Question: What is the recipe for the Lemon Detox Diet Drink or Master Cleanse Lemonade?
Answer: The Lemon Detox Diet is also called the Master Cleanse Diet or Neera Super Cleanse. While on this diet you are supposed to substitute all solid food with a special diet “lemonade” for a period of 5-15 days, and it is recommended that you take a herbal laxative such as Senna Herbal tea every night. You should try to drink at least 60 ounces (+- 1.8 litres) of the diet drink every day.
Recipe for the Master Cleanse lemonade:
- Two tablespoons of fresh lemon juice (approximately half a lemon)
- Two tablespoons of maple syrup (not maple flavored sugar) or Madal Bal Natural Tree Syrup (a mixture of palm and maple syrup)
- a pinch of cayenne pepper or to taste
- 8 ounces of water (+-250ml), at room temperature
Mix the ingredients listed above for one serving of the diet drink.
Please note that we have decided to provide the recipe for the Master Cleanse / Lemon Detox Diet lemonade simply because we are asked this question so often. At OptimalBodyWeight.com we do not believe that this popular detox diet is a healthy way to lose weight. For more information please read this review of the lemon detox diet. While you may lose weight fast on this weight loss plan; the weight loss will not be sustainable, and you will almost certainly slow down your metabolism. For healthier alternatives read here how you can boost your metabolism and lose that weight for good.
Question: My GP told me that if I want to lose weight I should have smaller meals more frequently. How can eating smaller meals more often help me lose weight?
Answer: Gaining control over what you eat, how much, and when, is the key to losing weight and maintaining your goal weight. If you battle to control your weight and your appetite; your biggest problem is most likely keeping your blood sugar levels stable. The level of sugar in your blood tells your body when it needs food and how urgently it needs it. You can never be in control of your appetite until you have your blood sugar levels in check. With blood sugar levels out of kilter you will simply be responding to distress signals sent out by your brain to your body all the time.
How does it work then? When you go without food for more than 4 hours at a time your blood sugar plummets, resulting in a raging appetite that can easily overpower your best intentions to stick your your weight loss plan. When you then eat a large meal (especially one high in refined carbohydrates), it causes a spike in your blood sugar immediately following the meal. You body will use what energy it can from this sugar rush, and store the rest as fat. An oversupply of insulin to cope with these unnaturally high blood sugar levels in turn result in very low blood sugar levels a couple of hours later. You will feel ravenous and tired, and so the vicious cycle continues.
Having smaller meals more regularly (at least every 4 hours) will result in smaller blood sugar spikes after the meals, followed by smaller blood sugar drops, i.e. more stable blood sugar levels. Your body does not need to send out any distress signals, because it has a consistent source of energy. This means that you will finally be in control what you eat, how much, and when. To keep your blood sugar levels even more stable, ensure that each meal contains some lean protein, fiber-rich fruit or vegetables and some “good fats” such as olive oil or avocado. Not only will this combination of macro-ingredients reduce the impact of the meal on your blood sugar levels, but it will also keep you feeling fuller for longer.
Use this free online food diary to capture what you eat and drink. It will also tell you the protein, carb and fat content of each meal.
Question: I delivered a wonderful baby boy almost 6 months ago. At the time I fell pregnant I weighed in at about 155 lbs and went up to 186 at time of delivery. I am now back down to 170 lbs, but really battle to lose the weight, especially around my belly. Wat diet can you recommend for me? I don’t have too much time to exercise, but maybe you can suggest something for once a week?
Answer: At least you know you are not alone. Losing that extra weight around the abdomen is the biggest problem for most women after they’ve delivered. One thing to keep in mind though, is that it took your body nine months to gain the extra weight – don’t expect it to drop off overnight. Also, the changes to your lifestyle and sleep deprivation that accompanied your baby into your life do not make it any easier for you to lose weight. For that reason you must choose a simple and healthy diet, easy to follow, but still one that is nutritious enough so you can cope with the demands on your life.
While it is generally accepted that targeted weight loss is unlikely on most healthy diets, the results from a number of clinical trials appear to support the fact that a diet sufficiently relatively high in monounsaturated fats or “good fats” not only contributes to weight loss, but also seems to be especially good in helping to reduce external and internal fat around the torso. Monounsaturated fat also plays an important part in regulating and re-balancing your hormones. The Mediterranean Diet is the way of eating that was identified for inclusion in the trials precisely because of its high “good fats” content, largely because of the liberal use of olive oil. The Mediterranean diet should be considered as a way of eating rather than a diet, but still compares well with even Atkins as far as weight loss go. More info to be found in this Mediterranean Diet Review. The Flat Belly Diet Review contains more discussions on the benefits of monounsaturated fats for weight loss.
