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if i only drank water, and ate fruits, veggies, and salads would i lose any weight? i mean without working out.
i know clearly if i did that, i would lose weight if i was exercising too, but i am asking if i didn't. and i don't like fish and i guess that's healthy or whatever, i am so picky, so it's hard to eat healthy.

The diet you describe has virtually no protein in it at all. I would expect a great big portion of the weight you lose to be muscle. It also has very few potential sources of good fats which are important for your health.

The bottom line is that you can, as mentioned below, lose weight with any diet if you eat little enough. You dont need to exercise, its just healthier and easier that way. However the real questions are 1. where is this weight comming from? 2. will this weight stay off? 3 Am I damaging myself?

With this diet you are not providing your body with the right fuel that it needs, particularly if you are young. Also you are in risk of regaining the lost weight as soon as you begin to eat normally again.

Now, if you want to follow a vegan or vegetarian diet (which I am guessing from the choices of foods above), you have to be smart about it. As a vegan you must mix a lot of different things together to get all the essential amino acids (your body cannot produce certain proteins, they must be obtained from food). That means different grains, beans, soy, etc.

As a vegetarian its easier since you can supplement with animal products like egg whites, low fat milk, etc.

Essentially, irrespective of your diet choices, you need the following things (on top of veggies and fruit which of course are good for you):
- Regular sources of good protein
- Regular sources in small amounts of good fats (from nuts, seeds, good oils, olives, fish and so on).
- Whole grains and other sources of fibre

Remember, weight loss is not just about a number. Too many people look at it that way, and frankly then the easiest way to lose weight is to amputate an arm. Weight loss is about being healthier, and feeling and looking better. It follows that its best not to take too many shortcuts.

Good luck.

So im 15/f and weigh almost 100 pounds. im really skinny with a big butt and pretty good sized boobs. anyways my stomach is real fatt. and when i button my pants the fat like hangs over. so i want to get some of that off without loseing my butt or boobs? any suggetions? situps maybe? whatever advice you have can you tell me how many a day and how long it will take before i start seeing resaults?
thanks so much!

The advice below is good. I just wanted to chime in before you got a lot of "do crunches" kind of advice.

The only way to lose fat is generally, off your whole body. Humans are unable to target (or spot reduce) fat, despite popular myths often started by exercise equipment salesmen.

It follows that it boils down to your overall calorie balance, i.e. calories in vs calories burned. That means a good diet, good eating practices that promote a faster metabolism, and general exercise.

For the latter cardio is essential, although resistance training can also be very valuable (it will amongst other things help retain your muscle mass, and therefore keep your metabolism running). The more muscles you use in your resistance based workouts the better.

Cardio examples include jogging, biking, stair machines, rowing, etc. They should be done at moderate intensity and a steady pace.

If you are not used to cardios, I would start with 2- 3 per week, each with a duration of at least 20 mins. Then, as you get used to it, increase it to about 4- 5 times as suggested below. You can also increase the duration, but 20 mins will at least guarantee that you will get the full health benefits.

Unfortunately there is no way to guarantee that you wont lose weight in chest and backside area. No way at all. I would suggest taking it slow, and finding the body composition type you are most comfortable with.

As for results, you should be able to see them within a few weeks. Two weeks is a little optimistic, but soon after anyways.

Dont neglect your diet, it will make or break this endeavour. Get used to eating many small meals, spaced out every 3- 4 hours. Avoid saturated fats, control your carb intake, and stay properly hydrated.

Good luck.

me and my guy friend have drifted apart.
we no longer talk.

he Imed me today talking about him and this one girl having sex, and that was the end of it.
thats all he has said to me in like a week.

and i just broke down, bc i feel like he said that just to rub it in my face and it really hurt.

why do you think he did that? was he trying to make me jealous?

The guy is an idiot. I would really like to say more and try to give you advice, but really if he IMed you to tell you that, he's a jackass.

I reckon he told you that as a combination of things, including making you jealous, fueling his ego, and also to rub your face in it (as mentioned by the columnist below). He would have to be the world's most insensitive person not to realise how this would make you feel... so I just dont buy that this is the case.

