Long Term Weight Loss 8 Tips To keep Weight Off Permanently!

Losing weight is the first part of the battle. The second part is keeping it off permanently.

Many people can knock weight off short term then put it right back on. This article will give you 8 tips to keep the weight off permanently.

Many peoples diets are to strict and they restrict food groups that can be eaten and this lack of choice causes them to give up.

Also, many diets simply don?t make you feel healthy and people give up due to lack of energy, nausea etc

Keeping on track for long term weight loss

Lets say you have lost weight and are waning on a diet, here are 8 tips to help you keep the weight off longer term, which can be incorporated into ANY sensible diet.

1. Eat breakfast.

Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day.

Your body has been deprived of nourishment for up to 8 hours; at breakfast you re fuel your body giving you energy that sets you up for the day and curbs hunger pangs later on.

More than 80% of dieters who achieve long term weight loss eat breakfast, so this is very good advice.

2. Eat greens.

Fruits and vegetables are low in calories high in water and fiber, both of which make you feel full for longer.

Aim for five servings a day, this is not as difficult as it sounds, as there are plenty of foods to choose from.

If you are in a hurry, buy green foods supplement and dilute with fruit juice for a quick nourishing snack.

3. Eat naturally

It really is common sense which foods are good and bad for you.

If you eat as naturally as you can and avoid foods with lots of additives and processing you are on the right track for long term weight loss.

4. Don?t be too hard on yourself

People who keep weight off have learned to treat themselves and not be too hard on themselves.

Eating a Pizza or burger every now and again, is not going to make you suddenly jump hugely in weight.

A treat such as this 2 or 3 times a week will not harm you at all, so long as you are sensible with the rest of your diet.

The reason many people give up dieting is simply it is to demanding in terms of what they can eat, but the reality is it does not have to be in the first place.

Proper long term weight loss and maintance is exactly that, a long term process.

The occasional treat is essential, so forget about all the foods you can never eat again, you can!

5. Have healthy convenience food

It is to easy with our hectic lifestyles to simply grab burgers, fast food, microwave meals when were in a hurry.

Make sure you have quick healthy foods in the cupboard instead.

For example, tinned fish such as salmon, sardines or Tuna are ideal.

Simply add over a baked potato with some vegetables and you have a quick meal in a matter of minutes.

6. Eat 5 times a day

Eat regular and often, five times a day to prevent insulin spikes and hunger cravings. This way you will always feel full and more energetic.

7. Eat protein and carbohydrate together

Always try and eat carbohydrate and protein together at every meal.

Protein stabilizes insulin levels, which leads to steady energy throughout the day. One more benefit, eating protein has been shown to reduce your appetite.

Protein and carbohydrate work together so should be eaten together for long term health.

8. Drink water

Yes, you have heard it numerous times before:

Drink 2 liters of water per day to help with long term weight loss

Many of our hunger pangs are really thirst pangs so reach for the water first. Also water is essential in the fat buring process so make sure you get plenty each day.

Long term weight loss be realistic and sensible

The above is really common sense and allows you flexibility and choice in your eating habits.

To achieve long term weight loss incorporate the above in your diet and you will find it easier to stick with a diet as well as feeling healthy and more energetic.

For more weight loss tips and diet advice

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The Paradox of Prana & Citta

One of the fundamental principles of Yoga/Qigong practice is that prana (energy, life-force, qi) follows citta (mind, intention, focus). You can experiment with this, right now, by closing your eyes (after you read the rest of this paragraph!), and then placing as much of your attention/focus into one of your hands (say, your left hand) as you can: as you inhale and exhale, think of sending waves of love or kindness or joy (or some other up-lifting quality) into your left hand. Breathe and focus in this way, on your left hand, for a minute or two, or longer ? and notice what happens, notice how the feeling in that hand begins to transform, as it ?fills? with love/joy/kindness. Perhaps you?ll notice it feeling a bit warmer, or notice a tingling sensation, or a feeling of heaviness, or a feeling of the fingers being a bit swollen. Perhaps that hand will begin to sweat, or feel cold or clammy. Each person?s experience will be different. But what our various experiences will likely have in common is that we?ll notice that our left hand has become, almost magically, more ?alive? ~ we?re able to feel it in a more clear and immediate way.

What we?ve just experienced is ?prana following citta?: we placed our mind/attention/focus (citta) on our left hand, which generated a flow of energy (prana) into that hand, creating new and more potent sensation, of some sort. We see this principle at work in every aspect of our lives: when we?re focused on something (a project, our work, a relationship), our energy flows into that activity, and it tends to grow ?