For exercise: Put on those walking shoes and go for long leisurely strolls with your baby. Once a week, go for a yoga lesson to get your energy and life-balance restored.
Question: I am really tired of spending my money on weight loss pills and supplements that don’t work, but I need help. I am hungry all the time and just can not stop eating. I can’t control myself, but I simply have to lose weight. I need something that works! All help will be appreciated.
Answer: The best diet pill for you depends on your dietary preferences. I will suggest some weight loss pills you may want to consider, but it is important to realize that while these pills may help you lose weight a bit faster; any sustainable weight loss can only be brought about by a permanent change in eating habits for the better. You don’t mention your main “poison”; but if junk food or store-bought snacks are what you keep on craving, I’d suggest you read this review of David Kessler’s the End of Overeating first. Most of these processed food products have been specifically manufactured with just the right mix of fat, salt and sugar to lead to food addiction. The only way to overcome addiction to junk food is to switch to a healthy, balanced diet based on natural foods.
If you still want to proceed in trying out a weight loss pill, you may want to consider Alli. Alli is a FDA approved diet pill that works by blocking fat absorption, but it should only be used if you are seriously sticking to a very low fat diet otherwise the side effects can be embarrassing. You can find more information on this fat blocker in the following review of Alli. Another product that prevents fat absorption is Proactol.
If you are not planning to go on a low fat diet, you may want to try NuPhedrine. NuPhedrine contains bitter orange for its fat burning or thermogenic qualities, along with Hoodia Gordonii as appetite suppressant. As you may know, ephedra has been banned for use in weight loss pills. Many of the popular weight loss products were subsequently reformulated with bitter orange as replacement for ephedra. Although bitter orange is not as strong a stimulant as ephedra is, it is still a stimulant so do not take it unless you are healthy. Pay special attention to any predispositions for heart problems. NuPhedrine can be used with any diet. More information van be found in this review of NuPhedrine.
Question: I find it really hard to lose weight, and think that I may lose weight faster with Alli? Does this diet pill actually work and what are the side effects?
Answer: Alli is one of very few weight loss pills that are actually FDA approved, so it can be argued that it is safer for you than the majority of untested diet pills available on the market. Alli works by preventing your body from absorbing about 25% of your total fat intake; thereby reducing your daily calorie intake. Alli is in essence then a fat blocker. Clinical trials have shown that Alli can help you lose 50% more weight than you would have if you only followed a healthy low fat diet.
Because Alli works only on the digestive tract, its side effects are limited. If you do not stick to a low fat diet, the use of Alli it can have some very embarrassing side effects that may require you to start carrying around an extra pair of undies. If you stick to a low fat calorie controlled diet though, the only “side effect” should be that you may soon need to invest in new outfits!
Just remember – while Alli can only help you lose weight a bit faster, the real work is in making sure that you follow a healthy low fat diet. While Alli can provide that extra boost; it will not help you lose weight in any sustainable way unless you change your eating habits permanently.
More information on how this diet pill works can be found in this review of Alli. You may also find it helpful to track you calorie & fat intake using this free online food diary.
Question: What does BMI mean and where can I get mine calculated?
Answer: Your Body Mass Index, or BMI, is an index used by medical professionals to determine whether you are in shape or not. It really is a ratio calculated using your height and weight. While your BMI offers a good starting point to assess how close you are to your healthy weight, it must used with care. The main disadvantage of using the BMI to assess body shape or obesity is that it is not that precise. It does not take into account bone structure or your lean muscle mass versus fat ratio. To compensate for these factors, BMI numbers should be interpreted in ranges. For example: if you are athletically built or have a heavy bone structure, your BMI is likely to be on the higher side of the normal range when you are at your ideal body weight; while your small-framed friend should ideally be on the lower side of the normal range. Remember that your goal should be to be healthy, not just skinny.
Categories for BMI are as follow:
- Below 18.5 Underweight
- 18.5 – 24.9 Healthy
- 25.0 – 29.9 Overweight
- 30.0 – 39.9 Obese
- Over 40 Morbidly Obese
Find out how close you are to the normal range by using this free BMI calculator. The same weight loss support website also offers you a free ideal weight calculator that takes into account your bone structure.
BMI should not be used to assess weight problems in children, as it is only applicable to adult bodies.
Question: I’ve noticed that Hydroxycut is back on the market reformulated as Hydroxycut Advanced. Is it now safe to use?
