Major depression is a disorder that presents with symptoms such as decreased mood, increased sadness and anxiety, a loss of appetite, and a loss of interest in pleasurable activities, to name a few . If this disorder is not properly treated it can become disabling or fatal. Patients who are suffering from major depression have a high risk for committing suicide so they are usually treated with psychotherapy and/or antidepressants . Depression has for some time now been known to be associated with deficiencies in neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, noradrenaline, and GABA . As reported in several studies, the amino acids tryptophan, tyrosine, phenylalanine, and methionine are often helpful in treating many mood disorders, including depression . Tryptophan is a precursor to serotonin and is usually converted to serotonin when taken alone on an empty stomach. Therefore, tryptophan can induce sleep and tranquility and in cases of serotonin deficiencies, restore serotonin levels leading to diminished depression .

Tyrosine is not an essential amino acid, because it can be made from the amino acid phenylalanine. Tyrosine and sometimes its precursor phenylalanine are converted into dopamine and norepinephrine . Dietary supplements that contain tyrosine and/or phenylalanine lead to alertness and arousal. Methionine combines with ATP to produce S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), which facilitates the production of neurotransmitters in the brain . Currently, more studies involving these neurochemicals are needed which exhibit the daily supplemental doses that should be consumed in order to achieve antidepressant effects.

Since the consumption of omega-3 fatty acids from fish and other sources has declined in most populations, the incidence of major depression has increased . Several mechanisms of action may explain how eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) which the body converts into docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), the two omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil, elicit antidepressant effects in humans. Most of the proposed mechanisms involve neurotransmitters and, of course, some have more supporting data than others. For example, antidepressant effects may be due to EPA being converted into prostaglandins, leukotrienes, and other chemicals the brain needs. Other theories state that EPA and DHA affect signal transduction in brain cells by activating peroxisomal proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), inhibiting G-proteins and protein kinase C, as well as calcium, sodium, and potassium ion channels. No matter which mechanism(s) prove to be true, epidemiological data and clinical studies already show that omega-3 fatty acids can effectively treat depression . Consuming omega-3 fatty acid dietary supplements that contain 1.5 to 2 g of EPA per day have been shown to stimulate mood elevation in depressed patients. However, doses of omega-3 higher than 3 g do not present better effects than placebos and may not be suitable for some patients, such as those taking anti-clotting drugs .

In addition to omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B (e.g., folate), and magnesium deficiencies have been linked to depression . Randomized, controlled trials that involve folate and B12 suggest that patients treated with 0.8 mg of folic acid/day or 0.4 mg of vitamin B12/day will exhibit decreased depression symptoms . In addition, the results of several case studies where patients were treated with 125 to 300 mg of magnesium (as glycinate or taurinate) with each meal and at bedtime led to rapid recovery from major depression in less than seven days for most of the patients .

Psychologists recommend a balanced approach to anger, which both controls the emotion and allows the emotion to express itself in a healthy way. Some descriptions of actions of anger management are:

• Direct, such as not beating around the bush, making behaviour visible and conspicuous, using body language to indicate feelings clearly and honestly, anger directed at persons concerned.
• Honorable, such as making it apparent that there is some clear moral basis for the anger, being prepared to argue your case, never using manipulation or emotional blackmail, never abusing another person’s basic human rights, never unfairly hurting the weak or defenseless, taking responsibility for actions.
• Focused, such as sticking to the issue of concern, not bringing up irrelevant material.
• Persistent, such as repeating the expression of feeling in the argument over and over again, standing your ground, self defense.
• Courageous, such as taking calculated risks, enduring short term discomfort for long term gain, risking displeasure of some people some of the time, taking the lead, not showing fear of other’s anger, standing outside the crowd and owning up to differences, using self-protective skills.
• Passionate, such as using full power of the body to show intensity of feeling, being excited and motivated, acting dynamically and energetically, initiating change, showing fervent caring, being fiercely protective, enthusing others.
• Creative, such as thinking quickly, using more wit, spontaneously coming up with new ideas and new views on subjects.
• Forgiving, such as demonstrating a willingness to hear other people’s anger and grievances, showing an ability to wipe the slate clean once anger has been expressed.
• Listening, to what is being said to you. Anger creates a hostility filter, and often all you can hear is negatively toned.

