The short answer is NO. Ensure that none of the foods that you eat while dieting contain Aspartame. Putting it very briefly, Aspartame will slow down your weight loss and could even prevent you from losing weight.

Aspartame is an artificial sweetener (of the non-saccharide type for those interested in the chemical side of it). It is known in Europe as the additive E951, but is probably better known around the world as Canderel, NutraSweet or Equal, to mention just a few trade-names. It is used in over 6,000 foods and beverages world-wide including some so-called diet products.

The Chemical Technical Stuff

As Aspartame is chemically manufactured, it can be produced to meet different requirements. This generally means altering the pH of the final product. (pH is a measure of how acidic or alkaline a substance is.) Aspartame is most stable at a pH of 4.3 where it has a half-life of around 300 days. This can be taken to mean that after 300 days, half of it has disintegrated into other components and is no longer recognised as Aspartame. When manufactured with a pH of 7, the half-life reduces to only a few days.

When used in “diet” soft-drinks, it generally has a pH of between 3 and 5.

Aspartame was discovered (by accident) in 1965, but it was not until 1994 (in Europe) and 1996 (in the USA) that it was given full unrestricted approval for use in all foods.

When consumed, it breaks down into (to list the main chemicals in no particular order) methanol, aspartic acid, formic acid, formaldehyde and phenylalanine.

What It Does

In a typical situation, Aspartame is 200 times sweeter than natural sugar without the energy value. This means that used as a sweetener replacement it has a very low number of calories which is one reason why it has become popular as a diet-food additive. However, it has now been show to inhibit weight-loss!

Another important point is that the high levels of phenylalanine produced in the body when Aspartame breaks down is a recognised health hazard to sufferers of phenylketonuria .

As Aspartame breaks down inside the body, its components can travel anywhere in the body and be deposited anywhere in the body. Currently 92 reactions to and side-effects of Aspartame have been identified including decreased night vision, problems with contact lenses, hearing problems, dizziness, slurring of speech and ulcers.

Oh, did I mention that in some situations E. coli that has been genetically modified is used in the manufacture of Aspartame?

Well, I have now.

© 2009 LastDietUTry

Some people just hate the thought of dieting. So what can you do to lose weight without having that “I am on yet another diet” feeling? In reality diets rarely work. You may lose weight temporarily, but when you go back to your old eating habits, the weight will come right back. Making permanent changes in your lifestyle–eating habits, amount of daily exercise and thinking processes–will go a long way to helping you to lose weight without dieting.

Your body doesn’t like abrupt changes in routine, so whatever method you use to lose weight you need to make adjustments gradually. Since your body is designed to use food energy to fuel daily activity, you need to gradually adjust the amount you eat to match the amount of exercise you get each day, or vice versa. If you don’t want to eat less, then become more active each day so that your activity level matches the amount you are eating.

If you’re not a fan of working out at the gym, try making small changes to your daily exercise. Take the stairs instead of the elevator or lift. Park further from the door and enjoy the walk. Get off the bus one stop before your actual stop and walk the rest of the way. While watching TV, stand up and stretch during commercial breaks (there are enough of them!). You may not think that these little changes will make much of a difference, but over time, they will add up.

There are many tricks that you can use to aid weight loss without dieting. You don’t have to deprive yourself for the rest of your life to keep the weight off either. For example, simply using a smaller plate at mealtimes will help keep your portions smaller and your calorie intake lower. Often we just tend to fill up our plates whether we need that much or not.

Another trick is to put your fork down between each bite. This will help you eat slower and feel full faster. We usually eat so fast that it takes a while before we get the message that we are full. Eating slowly gives more time for that message to arrive before we have already gorged ourselves.

Drinking plenty of water is also a fantastic way to speed up weight loss without dieting. Not only does water help to curb the appetite, but it is also great for the body. Water speeds up the metabolism and helps our bodies burn more calories.

If you’re an emotional eater who eats to feel better, then try taking the Bach flower remedy Agrimony. This is a completely safe way to help you lose weight without dieting, because it will take the emotional aspect out of eating.

There are a few minor adjustments you can make to your diet that will help aid weight loss without dieting. For example, eating hot peppers can boost your metabolism up to 20%. (That was 20% – not a typing error!) Breakfast is often the most common meal that people skip, but it is actually the most important meal of the day. It sets the standard for your metabolism for the entire day. Avoid alcohol at all costs. It is loaded with calories. If you really want an alcoholic drink, then fill your glass with ice first. You’ll drink less without even realizing it.

Whatever method you use to lose weight without dieting, don’t be discouraged when the pounds don’t melt off immediately. These are long-term changes that offer long-term results.

© 2009 www.LastDietUTry.com

Before I hit age 30, fat burning was not one of the top things on my mind.  I had endless energy, a full schedule and a lean body.  Somewhere around that magic mark, though, I had to learn how to burn fat to keep those extra inches off.  By incorporating fat burning activities into my life, I also experienced a renewed surge in my energy and attitude that had been lost.  Here are some of the things that I did to get back to my younger self. They may help you as well.

A combination of caloric intake for burning fat and incorporating fat burning activities into my daily routine helped to maximize my results.  I researched quite a few options and found some valuable tips that you may be able to use.  In order to burn fat, exercise plays a big part, but there are definitely other things that you can do.

Although tempted to buy into the notion that I would burn fat by doing low intensity workouts such as walking, I was quickly corrected by my personal trainer.  Think “no pain, no gain” when working out. This enables you to get the most for your exercise dollar by using fat burning techniques that will work the weight off quickly and effectively.  Running will burn more calories than walking any day. By increasing the intensity of your work out, you will get the most bang for your exercising buck.

Interval training will also help you maximize your fat burning power.  With this technique, you push your limits for short bursts, but then work out at a lower intensity for a short while. As an example, walk briskly for two minutes and then run for two minutes.  Keep this type of pace up during the whole workout.

Make sure that you are choosing your exercises for maximum fat burning.  Work with a personal trainer to find out how much effort is safe while you are still working out. Do not go to far too soon – you may do more harm than you realise. Make sure that you are working out all the large muscle groups – your thighs and rear, chest and back.  Maximize as many muscles within one workout as possible – use rowing machines instead of a leg press, for example, to streamline time use.

Your diet plan will affect the amount of fat burning that you accomplish too.  By eating smaller amounts more often – especially when you combine those meals with better food choices, you will start to help your metabolism kick in to burn fat faster.  It never hurts to add green tea to your diet before eating or exercising as this will also help you increase the disposal of fatty acids.

Believe it or not, working out can be fun!  Make sure that you pick fun fat burning activities.  Keep your exercise routine exciting for you, vary it and experiment with new things to eat at the same time.  Burning fat can be a fun life style change and you will marvel at the results as you watch your body transform in the mirror.  By working out with a high intensity workout, your body will continue to burn calories long after you have stopped working out.  Now those are results I can work for!

© 2009 www.LastDietUTry.com