Part of the process of a Yoga/Qigong practice, then, is to become more & more conscious of this mechanism ~ of prana following citta ~ so we?re able to use it in ways that are supportive of our practice. One aspect of the ?paradox? of prana & citta is that while this relationship can serve us in powerful & pleasant ways, it can also ~ when it?s operating unconsciously ~ be our greatest nemesis. For energy flows not only into fields/patterns that we consciously choose to focus on, but also into fields/patterns of mind/citta which we are unconsciously ?focused? on, and hence perpetuating/giving energy to. These are the samskaras (past-life tendencies) which we work/play to unravel (make conscious) within the context of our practice.

Another paradoxical aspect of this relationship is that the inverse of the original ?formula? can also be true, i.e. not only can ?prana follow citta? (the basis, for one, of Yuen Method work), but it?s also the case that citta/mind can follow (be influenced or shaped by) prana/energy. Which is why asana practice, as well as any form of energy-body ?healing? (e.g. acupuncture or Reiki), can work not only to transform our physical & pranic bodies, but can also, in the process, transform mental patterns ~ can shift our whole outlook or ?attitude? in a way which then (cycling back to the original formula) has new effects on our energy-bodies ?

So once we?re able, as practitioners, to bring body, mind & breath (like a beautiful golden braid) into a conscious relationship, what is the most skillful way to use this yogic axiom: prana follows citta (and citta follows prana)? And here, once again, we find paradox ? On the one hand, wouldn?t we want to choose, always, to focus on and therefore support/?feed? only the ?positive,? only what is ?good? or balanced or healthy? ?Keep your mind focused on the positive? is advice that forms the core of many a yogi/yogini?s daily life and practice. Yet if this is our only technique, how will those ?negative? patterns (that are wreaking havoc from the unconscious planes of our existence) ever be transformed?

The Vietanmese Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh gives the following advice to his students, on this point ? When we?re beginners, he says, it?s most skillful for us to give energy to, to nourish & support, what is healthy & balanced within us. Especially valuable to cultivate is what in Buddhist language is called the ?energy of mindfulness? ~ a spacious, vibrant ?awakeness? (a fully-awakened citta). We use this energy of mindfulness, then, to ?touch? or nourish (to pay loving attention to) those ?positive? qualities which we wish to augment. And if, on a regular basis, we?re able to focus our attention on the positive, what we?ll notice happening also is that many of our ?negative? qualities will ~ simply by not being given our attention, not being ?fed? ~ quite naturally dissolve ?

But not all of them! Which is why as we become more advanced in the practice, and our energy of mindfulness becomes strong, it is appropriate to begin to use our energy of mindfulness to ?touch? (or invite into our conscious mind) not only the ?positive? within us, but also the more ?negative? or ?stuck? aspects of our bodyminds. So, for instance, at this point ~ once our ?mindfulness? is strong ~ we could choose to embrace, with our mindfulness, the mental/emotional pattern called ?anger? ? And to the extent that our mindfulness is strong, its energy will begin to transform, unwind, release those ?anger? patterns. Eventually, when our mindfulness is quite bright ? merely shining its light onto these dark/stuck patterns will be enough to ?liberate? them, instantaneously. (Much like the ?darkness? of a room is gone completely once we turn on a light!)

And as our practice becomes quite advanced ~ our energy of mindfulness very bright, the braid of body, mind & breath quite coherent, fluid & fluent ~ our Presence (awakened prana/citta) will begin to have affects not only on our ?own? bodymind, but also the bodyminds of those with whom we interact ? a wonderful (though not always immediately ?pleasant?) gift we?re able to give to ?others? ~ a lovely form of service ? Grown out of the resolved & un-resolved paradoxes of ?.

prana follows citta

Elizabeth Reninger holds Masters degrees in Sociology & Chinese Medicine, is a published poet, and has been exploring Yoga ~ in its Taoist, Buddhist & Hindu varieties ~ for more than twenty years. Her teachers include Eva Wong and Mingyur Rinpoche. For more yoga-related essays (and other wonderful things!) please visit her website: http://www.writingup.com/blog/elizabethreninger

Blood Pressure Medications: A Concise Guide

High blood pressure is unfortunately something that most people have to deal with as they age. This is especially true for the average person in the western part of the world. The national average for high blood pressure is approximately 24% in the United States with most other Western countries within close proximity of that number.