A common skill used in most anger management programs is learning assertive communication techniques. Assertive communication is the appropriate use of expressing feelings and needs without offending or taking away the rights of others. It is typically started with the use of “I” statements followed by a need statement. For example, “I feel upset when you don’t take my feelings into consideration when you talk about your past relationships. I hope you can be more thoughtful and know what you should and should not say the next time.”

With regard to interpersonal anger, Dr. Eva L. Feindler^[4] recommends that people try, in the heat of an angry moment, to see if they can understand where the alleged perpetrator is coming from. Empathy is very difficult when one is angry but it can make all the difference in the world. Taking the other person’s point of view can be excruciating when in the throes of anger, but with practice it can become second nature.

Buddhists, on the other hand, recommend a slightly different approach. They believe that there are several antidotes for handling anger. The chief amongst them are patience, understanding karma, equanimity and realization of emptiness (the sum of which can be achieved through daily Concentration Meditation and Insight Meditation, or Samatha and Vipassana). The main issue of anger management is that anger is regarded as an incorrect projection of the mind, so that wisdom and insight can ultimately correct the mind and eliminate anger completely.

The term Anger management commonly refers to a system of psychological therapeutic techniques and exercises by which someone with excessive or uncontrollable anger can control or reduce the triggers, degrees, and effects of an angered emotional state.

Some techniques for controlling anger are finding agreement with another person rather than a conflict. In some countries, courses in anger management may be mandated by their legal system.

The use of deep breathing and meditation can be used as a means of relaxation. Other interventions include learning empathy, stress management skills, forgiveness, changing how you speak about yourself or others and improving optimism. As the issue of anger varies from person to person, the treatments are designed to be personal to the individual.

Anger in modern society

In modern society, anger is viewed as an immature or uncivilized response to frustration, threat, violation, or loss. Conversely, keeping calm, coolheaded, or turning the other cheek is considered more socially acceptable. This conditioning can cause inappropriate expressions of anger such as uncontrolled violent outbursts, misdirected anger or repressing all feelings of anger when it would be an appropriate response to the situation. Also, anger that is constantly “bottled up” can lead to persistent violent thoughts or actions^[1], nightmares and even physical symptoms^[2]. Anger can also aggravate an already present mental health problem such as clinical depression.

Many people believe that depression is in fact anger turned inwards. This is because many depressed people react to stress by turning their anger inward as a response to physical or mental abuse or neglect from parents or others. One secondary effect of the depression sufferer’s denial of anger is that their interpersonal relationships are often unhappy and unhealthy.

Another side-effect of anger is that it can fuel obsessions, phobias, addictions and manic tendencies. Many people who are not able to express their anger will let it out in some sort of furious activity which can result in clinical depression or even bipolar disorder. Anger can also fan the flames of paranoia and prejudice, even in normal, everyday situations. People tend to express their anger either passively or aggressively through the fight-or-flight response. The passive “flight” response is repression and denial of anger for safety. However, aggressive behavior is associated with the “fight” response and the use of the verbal and physical power of anger to abuse and hurt others.

Symptoms of anger

Anger can be of one of two main types: Passive anger and Aggressive anger. These two types of anger have some characteristic symptoms:

Passive anger

Passive anger can be expressed in the following ways:

• Secretive behavior, such as stockpiling resentments that are expressed behind people’s backs, giving the silent treatment or under the breath mutterings, avoiding eye contact, putting people down, gossiping, anonymous complaints, poison pen letters, stealing, and conning.
• Manipulation, such as provoking people to aggression and then patronizing them, forgiveness, provoking aggression but staying on the sidelines, emotional blackmail, false tearfulness, feigning illness, sabotaging relationships, using sexual provocation, using a third party to convey negative feelings, withholding money or resources.
• Self-blame, such as apologizing too often, being overly critical, inviting criticism.
• Self-sacrifice, such as being overly helpful, making do with second best, quietly making long suffering signs but refusing help, or lapping up gratefulness.
• Ineffectualness, such as setting yourself and others up for failure, choosing unreliable people to depend on, being accident prone, underachieving, sexual impotence, expressing frustration at insignificant things but ignoring serious ones.
• Dispassion, such as giving the cold shoulder or phony smiles, looking cool, sitting on the fence while others sort things out, dampening feelings with substance abuse, overeating, oversleeping, not responding to another’s anger, frigidity, indulging in sexual practices that depress spontaneity and make objects of participants, giving inordinate amounts of time to machines, objects or intellectual pursuits, talking of frustrations but showing no feeling.
• Obsessive behavior, such as needing to be clean and tidy, making a habit of constantly checking things, over-dieting or overeating, demanding that all jobs be done perfectly.
• Evasiveness, such as turning your back in a crisis, avoiding conflict, not arguing back, becoming phobic.

