Lessons From Janet Jackson's Weight Loss and Diet

The recent publicity over Janet Jackson's weight gain, and subsequent weight loss campaign, also aroused a lot of public opinion and comment. Not surprisingly, given the superstar status of the singer, for me the star of the Jackson family, and the size of the weight reduction she supposedly achieved over a 4 month period.
Janet Jackson is reputedly a yo-yo dieter, someone who has phases of dieting followed by putting all the weight back on. That can never be good for long term health for anyone, and that surely goes for Janet Jackson too. But, she was overweight by the accepted measures that are used by the medical profession today, and she knew it. So she set out on a weight loss campaign, as millions of people around the world do, every year. Only in her case, and on this occasion, she was successful in losing weight.
Cause of Janet Jackon's Weight Gain
Many have speculated how and why Ms Jackson got so heavy in the first place; depression, stress and all the usual reasons have been suggested by various commentators. Some excused that it was her stressful superstar existence that caused the recent problem, and the eating disorders that have been reported on in the past. Maybe, maybe not; that's her business really. Stars in the public limelight do have stresses that may be different to other people's stresses. But there are millions of people not in the limelight who are overweight and may be tempted to blame stress.
Of course, it could be that Janet Jackson just felt like letting herself go for while, and let the weight drift upwards, without feeling any real incentive to keep it under a tight rein. Then one day felt the effects of being too heavy and thought: "That's it, I'm going to lose weight."
Unless Janet Jackson has a medical problem, then being overweight was simply caused by consuming too many calories compared to the energy she was expending each day. That is the case with almost all overweight and obese people. So, once that decision was made to get back to what she thought was her best weight, she had to set about reversing that situation. In other words, strike a better balance between exercise and food consumption.
If the figures that we read at the time were true, Ms Jackson lost weight at a rate well above the "safe" rate suggested by most doctors. She was losing nearly 4 pound a week over the period of 4 months, about double the recommended weight loss rate. But how was she able to do it?
How Janet Jackson Lost Weight
If reports are to be believed, Janet Jackson just did what all the books and experts tell overweight people to do. On the one hand, she had a controlled diet; on the other hand, she had a systematic exercise programme. Now, any of us can do that, but most of us do not. We spend billions of dollars a year on special diets and weight loss plans, and just keep getting heavier. We know what to do, but just don't do it.
In Ms Jackson's case, she did it. To simplify things, she had the motivation to lose weight, despite the effort and self control that was required. If anyone has the motivation, they too can lose weight. There is enough free information to enable anyone to get those pounds off, and to bring their BMI down to a healthy level.
When Janet Jackson's weight loss success was reported, many people dismissed it, saying "oh, it's alright for her, she can afford a personal fitness trainer and personal chef." That, though, is not the point. She could have done the same without the personal chef or trainer; she just happened to take advantage of her wealth to outsource two important features of her weight loss campaign. Surely she would have been too busy to count out her calories every day? Most of us are not, although we may claim to be. And we can all exercise and go to the gym, or just exercise at home, or walk the streets, beaches or fields to burn off those calories.
The simple fact is, Janet Jackson was inspired, for whatever reason, to lose weight, so she did what was necessary. Some say it was to get to looking slim and sexy for a new album, but that does not matter. What does matter is that she found the motivation to reduce her weight, and took seriously to the task with a high level of endurance.
I suspect that for millions of people, motivation is the missing link. Find that inspiration, that motivating factor, and you could be shedding the pounds at a healthy rate suggested by your doctor.

___________________________

By Roy Thomsitt
This diet article was written by Roy Thomsitt, owner and part author of the Routes To Self Improvement website, where you can find many articles on weight loss, plus Motivation and other personal development topics.

