You should remember that many of these products and their ingredients never have been given any kind of stamp of approval for safe or effective use. Additionally, the FTC is already trying to stop many of the false and misleading claims made by some of of these companies. What you really should remember is that many herbal and natural ingredients have not been proven totally safe or totally effective for the claims being made. Furthermore, many of those “blogs” that you see, claiming to be one person’s success story from using some of these products, are really nothing but paid advertisements. They have no credibility at all. Try searching Google on a quote from their content, and you’re likely to find dozens of near-identical clones with different names and locations.

It’s reasonable to think that the most desperate and overweight people are most likely to buy these products so they can do something about their weight. Some people believe that something is proven to be safe merely because it is on the shelf, especially when they’re very motivated to believe. However, consider that many ingredients make it to the shelves without any testing for safety. There are quite a few plant-based ingredients that could bring about serious medical problems, or even contribute to death. Just one well-known case in point is ephedra, which was eventually banned in the United States. But that is just one, and there are others that are of a equivalent potential risk.

One potentially unsafe ingredient is Phenylpropanolamine, and as of this writing it can be bought online. This specific ingredient made the media about a decade ago when it was generally used in cold medicines and weight loss pills. But the usual situation with something like this is it was promoted under different brands. What was so stunning about Phenylpropanolamine is that it was linked to all kinds of very serious cardiac health conditions and apparently could result in death. What we find most incredible is that this is still easy to find and to buy on the Internet. So just imagine the danger for people who have no concept about possible hazards associated with using it.

Your safety is ultimately your own responsibility, and there is only so much any governmental organization can do to protect you. Even ten years later, people will find a means to keep selling certain goods that may not be the safest for all people. Also, many individuals turn to these goods maybe because they are too desperate or lazy to use the old-fashioned approach of sensible diet and exercise. Sure, it takes hard work to lose weight, but we all know it can be done. There is no magic about losing weight and keeping it off, yet there seems to be no end to the new products that emerge to promise miracles. Don’t be fooled.

The products and programs that we recommend here are not magic remedies for excess fat. They require you to follow a sensible plan. That’s why we offer an exclusive free bonus when you buy some products through our links. The bonus helps you to stay motivated. See details at our review pages for Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle and Fat Loss 4 Idiots.

To make matters worse, the New Year is often the time when we plan to put our weight loss program into effect. We go into the holidays thinking, “I’ll lose that 20 pounds starting January 2nd. That’s my first New Years Resolution.” But all that holiday partying adds up, and by the time we get to January 2nd, we have 30 pounds to lose instead of 20. And since most of us don’t keep our resolutions for more than a few weeks (why do you think the gyms are so crowded in January and empty in February?), that extra 30 pounds is with us for a while.

You know what they say in the Army: “When you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” So isn’t it time you planned to succeed? Don’t go unarmed into the endless array of holiday meals and snacks. Have a plan, have a strategy, take up the right weapons, and you will have a successful campaign to prevent weight gain during the holidays.

Weapon Number One: Make a Plan

First and foremost, decide your goals and priorities. Do you want to lose weight during the holidays? If so, you’ll need a more aggressive plan compared to someone who just wants to avoid gaining.

Consider your priorities. Which is more important to you: enjoying holiday food or keeping the pounds off? Think about following a moderate course. You don’t want to deprive yourself entirely, so give yourself permission to have one or two treats per day, whatever seems reasonable to you in the light of your goals.

Then stick to that plan. Don’t obsess over the details, and don’t beat yourself up if you falter, but remember your goals and get back on track. At least 90% of the battle is mental (with apologies to Yogi Berra), but don’t make it a mental struggle. Just remember what’s truly important to you, and the rest will fall into place.

Weapon Number Two: Get Regular Exercise

You don’t want to deprive yourself of all the social and gastronomical opportunities that are so abundant this time of year. So do something to compensate for a few extra calories. Step up your exercise program. Work a little harder or a little longer on the treadmill or the elliptical. Then you won’t have to refuse every well-meaning offer of delicious food. You can burn off the extra with no need to consider cosmetic plastic surgery on your list.