Aggressive anger

The symptoms of aggressive anger are:

• Threats, such as frightening people by saying how you could harm them, their property or their prospects, finger pointing, fist shaking, wearing clothes or symbols associated with violent behaviour, tailgating, excessively blowing a car horn, slamming doors.
• Hurtfulness, such as physical violence, verbal abuse, biased or vulgar jokes, breaking a confidence, using foul language, ignoring people’s feelings, willfully discriminating, blaming, punishing people for unwarranted deeds, labeling others.
• Destructiveness, such as destroying objects, harming animals, destroying a relationship between two people, reckless driving, substance abuse.
• Bullying, such as threatening people directly, persecuting, pushing or shoving, using power to oppress, shouting, using a car to force someone off the road, playing on people’s weaknesses.
• Unjust blaming, such as accusing other people for your own mistakes, blaming people for your own feelings, making general accusations.
• Manic behavior, such as speaking too fast, walking too fast, working too much and expecting others to fit in, driving too fast, reckless spending.
• Grandiosity, such as showing off, expressing mistrust, not delegating, being a sore loser, wanting center stage all the time, not listening, talking over people’s heads, expecting kiss and make-up sessions to solve problems.
• Selfishness, such as ignoring other’s needs, not responding to requests for help, queue jumping.
• Vengeance, such as being over-punitive, refusing to forgive and forget, bringing up hurtful memories from the past.
• Unpredictability, such as explosive rages over minor frustrations, attacking indiscriminately, dispensing unjust punishment, inflicting harm on others for the sake of it, using alcohol and drugs^[3], illogical arguments.

It should be stated that anyone displaying any of these behaviours does not always have an anger management problem.

Anger is natural, but it can be destructive when expressed inappropriately. Gauge your anger level and identify your unhealthy expressions of anger.

Do you slam down the phone when faced with endless computerized voice prompts? Have you gotten into a shouting match with a stranger over a parking space at the mall? Ever put your fist through the wall after an argument with your spouse?

This is not anger management at its finest. Although anger is a natural emotion, it may be getting the best of you. Instead of expressing your anger in a healthy and assertive way, you may be expressing it in a hostile, aggressive manner — a manner that could lead to violence and a slew of personal and professional consequences.

Here are some points to consider when assessing whether you express your anger in a healthy or unhealthy manner, and how to get a better grasp of anger management.

Understand your anger

Anger itself isn’t bad. Expressed appropriately, anger can be healthy. It can help protect you from dangerous situations, energize you to resolve problems or lead to sociocultural reforms, for instance.

Sure, everyday frustrations, impatience and resentment can all cause your temper to flare. For many people, these are fleeting moments. They’re able to take these situations in stride and quickly return to a sense of calm without exploding.

But if your blood boils after minor irritations — such as losing that coveted parking space — or if you’re constantly seething, you may need to improve how you’re managing anger. Anger that’s out of control can be destructive, leading to problems in your relationships, at work, in your enjoyment of life and with your health. You could even be arrested or face other legal problems.

Examine your anger patterns

Why do you tend to fly off the handle more than others seem to? Anger responses can become habitual. That is, you may respond automatically to a situation that makes you angry, with little pause to think about your reactions. The intensity of your anger may even catch you by surprise.