Medication is the most frequent form of treatment outside of individual lifestyle choices. However, there are a wide variety of drug types used to treat high blood pressure and they each approach the problem in a unique fashion. A physician will prescribe the type of drug best suited for the needs of the individual patient.

Diuretics
A diuretic is a medication that reduces the amount of water and sodium in the blood. The reduction in water helps to reduce the overall pressure on the walls of the blood vessels and as a result lower the overall blood pressure. A diuretic is usually prescribed in addition to another type of medication as opposed to being used a sole treatment by itself. Diuretics are often called ?water pills? and the physician may refer to them as such.

Beta Blockers
Beta blocks work to reduce the heart rate and lower the blood pressure by inhibiting the bodies ?fight / flight? response. Essentially a beta-blocker blocks the ability of epinephrine and norepinephrine to stimulate the sympathetic nervous system. This action prevents the increased heart rate and high blood pressure, which is a direct result of that stimulation. The beta-blockers prescribed for high blood pressure have a calming effect and give the person a greater tolerance for stress.

Ace Inhibitors
Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, or ACE Inhibitors, as they are commonly known helped to reduce blood pressure by preventing the hormone Angiotensin II from forming. Angiontensin II normally constricts the blood vessels as well as acting on the brain to increase the need for salt and hydration.

Angiotensin Antagonist
Angiontensin antagonists target the same hormone as ACE inhibitors, described above. However, rather than inhibiting the production of Angiotensin II it blocks its effect on the cells of the heart and blood vessels. These medications are also referred to as ARB?s, which stands for angiotensin receptor blockers. This is a newer type of medication which helps to modulate the renin-angiotensin system which has a big role in maintaining the bodies overall blood pressure and the volume of blood in the body.

Calcium Channels Blockers
This class of medications reduce the overall level of calcium in the heart which in turn reduces the blood pressure since the level of calcium dictates the force with which the heart pumps blood. Individuals with a weak heart (cardiomyopathy) are advised to not take a calcium channel blocker.

Alpha Blockers
Alpha-blockers bring blood pressure lower by limiting the nerve impulses sent to the blood vessels, which allows the blood to pass more freely. Whereas the beta-blockers affect the heart to decrease blood pressure, the Alpha-blockers affect the blood vessels.

Alpha-Beta Blockers
The Alpha-Beta class of drugs combines the effects of both the Alpha-blockers and the Beta-blockers, and thereby bring about lower blood pressure. See the descriptions for both to understand how they work.

Nervous System Inhibitors
Nervous system inhibitors work at the level of the brain as opposed to the circulatory system. Essentially this class of drugs reduces the nerve impulses sent the blood vessels thereby allowing them to be more relaxed which results in lower blood pressure.

Vasodilators
A vasodilator works similar to many of the other drugs by relaxing the blood vessels and as a result lowering blood vessels. However, these medicines do not target the hormones or the heart directly. There are a large variety of these types of drugs and they act in different ways.

Ray Kelly is an Exercise Scientist with 15 years experience in the health and fitness industry. Find out more about Blood Pressure at: Blood Pressure and Weight Loss or http://www.free-online-health.com

Nurture Your Soul?Create Peace of Mind

The majority of people believe humans have a soul. There is significant controversy, however, on the soul?s impact or whether as humans we impact the soul?s growth or lack there of. Those who practice spirituality believe we are human beings having a spiritual experience and we are spiritual beings having a human experience. Such movies as: Ghost, Sixth Sense, What The Bleep Do We Know?, City of Angels and others illuminate this belief.

Nurturing the soul is as important as healthy nutrition, exercising and sleep. The soul?s sole purpose is to create spiritual/emotional growth. The sense of well-being and happiness emanates from the soul to the psyche. If the soul is ignored or malnourished the psyche and ultimately the body suffers.

The most effective way to nurture the soul is through spirituality. Spirituality is the God-related science of developing and freeing the God-made innermost being?the core of us??Made in the image of God. Love creates, all else destroys. Love cannot co-exist with other premises simultaneously; therefore, God is only love. The fly in the ointment of human existence verses in spiritual form?as God?is the ego.? The ego is essential to navigate the vicissitudes in physical life. However, the ego is what gets us into trouble. The truth is: All life on earth serves the sole purpose of developing our spirituality to the point of being free of spiritual ignorance, free of selfish or destructive behavioral (ego) patterns, free to return to our eternal home in God. True spirituality leads to freedom in God.

