If you have ever wondered about the hardcore dieters and their water bottles, here is a secret: Successful dieters drink lots of water. There are several reasons why they do this. First, water gets the metabolism going. It is true that the colder the water is, the harder your body has to work to use it. Second, water aids in digestion. Go a few days without drinking enough water and see how uncomfortable you feel and how often you have gone to the bathroom to check more than your liquid assets. Third, water can help you feel full for longer. Fourth, there are times when you are likely mistaking feelings of thirst for feelings of hunger.

Go, Metabolism, Go

Whenever you eat food, your body has the option of burning that food for fuel, storing it for later energy or storing it in fat cells. The higher you keep your metabolism revved up, the faster you burn through the food in your system and the less likely you will be to store any of it as fat. Drinking water, especially ice water, acts like a catalyst to the body and fires it up, getting it ready for more energy. That is why when you are feeling a little sluggish you should get a big glass of ice water and gulp it down.

Go, Body, Go
Not to be indelicate here, but if you are not digesting your food properly, things tend to, well, back up. Without water, you do not break down food particles well enough and they make it to the end of the line in hard, dry masses that are difficult to deal with. Drinking enough water keeps progress moving along, smooth and easy.

No, Seconds, No
If you just ate a meal an hour ago, but you find yourself rooting around in the refrigerator, can you really say that you are hungry? When was the last time that you had something to drink? So many people cannot tell the difference between thirst and hunger because they are almost constantly feeling one (thirst) and never allow themselves to feel the other (hunger) at all. Take a day and learn to recognize the feeling of true hunger. Do not eat right away. Miss a meal. Miss two meals. How do you feel? That growling sensation in the pit of your stomach is hunger. Most of the time what you are feeling is thirst. Drink a glass of water or two, wait twenty minutes and see if you still feel like eating. If you do, then ask yourself if you are bored, mad, sad, and so on. If you are not eating out of boredom or an emotional trigger, have a small snack and then get out of the kitchen until your next regular meal.

More, Water, More
There is no magic amount of water that we should drink every day. The basic fact is that most of us need to drink more. So if you are drinking zero and add one glass per day, you have technically accomplished the goal of adding more. What works for one person may be too much or too little for another. Keep a bottle of water near you and take a drink as often as possible. If you feel like you are sloshing around, you have drunk too much water; pull back next time. Try to make water a daily part of your life not only for your weight loss goals but for all-around better health.

Written by Tom Nelson of theUltimate Fitness Gear, your top source for the Shaun T Insanity Workout on the internet.

Add on years by shedding some extra pounds! These days, upwards of 60 percent of Americans are obese or overweight.

Correspondingly, the rates of heart disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes are skyrocketing. Here are some ways to cut your risk of being counted among the statistics and lose the weight.

Slimming SolutionsTraditional Chinese medicine works to maintain a healthy and balanced body system. A healthy weight can be maintained when the body is working optimally, stress is low, and spirits are peaceful and content. It is when the body is out of balance that digestive weaknesses arise, your metabolism shifts, and adipose tissue (fat cells) accumulates.

Here is what you can do to achieve a healthy weight:

1. First of all, avoid any fad diets and fast-acting solutions that guarantee incredible weight loss while you watch television and eat deserts.

2. Focus on being fit rather than being thin. Aiming to be thin often means restricted eating, over-exercising, and anxious obsessing about weight – there is nothing healthy about this mindset.

3. Eat five small meals per day. Find a small bowl the size of your two palms when they are placed next to each other – this should be the size of each meal. Eating throughout the day keeps you from becoming famished and overeating at your next meal.

4. Your last meal of the day should be no later than 7 p.m.

5. Eliminate candy, sugar, and soda from your diet. Instead of candy, chew on some fresh peppermint leaves or cinnamon sticks. Use honey sparingly as a replacement for sugar.

6. Eat more complex carbohydrates and ample quantities of fresh fruits and vegetables. Keep dairy to a minimum because most dairy products are high in saturated fat, which is not healthy for your cardiovascular system when consumed in larger amounts. Opt for the lower fat dairy products such as low-fat or non-fat milks, cheeses, and yogurt. Avoid fatty foods, processed or fried foods.

7. Drink plenty of water – at least 60 ounces a day. It is especially beneficial to drink plain hot water, as if you are drinking tea without the tea or sugar. Also, drink a tea made from boiling a lemon (with the peel).

8. Eat soup at least once a day. A low-salt nutritious soup rehydrates the body while also nourishing and flushing waste from the body. It has been found that people who eat one or more soups each day lose more weight than those who eat the same number of calories but don’t eat soup. (Seek out homemade soup, because canned soups are filled with salt and chemicals.)

9. A 30-minute daily walk can do wonders for your metabolism. Try taking a walk 30 minutes in the morning or 30 minutes in the evening, two hours before bed. For toning you might replace one of the walks with some stretching activities such as tai chi or a mild form of yoga.

Cut the Fat with L-carnitine

L-carnitine, an amino acid produced in your liver, helps regulate fat metabolism and promotes fat loss making it essential in any weight loss program. L-carnitine also helps reduce triglycerides and increase good cholesterol, thereby protecting the heart. Rich sources of L-carnitine include meats, fish, poultry, wheat, avocado, milk, and fermented soybeans.

By Dr. Maoshing Ni

It is a time-honored tradition to make resolutions at this time of year. If your resolution is to lose weight – and keep it off, then keep reading! Here are six simple tips that will have you losing weight in a balanced and healthy way.