How do you express your anger? Consider these questions to assess your anger responses:

• Do you express anger in a way that overwhelms you and others?
• Do you get angry more often than most people you know?
• Do you get angrier than is necessary?
• Do you use threatening language or gestures?
• Do you get angry enough to hit, throw or kick things, people or animals?
• Do you seethe for hours?
• Do you hide angry feelings from others or try to suppress your feelings?
• Do you use alcohol or drugs to calm your rage?
• Do you experience physical reactions such as muscle tension or a racing heart when you get angry?
• Does expressing your anger usually leave you feeling better about yourself and the person who angered you?

Identify the ways you express anger to help you determine if you need to change how you respond to upsetting situations. You may react too aggressively or even too passively. In either case, you can learn new methods to replace old, unhealthy habits. If your level of anger is high or you tend to express anger in an unhealthy way, make plans to deal with your anger.

Aim for constructive expressions of your anger

Anger management is not about stopping you from expressing your anger entirely. It’s OK to feel angry. In fact, trying to suppress or deny your anger can lead to a host of physical complaints, such as headaches, depression, stress, and sleeping or eating difficulties. It can also lead you to erupt into violent behavior if your anger has been simmering without an outlet.

The key, though, is to express your anger in an assertive, controlled way. Managing anger effectively can benefit you and those around you. Your health may improve, you’ll feel better about yourself, and strained relationships may heal when you control your anger.

Determine your anger level

Know the main reason that has made you angry. Is it inside you or someone affecting you? If its someone affecting you making you angry than cool down as you dont have to live a life given to you by others….i.e in this condition the other person have your remote control and whenever he wants he changes your mood to what he likes….. Are you still gonna be angry coz of other??? Think about it….

Now if its something within you than you need to take a step according to what is it and if you dont find anything than you are simply spoiling your health….:-(

With the All Diet Source Free Weight Loss Diet Plan you will be able to lose weight consistently every week without falling into a dreaded plateau. Your daily calorie intake will jump around every day to speed your metabolism up so that is never slows down.

The reason why most weight loss programs fail is because after a few days or weeks of cutting calories your metabolism slows down. When your metabolism slows down you can cut calories all you want, but your weight loss will slow down or most times even stop. This becomes incredibly frustrating to a person dieting and many times they will get off the diet thinking it no longer is working for them. With the All Diet Source Free Weight Loss Program your calorie intake will never be the same two days in a row.

We trick your metabolism into not knowing your are dieting and your weight loss stays continuous.

Keeping Off The Weight Once It Is Lost

So how do you keep off weight once it has been lost? When you lose weight as part of a weight loss plan or diet, you want to ensure that weight stays off for good. Unfortunately although people lose weight, most tend to put back on within a couple of months. Repeating these behaviours over a long period results in a permanent “yo-yo” dieting, weight constantly being lost then put back on again.

The secret is to break up that behavioural pattern of “yo yo” dieting and replace it with a new pattern which will allow you to lose and then maintain your weight.

Following the 5 steps below willgive you a clear direction to being able to maintain any weight you have lost.

Step 1 Stick to a routine:

It is very important to keep that routine in your life, which made you lose weight in the first place. The problem starts when you lose weight, achieve the weight loss target and just relax. The main purpose of the diet and fitness routine was designed to allow you to lose weight in the first place. Try to stick to your diet / weight loss plan but occasionally eat in between, enjoy parties go to restaurants from time to time. However keep a sensible limit to it. Do the same for your physical activities. But now you can reduce the time and duration. For example if you used to have exercises 5 times a week, now you can do it three times a week.

Step 2: Check your weight on a regular basis:

Make sure you have a weight scale, keeping it in a place where you can see it on a regular basis, for example the bathroom ,bedroom or even your workplace. Also weigh yourself everyday where possible. Try to do this in the evening or before going to bed. This is because that is the time when you weigh your maximum. In the mornings your weight is always reduced, this would then give you a false impression that you’ve lost weight and consequently you would eat more that day. Doing this checking of weight on a regular basis keeps your body in shape. So if you need lose weight it only tends to be a few pounds you need to lose.

Step 3. Have routine medical check ups:

Make sure you get your routine medical checkups, and when you get your check up, make sure you get checked for those things that tend to increase weight. These include thyroid problems, hormonal imbalances, water retention and stress. With women Pregnancy and Pre Menstrual Syndrome (PMS) can have a dramatic increase in weight. All these factors must taken into consideration when trying to maintain your weight.

