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Okay, I’m about to throw you a curve ball. Ready? It’s possible that the reason you are having such a hard time losing weight is because the bacteria living inside your gut are out of balance.

Until recently, it was assumed that these bacteria (our microbiome) didn’t do much. But now there is a growing body of research suggesting that the 100 trillion bacteria – about three pounds – living inside our gut play a huge role in our health and disease. Researchers believe that this is especially true for the metabolic diseases that plague us today such as Type 2 diabetes and obesity.

Exactly how the microbiome influences our weight isn’t known yet, but many researchers believe that it plays a role in processing food and helps determine how many calories and nutrients are absorbed. Certain intestinal microbes may also alter our insulin (a hormone) influencing the way fat is metabolized in our body.

It’s complicated and we have much more to learn about this extremely complex system living inside us. We don’t have enough hard facts to make specific recommendations on weight loss probiotic (live bacteria that are good for our health) supplements. There are literally thousands of different strains of bacteria and they interact with each other in ways we don’t understand. Therefore, probiotic supplements that claim to promote weight loss are premature.

What we do know however is that our dietary habits can have a dramatic impact on the mix of beneficial and harmful bacteria in our gut. Here are five simple steps you can take to support a healthy gut – inside and out.

1. Eat more fiber. Eating fibrous plant foods is an important strategy for improving the robustness of gut bacteria. These plants provide the raw material to feed the bacteria through a process called fermentation. The diversity and number of plants you eat will be reflected in the diversity and number of bacteria in your gut; the more the better. Aim for at least 20 to 30 grams of fiber a day; two to three servings of fruit, four to six servings of veggies, two to three servings of whole grains, nuts and beans several times a week.

2. Make friends with fermented foods. Fermented foods provide probiotics. Greek yogurt and kefir, a tangy dairy drink that’s packed with healthy bugs, are a good start. Look for products that say “live and active cultures” on the label, and avoid those with added sugar that can feed undesirable bacteria. Other probiotic powerhouses include naturally fermented sauerkraut, kimchi, and pickles; they contain both live bacteria and prebiotics (see below) that nourish gut bacteria.

3. Include prebiotic foods. Prebiotics are a type of soluble fiber found in certain plant foods that act as “food” for probiotics. They are like fertilizer helping probiotics grow and flourish in your gut. Prebiotic-containing foods include Jerusalem artichoke, garlic, leek, asparagus, and banana. Eat some type of prebiotic food every day.

4. Eat less meat. A diet heavy in animal protein feeds a type of bacteria called Bilophilia that has been linked to inflammation in animal studies; and chronic inflammation is a major contributor to obesity. If you are a meat-lover, it’s fine to include it in your diet but think of it as a condiment rather than the main course. At least 3/4 of your meal volume should be from plants.

5. Skip the sugar. Sugar feed the undesirable gut bacteria and causes them to thrive. Studies have shown that a diet high in sugar can lead to overgrowth of yeast species and other pathogenic bacteria. For the good bacteria to thrive, they require complex carbohydrates like vegetables, beans, and whole grains – not sugar. When you get too many calories from sugar – the average person eats more than 22 teaspoons a day – the good bacteria will go hungry and eventually die off allowing for an overgrowth of the bad bacteria. Stick with whole foods as much as possible and skip sugary highly processed junk food.

Even though nearly 60% of the American population is overweight, results from a recent poll conducted by the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston indicate that folks know plenty about eating healthy. However, the results of the survey in comparison to the respondent’s own bodies indicates a huge gap between knowledge and action. Health experts indicate that the difference lies in the fact that many Americans confuse eating some healthy foods with having an overall healthy diet. Some results of the survey include: 56% of respondents acknowledge they are overweight, but their healthy eating habits are based on foods they like and that they think are best for them, 69% said they were careful about what they ate, 87% believe that diet is essential to good health, 38% say they exercise. According to S. Ward Casscells, vice president of the Houston health center that “By default, it’s a question of willpower. They know what to eat, but they don’t always follow through.”

