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[W590]What Vitamins Are Good For Weight Loss

by Lori Pirog, M.s., Lor

D -- Do you have the DETERMINATION to succeed?
R -- Are you REALISTIC with respect to your goals and what it takes to achieve them?
E -- Are you willing to EDUCATE yourself about better food choices, eating habits, exercise, and other lifestyle choices?
A -- Are you ready to take ACTION?
M -- Are you ready to put the first four to work to enhance the power of the single most important key for MOTIVATION?

Each of these choices is important for your success!

DETERMINATION Keeps You Going

Determination is a key factor in successful weight loss. It is influenced by your perception or attitude about weight loss. You may find you need to make a shift in the way you feel now to give yourself positive energy for success.

Most of all you need to believe in your ability to lose weight. Are you ready to be your own cheerleader? This is essential!

REALISTIC!

Are you REALISTIC about the goal you have chosen? Are you REALISTIC about how you will lose the extra pounds and then keep it off?

Successful losers (those who not only lose weight but who successfully keep it off) have many similarities in their diet and lifestyle choices. This is especially true for those who lose a substantial amount of weight.

The National Weight Control Registry (NWCR) was established in 1994 to track the stories of people who have lost at least 30 pounds and maintained that weight loss for at least a year. Evidently the average participant has lost about 60 pounds and kept the weight off for about five years so far. About half of the NWCR participants lost weight by participating in formal weight loss programs. The other half lost the weight on their own.

Most of the participants lost weight and maintained that loss with a low fat and low calorie diet. The diets provided variety, balance, and adequate nutrients. Also, from what I can determine, all of the successful losers exercise regularly.

EDUCATE YOURSELF: Take Responsibility!

Educate yourself about what it means to be healthy. Read about or take a class on nutrition. Be sure your information is coming from a qualified health professional.

Find out what a healthy weight range would be for you given your age, height, and sex. A healthy diet will not only help you achieve your goals for weight loss but will help you maintain that loss.

In addition to choosing a healthy diet, successful weight loss means making appropriate lifestyle changes. Consider hiring a personal trainer to motivate you and teach you the benefits of exercise.

Also, learn as much as you can about your current habits. Why do you eat what you eat? What triggers you to make inappropriate food choices or eat more than you need? Consider keeping a food journal.

Take the time to find a healthy eating plan that fits your preferences. For example, do you want to weigh and measure each bite you eat or would you prefer to eat low calorie but high volume foods (high in water and fiber) and eat all you want?

Are you one of the rare individuals who can radically change your eating habits overnight and maintain the change? Or would you prefer to ease into healthier eating habits and accept slower weight loss?

TAKE ACTION!

Over time choose to change one less than positive behavior for another. Each time you adopt a new positive habit, consider it to be a small victory--an opportunity to celebrate your progress! This can be an effective way to increase your motivation.

There are many small changes you could make to enhance your progress. For example, you might find someone to whom you are accountable for your progress. Or you might ask yourself if you are drinking plenty of water? If you are not getting enough sleep, what can you do to remedy that situation?

MOTIVATION

There is one thing you absolutely must have to follow through on doing what you need to do. It is a very powerful but simple concept. The single most important key is to KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT. Your reason must be compelling and meaningful!

For example you might have a goal to lose a certain amount of weight before your wedding in a few months. Or maybe you are close to my age (over 40...) and you have some serious concerns about your health that are impacted by weight.

Be sure your reason is something meaningful to you. If you attempt to lose weight to please someone else, your chances for success are slim.

So if weight loss is on your mind for an important and personal reason, then dare to DREAM!

DREAM: have determination, be realistic, be willing to educate yourself, take action, and get motivated by knowing exactly what you want! You CAN succeed.

There's no question that vitamins are essential to live a healthy and disease-free lifestyle. And eating a balanced diet is the best way to get vitamins. However supplements may be necessary to round out your vitamin intake, just in case you may not be able to take in all the necessary vitamins due to a dietary restriction or a food allergy or a small appetite.

But if some vitamins are good, are more vitamins better? Is it possible to get even healthier by doubling your vitamin intake? The simple answer is: no!

Depending on the vitamin, it can actually be dangerous to have too many of these chemicals in your body. While they do exist in nature and your body does need them, your body functions best in a balanced moderation, rather than taking in too much of one thing.

Two of the most dangerous of vitamins that you can take too much are vitamin A and vitamin D. Believe it or not, too much of either one of these vitamins can actually lead to vitamin poisoning!

Excessive amounts of vitamin A can lead to weak bones and even osteoporosis, birth defects, hair loss, and excessively dry skin.

Excessive amounts of vitamin D can lead to higher than normal amounts of calcium in the blood, which can damage bones and kidneys and even lead to kidney stones.

It is not easy to be poisoned through vitamins, but it is not unheard of either. You can experience vitamin A. poisoning by eating too much liver (which might not be a problem for very many people!) And you can experience vitamin D poisoning usually through having too many vitamin D. supplements (since most foods do not carry a large amount of vitamin D). Also, these poisonings take place over time, and rarely happen immediately from an overdose.

So how do you know if you are accidentally poisoning yourself? Again, our bodies work best in moderation so when something is "out of whack" with the way it's supposed to be, our bodies have a way of alerting us. If you experience inexplicable headaches, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, dehydration, constipation, or blurred vision, you should talk to your doctor about the possibility of vitamin poisoning.

So how can you avoid vitamin poisoning? First, you need to recognize that a little bit of extra vitamins in your diet is okay, since your body will often excrete the excess. So by eating a balanced diet, and by supplementing it with a multivitamin, you are likely in range for healthy eating. However, if you find yourself eating specific foods and taking a lot of specific vitamins, you may be at greater risk. The best thing to do, is make sure that you are following the directions on the bottle.

Jeff Lakie is the founder of a website providing information on

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Lori Pirog, M.s. has sinced written about articles on various topics from Health, Lose Weight and Women. Lori Pirog, M.S. is a Nutritionist who shares her knowledge of healthy eating and weight management in her articles, blogs, and websites. To learn more about weight loss, diets, nutrition, and exercise visit:. Lori Pirog, M.s.'s top article generates over 60500 views. to your Favourites.

Admin has sinced written about articles on various topics from Infidelity, Tax and Class Action. Jeff Lakie. Admin's top article generates over 368000 views. to your Favourites.