After 3 years I have finally managed to lose my weight. I am 33 years old, but the problem is I have sagging skin on my abdomen which is very unattractive. Is there anything i can do?

Well, the only good option is surgery; there is no toner or skin reduction cream you can buy. All the stuff they sell on the internet about reducing skin sagging are crap. Go speak to a plastic surgeon; they can make you look gorgeous. The only downside is that it will cost you some money. Since you are paying for it, make sure you pick a decent plastic surgeon.-there are too many bad ones out there.

How can I get rid of my belly fat?

Everyone wants an immediate answer to getting rid of belly fat. Over the years, there have been thousands of books written on weight loss and there are just as many diet recipes to reduce weight. Further, the medical establishment has developed fancy drugs and recommends surgery for weight loss. Unfortunately, there is no magic bullet for weight loss and getting rid of belly fat requires hard work. If you are not prepared to make some sacrifices, you can forget about losing weight

Belly fat generally is buried deep in the abdomen and is difficult to target. The best and cheapest way to get rid of belly fat is to exercise regularly, eating healthy and changing one’s lifestyle. Exercises recommended to help trim belly fat include those that firm up the abdominal muscles and help flatten the abdomen.

I recently had weight loss surgery and now have lost 22 pounds. However, the urge to eat is still present. What should I do?

You face the same dilemma that thousands of other people who also undergo weight loss surgery. Most people do not seem to understand that the problem with weight gain is not in the stomach but in the head. When you undergo weight loss surgery, it does nothing to your appetite center in the brain. The majority of people who undergo these surgical procedures do gain some weight back with time. 

The only way to prevent this is to change your lifestyle. Start an exercise program- even walking will do. Speak to a dietician about dietary changes that you can make. After having spent thousands of dollars for this type of surgery, you must make an effort to prevent weight gain and this means exercise. Unfortunately, there is no magic bullet for this problem

How many calories can I lose by walking for an hour?

Roughly about 3,500 calories equals about 1 pound. When you walk an hour, you may lose about 250-300 calories. Thus, you need to walk two hours to lose about 500 calories. Therefore, if you walk for 7 days, you will lose 3500 calories or about a pound. To lose more weight, you can cut down 100 calories a day from your diet and this can have a big impact on weight loss. The important thing to understand is that the more you work out, the greater the weight loss.

To lose weight, start some type of aerobic activity like walking or swimming for about an hour. Cut down on the cookies, chocolates and cola beverages and if you remain motivated, you can definitely lose weight.

Is Contrave the best “WEIGHT LOSS” drug?

It looks like the ideal drug for weight loss is just around the corner. Contrave has received approval from the FDA for use in the USA in the near future. Contrave is a combination of the anti depressant, bupropion and the anti addiction drug, naltrexone.

Unlike all previous drugs, contrave has no affect on the belly, waist or hips. It works where it matters- in the brain. It has been shown in experimental studies that the drug suppresses the appetite center and helps burn of excess energy.

Bupropion has been around for many years and it is well known that people who use this drug often complain of initial weight loss. However, with bupropion, this initial weight loss is only transient and is soon regained. This is where the addition of naltrexone may help. It is now believed that naltrexone continues to suppress the appetite center and food intake is reduced. While all this sounds great in medical journals and in rats, does the darn combination work in humans?

The drug has been extensively tested in obese people. A large study in obese people compared contrave to exercise and diet counseling. At the end of 1 year, only 60 percent of people remained in the study. Those people who only undertook exercise and diet control lost anywhere from 6-16 pounds in weight over 12 months. In comparison, people who took contrave did excellent. The average weight loss was more than 15% of the body weight, which averaged close to 20-25 pounds in 12 months.

The side effects of contrave included headaches, constipation and nausea. These side effects were common early and easily managed with time. Very few of the patients on contrave suffered emotional side effects like depression or anxiety. In fact most reported feeling good about themselves.

Definitely, this drug works and there was no mucking around with different diet plans because the people just did not feel hungry.

Now the FDA is re-looking at all the side effects, especially on the heart, to make sure that the drug manufacturer is not hiding any negative data. If all things are clear, contrave should be in your corner pharmacy on Jan 31, 2011. 

The recommended dose of contrave is two 8 mg naltrexone/90 mg bupropion tablets taken twice a day. When first starting, the dose will be one tablet per week and gradually increased. The only negative about contrave- the pill is not going to come cheap and you have to take it for a whole year. So save up on your vacation to Disney this year and next year when you are slim, trim and gorgeous- you can go to the Bahamas and flaunt the body you have always wanted.

Lorcaserin is banned by the FDA

Lorcaserin is a weight loss drug developed by Arena pharmaceuticals. The drug is claimed to be an effective weight loss drug but the FDA just rejected its approval for use in USA.

Lorcaserin was tested in the laboratory and shown to be an effective  appetite suppression agent in animals. Clinical trials conducted by Arena pharmaceuticals revealed that the medication could help individuals lose an average of 4-8 pounds over 12 weeks. However, upon discontinuation of the medication, the lost weight was quickly regained. Subsequent studies confirmed that the drug could help obese patients rapidly lose weight but concern for its safety were raised during the trials.

The most common side effects were a headache, upper respiratory tract infections, sinusitis, depression, suicidal thoughts and anxiety. Moreover, other studies revealed that the drug was associated with cancer in rats.

There is also question that the drug may harm the heart.

When studies conducted by Arena were carefully reviewed by the FDA, it appeared that the weight loss was only marginal. The reason for the discrepancy is that Arena Pharmaceuticals had sponsored most of the previous investigations and thus, the drug was made to appear great. While experts from Arena continue to argue that the Lorcaserin is safe, the FDA has made it clear that the drug will not be available in the USA.

For the time being, eating less and more exercise is still the safest and most effective way to lose weight.

Can pole dancing help me lose weight?

First the facts- any type of exercise is better than no exercise. Secondly, have you ever seen a pole dancing female who is heavy? We have become a society where everyone seems to think that joining a gym is the only way you lose weight. This is a myth of gigantic proportions which has gotten bigger because of the so called fitness experts who know a lot about machines but have very little about common sense.

Even simple walking for 30 minutes twice a day can lead to weight loss. If you dance on a pole or even belly dance, it is considered to be an exercise, moreover if you enjoy doing it, go for it. The majority of exercises recommended by fitness experts are monotonous, dull and most people quickly drop out. So do an exercise that you like and this way you will remain motivated.

Pole dancing is a great way to lose weight which is evident by all the trim sexy girls who perform this tantalizing art form. One can lose the same number of calories during pole dancing as one would if one was to ride a bike or go jogging. However the important question is how often you perform the dancing. To get the best results, one should perform the pole dancing at least 3-4 times a week. And the more you do it, the greater the weight loss.

To improve your stamina, add some type of aerobic exercise to your routine and eat healthy. And if you are a great pole dancer, you will also end up making a lot of money- so go shake up the world