More about → Lessons From Janet Jackson's Weight Loss and Diet

Sometimes to Lose Weight One Needs Motivation

If one is faced with the challenge of trying to lose weight, one may very well need to find the means to stay motivated every day to keep weight loss as a goal.
Motivation for weight loss requires a special, concerted effort, and it is not always easy. But let it not be overlooked that anything worth having takes effort, determination and drive.
Well for motivation here are some tips you can use:
1. One sure fire way of attaining motivation for weight loss is right there at your fingertips. The Worldwide Internet; There are many chat groups and forums on the web that can serve as communal inspiration for weight loss.
2. Keep a Journal or Diary of your progress. You can keep a record of your daily diet or write in your journal about the journey and challenge of losing weight and the emotions connected to it. Heck, publish a blog and do you know with Google Adsense, you could go about even making some pocket change from that?!
3. Create an image or tangible object to look at for motivation. These could be anywhere from an old picture of your ideal weight goal, a dress in a certain size, self-help books or posters of inspirations.
4. Keep the fridge and cabinets filled with Healthy food items to avoid temptations.
5. Stay connected with like-minded people via phones, Instant messengers, emails, whatever it takes. Remember, no man is an island.
6. Play lots of up-tempo music. Here’s a trick, it pumps you up and chances are you may find yourself doing some natural exercise in the process…dancing.
There are resources and people available for anyone who takes the time to seek them. Make a daily commitment to do at least one thing in support of your goal, and you may soon find that the behaviors that support weight loss have become second nature to you!
____________________________

By Foras Aje

Foras Aje is an independent researcher and co-founder of BodyHealthSoul LLC. He invites you to visit his blog for more tips on Healthy Weight Loss and Healthy Living Today.

More about → Sometimes to Lose Weight One Needs Motivation

What Causes Diabetes: Genes or Environment?

Is diabetes more likely to be caused by your genes or your environment? A study from the University of Wisconsin shows that Pima Indians in America are more than five times more likely to develop diabetes than their relatives in Mexico (Diabetes Care, August 2006). Pima Indians in Arizona have been shown by DNA typing to be very closely related to Pima Indians in the Sierra Madre mountains of Mexico. However, only 8.9 percent of Mexican Pimas developed diabetes, compared to 38 percent of those in the United States.
Obesity is a major risk factor for diabetes, but both populations were similarly obese. About eight percent of the Pima men and 20 percent the Pima women suffered from obesity. However, the Mexican Pimas were far more active than the American ones and ate far fewer refined carbohydrates. This study show that diabetes is more an environmental disease than just a genetic one. Your genes determine how you respond to the environment. Since this study agrees with hundreds of others, everyone should exercise and limit refined carbohydrates such as flour and sugar, whether or not there is a family history of diabetes.
Another recent study shows that the best predictor of diabetes is a test called Hemoglobin A1C (HBA1C), which measures the amount of sugar stuck on cell membranes. At the American Diabetes Association meeting in June 2006, Dr. Peter Baginsky of Santa Rosa, California showed that HBA1C can be used not only to identify people who already have diabetes, but also as a screening test to predict which people are likely to develop diabetes in the future. This allows doctors to treat pre-diabetes before people suffer their heart attacks, strokes and other side effects that can be the first sign that the person has diabetes.
He also showed that people who have HBA1Cs above 5.8 have a 92 percent chance of being diabetic as determined by a fasting glucose tolerance test. The HBA1C test does not require fasting and can be done with only one draw of blood, while the glucose tolerance test takes seven. It is less expensive and has the potential to save a lot of lives by getting diabetics into treatment earlier.
Subscribe to my FREE weekly newsletter on fitness, health, and nutrition.

_______________________________________

By Gabe Mirkin, M.D.
Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties, including sports medicine. Read or listen to hundreds of his fitness and health reports -- and the FREE Good Food Book -- at http://www.DrMirkin.com

More about → What Causes Diabetes: Genes or Environment?

Is Diet Soda Good for Your Diet?