The value of baby steps

“I find this occurrence frequently in my training”, says Jennifer Schaecher, Pilates and yoga trainer and weight loss coach, “People rarely tell me that they eat terribly. Not that they are lying, but they really believe that they are mainly healthy eaters. In most cases, there is vast space for improving their dietary habits and overall nutritional intake. I don’t recommend doing this gung-ho approach a lot of people try. They get all excited and motivated to lose weight and jump into this rigorous program of diet and exercise. Two weeks later they’ve gone back to their same old routine. In coaching clients, I emphasize the use of baby steps. Baby steps are important because you make these small, incremental changes over time that you can determine are the easiest initial steps for you to take and make a part of your permanent lifestyle. It’s not glamorous or exciting…like those ‘lose 30 lbs in 30 days’ type offers, but it’s effective and healthy.”

The other issue is knowledge of healthy weight loss vs action. Knowledge is worthless without action. Most of the time, people need consistent, accurate, supportive accountability to implement what they already know they should do to achieve healthy weight loss. People that are willing to admit that they require some kind of support system are already ahead of the game. When someone is ready to face that fact, and ask for help, that is where a coach or trainer can step in and provide the necessary steps to create an overall, gradual healthy lifestyle.”

Weight loss has become big business. Everyone is looking for the quick fix, the miracle pill. The truth is that eating small, healthy meals consistently, exercising regularly, and having positive self-esteem are the true keys to weight loss success. People know it, but they want to believe in something more, something faster and easier. Our bodies just don’t work that way. Often, it is a long journey to a slimmer, trimmer, healthier lifestyle and most people just don’t have the dedication, determination, or power to go it alone. You can stick with a diet for a couple of weeks, and end up doing more harm than good. All you did was send your body into starvation mode and actually ended up packing on more pounds because of it.

If this all sounds familiar to you, consider getting a health coach. A coach can help you stay on track where a spouse or friend won’t. A lot of the issues surrounding weight loss failure are mental and you may need some serious remodeling done on your self-esteem structure. This is one factor sorely overlooked in most diet and weight loss programs. But you can achieve your goals if you seek out the right help. Weight loss success is within your reach, no matter where you are right now.

Affiliate marketing campaigns are flooding the Internet. One cannot browse for any length of time without coming across a handful of affiliate ads, most of them uninteresting, uninspired, and drab. While these affiliate advertisements might not work for you or fifteen other viewers, the truth is, they do work for someone or they wouldn’t be posted. Take any sort of diet pill advertising for instance; these go in and out of fashion, admittedly, but losing weight is always on the minds of consumers, and a huge seller. Which part of the affiliate campaign is most important however, the banner or text ad itself, or the content in the site?

Let’s stay with the losing weight quickly scenario. Posting affiliate links and advertising in all the areas where those interested in weight loss “hang out” on the Net is advisable. Forums and discussions for health, fitness, and weight loss are in abundance, and are definitely winning picks. Creating an email correspondence with the moderators of these boards is advised; there will be guidelines for advertising you will need to adhere to in order to proceed. Forming relationships with posters will help with the success of your campaign. Be as honest as possible, and as always, personal experience with the product you are promoting is key. The aim of your posting of links and advertisements should be to encourage customers to visit your site or landing page where you have associated content related to the product you are promoting. When viewers arrive at your site, they will be able to truly experience the pre-selling of the product you are promoting. Pre-selling must be done in such a way that it truly does not feel like a sales pitch at all. By posting content such as well-written reviews, testimonials, and generally informational content related to the subject matter (in this case, weight loss), you will show your viewers just how knowledgeable and experienced you are with not only the product you are promoting, but also the field it is catered towards. Truly, advertising, link posting, and site construction all need work together in order for your affiliate campaign to achieve most success. One might argue that no one would visit your site without the leading of links or advertisements; but in all reality, links only bring viewers there, it is viable and informational content that keeps them, and encourages them to return again.

We all need motivation to make changes in our lives. But some motivations can have short-term effects whilst other motivations can have long-lasting, life changing effects. This article takes a very quick look at how we can cut to the core of making the long-lasting, life changing decisions easier.

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Why do you want to lose weight? Do you want to make someone else happy? Your kids, your husband? The only way to lose weight in the long-term is to lose weight for you.

While some or most of this article might sound like pointless new-age psycho-babble, at its core are valid, solid ways of changing your life. Do not give in, it may well be a life changing experience.

