If you’re on a diet, or thinking of dieting to shed those extra unwanted pounds, you have several choices and methods. Unless you have a medical condition which relates to your weight gain, the surest way to lose weight and keep it off is counting calories. Medical conditions such as diabetes, thyroid or other endocrinogical disorders require that you consult with your health care provider for safe weight loss.

Counting calories is the way to go when your overweight condition arises from a too healthy appetite or plain overindulgence. The many fad diets and programs which supply you with pre-portioned meals may help you reach your goal, but these diets typically involve complicated menu planning or a hefty price. Counting calories is reliable, easy and much less expensive.

Common sense tells you that when choosing the calorie counting method, you also need to include foods from each of the food groups. A properly balanced diet ensures adequate nutrition.

Barring a medical cause, when you gain weight, the usual culprits are too much food and poor choices. For example, large portions of fatty meats, more than the occasional candy bar, frequent fried indulgences along with the heavy use of sodas are a sure recipe for gaining weight.

If you salt your food heavily, it’s most likely it’s just a habit your palate can be weaned from. Salt causes you to retain water and is unhealthy for your heart. Try a salt substitute, or look up some of the many herbal saltless mixtures.

Before you start your diet, pick up a good nutrition reference guide. Such books give you a complete picture of calories, carbohydrates, fats, fiber and protein content of foods, along with figures on vitamin and mineral content. These guides also tell you what each nutrient does to support your total body health. This information becomes meaningful in the counting calorie context and can serve as inspiration to both weight loss and better health. For example, let’s say you suffer poor night vision. You also dislike orange and yellow vegetables as a rule. When you learn that these vegetables contain high amounts of vitamin A and that night blindness can be remedied with sufficient vitamin A, you may get creative with those carrots, also low in calories.

When counting calories, you’ll find you can trick your appetite by eating meals in separate courses. This encourages more leisurely eating, better digestion and a feeling of fullness with a smaller portion size. You also tend to enjoy your food more.

When it comes to sweets, if they are your nemesis, you can allow yourself a few, so long as your nutritional needs are fulfilled first and you do not exceed your calorie count for the day. Disallowing any sweets is the downfall of many a dieter’s plan, because you feel deprived and discouraged.

Counting calories is the easiest way to lose weight. You just have to be honest when you’re counting!

Recent statistics indicate that fully one third of Americans are now overweight. This fact should be shocking, but an overweight condition has become so prevalent that we’re apparently no longer paying attention. There are dozens of nationally known diet programs, which, forgive the pun, sell like hot cakes. Yet, the number of overweight people continues to rise, year by year.

If you’ve had it with these fad diets, there is a simple weight loss approach that works. Best of all, it won’t cost you a penny to give it a try. Unless you have a medical condition, such as a thyroid imbalance, you gain weight only because you consume more calories than you burn. It’s as simple as that. When you eat fewer calories than you burn, weight loss is the inevitable result.

Look online for any number of websites that contain charts showing the calorie content of foods. The most valuable sites will have additional nutritional information, with figures on protein, sugars, fiber and carbohydrate content. Many also list specific name brands of processed or prepared foods. If you want to buy a calorie counter book, that’s fine too. When you intend to lose weight, a good nutritional guide is another good addition to your bookshelf. Your local library has numerous books on nutrition too.

Make your own spreadsheet showing the calorie content of foods you eat most often. If possible, include vitamin and mineral content information as well. If you have dietary restrictions due to health conditions, such as salt intake or vitamin deficiencies, highlight foods to avoid and those to promote in your personal diet.

When considering the calorie content of foods, be aware that some foods, especially high-fiber foods, sometimes require more calories to digest than is contained in the food! Bananas are a good example. So don’t count bananas out of the picture if you enjoy them. Besides, fiber is good for your overall health.

Look for charts that show what a person of your build, height and weight requires to maintain your current weight. Let’s say you need 2000 calories daily. You can cut your daily intake to 1200, which is a 40% reduction. If you make your menus total no more than 1200 calories per day, you will lose weight.

A good exercise regimen will accelerate your weight loss and prevent loss of muscle tone and saggy skin. There are charts which show the number of calories various forms of exercise burn during an hour of activity. Swimming, biking and other active sports which use most of the muscles are best.

So there you have the secret. Knowing the calorie content of foods, the advantages of high fiber foods and getting plenty of exercise will produce remarkable long term results. To your new trim and beautiful self!

The Cellulite Solution : A Doctor’s Program for Losing Lumps, Bumps, Dimples, and Stretch Marks

by Howard Murad

Amazon description:

Every woman dreads it. But most women—even thin women—have it. Massage systems, topical creams, and going off caffeine won’t budge cellulite, and dieting usually doesn’t reduce it either. At last, The Cellulite Solution contains a simple three-pronged program that actually works to reduce dimpling.

Drawing on thirty-five years of clinical experience, Dr. Murad has developed a cellulite-slaying method that is effective for woman of any age, no matter how severe their cellulite problem is. A triad of nutritional direction, lifestyle changes, and topical treatments combines to both prevent and get rid of cellulite.

Follow Dr. Murad’s program and you’ll see “cottage cheese thighs” reduced and you’ll notice smoother skin all over as your cells are replenished and plumped by water. Dr. Murad explains his complete water principle and why cell hydration-which is essential to healthy and young-looking skin-can’t come from drinking water alone. As a bonus, Dr. Murad’s program also reduces stretch marks!

Complete with a detailed eating plan and specific recommendations for supplements as well as external skin care, The Cellulite Solution is the magic formula you’ve been looking for to banish the most stubborn beauty problem women face today.