Step 4. Stick to your size:

Make sure you do your best to keep the same clothes size. Whether you are size 10, 12 or 14 , stick to it like glue. If you buy a dress or suit in your size and you think it is too tight or uncomfortable . Don’t alter your clothes, what you need to do is to alter yourself. Trim your body and lose some pounds. This will stop you getting into the habit of altering your clothes to disguise your weight.

Step 5. Ask your partner or friends to help you:

Having a support group of friends and family to lose pounds and maintain weight is an effective way to encourage you, and increase your chances of succeeding. Your friends and your family will appreciate you for you trying to improve your life for the better. Friends and family will be reluctant to offer you something to eat that is not healthy for you. If you want a honest opinion about your weight you are more likely to get it from friends and family than complete strangers.

I hope these 5 key steps to maintain lost weight will help you through the rest of your life.

Good luck for maintaining that lost weight.

With the All Diet Source Free Weight Loss Diet Plan you will be able to lose weight consistently every week without falling into a dreaded plateau. Your daily calorie intake will jump around every day to speed your metabolism up so that is never slows down.

The reason why most weight loss programs fail is because after a few days or weeks of cutting calories your metabolism slows down. When your metabolism slows down you can cut calories all you want, but your weight loss will slow down or most times even stop. This becomes incredibly frustrating to a person dieting and many times they will get off the diet thinking it no longer is working for them. With the All Diet Source Free Weight Loss Program your calorie intake will never be the same two days in a row.

We trick your metabolism into not knowing your are dieting and your weight loss stays continuous.

All Diet Source will show you exactly how to lose weight constantly until you have reached your goal weight. Once you have reached your goal weight we will show you how to maintain your goal weight for a lifetime. And this Weight Loss Program is completely free. I will never ask you for any money.

Step 1: Establish your Low and High Weight.

Your low weight will be your goal weight or the weight you are now coming off of your weight loss plan.

Start weighing yourself every morning before you eat or drink anything. Note your weight on a daily basis.

Begin eating more normally. Don’t go crazy with high calories and fat, but enjoy yourself. In a few days you wil notice a weight gain…….. probably around 3 to 5 pounds….Don’t panic… this is normal. This weight will be your high weight. Make a note of your high weight.

Step 2: Don’t Go Above your High Weight.

When you hit your high weight it is time to watch your calorie intake. Go back to 1200 calories until you reach your low weight again. It will probably only take a couple of days to reach your low weight again. Make sure you do not drop to 1200 calories for longer than 72 hours as you will slow down your metabolism and maintenance will be more difficult for you.

Step 3: Go Back to Step 1 and Do it Again.

Once you are back to your low weight go back to Step 1 and start eating normally again until you reach your high weight again. You will note everything on the All Diet Source Weight Maintenance Chart everyday, so you know how you are doing. Remember to weigh yourself every morning and note it on the Weight Maintenance Chart.

You will notice at first that you might be going through this whole process a handful of times a month. But, shortly you will see that your low calorie days get less and less throughout the month. Over time you might only have to do this whole process one or twice a month. The reason for this is your metabolism speeds up making your maintenance very easy.

This is the maintenance plan that worked for me and it can be a lifetime way of maintaining your weight loss. It is easy to do and it works flawlessly as long as you weigh yourself every day and note it on the Weight Maintenance Chart.

Congrats again for losing your weight… enjoy this maintenance plan!!

Food List For South Beach Diet: Working Your Way Through The Program

The South Beach Diet is one of the favorite diet programs for people who would like to lose weight. Dr. Arthur Agatston, a cardiologist, has formulated it. It is claimed that the food list for South Beach diet can help you lose weight from 8 to 13 pounds in the span of two weeks. This two-week span is just for the first phase of the program.

Principles of South Beach Diet

The South Beach Diet is a diet that focuses on the intake of carbohydrates and fats. The diet has three stages. Each stage is called a phase. The first two phases introduces the gradual changes in your diet while the third phase is the diet that you will use for maintenance after going through the first two phases.

The South Beach Diet is a program where you are allowed to eat three meals a day with two snacks in between the meals. It aims to transform your eating habits from eating bad carbohydrates to eating good carbohydrates.