Whilst these are all valid reasons for losing weight they may actually be the reasons why so many people fail to lose weight or lose weight but then put it all back on with a little extra just for desert. In order to understand long term weight loss we need to look at the nitty-gritty at how the mind works and how we become, and remain motivated, to do something.

When we want to change something about ourselves we need to look deep. Not just “Because the doc said I need to lose a few pounds” deep or “I want to look nice when I lie by the pool” deep. We need to look at where we are now, where we want to be and the difference between the two. That is where the deepness lies.

Ok, let’s take any weight measurements out of the equation and look at body size and shape. We might imagine ourselves to look a long way from the way we want to look. But how does that make us feel? Pretty miserable right. But that’s where your change begins – connect with the feelings caused by the difference between the two you’s. The discrepancy between the you now and the person you want to be is the reality and sometimes the reality hurts! The difference between where we are and where we need to get to needs to be bridged.

You need to imagine what it would feel like to be the person you want to be. Stop for a second and think about it. Close your eyes. Really think about it. Think about the person you want to change for. Because this is only a short article I will give you the answer you need to come up with.

The only person you want to change for is you. There are just so many reasons you could have come up with for changing. Kids, husbands, wives, parents, friends, pets, teams – the list is endless.

The only person you need to change for is you. If this sounds too selfish and self-centred for you then I’m sorry. However, the chance of you changing long-term for anybody other than yourself are minimal. If you think about it another way, what would make the person you are changing for happy? Would they be happier to see YOU happy or would they be happier watching you trying to make THEM happy? So if we want to change we have to look at ourselves and see ourselves as we really are. We need to look to the person we want to be. From then on the person you want to be is going to be the person you are.

If you want to lose weight you need to do it for yourself, no-one else. Not only do you get to be the person you want to be but everybody else gets the benefit of basking in the glow of your happiness and success.

Are you interested in formulating an exercise plan that will assist you to remain trim and help you to get thin? Studies regularly show that there are two basic types of exercise that are both extremely efficient and successful. Of course, it stands to reason that you must be motivated in the first place, and that is why therapeutic hypnosis can help solve your problems.

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If you’re like most people, you are interested in creating an exercise system that will assist you to remain healthy and slim. It may shock you to find out that research studies usually demonstrate that only two core kinds of exercise are useful — which suggests that you can’t just choose any type of exercise to become trim.

Due to the fact that so many people have trouble with the motivation to exercise, performing the most efficient kinds of exercise is imperative, since the less time you spend exercising – and the less time you waste on low efficiency exercise – the more likely it is that you will persist in your exercise routine and therefore achieve your personal weight and strength target.

Our first type of exercise which has been regularly proven to aid people to lose weight and get trim is progressive resistance. In brief, progressive resistance is one type of strength training. It functions by progressively ramping up the pounds lifted, the number of sets, and number of repetitions performed. As a result, your muscles are never strained or subjected to damage – instead, they slowly and steadily strengthen without any setbacks.

Our second type of exercise that has been scientifically studied is cardiovascular training. This is any type of exercise that gets the heart rate up to 60 – 85 percent of its maximum rate. Some kinds of cardio training may involve jogging, jumping rope, aerobics, or treadmill, among other types of exercise, but it is your choice.

Although progressive resistance and cardio training by themselves have been found to be very efficient forms of exercise, scientists now know that performing both of these types of exercise is the best bet for success. If you combine both progressive resistance and cardio training, you will increase the strength of your muscle groups and increase overall endurance. According to a recent scientific study, exercisers who used both cardio and progressive resistance during a two month time period lost 45 percent more weight than exercisers who did cardio training or progressive resistance alone.

Just as important as the type of exercise you perform is, the way in which you exercise is also important. It probably will be unsurprising that being consistent is the name of the game. Exercising inconsistently may strain your muscles and will probably not aid you to build strength and endurance. In addition, it is unlikely to improve your whole-body health. According to most scientists, the best regime is to exercise for forty minutes to an hour three to five times per week.

Unfortunately, it turns out that for a significantly sized subset of the population, getting sufficient exercise is not as easy as attending the health club a few times every week or listening to what scientists claim. For this group of people, the motivation to exercise is the primary issue – this group of people simply doesn’t have the motivation to go to the gym. Actually, they might resist any and all exercise, to the point of severe anxiety.