No More Cellulite : A Proven 8 Week Program for a Firmer, Fitter Body

by Wayne Westcott, Linda La Rosa

This book is effectively an 8 week training cardio vascular training program, designed to solve your cellulite problem. The book starts by explaining what cellulite is and what causes it. It also covers strength training, stretching and endurance training, supplemented with a nutrition plan.

And I can only agree with one of the reviewers on amazon:

“After reading this book I would recommend it to anyone with that “orange-peel”, dimply cellulite and for anyone who wants a basic book on weight training, cardio and healthy eating. All-in-all this is a must-have book in your diet/exercise/healthy living library.”

Beyond Cellulite : Nicole Ronsard’s Ultimate Strategy to Slim, Firm and Reshape Your Lower Body

by Nicole Ronsard

I absolutely love this book and the recipes it has! But you don’t have to take it from me, here is an Editorial Review from the Library Journal:

Ronsard’s first book on cellulite ( Cellulite: Those Lumps, Bumps, & Bulges You Couldn’t Lose Before , 1973) became a bestseller nearly 20 years ago. Here Ronsard updates her original work with a holistic approach to total body health that will, she says, eliminate cellulite as well. Her regimen includes sensible eating and exercise that will benefit anyone. She pushes fruits, vegetables, and grains, advising us to reduce fats and sugars. Several recipes are included. Directions for toning exercises supplement her recommendation for regular aerobic workouts. The controversial massage and brushing techniques for lymphatic circulation and tissue mineral balancing may not actually break up the lumps and bumps, but they feel good and are harmless. If it works, do it. Bathing suit season is coming! Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 11/1/91.

The Cellulite Breakthrough : 5 Steps to Ending Cellulite Forever

This comprehensive guide provides up-to-date information on the latest treatment options, including the facts on CellaseneTM, the hottest dietary supplement on the market today. Is CellaseneTM really the “magic pill” you’ve been waiting for? What are its side effects? How does it compare to other treatment options? Here are the answers you need and a unique cellulite-busting program that combines diet, exercise, supplements, and more.

The Butt Book : How to Build a Non-Cellulite and Fat-Free Butt in 9 weeks

This book is devoted to giving you a curvaceous derriere safely and as fast as possible. It is a good read because, and pardon the pun, it takes the ‘bigger’ picture into consideration and in addition to fitness and exercises lets you discover how your eating and drinking choices can shape your seat into the firm but bouncy bum you want.

The Cellulite Solution

In this ground-breaking new book, Dr. Elisabeth Dancey explains why women are more prone to cellulite than men, why liposuction is not only ineffective, but can actually make cellulite worse, How fat is stored and burned and why women with heavy hips and legs always seem to lose weight on their upper body. She also let you discover the different kinds of cellulite, how heredity plays a part in the way you look and why even thin women have cellulite.

The real value of the book though is in what she shows you next. With exercise, creams, lotions, aromatherapy and a healthy doze of cellulite fighting food I found ways I could go beyond simply controlling my cellulite but also eliminate it.
<!–[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]–>

Other sizes:M | L	Body Drama: Real Girls, Real Bodies, Real Issues, Real AnswersPrice: $11.16 USDLowest used price: $9.95 USD
Other sizes:M | L	The Butt Book: How to Build a Non-Cellulite and Fat-Free Butt in 9 WeeksPrice: $6.14 USDLowest used price: $6.16 USD

Demonstrates step by step massage techniques for cellulite reduction.…Cellulite Reduction massage. This video really makes the cellulite technique really clear and understandable.

[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=vFO2vOG-Qdo[/youtube]

There is no such treatment or diet to rid cellulite from your body once and for all. If there was, people would party in the streets. There probably even would be an international holiday based on the treatment’s discovery. But, you certainly can reduce the appearance of your cellulite and even prevent more from forming. That’s certainly better than nothing. And, the advantage of a diet to rid some cellulite is that it helps all other areas of your body, too.

Water, Water Everywhere

Cellulite will look a lot more pronounced when your skin is wrinkled or partially dehydrated. If you can plump up your skin without adding to your fat, then you can help make your cellulite look flatter and not so three dimensional. You need to drink plenty of water – NOT soda, not energy drinks and definitely not alcoholic beverages. They can not only give you empty calories, but will dehydrate you. Herbal teas can also help add variety to your diet to rid cellulite appearance.

Less Fat, More Fiber

If you have heart of heart-healthy diets and diets for diabetics, then you have also heard of a diet to rid cellulite appearance. Fortunately, these diets also benefit your heart, blood pressure and cholesterol. You need to eat less meat, less fried foods, less really fatty foods and more fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Fiber not only helps you be regular, but it also helps give you the feeling of being full.

In Hot Water

There are some conflicting notions as to what herbal teas or hot drinks make the best detoxifying teas in a diet to rid cellulite appearance. Fennel tea is often prescribed to help you loose weight and to promote better digestion. Some people prefer mint tea, although that’s mostly due to personal taste. It’s certainly better to drink herbal tea than a sugary carbonated soft drink.

And then some people think it’s the hot water that helps in the diet to rid cellulite appearance, not what herbs you actually use in it. Some people like to have a hot cup of water with lemon juice and skip any teas altogether. This is definitely an invigorating drink and does soothe the innards, if nothing else.

Also

To get the maximum benefits from your diet to rid cellulite appearance, you need to also exercise regularly, quit smoking and find ways of managing your stress. Massaging your cellulite-prone areas can also help to lessen cellulite appearance.