Besides, exercise has other benefits. It makes you feel great, both physically and emotionally. Recent studies have shown that it even improves your brain power. Because you’ll feel happier, more alert, and more balanced, you’ll have an easier time not giving in to impulsive eating and sticking to your plan.

Weapon Number Three: Remember the Real Meaning of the Celebrations

Is Christmas really about food? No, it’s about a miracle. The gifts of the Magi were symbols of royalty, not food. Is Chanukah really about food? No, it’s also about a miracle. We have traditional foods associated with each holiday, but that doesn’t mean we have to feast like there’s no tomorrow.

And if your outlook is secular, remember that people had midwinter celebrations long before Christmas or Chanukah were conceived. They celebrated because the sun was starting to return from its yearly journey toward the southern horizon and the days were beginning to lengthen again. They could see, even in the midst of snow and ice and darkness, that spring would come again. I think we carry in our genes this profound gratitude for the annual return of the sun. We feel humbled in the face of the cycles of nature, which we can comprehend somewhat but never control.

So your weapon is to think about the meaning of the holidays, whatever the most profound meaning is for you, and not to get taken in too far by the surface glitter, not to lose sight of the meaning when confronted with a platter of cookies. You won’t be hurting Christmas if you refuse the extra helping. Just remember that.

Weapon Number Four: Feed Your Soul

The holidays aren’t all about socializing and partying. We enjoy our family and friends, if we’re fortunate enough to be among them at this time of year. But what about those who feel particularly lonely at this time because they haven’t many connections, or any connections?

If that sounds like you, please take courage. You’re not the only one to feel this way. (And in fact, a little solitude might be beneficial for those who spend this season surrounded by others.)

So here’s your weapon. Whether you’re alone or not, make some real quality time to be with yourself. This could mean turning off the TV, radio, computer and phone, and just sitting quietly to meditate on your blessings. It could mean bundling up to take a solitary walk in the woods, observing how your mind settles when you contemplate natural beauty, watching how the woodland creatures are provided with their needs even in winter. It could mean volunteering to help those less fortunate than you at a shelter or soup kitchen.

Whatever your choice, do something that you know will make you feel good about yourself. That’s food for your soul.

Your Arsenal

So there you have it: four weapons for your arsenal to avoid weight gain during the holidays. I hope you find this helpful. Please post your comments here.

Happy Holidays to all! “And peace on earth to men of goodwill.”

The South Beach Diet is a long-term weight loss plan. South Beach is absolutely not a fad diet that necessitates temporary changes in your eating habits. No. It’s for the long haul and it teaches you healthy eating and exercise habits for the rest of your life.

The core of the medical theory that led to the South Beach Diet is that insulin resistance impairs the body’s ability to digest carbohydrates and fats properly. They say that Insulin resistance is caused when the body digests food too quickly and that the South Beach Diet reverses or prevents you from developing insulin resistance syndrome, which can actually lead to diabetes and other diseases.

When you commit to the South Beach Diet, you’re giving up foods like white bread and french fries. All foods that are primarily bad carbohydrates or bad fats are banned. This stops insulin resistance and frees your metabolism to function much more efficiently.

The South Beach Diet is effective because it teaches you to change your lifestyle permanently. And that doesn’t mean that you’ll spend the rest of your life counting calories. You’ll just learn to avoid the foods that are bad for you.

But for many of us that may be easier said than done.

The South Beach Diet is easy to understand, but you must follow it strictly or it won’t help you. You go through three stages:

• Phase One (two weeks): Avoid all foods that appear high on the glycemic index. This means anything made with flour plus starchy vegetables. Baked and broiled meats are just fine, but nothing fried should be consumed. You can also have plenty of non-starchy vegetables.
• Phase Two (no time limit): You follow phase two until you’ve reached your target weight. During this phase you can add fruit and whole grains to your eating plan.
• Phase Three (maintenance – the rest of your life): Maintain the new eating habits that you’ve established during Phase Two. The third phase really never ends, unless you return to unhealthy eating habits.