When you think of nutrition and eating healthy, most likely you are more concerned about the food you eat than the beverages you drink. You may think having a diet drink could not do any harm at lunch or dinner, but if you indulge too much it could add up to trouble in the long run.
But it's a diet drink...
Perhaps you have seen on television or film a sketch where a person orders a fattening, fast food meal with a diet soda to even everything out. A diet soda has zero calories compared to as many as 300 per serving of regular soda, so you are actually doing yourself a good service, right?
Not exactly. Regular sodas are highly caloric because they contain sugar, whereas diet sodas are manufactured with artificial sweeteners - one of the most popular being aspartame. The validity of aspartame as a health risk has been debated for many years - some claim the sweetener may contribute to increasing toxicity levels and risk of various illnesses, while other dismiss such charges.
What we do know for certain is that aspartame contains phenylalanine, an essential amino acid that does occur naturally in certain dairy foods and green vegetables. On the other hand, one byproduct of aspertame is formaldehyde!
When you shop for "diet" foods it is always a good idea to check for this ingredient on the labels so you know exactly what you are eating and how much.
Water, the best "diet" drink
A good percentage of our bodies are water, so it would make sense to constantly replenish your body with the very same substance. Imagine, if you replaced a glass a water for every soda you drink, think of all the calories you save, the less toxins in your body, and the greater improvement to your health. It's the best diet drink there is.
Eight glasses a day...no doubt you've heard it from everybody - your parents, your doctor, talk show professionals. The road to wellness is actually a river of pure, clean water, and while to drink sixty-four ounces daily seems like an impossible task, it is actually one of the simplest steps you can take to starting a sound weight loss program. After all, our bodies are approximately sixty percent water, so it is only natural that we constantly replenish ourselves in order to feel good.

_______________________________

By Kathryn Lively
Kathryn Lively is a freelance writer for Compuslim (http://www.compuslim.com), custom fit weight loss for every body and lifestyle.

More about → Is Diet Soda Good for Your Diet?

5 Health Benefits Of Weight Loss

People have many different reasons for wanting to begin a weight loss program. Although losing weight is not always easy, there are several benefits which can result from a healthy weight loss plan. You will always hear such general benefits as looking better, feeling better, better self esteem, sexier, easier to climb stairs, and so on. But what are some of the very real reasons that people might really need to be thinking of?
Here are a few short term and long term benefits of a good weight loss program.
1. Several major causes of death, including hypertension, heart disease, and strokes can be avoided or prevented by weight loss.
Heart disease and stroke are two of the major causes of death and disability in both men AND women in America. High cholesterol, which can contribute to heart disease, tends to be more prevalent in overweight people. Death from heart disease and stroke often strikes without warning yet could be prevented by a program of regular exercise and sensible nutrition.
The weight loss does not have to be great, either. Minor decreases in weight can significantly decrease the chance of developing heart disease or having a stroke. Of course, when we speak of "weight loss" we really ought to be saying "fat loss". It is not the weight which is the issue as much as it is the quantity of excess fat which has accumulated in the body.
2. Healthy weight loss can help prevent Type II diabetes.
Diabetes, like many other problems not only puts you in danger of death, but also changes the manner in which you can live your life. Type I and Type II diabetes have been linked to being overweight. It has been shown that in addition to helping prevent diabetes, regular exercise and healthy nutrition can help reduce the effects of diabetes and perhaps reduce the dependency on treatments, such as insulin. It doesn't take much. Change a few habits, cut out the wrong kinds of food, or substitute the right ones, take some regular walks to help burn fat, and you are on your way.
3. Weight loss helps reduce the risk of cancer.
Many types of cancer, such as breast cancer and colon cancer, just to name two, have been linked to being overweight. While carrying extra fat is not the only contributor to the development of cancer, it has been shown that shedding that extra fat can be an important factor in preventing the development of cancer. Some other cancers which seem to be linked to obesity in this way are cancer of the uterus, gallbladder, ovary, prostate, and rectum.
4. Weight loss helps ease the pains of arthritis.
This is particularly true of osteoarthritis. When you are overweight, the fat you carry tends to push joints out of alignment, and the excess weight produces extra stress on joints. This can contribute to the development and discomfort of arthritis. Regular exercise can also help keep joints strong, flexible, and well lubricated.
5. Weight loss can improve your sleep.
One common problem associated with being overweight is sleep apnea. In this condition, you temporarily stop breathing for brief periods. There is generally also heavy breathing and snoring all or which interferes with getting a good night's sleep...and rest. This leads to tiredness and drowsiness during the day. Many people have found that losing even a few pounds can help head off this problem. Additionally, regular exercise and proper nutrition can contribute to more restful sleep and fewer problems related to stress and fatigue.
As you can see, taking measures to burn fat off your body, in a healthy weight loss program, of course is of great value. The benefits of weight loss through regular exercise and proper nutrition can make life more enjoyable and rewarding.