Phases of the South Beach Diet

As previously mentioned, the South Beach Diet has three phases.

Phase 1 is the start of the program. The Phase 1 stage will run for two weeks. During this span of time, you are allowed to eat three times a day with regular servings. Your food will not be measured at all. But in this phase, all forms of carbohydrate are not allowed. There will be a total absence of carbohydrates for a span of two weeks.

The food list for this phase includes meat like chicken and turkey - ensure that these meats are skinless. All meat should be lean meat like tenderloin and sirloin. Peanuts and pistachios nuts are also acceptable. Fishes, any type of it, are also acceptable.

Eggs and cheese plus oils like canola and olive oils are also allowed in the Phase 1 diet. Green vegetables like salads, cucumbers and broccoli are permitted. In addition to these, make sure that you drink lots of water to help in the metabolism of fats.

On the other hand, the following are excluded from the food list for this phase: red meat like rib steaks or honey-baked ham; dairy products other than low fat cheeses - examples are yogurt, ice cream, whole milk, low-fat milk and soy milk; vegetables with pure carbohydrates, such as potatoes, corn and carrots. All types of fruits, alcohol, starchy foods and sweets should also be avoided. Starchy food includes all pasta, rice, oatmeal and bread. Sweets, on the other hand, include candies, ice cream, cakes and cookies.

Phase 2 Food List for South Beach Diet

Phase 2 stage is a breather as compared with Phase 1. Under Phase 2, the goal of the program is to reintroduce carbohydrates. This time, you are only allowed to eat good carbohydrates. There are some people who stay longer than two weeks in Phase 1 but it is not recommended.

Phase 2 of the South Beach diet has a slower rate of weight reduction. It will only take off 1 to 2 pounds per week. There is no definite span of time for this phase. You can stay in this phase for as long as it takes to reach your ideal weight.

The foods that are allowed on this phase are the same with the foods that are allowed in Phase 1, plus some that are added. The additional Phase 2 food list for South Beach diet includes: fruits and milk, which are fat-free, like non-fat milk and soymilk. In Phase 2, you are allowed to eat whole grain starches and barley. A little alcohol is allowed, in the form of red wine.

Others carbohydrate-rich foods are also allowed but should be taken moderately. These are potatoes, carrots, beets and refined wheat baked goods. Fruits like bananas, watermelon and pineapple can be eaten sparingly.

Phase 3 Food List for South Beach Diet

This phase is for weight maintenance. This phase can last for a lifetime if you wish. Once you have achieved the weight that you desire, you will now just continue your current diet program.

For this phase, all food categories are allowed, but make sure that you only eat foods with good carbohydrates and with low glycemic index. Refrain from eating processed foods that contain lots of bad carbs and bad fats.

The food list for South Beach Diet is not that difficult to implement and this diet program is one of the most feasible among the many diet plans out there. You will just have to adhere and follow the restrictions to be able to maintain the weight that you have been dreaming of. 

Advice For Obese Patients

Obesity is classified by doctors into various types, according to body mass index (BMI). It includes: mild obesity (BMI > 30), morbid obesity (BMI > 40), super-obesity (BMI > 50), and super-super obesity (BMI > 60). An estimated 61.3 million American adults (30.5 percent) are obese, while 6 million American adults are morbidly obese. (Source: US Census 2000; NHANES III data estimates) Obesity leads to an increased risk of hypertension, raised blood-fats, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular problems, metabolic disorders, as well as a number of other weight-related conditions. In addition, the quality of life experienced by obese patients may be affected by mobility problems, as well as a range of psycho-social issues - not least, the social stigma of not being a “normal size”, as well as a feeling of helplessness about their ability to control their weight.