They offer many online facilities when you sign up. If you have the temperament to participate, you will find these very helpful. Here’s a sample:

1. Weight Tracker: Keep track of your progress online.
2. Meal Planner: Create customized meal plans.
3. Community Message Boards: Keep up your motivation by participating in online communities.
4. Personal Online Journal: Journal your progress and read other inspiring journals.
5. Calendar Tool: Plan your daily activities.
6. Shopping List Generator: Get complete customized shopping lists based on your meal planner.
7. Answers from Dr. Agatston: Ask Dr. Agatston about your own diet, and see what he says to others.
8. Registered Dietitians.
9. Daily Newsletter.
10. Beach Buddies Program.
11. Food guides.
12. Huge Recipe Database.

It really offers a lot of value for the money. You can get a free diet profile, no obligation, by clicking right here.

That’s why there are so many yo-yo dieters, so many of us who lose a few pounds only to regain them, and then repeat the cycle of dieting over and over without permanent results. Well, guess what? It’s not your fault! New medical research now reveals the real reason for this endless cycle.

An Arizona doctor recently revealed this fat loss secret, and the whole diet industry is reacting because they could be out of business. In fact, Dr. Suzanne Gudakunst has even received death threats because of what she’s just published. That’s how important this information is.

Dr. Suzanne has conducted her own independent studies of the human colon and digestive system since 2002, and she’s now ready to publish her results for everyone’s benefit. It’s very simple, really, and there’s nothing difficult about the natural treatments she describes for obtaining permanent fat loss. She established a clear relationship between certain conditions of the colon and people with chronic obesity. These are people who repeatedly tried and failed to lose weight using traditional methods, but 100% of them benefited from her treatments.

Then she applied the same techniques to people who were simply overweight, not severely obese, and found the same consistently positive results.

So what is this fat loss secret? Many of us have digestive systems that are infested with plaque and parasites. These pests and their byproducts prevent our digestion from functioning as it’s supposed to. When treated properly, we can rid ourselves of the infestation and restore our systems to normal functioning. Permanent fat loss is the result of properly tuned digestion.

That’s it in a nutshell. The natural treatments discovered by Dr. Suzanne are based on herbs and plant extracts in certain combinations that have been proven to be effective. She gives all the details in her new publication, “Top Secret Fat Loss Secret.”

We give Dr. Suzanne’s program our highest recommendation. However, we don’t recommend buying it without getting the exclusive free bonus we’re offering right here.

Our exclusive free bonus

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A 55-page ebook: Subconscious Programming for Fast Fat Loss. In this in-depth book you’ll learn about the hidden power of the subconscious mind and how to harness it consciously to meet your goals. You’ll learn how to control your subconscious and empower it to bring about the lean body you’ve always wanted. Actual retail value of ebook: $7.99.

Plus, our policy is always to overdeliver, so we’re going to include two more unadvertised bonuses related to quick fat loss having an additional combined retail value of $22.98.

The total combined retail value of all our bonuses (free with your purchase of Top Secret Fat Loss Secret from one of the links on this page) is $60.95.

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1. Click here and order Top Secret Fat Loss Secret. That will open a new window and take you to the main site for Top Secret Fat Loss Secret, where you can place your order.
2. Wait for your order confirmation email from ClickBank.
3. Send an email to jason [at] losefatpronto [dot] com. Include your name and ClickBank Receipt number (from your order confirmation email) to verify your purchase. We will reply with instructions to access to your bonus. Please allow one to two business days This bonus is available exclusively from us at Lose Fat Pronto. You can’t get it unless you order Top Secret Fat Loss Secret through a link on this page.

Be sure to bookmark this page so you can find these bonus delivery instructions after you complete your order.

Important: This bonus offer comes directly from Lose Fat Pronto, not from ClickBank or from the publisher of Top Secret Fat Loss Secret. ClickBank will not honor any refund requests that are based on non-delivery, quality, or functionality of the bonus materials. If you have any questions or problems about the bonus, do not contact ClickBank or the product publisher. Click here for bonus contact information.

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If you’re comfortable navigating websites, and if you want to use a wide variety of helpful tools for managing your diet and exercise plans, then eDiets is a good fit for your style.