True God-related spirituality is achieved by means of scientifically applying spiritual teachings and spiritual techniques that fosters the ego to vanish in the fire of divine love and ego-oriented spirit?a.k.a. intellect?to be replaced by the Holy Spirit. Such true spiritual teachings can only be affected by a true connection to our innermost self. Because all humankind is God-made, Spirituality is our true nature and spiritual development is the most direct way to solutions of love and peace in all creation. Prayer, Meditation, Gratitude, Spending time in nature?including near fire and water are practices to create spiritual/emotional health.

?Prayer: Researcher and mind/body medicine expert Herbert Benson, M.D. found that regular prayer or the repetition of spiritual phrases such as Shalom, or Hail Mary, triggers relaxation and reduces stress. Make prayer a time of personal conversation with God, state your need or concern and ask for divine intervention. Acknowledge all you have to be grateful for and give thanks for that which you desire. Giving thanks is more effective than asking for what you desire. God knows what you need before you need it and has already sent it to you?therefore giving thanks acknowledges what you haven?t seen yet. Establishing a regular prayerful routine is important.

?Meditation: Researched for centuries, meditation is proven to have physiological benefits, including stress-relief, improved immune and cardiovascular function, relaxation, and decreased pain. Regular meditation practice leads to new insights about life issues (often resulting in the healing of past emotional trauma), heightened creativity, inspiration, greater compassion for others, and a greater connection to one's own inner guidance. There are a plethora of books and classes on meditation practices.

? Gratitude: The state of being grateful; thankfulness. (The American Heritage Dictionary) In the push and pulls of life we seldom realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich. Looking at the glass as half empty albeit is half full assures us, we will live with a sense of lack.

Gratitude is our most direct line to God and the angels. If we take the time, no matter how crazy and troubled we feel, we can find something to be thankful for. The more we seek gratitude, the more reason the angels will give us for gratitude and joy to exist in our lives. --Terry Lynn Taylor

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. --Melody Beattie

?Time in nature: The most visible manifestation of spirit is nature, where we most fully encounter and interact with life's primal energies in the forms of earth, water, fire, and air. Walking/hiking are easy and practical ways of reconnecting with nature and the earth, as are gardening, biking, camping and boating. Spending regular amounts of time outdoors within a natural setting, you enable yourself to better appreciate the rhythms of life, including your own.

Modern living prevents us from a balanced life. Time in nature restores that balance, while also deepening our connection with Spirit. Being near the water is a spiritually healthy experience, due to water's higher concentration of negative ions. Swimming in natural water or soaking in a mineral hot spring provides therapeutic benefits for a variety of ailments.

?Exposure to a campfire or fireplace has health benefits. Leonard Orr discovered that fire cleanses the bio-energy field of negative energies, and is a powerful aid in curing physical disease. Orr recommends spending a few hours each day near fire. Fire is also an important component of the vision quests Native Americans undertake to connect with the Great Spirit and discover their life purpose.

?Air is the closest expression of Spirit. Clean air is essential to health on all levels, and practicing conscious breathing is a potent self-care method for restoring energy and making you more aware of the power of Spirit as it flows through you.

Regular exposure to the four elements creates consciousness of Spirit's loving intelligence to sustain the world, while more deeply recognizing our place within it.

Given busy lives in today?s world there are several techniques to use until one can engage with the four elements. The following techniques relax, revitalize and remove blocked energy.

?Craniosacral Treatment?Relieves blockages caused by stress in the craniosacral system. Discovered by Dr. John Upledger in 1980, this system includes the cerebrospinal fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord.

?Reiki Chakra Treatment?Japanese spiritual healing technique, energy is channeled from master to student, cleansing the body?s chakras?specific energy modes inside the body. Creates reduced stress and a stronger bridge to your inner being.

?The Sound of Peaceful Healing?a 120-minute sensory journey that uses sound, touch and smell to revive the senses and restore a feeling of calm.

?Massage: Acupressure?based on acupuncture without needles, Deep Tissue, Reflexology, Swedish, Shiatsu, Aquatic Shiatsu,Trigger Point/Myotherapy, Rolfing.

Engaging in one or more of the soul nourishing activities?Prayer, Meditation, Gratitude, Spending time in nature, including near fire and water?daily will create soul/spiritual/ emotional health and you will enjoy a highly enriched and enriching life.