Nobody knows what percentage of the population suffers from problems with the motivation to exercise, but scientists say that up to 20 to 40 percent of people claim that they “hate” or “dread” exercise. An even larger percentage of people might have more mild problems with the motivation to exercise, finding that even though it is simple enough to commit themselves to an exercise regime for a week or two, motivation eventually degrades, leaving them where they were initially – unhealthy and heavy.

If you are one of these people who struggles with the motivation to exercise, the good news is that there are some easy strategies to deal with the struggle. In a recent research study, volunteers who needed to start an exercise program were provided with a brief learning program that aided them to decide on the right kinds of exercise, were provided with a therapist who specialized in exercise motivation, and were given a brief course in hypnosis. After six months, they were asked to evaluate their progress. It turns out that over 85 percent of the participants had adhered to an exercise program throughout the whole six months. Even better, they generally lost an average of fifteen more pounds than the control group.

If you have an interest in this study, it might make sense to look into locating a motivational therapist, habit control therapist, or therapist who deals with hypnotherapy. These therapists are provided with special training in helping people to transcend anxieties, build the motivation to exercise, and reinforce the creation of good habits. One more choice for exercise motivation is self-hypnosis – which is a simple and inexpensive process that often helps people take control of their own inborn abilities to be motivated.

Hypnotherapy and self-hypnosis are risk-free ways of increasing motivation that have been proven to provide success in the case of exercise motivation. Hypnosis works by using hypnotic relaxation to enhance the powers of the unconscious mind to influence the modification of behavior and habit development. Hypnotherapy is a good choice for the exercise adverse because it can help increase the drive to get trim and lose weight easily and effectively.

Are you tired of the yo yo effect? These simple 5 steps can help you KEEP the weight off once you do lose it

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Why do some dieters suffer the endless frustration of losing and then gaining weight again and again, while others lose weight and keep it off forever?

And we know you don’t want to be the latter group?

Here are 5 very simple tips successful dieters implement – and you can easily adapt these good habits yourself.

1.) You know that old conventional wisdom that goes “The scale doesn’t matter when you’re dieting”? For a long time experts scorned the idea of frequent weigh ins, pointing out that the scale can be inaccurate because of fluctuations caused by water weight. Remember, muscle weighs more than fat. So if you’re exercising you may be gaining muscle and that will throw the scale off.

However, it turns out that weighing yourself every day is actually an excellent motivator for dieters. A study in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine found that dieters who weighed themselves every day lost the most weight, and kept it off more successfully, compared to a group of dieters who did not weigh themselves regularly.

2.) Keep a log of everything you eat. When you log everything you eat you will feel MUCH more guilty when you cheat because you have to see it and read it.

3.) Do at least 1 15 minute activity everyday. ANYTHING. Walk your dog, go jogging, do tae bo. Most of us work at desks and sit at home all day – then do it at least three times a week. You will lose weight quicker and this is one of the big contributors of keeping the weight off.

4.) Plan ahead. If you are going out to dinner with friends or to a holiday office party or even to the movies, what are you going to do when hunger pangs hit? Eat something before you go and decide BEFORE you get to the party or movies.

5.) Schedule the occasional indulgence. Most weight loss experts suggest and encourage a cheating day. When you get to eat some pizza, brownie or some ice cream at some time in the week your chances of ditching your plan is much less likely. This can also be a day when you throw in some more activity.

For those of you out there who believe that you can only lose weight through fasting, you cannot be more wrong! Facts have shown that it is not how much you eat but actually what you eat that results in weight gain in most people. If you decide to eat correctly, you will surely be eating your way to weight loss naturally.

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In the developed world today, a whole lot of people seem to be struggling with a particular challenge common to them all and that is the issue of how to lose weight so as to live a healthier life. In the same vein, a good number of the people concerned tend to believe that the only way to lose that excess fat is by starving themselves or fasting. Nothing can be further than the truth in this case. It has been proven by the experts that one can achieve weight loss naturally through correct dieting.