1. Lose weight with water.
Water is essential for everybody – it is also the key to losing weight. If you haven’t been drinking enough water, your body has developed a pattern of storing water. This water retention equals extra unwanted weight.

By drinking more water, you are not only flushing out toxins, you are also teaching your body that it no longer needs to store water. Drink at least 60 ounces of water (about 8 glasses) a day. Boil water and sliced lemons, and drink this throughout the day to help with fluid retention. If you are still not sold on the merits of water, try this on for size: water is a natural appetite suppressant.

2. Soup up your weight loss program.
A simple dietary change will have you shedding pounds: eat a bowl of soup at least once a day. Nutritious, low-salt soups will nourish you as they flush waste from your body. People who eat a serving of soup daily lose more weight than those who eat the same amount of calories but don’t eat soup. Go for homemade soup whenever possible, as canned soups are loaded with salt and chemicals.

3. Eat early to keep weight off.
The human body follows a circadian rhythm, which means that the same foods eaten at breakfast and lunch are processed differently than when eaten at dinner. Studies show that when you eat your daily protein and fat at breakfast you tend to lose weight and have more energy; however, eating the same things at dinner tend to increase tendencies toward weight gain. I suggest that you eat your last meal of the day by 7 p.m.

4. Eat smaller meals, more frequently.
Follow an eating schedule with five little meals every day. Eating steadily through the day keeps you from becoming famished and overeating at your next meal. Make a low-fat trail mix from raw almonds, pumpkin seeds, dried plum, and apples and have it available at all times to avoid the tempting lure of high-calorie snacks.

5. Adopt a balanced approach to your diet.
Most of the fad diet programs out there nowadays are extreme in a few recommended foods, or else deprive the body of food altogether. This works in opposition to our metabolism and the results usually don’t last, producing a yoyo effect that depresses your metabolic function – not to mention your self-esteem. We are natural beings that need a balance of nutrition from all sources.

Your diet should consist of a balance of organic sources of lean protein, complex carbohydrates, whole grains, legumes, nuts, fruits, and vegetables. Instead of white rice and pasta, opt for brown rice, bulgur, millet, or buckwheat.

Eat more green, chlorophyll-rich foods such as broccoli, kale, spinach, and asparagus. Eliminate candy, sugar, soda, and all simple sugars from your diet. Excess sugar ends up being stored as fat in your body, which results in weight gain. Also, keep dairy to a minimum because most dairy products are high in saturated fat. Avoid fatty foods, processed or fried foods.

6. Walk off the weight.
The No. 1 cause of weight gain is inactivity. Physical activity is the key to speeding up your metabolism and burning excess calories. The best way to be physically active is to use your legs! Walk as often and as long as you can. Always take the stairs instead of the elevator.

Step outside during your break at work and take a walk around your building. Consider joining a local hiking club. Try taking a walk 30 minutes in the morning or 30 minutes in the early evening.

By Dr. Maoshing Ni

I’ve never been a big fan of counting calories. In fact, in the past year,

I have lost about 30 pounds without counting a single dietary digit. Sure, I know

recording everything you put in your mouth can help peel off pounds, but I also

know that obsessing over calories makes you more likely to eat lowfat, low-

fiber foods that wouldn’t satiate a starling.

Instead of crunching numbers, I munched on healthy food to become a weight loss

success. If a food lover like me can do it, you can, too!

Try these tips:

• Pick up produce. Have at least one fruit and veggie at every meal. On busy

days when I know my lunch won’t have a smidge of green in it, I have two fruits

at breakfast; I toss berries or peaches into my nonfat Greek yogurt and

sprinkle it with granola. I love asparagus, green pepper, sun-dried tomatoes,

sprouts, endive and more. Fruits and veggies are high in fiber, which staves

off hunger. Shoot for nine servings daily. It sounds like a lot, but if you

don’t have to be a rabbit to reach that goal. Eat a salad at lunch or dinner,

and you’re there.

• Snack smart. Add protein (such as a stick of lowfat string cheese or

Parmesan) to your between-meal bites. Research suggests protein may enhance the

effect of leptin, a hormone that reins in appetite. I love hummus and dip

veggies into it instead of pita bread or crackers. Protein is also filling and

can help curb cravings for chips, cookies and the like.

• Sip more water. Dieters who swapped sugary drinks for water lose weight, but

those who gulped the most H20 peeled off the most pounds, according to a study

at the meeting of Obesity Society in Boston. Don’t love agua? Try the flavored

kind but check the label for sugar content (it should be below 8 grams per

serving).

• Map out your meals. A little attention to portions can help you eat less and

still stay satisfied. Start by using a salad dish (8 inches in diameter) and

divide it into quarters to help keep helpings healthy. Half the plate should

get veggies, top another quarter with lean protein (3 to 6 ounces of fish,

chicken or tofu) and the last quarter with whole grains (1/2 to 1 cup of brown

rice, sweet potatoes or whole wheat pasta).

• Eat every meal. When you wait longer than five hours between bites, your body

may release extra cortisol, a hormone that can increase appetite. I call it

“hangry.” I get hungry and angry: My stomach starts to burn and my brain gets

annoyed at every little thing. Then I eat whatever is in front of me, usually a

cookie or other sweet, empty-calorie treat. I realize I’m putting out the

“hangry” fires, but it is better not to get there in the first place!

By Lucy Danziger, SELF Editor-in-Chief