Dorothy M. Neddermeyer specializes in: Mind, Body, and Spirit healing for Individuals, Special Issues and Professional Coaching. As an inspirational leader, Dr. Neddermeyer empowers people to view life's challenges as an opportunity for Personal/Professional Growth and Spiritual Awakening. http://www.drdorothy.net

Lack of Sleep Can Make You Fat

In 2002, a poll done by the National Sleep Foundation found that thirty percent of adults got at least eight hours of sleep on weeknights, and fifty-two percent got at least eight hours on weekends. Our culture has become so sleep deprived that it is now more accepted to pump your body full of drugs and stimulants that to take a twenty minute power nap. Despite increasing reports telling us to sleep more, it seems that we perceive folks that attempt to get plenty of rest as weak, or at least weaker. We take pride in our ability to deprive our bodies of rest and rejuvination, and gloat in the accomplishments we make in all that extra time. But how long will we be able to get away with cheating our bodies... and will there be a price to pay?

Most people know about the role quality (and quantity) sleep plays on increased cognitive function, but that is not the only benefits we attain by allowing ourselves this precious time of rest. More studies are coming to light that reveal that sleep deprivation can and will aid in weight gain. In fact, seventy-seven percent of older adults who are classified as overweight or obese also report sleep problems. It seems that our hormone levels and metabolic rates are greatly affected by the amount of our sleep: in fact, one recent study revealed that long-term, partial sleep deprivation leads to hormonal and metabolic changes that mimic the effects of aging. Mind you, that was only partial-sleep deprivation, such as an hour less sleep than recommended--imagine the effects of massive sleep deprivation!

But what may come as a surprise is the fact that the amound of sleep we get can partially determine our ability to lose weight and keep it off. Common sense tells us that when we are in a tired state, our bodies lack energy to do everyday functions (of course we've noticed that--that's why Starbucks is so popular!), but one of these everyday functions that is impaired is the ability to burn calories. Sooo . . . our metabolism slows because our bodies are too tired to efficiently process the calories and food that we consume. Not only that, but our motivated sleep deprivation increases the level of the stress hormone cortisol which makes us feel hungry even when we are adequately fed. The slightly ironic side of this is that many people can't sleep because they're stressed, and then they're stressed because they can't sleep.

The University of Chicago did a study and found that people who got four hours of sleep or less per night had more difficulty processing carbohydrates. Interestingly, sleep deprivation also decreases our ability to efficiently and properly regulate blood sugar levels, resulting in symptoms that resemble type-2 diabetes. Could our lack of sleep also be a cause in the growing number of diabetes cases? It seems that sleep does more than just rests and repairs cells.

Some unfortunate individuals just can't sleep, though; however, a few simple changes may go a long way towards paying off our sleep debt. Exercise is always on the list, but a few more creative tips may be what is needed. Avoid drinking fluids before bed to decrease your chances of having to get up, and if you do get up don't turn on the bathroom light. That will stop the secretion of melatonin for the whole night. Also try not to use loud alarm clocks--that rude jarring out of sleep feeling is not the best way get your body moving. There is actually a clock made to mimic a sunrise: it's domed-top gradually increases in light until you turn it off. Of course, that won't work until you're fully rested every night, but it is a good natural way to wake up. One other way to help induce sleep is to eat a high-protein snack and a piece of fruit several hours before bed to help release amino acids that aid in the onset of sleepiness.

Getting sufficient sleep may take more time out of our day, but if it makes us more productive and energetic it is a worthy investment. We don't need drugs or caffeine to stay awake. We just need more sleep.

Brianna Stanley has turned her passion for health and wellness into her business. To find out more about the Freedom Project's simple 3-step process, click here: http://www.miniofficeoutlets.com/stanley

All About Acne Body Wash

If you?re like me, you not only get acne on your face now and then, but all over your body as well. Although I normally only get acne on my face and back, I?ve had at least some amount of acne on just about every area of my skin at one point or other in my life. My feet, legs, and (ahem) genital area seems to be the only places to escape it completely so far. While there is a certain relief to that fact, having acne on my scalp, back, butt, chest, stomach, and shoulders is not exactly fun. For this reason I?ve done plenty of experimenting with acne body washes.

Oh, the joy of acne body washes knows no bounds. They come in different sizes, shapes, colors, smells, and flavors. Well, okay, I?m not sure about the flavor part, but there certainly is a wide array of acne body washes to choose from. The search is easily narrowed down when you consider the active ingredients involved. Most acne body washes use only one of two different active ingredients; salicylic acid or benzyl peroxide. Everything else in the wash is just for style points.

