospitals, Tokyo, Japan. 1990.

8 "Use of magnetic therapy for chronic pain" by Joseph Kandel, M.D. and David B. Sudderth, M.D. The Arthritis Solution.

TIPS & GUIDELINES FOR A HEALTHIER BACK

The National Institutes of Health provides guidelines for maintaining a healthier back. Following these and a few other tips will greatly increase your chances of preventing further injury while strengthening your back muscles.

When Standing:

Keep your weight balanced on your feet. Your back supports weight most easily when curvature is reduced.

Dont slouch when standing or sitting. (Keep your hands lightly clasped behind your lower back. This improves posture for your neck, shoulders and upper back, and reduces muscle tension.)

Wear comfortable, low-heeled shoes.

When sitting:

Make sure your work surface is at a comfortable height for you.

Sit in a chair with good lumbar support and proper position/height for the task. (Use a pillow, rolled towel, or lumbar cushion if needed.)

Switch sitting positions often and periodically take a short walk or light stretch to relieve tension and restore blood circulation.

If you must sit for a long period of time, rest your feet on a low stool or a stack of books.

When lifting:

Dont try to lift objects too heavy for you!

Pull in your stomach muscles, keep your head down and in line with your straight back, and lift with your legs.

Keep the object close to your body.

Do not twist when lifting.

Do not carry an object in one hand if it causes you to lean to one side. (Use both hands, or carry an additional item to balance the load.)

Exercise:

Always warm-up and stretch before exercise or other strenuous activity.

Following a prolonged period of inactivity, begin a program of regular lowimpact exercises. (Ask a physician or orthopedist for recommended exercises appropriate for your age and requirements.)

Speed walking, swimming, or stationary bike riding for 30 minutes a day can increase muscle strength and flexibility.

Yoga or Tai Chi can help stretch and strengthen muscles, and improve posture.

Everyday habits:

Maintain proper nutrition and diet to reduce and prevent excessive weight (especially around the waist area).

If you smoke, quit. Smoking reduces blood flow to the lower spine and causes spinal disks to degenerate.

Therion Research

Your source for magnetic therapy news, research, and natural pain relief

Bruce Spiegler is a registered magnetic therapist and holistic health practitioner. He can be reached at TherionResearch.com - A provider of safe, natural magnetic therapy solutions for chronic pain management, sports injuries, sleep disorders, and natural healing.

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