For a weekly subscription fee, eDiets gives you access to all the following:

• Custom tailored diet plan based on your preferences, including menus and shopping lists
• Nutrition tracking tool that lets you keep a complete record of what you eat
• Calculators, charts and graphs
• One-on-one consultations with nutrition specialists
• Custom tailored exercise plan
• One-on-one consultations with fitness specialists
• Online community support groups and chat rooms
• Challenges that are fun and motivational

The only downside here is that there may be too many choices and too much freedom. If you want to be held by the hand and told exactly what to do, this is not your best option. You could spend hours just surfing the eDiets site and never accomplish your goals. On the other hand, if you have the discipline and the motivation, and if you’ll really utilize what eDiets provides, you can really do well here.

Highly recommended for those who have the right temperament.

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You’re about to learn three easy ways to help you lose belly fat fast. You may already realize losing that excess belly fat isn’t just about looking good. You’ll feel better and you’ll significantly lower your risks of contracting several serious diseases, including heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, cancer, and diabetes.

Scientific research has shown without a doubt that excess belly fat is more hazardous to your health than fat elsewhere in your body. Lose your belly fat fast, and you’ll also lower your health risks at the same time.

If you’re wondering how a little beer belly could really be dangerous, keep reading. Your body can store two kinds of fat in the abdomen: subcutaneous fat and visceral fat. The visceral fat is deep inside your belly, among your abdominal organs. It gives you that typical protruding beer belly appearance.

Visceral belly fat also does something far more dangerous. It produces and releases into your body tissues molecules that can cause inflammation in other parts of your body. These inflammatory processes can attack your heart, your arteries, and other essential systems. That’s how the belly fat can lead to disease.

So now that you’re highly motivated to lose that belly fat fast, what are you going to do about it? You can do two things right now: one, read the rest of this article for three little-known tips that will help you lose that stubborn belly fat; and two, take a look at our review of The Truth About Six Pack Abs, an outstanding ebook that covers losing belly fat in depth. Be sure to read about the exclusive free bonus that you get for ordering from our page.

Of course you know the basic prescription: healthy diet and regular exercise. You can find several products on this site that will help a lot with your diet and exercise plan. But don’t leave this page just yet, because in a moment you’ll learn some lesser-known tips on how to burn up that beer belly. These will really help give you the extra edge in losing that fat quickly.

Keep your stress levels down

When you’re frequently in a stressed-out state, your body produces excess amounts of the hormones cortisol, insulin, and adrenaline. Cortisol increases your appetite and signals your body to produce more fat. Insulin signals your body to store that fat, often in the belly. And adrenaline causes even more stress plus difficulty in sleeping.

One of the best ways we’ve found to control stress is by regular use of simple hypnosis audios. They relax you and help you to stay relaxed. You can find these audios available for immediate download as mp3 files that can be played on your computer or portable mp3 player. Two publishers that we recommend highly are Totally Tranquil and Richard MacKenzie Direct.

Another way to reduce stress is to eat certain foods, especially ones that are high in Omega-3 fatty oils. These include most fatty fish (like salmon), olive oil, nuts, and seeds. Don’t overindulge, though, because these high-fat foods are also high in calories.

Get enough sleep

Most of us suffer from insufficient sleep. Five or six hours per night is not enough for optimum health, and it’s certainly not enough when you’re trying to lose belly fat fast. People who sleep less than four hours a night have a 70% higher chance of being overweight than those who sleep nine hours.

When you don’t get enough sleep, your body’s hormones get out of balance. In particular, you don’t produce enough leptin, which is the hormone that signals the body when it’s had enough to eat. When you don’t know you’ve eaten enough, you tend to keep eating.

For most adults, doctors and scientists recommend eight to nine hours of sleep per night.

Avoid trans fats

When you avoid foods with high trans fat content, you’ll lose your belly fat faster. It’s a simple relationship that recent studies have confirmed.

Trans fat is the hardened form of fat that manufacturers put into processed foods in order to increase their shelf life. Packaged cookies and crackers have large quantities. So does margarine. Whenever you see the word “hydrogenated” on a food label, it means that the fats have been processed to create trans fat. Don’t eat it.

There you have our three tips. Combine these with one of the great fat loss plans you’ll find on this site, and you’ll have a head start on your way to better health and losing belly fat fast. Remember not to miss our review of The Truth About Six Pack Abs and the exclusive bonus that we’re offering.

Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle was the #1 best selling fitness ebook on the Internet until recently, and for good reason. (It was overtaken by Fat Loss 4 Idiots. You may want to take a look at our review here.)

If you want lies, fairy tales, or the latest quick fix fad, don’t buy Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle. If you want the honest truth about real fitness solutions, written by a successful bodybuilder who has studied nutrition for most of his life, then this is the system for you.

But there is a problem, something missing from the program, that could keep you from succeeding. Keep reading, because we’re offering an exclusive free bonus that solves that problem.

Thousands of men and women are losing ugly body fat, not muscle, and not merely water weight, with no pills or extreme measures. They are using the simple, proven advice in Tom Venuto’s book.

Tom distinguishes clearly between weight loss and fat loss, and he shows exactly how to ensure that you lose fat without sacrificing muscle mass. In fact his system enables you to build muscle at the same time as you lose fat.

It’s simple, yes. But it’s not easy. It takes real work and dedication. You must be able to get motivated and stay motivated. That’s why in our view there’s really something missing from the package offered with Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle. In a moment you’ll find out how our exclusive free bonus covers the missing piece.

Tom does start the book with a chapter on setting goals and keeping your motivation. It’s a great chapter, but it just doesn’t give you all the tools for harnessing the power of your subconscious intention for lasting success. But with our free bonus, described below, you’ll really have all you need to succeed.

We’re not going to say much more here about the book. You can read all about it on their main site. We do recommend it highly.

However, we don’t recommend buying it without getting the exclusive free bonus we’re offering right here.

Our exclusive free bonus

We’re going to add a huge free bonus to the Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle program that’s yours exclusively if you buy through one of the links on this page.

Too often we decide consciously to do something, but our subconscious mind doesn’t completely agree, and we end up in an internal struggle. When we find ourselves thinking “I really should do this, but I don’t have the will power,” it’s a sign of that struggle. With this exclusive bonus package, you can eliminate any subconscious barriers to success and get the utmost out of Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle.

Here’s what you’ll get with our free bonus offer when you order Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle through a link on this page:

Two hour-long brainwave entrainment audios (mp3s): Get Motivated, and Lose Weight Fast. These amazing audio programs actually change your brainwave patterns to make your subconscious mind receptive to starting your fat loss plan and staying with it. All you do is relax and listen once a day to one of these audio programs, and the results are automatic. You’ll program yourself for success. This is not hypnosis and it’s not subliminal. It’s far more powerful since it works directly on your brainwaves. Actual retail value of each audio program: $14.99. Combined value: $29.98.

A 55-page ebook: Subconscious Programming for Fast Fat Loss. In this in-depth book you’ll learn about the hidden power of the subconscious mind and how to harness it consciously to meet your goals. You’ll learn how to control your subconscious and empower it to bring about the lean body you’ve always wanted. Actual retail value of ebook: $7.99.

Plus, our policy is always to overdeliver, so we’re going to include two more unadvertised bonuses related to quick fat loss having an additional combined retail value of $22.98.

The total combined retail value of all our bonuses (free with your purchase of Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle from one of the links on this page) is $60.95.

To get your free bonuses worth over $60.00 by immediate download, here’s what you’re going to do:

1. Click here and order Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle. That will open a new window and take you to the main site for Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle, where you can place your order.
2. Wait for your order confirmation email from ClickBank.
3. Send an email to jason [at] losefatpronto [dot] com. Include your name and ClickBank Receipt number (from your order confirmation email) to verify your purchase. We will reply with instructions to access to your bonus. Please allow one to two business days This bonus is available exclusively from us at Lose Fat Pronto. You can’t get it unless you order Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle through a link on this page.

Be sure to bookmark this page so you can find these bonus delivery instructions after you complete your order.

Important: This bonus offer comes directly from Lose Fat Pronto, not from ClickBank or from the publisher of Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle. ClickBank will not honor any refund requests that are based on non-delivery, quality, or functionality of the bonus materials. If you have any questions or problems about the bonus, do not contact ClickBank or the product publisher. Click here for bonus contact information.