_______________________________

By Donovan Baldwin
Donovan Baldwin is a Dallas area writer. A graduate of the University Of West Florida (1973) with a BA in accounting, he is a member of Mensa and has held several managerial positions. He has written poetry and essays for his own use, and instructional media in many of the positions he held. After his retirement from the U. S. Army in 1995, he began writing articles on various subjects for websites he owned as well as for use by other webmasters. He has a keen interest in health, fitness, diet, and weight loss and has recently completed courses on Diet and Nutrition, and Fitness. He has posted a review on a great weight loss program and way to burn fat at http://nodiet4me.com/burn_fat.html

More about → 5 Health Benefits Of Weight Loss

The Man Diet

When it comes to dieting, some men cringe at the word “diet” alone. There is nothing macho about dining on salad, and most men wouldn’t be caught dead at a Weight Watcher’s meeting. Wouldn’t it be great to find a sensible diet for men… one that allowed a man to eat his favorite foods instead of soup and salad?
For men, the issue of weight loss is often a sensitive one. There is nothing a man hates more than to look in the mirror and find he has a less than macho physique. If you’re single, you probably think those love handles are anything but female magnets, and you definitely don’t want to have man breasts. Face it; you need to find a diet for men that works. The reflection staring back at you isn’t one that you like.
Perhaps you’ve rejected the idea of going to the gym. It’s almost embarrassing, actually. You’ve seen the guys who frequent the health club. Most of them look buff and toned in their muscle shirts and gym shorts. You tend to wear baggy T-shirts and blue jeans. There’s no way you want to go flaunting those extra pounds so you can be dubbed as the fat guy on the treadmill. Is there really a diet for men that works without leaving you hungry and unsatisfied?
When searching for a diet for men, your prime concern is probably the issue of hunger. It’s scientifically proven that men require more calories than women. While your wife or girlfriend might be perfectly satisfied after a lunch of salad and a diet coke, you view a salad as a prelude to the main course. Is there a diet for men that will still allow you to enjoy your meat and potatoes without leaving the table hungry for more?
Yes, there is. The best news is that you won’t have to eat a bite of lettuce unless you want to, and you will never have to tolerate a growling stomach. I’m not talking about a carbohydrate-free diet where you have to say goodbye to the concept of bread. Face it, that type of eating plan depletes your energy. The best diet for men is one where you simply cut calories. When you burn off more calories than you consume, you lose weight.
You may be thinking, “Sure, that would be an effective diet for men, but I’d be starving. I’m a big guy, and I need something that fills me up.” You’re in luck. Hoodia Gordonii was introduced to the market a few years ago, but this cactus-like plant has actually been around for centuries. Bushmen consumed it to ward off hunger during long journeys in Africa. It’s a vegetable, not a drug, so it’s totally healthy to incorporate as part of your daily diet. If you’re still concerned about being hungry, don’t be because Hoodia Gordonii actually reduces the male appetite by up to 2,000 calories. This is better than any diet for men because you can actually eat the foods you want. The bottom line is that you’ll feel as if you’ve already eaten, causing you to lose weight and feel better about yourself.
Imagine looking in the mirror and smiling as you see the transformation. Pretty soon, you’ll be pulling on a pair of gym shorts and a sleeveless shirt of your own. Hoodia not only makes it possible, it also makes it easy.

______________________________

By Martin Stanwyck
Martin Stanwyck has written many articles on weight loss. To read more of his work or to find out more about how Hoodia Gordonii can help you achieve your weight loss goals, visit http://www.hoodia.info.ms

More about → The Man Diet