Having used plenty of different acne body washes, I consistently come back to the ones that use salicylic acid. This is somewhat counterintuitive, because benzyl peroxide seems to work best with the acne face washes I?ve tried. I?m not really sure why, but salicylic acid just seems more effective for body acne than anything else, even though its only moderately effective for facial acne. I prefer the acne body wash that ?Phisoderm? makes.

So my acne prevention and treatment routine is a benzyl peroxide acne face wash, and a salicylic acid acne body wash. So long as I use these washes daily, I?m able to reduce the acne I would be getting by somewhere around 90%, which is great. However, there is still that 10% or so that gets by, and I can?t really seem to do much about it. The acne on my back is especially hard to prevent; no acne body wash gets rid of it completely.

It seems to help a little if I use lotions and other skin care products in addition to an acne body wash. I like using ones with aloe vera and vitamin E. If I apply lotions like these soon after using an acne body wash, it seems to boost the overall anti-acne effect.

Keith Londrie II has put up three informative web sites so that you can learn more about acne and it's control. For more information please visit http://acneinformation.info/ as well as http://acne-solution-treatments.info/ and http://stop-your-acne.info/ for more detailed information.

Atkins Diet Results Are In & Some People Aren't Going To Like Them

According to a report I read at FoxNews.com (http://foxnews.webmd.com/content/article/102/106544.htm), researchers have come to some conclusions that are sure to create a firestorm of controversy. Researchers took ten obese patients into the most controlled of environments - an actual live-in study - where they closely monitored everything that they consumed, their weight gain or loss, water-weight gain or loss, and their blood glucose and cholesterol levels.

The premise of the study was to evaluate how an Atkins-like low carbohydrate diet actually works, or more specifically, why it works. The patients were to eat whatever they wished for the first seven days of the study. This period of time was used to determine their typical diet and caloric intake. Absent any guidelines, the patients consumed an average of 3,100 calories per day.

For the next two weeks, the patients were told to follow a low-carb diet. In this case, the patients were allowed to consume 20 grams per day of carbohydrate, but then they could consume as much protein and fat as they wished.

At the end of the two-week period, the patients lost an average of 3.6 pounds each and their blood levels normalized. But what about the low-carbohydrate diet caused them to lose weight? Interestingly, though they were not given calorie restrictions, the patients inadvertently cut their caloric intake by a whopping one-third. On average, the patients consumed only 2,100 calories per day while on the low-carbohydrate diet.

Researchers concluded that it's not what you are eating, but how many calories you are consuming that determines whether you experience weight gain or weight loss. Hmmm... that makes sense.

This is exciting news for those of us fighting the battle of the bulge. The implications are that structure; almost any structure, can result in a reduction in calories, and hence, weight loss.

There is a downside, but the well-informed weight loss warrior can overcome this hurdle if he or she is armed with the power of knowledge. The problem is that people do not seem to stick with a program even though it is working for them.

Researchers surveyed people who participated in four of the top-rated diet plans. After one year, only half of the respondents were still on the Atkins and Ornish diets, while about two-thirds of the Weight Watcher and Zone Diet participants were still in compliance. Persistence loses out to boredom.

So, how can we benefit from this information? Two things are clear when analyzing this information. The first thing is that structure results in a reduced caloric intake. Whether it's low-carb or low fat, when you watch what you eat, you tend to eat less and lose weight.

The second thing (and this is the key to long-term success) is that you should plan to switch, or switch your plans. The lack of variety may cause many participants to fall off the wagon ... even though they may be experiencing success.

Map out a course that you can live with. Try to use a certain plan for six months and then another for the next six months. If that works well, repeat it again for a year. For others, it might be easier to follow a seasonal plan. Three-month stints on each of four different diets might add the variety that you need to stick with your plan.

However you map out your future, be encouraged by this study. Ten people began a study. Three weeks later, they emerged weighing less and having stabilized their blood levels. They reduced their caloric intake by nearly one-third, and didn't miss anything. This is the kind of behavior from which we can all benefit.

Michael Callen is the author of the Weekly Weightloss Tips Newsletter (http://www.weeklyweightlosstips.com) and the Chief Technology Officer for WellnessPartners.com (http://www.WellnessPartners.com), an online retailer of dozens of health and wellness products such as conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), r+ alpha lipoic acid (R+ ALA), and green tea extract.