Food-Included Weight Loss Programs: Should You Try One?

Food-Included Weight Loss Programs: Should You Try One?
My husband decided to shed a few pounds, so to make it
easier for him I volunteered to shed a few pounds also.
(Misery loves company.)

How did we decide to do it?

We bought a month's supply of Nutrisystem meals.

The advertising is terrific. The demonstrations on the home
shopping shows are compelling. By golly, it looks like real
food, good food, and plenty of it. It's a system made in
heaven. Or is it?

Yuk.

And I do mean yuk. If you've tried it and had success with
it, good for you. But I hope you didn't stay on it too
long. It just can't be a healthy way to eat for a long
period of time.

Dried egg powder in a packet. Hotdogs in a packet. Dried
soup in a packet. Cereal in a packet. Ham in a packet.
Everything is either dried or vacuum-sealed. The packaging
is designed to keep the contents edible almost forever.
That may be ideal for a supply of survival food you keep in
the garage in the event of a catastrophe, but food to be
eaten every day? I don't think so. Even if you add your own
fruit and vegetables, it's not acceptable.

The pictures on the containers of the prefab meals look so
tempting. As example, the picture on the lasagna carton
doesn't even remotely resemble what's in the carton. Truth
be told, the meal is not very appetizing to look at.

To be fair, several of the pasta meals were tasty. Some of
the snacks were tasty. Most of the dinners were just so-so.
I had to toss a couple of roast beef dinners because the
food trays were not sealed properly and the contents had
been leaking. Not smart to eat that.

When you think about it – if you are successful with
the program, what happens after you lose the desired
weight? Unless you rethink and retool your diet, in no time
you will be back to square one.

It's easy to understand why these diet systems are popular.
Many people accustomed and even addicted to our
prefabricated, processed fast food way of life find it
difficult and even impossible to lose weight. In some
cases, the love affair with processed food is so
overpowering that trying to lose weight is a lost cause.

Another problem is that many people are pressed for time
and it's easier to stop at the burger place to eat than it
is to go home and cook. The solution is to prepare food
ahead so you have something in the fridge or freezer ready
to go when you get home from work. Crock-pot meals are also
helpful.

Weight loss is not difficult or time consuming if you have
the will and determination to get back to basics. One of
the best weight loss programs I've ever tried may no longer
be around. I think it was called the Diet Center Diet. Our
whole family went on the program many years ago because our
daughter wanted to lose weight.

At first it was hard -- I missed the carbs -- but in no
time we all became accustomed to it. There were no
prepackaged meals. You cooked your own chicken, fish, and
fresh vegetables, using a variety of provided recipes that
were quite good. We stayed on it for a year without
difficulty, modifying it as we went along, but still
keeping it basic. I lost a lot of weight – perhaps
even too much. I was down to 95 pounds, but feeling great.
It was truly the perfect example of what I call a back to
basics diet. It was the way people ate before the processed
and fast food revolution invaded our lives.

Bottom line: You don't need Jenny, you don't need
Nutrisystem, or any other expensive program that provides
prepackaged meals. You just need to decide that you can and
will do what you need to do to be in charge of your health
and your weight.

About the Nutrisystem food we didn't eat, which was most of
it: I agonized about whether to give it to the homeless
shelter or just throw it away. I decided that when you are
hungry, something is better than nothing. The shelter was
happy to accept it.

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Barbara Morris is a pharmacist and author of Put Old on
Hold. Visit her web site, http://www.PutOldonHold.com and
sign up for her free content-rich newsletter and receive a
complimentary copy of special report, "Thirteen Diva Tested
Tips for Fabulous Skin."

Quick Fix Weight Loss - Society's Problem

Quick Fix Weight Loss - Society's Problem
We are blessed in today's society that whatever we want, we
can pretty much get it straight away. When I mean straight
away, I mean now.

You want information about your next holiday destination,
go Google it. If you want a meal, just ring your local
Pizza parlor. You can listen to your favorite song on
demand on your IPOD. It's quite amazing what we can do.

All of this instant gratification though is making it very
hard for us to be healthy and lose weight.

Because we are so used to getting whatever we want, when we
want it, we've been conditioned to believe that we should
be able to lose weight at the push of a button, or the
taking of a pill, without changing anything we're doing.

Now, if we think logically about this, it does not make any
sense. Anyone who is even a half-expert in weight loss will
tell you, it comes down to one simple formula:

You have to burn more calories per day than you eat.

If you do that, you'll lose weight. The problem is that you
have to do this consistently, and to do it consistently we
have to change our habits.

The thing is though, we don't want to eat less. We don't
want to give up our favorite foods and drinks. And of
course, we don't want to exercise.

That is the reason why there has been a massive industry
selling weight loss pills and drugs created. To try and
satisfy this instant gratification need we have. If you
have a look at some of the side effects created by some of
these drugs, you wouldn't wish it on your worst enemy. The
thing is though, we'd be happy to pay for it and take it,
as long as we can just keep eating our junk, and sitting on
the couch, and lose weight at the same time, which the drug
goes to work inside your body.

Now, am I saying that weight loss drugs and supplements are
all useless?

No, not necessarily. What I am saying is that if you are
really serious about losing weight and keeping it off, you
do need to make some lifestyle changes. And you know what?

It won't be easy. Anytime you do make some lifestyle
choices, there's going to inertia. You'll have resistance
from yourself to making the change. You just have to keep
focused on your end goal.

So, what is smart is to focus on changing your lifestyle,
and choosing effect supplements to help you do this, if it
is appropriate for you.

How do you know if a supplement is appropriate for you?

All you have to do is figure out what lifestyle choices
you're going to make. Decide what habits you need to form
to maintain the body you want. Now think about all the
things that might go wrong, when you make those changes.