Answer: Hydroxycut products were voluntarily recalled by Iovate Health Sciences (the manufacturers) from the market in the beginning of May 2009, following a damning FDA report advising customers to immediately stop using the majority of Hydroxycut products. This warning was issued by the FDA following 23 reports of serious health problems directly related to the use of Hydroxycut. Reported incidents include cases where the use of this popular weight loss supplement resulted in the death of one man and necessitated a liver transplant on a woman. Several lawsuits have already been filed. For more background on the original FDA report see this article on the recall of Hydroxycut.
Barely two months after the Hydroxycut products were recalled, a reformulated version of the popular “fat burner” Hydroxycut weight loss pill is back on the market as Hydroxycut Advanced. Interestingly, it is packaged to look similar to the widely popular original Hydroxycut product. Iovate Health Sciences indicated that, after further analysis of the incidents and the ingredients in the original products, they were unable to isolate the ingredient that may have caused these serious side effects. In an attempt to make the product safer, it was reformulated and many of the ingredients changed. That Hydroxycut Advanced was put back on the market so soon after the recall (2 months) suggests that it may not be properly tested. It is therefor still unclear how safe this weight loss product is. With so many ingredient changes, it can also be argued that Hydroxycut Advanced is a totally different product with an unproven track record as far as effectiveness go. Our recommendation at this stage remains to steer clear of Hydroxycut products until more tests are done.
Question: I have to lose a lot of weight (about 50 pounds) fast. What would the best diet or weight loss plan be for me?
Answer: The right diet for you really depends on your personal tastes and lifestyle. If you chose a diet that is well-suited to your taste in food and your lifestyle; it will be so much easier to stick to it and it will really enhance your chances of success. A healthy diet is one that becomes a new way of eating, so the weight you do lose can stay off permanently. A recent scientific study on choosing a diet suggested that; as long as you choose a healthy and well balanced diet, the actual mix of protein, carbs, and fats is not that important. It is far more important that you are able to stick to the plan and make a permanent lifestyle change.
For example; if you love red meat the Atkins Diet may be the best weight loss plan for you, while the Mediterranean Diet may be just the one if you love fish. Of course, if cooking is your pet hate, something like NutriSystem may offer a better fit to your lifestyle. If you are the type of person that needs more structure and support, Weight Watchers offers a proven approach and support network.
So take your time and choose your diet carefully considering everything you’ve learned from your past weight loss experiences. Whichever one you choose, break that 60 lbs down into mini-goals and celebrate the achievement of each; then the whole weight loss journey will not seem quite so daunting. There is nothing that motivates like success.
And if your first diet choice turned out to be the wrong choice, try something else until you find a weight loss plan that works for you.
Question: I’ve often heard people say that muscle weighs more than fat. Can this explain why I haven’t lost so much weight since I started working out?
Answer: Well, yes and no. One pound of muscle and one pound of fat will both reflect a pound of weight on the scales, so in effect there is no difference between “fat weight” and “muscle weight”, as far as the scales go. But all pounds are not made equal. Muscle is more dense than fat; so a smaller volume of muscle will weigh the same as a larger volume of fat. So, if you have plenty of lean muscle mass, you may weigh as much or even more than someone with more fat, but you will be leaner. The other advantage of lean muscle mass over fat is of course that it increases your metabolic rate, which helps you lose weight, maintain your goal weight, and allow you to eat more without gaining weight. The reason for this is that while one pound of muscle burns about 6 calories per day, one pound of fat only burns 2 calories per day! The more lean muscle you have, the more calories you burn, even while you rest.
In light of the discussion above you may want to change your stated goal to start losing fat (or inches), instead of weight. The last thing you want to lose is lean muscle mass; which is exactly what you lose on the majority of popular crash diets. Follow a healthy and balanced diet with plenty of protein combined with a good exercise program, and boost your metabolism for permanent weight loss. For more information on the different diets see our diet reviews.
Question: I have some extra fat around the waist that I really battle to get rid of. Any suggestions on how to lose this unnecessary belly fat?
Answer: Most experts agree that targeted weight loss is unlikely on most diets; but there does seem to be some scientific evidence that the Mediterranean way of eating can actually help people lose fat around the waist area. This is most probably due to the high “good fats” or “monounsaturated fats” content in the Mediterranean dishes. Good sources of monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) include olive oil, avocados and nuts. These good fats will not only help you lose belly fat; it can also help to protect you against heart disease and cancer. MUFAs make food taste better and helps reduce the glycemic load on most foods, so you stay fuller for longer and have more control over your appetite. In short, a good supply of monounsaturated fats is a critical part of any healthy and balanced diet.
For more information see these articles on the Mediterranean Diet and the Flat Belly Diet.