Bariatric Surgery Option

Now that weight loss surgeries, such as gastric bypass, are beginning to be classified as “medical” rather than “cosmetic” procedures - and thus covered by medical insurance - an increasing number of severely obese patients are turning to this treatment option. According to the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity, gastric bypass leads to significantly better weight loss results than conventional dietary treatments. However, bariatric surgery is no easy answer to obesity. Not least, because of the drastic diet which patients must follow for life. In addition, there very few follow-up studies into the long-term results of bypass surgery. Also, the definition of what constitutes “successful” surgery only extends to weight loss maintained for the relatively short period of 5 years. Since many stomach bypass operations lead to irrevocable alterations in the digestive tract, assessments based on this 5-year period may yet prove premature. Lastly, due to the costs and qualifying criteria involved, bariatric surgery is unlikely to develop into a genuine option for the seriously obese population. More probably it will remain a “last chance” for patients with severe co-morbidities.

Non-Surgical Treatment Of Obesity

These may be divided into two types: closely supervised weight loss programs run by hospitals or other health care centers, and regular commercial programs. The former include programs such as Health Management Resources (HMR) and Optifast. Both involve low-calorie dietary regimens, behavior modification, physical activity and individual or group counseling. The drawbacks are cost, along with the need for weekly attendance at the center concerned. The latter include center-based programs such as Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig Inc., or online programs like ediets or Anne Collins weight loss program. Regular commercial programs are cheaper than supervised ones, although they cannot compare support-wise unless they offer online community support via a well-managed forum.

Weight Loss Tips If You Are Obese

1. Success Is Totally Possible

Whether you opt for surgical or non-surgical options, do not believe the voice inside your head that says you can’t lose weight. Over the past 24 years I have seen hundreds of obese individuals normalize their weight and change their whole life in the process. Just last week on my forum, we celebrated the success of another member who lost her 100th pound. She has another 30 pounds or so to lose, but already her life is transformed. A superwoman? Not at all. Just someone who was totally depressed with being overweight. Yes, it takes patience - after all, losing 100 pounds takes 12-15 months of steady dieting - but anyone can do it, including you. And don’t believe anyone who tells you different.

2. Diets Not Essential To Reduce Obesity

For most people, losing a relatively modest amount of body weight can improve many of the problems associated with obesity, such as high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes. As a result, some doctors recommend a less formal approach to calorie control. Instead of following a specific diet plan, they suggest the adoption of certain healthy habits.

For example, you can reduce your calorie-intake by about 200 calories a day by taking a moderate 30 minute walk, and switching from (say) whole milk to skimmed milk. This saves 73,000 calories a year - the equivalent of 20 pounds of body fat. Over five years, this adds up to 100 pounds of fat.

So if you hate dieting but need to reduce weight, consider making a couple of small lifestyle changes to reduce your calorie intake and increase calorie expenditure.

3. You Need A Reason To Lose Weight

What specific benefit will you get by losing weight? If you can’t answer this question, don’t bother dieting. Because unless you have a clear incentive to keep you dieting and exercising when boredom sets in, you won’t succeed. Anything that commits you in advance to attaining your weight loss goal, makes a great incentive, so why not book an expensive beach holiday, or buy some fab clothes to fit the leaner shape you want to have at the end of your diet program.

4. Focus On The Long Term Benefits Of Losing Weight

Whether you’re trying to reduce weight, save money or pass exams, it’s vital to be positive about making short term sacrifices. For example, most weight loss diets require you to limit your intake of fatty or sugary foods. Faced with this, you have a choice: either you can focus on the “deprivation” involved in giving up these yummy foods, or you can focus on the benefits you will get by not eating them. Sadly, many dieters choose to feel deprived. Result? Before long they see their diet as a burden and a bore. This is why so many of them quit. If you really want to reduce your obesity, you must avoid this trap and appreciate the longer term benefits you will get by normalizing your weight.

To put it another way, you must become more greedy. Don’t be content with a few mouthfuls of fatty meat, pizza or cheesecake. Aim higher! Aim for greater self-confidence that comes from having a great shape. Aim for a healthier, less tiring life, in which you are not burdened by an extra 100 pounds on your body. Aim for more opportunity to enjoy new clothes and a new social life.

5. Get Proper Support To Lose Weight

If you suffer from severe obesity and you want to start managing your weight, your first priority is to find support. Join a diet-group at work, or an exercise class, or go to weight management meetings. Or join an online weight loss discussion forum. Getting encouragement from others makes all the difference between success and failure. If you have difficulty finding support, try my own community weight loss diet program. It’s totally inspirational.