For example, if you are overweight, you should start by
looking at what you are eating. Often people will over-eat
and under-drink. What I mean by that is that they will eat,
even when they are not hungry, just because its lunch time,
or because food makes them comfortable, and they won't
drink water regularly throughout the day (and leave them
dehydrated).

So in that case, this person should think about how they
can have water within touching distance of themselves
throughout the day. If you do that, you will naturally sip
it. You'll be amazed how this simple tip controls your
appetite.

If comfortable eating is a problem, I would now look at one
of the popular weight loss supplements out there, called
Hoodia. I would choose Hoodia, because, to date, there are
no known side effects that have been reported. This doesn't
mean that it won't cause side effects, because Hoodia is
quite new to the market, but at this stage it seems the
best choice. I would though be very careful about where I
buy my Hoodia from. The source where you get your Hoodia is
the most important factor you have to think about if you
plan on using it.

The reason Hoodia would be effective here is because its
job is to make you feel full. So if you are already feeling
full, you don't have to worry about comfortable eating. You
can now focus on eating a balanced diet, full of good
nutrition so that your body gets all the nutrients it needs
to help you lose weight.

Again, I would not recommend relying on Hoodia long term.
Use it in the short term to get into good dietary habits,
then when you do get used to eating healthy foods, wean off
it.

That way you keep in total control, without relying on
anything. You're just using it (Hoodia in this case) to
make it easier for you to change your lifestyle. The point
is, if you want to keep the weight off, you have to take
the power off the pill, and put it back into your ability
to change your lifestyle. If you do that, you're more
likely to stick to your new habits, and therefore keep the
weight off.

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Treatment Options for Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis (NSF)

Treatment Options for Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis (NSF)
Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis (NSF) is a rare degenerative
disease that affects patients with serious kidney problems.
It causes a buildup of scar tissue -- fibrosis -- on the
skin and on several vital internal organs, including the
heart, lungs and diaphragm. Its main symptom is the sudden
appearance of skin lesions on the arms, legs, hands and
feet, sometimes accompanied by swelling, pain and blisters.
These lesions are painful and unsightly, looking a little
like the skin of an orange -- but more importantly, they
can be crippling. Over time, the hardened skin can prevent
patients from bending joints, robbing them of the ability
to walk and perform simple tasks. Patients may be bound to
a wheelchair within a few weeks. In addition, scar tissue
can build up so far on internal organs that it interferes
with their functions, eventually causing death.

Scientists have strongly associated NSF with the use of a
chemical called gadolinium -- a dye injected to make blood
vessels easier to see in magnetic resonance imaging and
magnetic resonance angiography (MRI/MRA) tests. Studies
have found that more than 95% of American NSF patients have
been directly exposed to gadolinium. In response, the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration has already ordered a "black
box" warning on the label of the dye, and research is
underway to confirm the connection. Preventive Measures

Unfortunately, the best treatment for NSF is still
prevention. The FDA has issued guidelines three times since
June of 2006, each strongly suggesting that doctors avoid
using gadolinium in patients with moderate to end-stage
kidney disease. More specifically, the agency has strongly
suggested that doctors avoid using gadolinium for MRIs or
MRAs in patients with chronic or severe renal insufficiency
(kidney failure), with a glomerular filtration rate at or
below 30 milliliters a minute; or in patients with any
level of kidney dysfunction caused by liver problems.
Doctors are not prohibited from using the dye with these
patients, but are strongly advised against it unless they
truly need it to make a diagnosis. Even then, they are
asked to make sure they do not use more than the
recommended dosage. Also, the FDA has asked doctors to
consider sending these patients for dialysis as soon as
possible after the MRI.

Experimental Treatments

Currently, there is no consistently successful treatment
for NSF. In fact, the disease is so new -- it was first
identified in 1997 -- that doctors are still investigating
several treatments to see which give patients the best
long-term relief. Treatments that have helped some patients
include:

* Improving kidney function is the treatment with the most
consistent good results. This can mean medical treatment
(including dialysis), a kidney transplant or both. While
improved kidney function has actually reversed the course
of NSF in some cases, it has had no effect in other cases.

* Oral steroids are pills that have improved the skin
problems of some patients. They do not work for everyone,
and may cause calcium deficiency, high blood sugar and
ulcers, making them inappropriate for many people with some
other health problems.

* Skin creams and ointments, such as vitamin D3 and forms
of cortisone, have helped some people fight their skin
symptoms.

* Physical therapy, especially swimming, and deep massage
have helped some patients slow down NSF's effect on their
joints.

* A few patients have improved by using the drugs
thalidomide, pentoxifylline and cytoxin, but these have not
had widespread success. Similarly, two types of blood
treatments -- plasmapheresis and extracorporeal
photopheresis -- and ultraviolet light therapy have been
helpful for one or two patients. But in all of these cases,
more research is needed.

In addition, a recent study from Wake Forest University
Baptist Medical Center suggests that NSF could be stopped
before it starts if doctors are able to administer drugs
that inhibit a bodily enzyme called transglutaminase-2
(TG2). These researchers found high levels of TG2 in
patients with NSF, which suggests that the enzyme helps
activate the disease. If that's true, doctors may someday
be able to prevent NSF by prescribing existing drugs that
inhibit TG2.

Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis is a deadly, incurable
disease that can disable and eventually kill a patient,
often a patient who is already weakened by kidney failure.
It is also completely preventable -- if doctors work
closely with patients and their loved ones to avoid using
gadolinium in kidney patients. As of late December 2006,
the FDA had identified 215 patients with NSF around the
world; every single one whose medical history they could
review had been exposed to gadolinium. If you or a loved
one has developed NSF after being given a dye with
gadolinium for an MRI or MRA, you deserve answers.

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