In order to lose weight naturally, the main thing one has to keep in mind and practice is to eat wisely, take enough water and do some regular exercise. This combination of actions will surely help you get rid of that unwanted fat as well as give you a fitter and sexier physique.

It is pertinent at this stage to note that when I talk of losing weight naturally through correct dieting, I am not talking about some very strict diet but simple ones that can be found in some cook books such as the Metabolic Cooking. I am also not talking about a particular diet for the whole day but an intelligent mix of recommended diets that will end up giving you a healthier body through weight loss.

I suppose that at this stage some of you out will want to know exactly how to eat wise and reap the benefits of losing weight naturally in the shortest possible time. It is not rocket science but simply doing what is right as already suggested. For an example, the diet experts claim that our ability to shed fats is eighty percent correct dieting and twenty percent how much exercise we give to our body. This also means that you need to steer clear of that attractive and sweet junk foodstuff you have been destroying your system with only to go back to the gym to try to burn the fat you got from wrong dieting practice.

Another important aspect of correct dieting is the issue of the water intake level. It is a fact that taking a good amount of water on a daily basis helps in ensuring a clean body system. As a matter of fact, the experts have made it abundantly clear that in order to keep our body system in a clean condition we need to take as much as sixty ounces of water daily. This is much better than the sugary drinks that many people use to replace water in their diet. It is recommended by medical experts that every adult should drink at least eight glasses of water in order to enjoy a healthier life devoid of obesity.

In summary therefore, anyone who wishes to enjoy the benefits weight loss simply needs to combine a correct diet with a good water intake and do some exercise. That also means such a person needs to as well avoid taking junk food and replace that with the consumption of lots of fruit and vegetables. When fruits are added to your meals, it is easier for you to ward off the cravings for sweet since you are ingesting natural sugar instead of the artificial one. You are advised to take fruits such as oranges and or apples in between your meals as a means of eating your way to weight loss and good health.

You can begin to lose weight by reducing your stress level. Here’s how!

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There may be many reasons why you engage in the behavior of overeating. Overeating helps some people gain a sense of control over their lives. Other people overeat when they are stressed or upset. Think about the times that you have had a binge eating session? What was the motivation behind it? Do you turn to food when you are upset or have a stressful day? Do you find a sense of comfort in the food that you eat? If stress is a major factor in your eating habits, finding ways to help reduce stress can help you lose weight.

1. Find a Support System

Having people that you can rely on is a great way to start reducing stress. Call on your friends or family when you are in a stressful situation. They can be a great source of advice or just a shoulder to cry on. Sometimes going out with work friends after a long stressful day can work wonders to melt the stress that you feel. We all need to rely on our friends and family at some point. Being able to talk about your stress is a health alternative to overeating.

2. Post Positive Mantras

Think about the negative comments you make about yourself when you are feeling stressed. Most people struggle with negative self-talk at sometime in their lives. Begin to challenge your old ways of thinking. Replace those old thoughts with positive thoughts that will help you push through stressful times. If a long stressful day at work leaves you thinking that you are “no good at my job”, change your thoughts. Think about how hard you worked today. You put in your all and achieved a goal you had set. Whatever your new thoughts are going to be, post them around your house. This will help you stay focused on them even when you are headed for a stress out moment. Thinking positively can help curb overeating.

3. Find Time to Relax

It is important that you take a few minutes everyday for relaxtion. There are many different things you can do in order to relax. If you had a busy day at work and spent the evening running errands, take a long soak in a tub. If you find yourself working late one night, close your office door and read a chapter in a book. On the weekends, go for a walk around a nature trail. The activity can last five minutes or five hours; the important thing is to take some time to relax.

4. Meditate or Journal

Another great way to reduce stress is to be alone with your thoughts. This can help you sort out what is going on in your life in a healthy way. One way to do this is to meditate. Another way is to write in a journal. Writing in a journal is a great way to begin organizing your thoughts about the stresses in your life. Dealing with your stress in this productive way makes it less likely that you will overeat.

5. Listen to Your Body

Stop beating yourself up for overeating. Move forward into a new way of thinking about eating and food. By listening to your body, you will learn when your body is telling you it is full or hungry. Know the signals that your body gives off in order to begin recognizing the difference between hunger and emotional eating. You can pull through this struggle and be on your way towards a natural weight loss.