I know it probably feels like someone just kicked you in the gutt, but it will pass. Love (when it goes wrong) is a little like a drug addiction one has to beat. You have to keep sight of the fact that this is temporary, and that all will return to normal. Do your best to keep your mind on other things, and try to move on.

Good luck.

yesterday i asked a question about losing weight and if my boob size would go down...and i'm also wondering if i lose weight will that also make my butt smaller?

When you lose weight fat will be burned off from all over your body. If certain areas are emphasised over others it is due to genetic differences.

So, the answer to your question is- almost certainly, but it is hard to predict to what degree. That depends a lot on how much weight you lose and also, like the columnist below said, if you have a tendency towards having a larger butt.

Hi! I have a friend whose daughter is 12 years old and is 5'2 inches tall. She weighs 95 pounds and wants to lose her fat in her thighs and stomach. What kind of exercises can she do to lose that fat? and is it normal for a 12 year old to be 5'2 and weigh 95 pounds? she does not think she is over weight but she is pretty self- concious about her body. so what could she do to have a better looking body with her characteristics?

This is a myth that will not die. Crunches and situps will not reduce stomach fat, running will not specifically slim down legs, etc etc.

You cannot spot reduce fat. It is a common misconception that a muscle somehow owns the fat around it. That is simply not the case. There is no way to target your fat loss to a specific area of the body.

The only thing this person can do is 1. eat right, 2. exercise generally. The best kind of exercise for weight loss is cardio i.e. steady moderate exercise for longer durations, e.g. biking, jogging, stair machines, etc. These should be done for at least 20 mins to get the full health benefits.

Even better is a combination of cardio and resistance training. The latter will not spot reduce fat, but it will help maintain the girl's muscle mass, and keep her metabolism from slowing down. The more complete (i.e. using all the major muscle groups) the training, the better.

Many many people are wasting their time crunching away thinking that it will remove their belly. What this will do is build some muscle, and at most tighten the area up a bit. The key is always with proper eating and with exercise that burns a serious amount of calories (like what I mentioned above).

If you have anything you want me to elaborate on, feel free to drop me a question in my inbox. Either way, good luck.

Well i really need to stop smoking cigs. like right now but I am highly addicted. I smoke about a pack a day. How can i get myself to quit. ive used all of the stuff (the gum, the inhaler, the patches) and none of them work. PLEASE HELP

As a former heavy smoker, I dont really agree with the cutting down strategy. Every time I went down that path I ended up smoking a lot again. Now I cant say this is the same for everybody, but I dont think its a good way to go about it. The addiction needs to be killed imo, and the best way to do that is to tackle it once and for all.

My advice is to prepare yourself and then stop altogether. You may fail the first few times, but you need to try again. From my experience I can tell you this:

- The first two weeks are hell on earth. I dont think I slept more than 2 or 3 hours a night. After that things get better. After a month you can manage it quite well.
- Avoid as many of the habits, places and people that you relate to smoking. This is a must for a month or two at least. Dont meet up with any smokers, dont go to places you used to smoke, dont do anything that brings back the memory of smoking.
- Have a large supply of lolipops on hand. I had a pocketfull for a long time.
- Remind yourself that no matter how bad you feel, it is temporary. The worst part of the feeling will pass in a matter of a few weeks and that is not that long.
- Keep yourself as occupied and distracted as possible.

Well, thats all I can add. There is rarely a quick fix when one is truly addicted. I know I was, and I could almost not imagine life without smoking. Just keep in mind that all that changes soon enough, as long as you can find the will power to make it through the initial torture.

Good luck.

does anybody know how people get into the sex trade?? are they kidnapped.. traded by the parents or what??.. everytime i see tv shows on it they are always asian girls and like.. young girls... so can anybody tell me how this all happens???

thanks

Kidnapping is one of the main ways that it happens. This kind of thing happens all over Europe (often with Eastern European girls) not just Asia.

I have seen a number of programs on it. Also I am originally Romanian so I have heard a lot of details on how it occurrs (both with Romanian girls being abducted and with girls that were kidnapped and taken to Romania).

Anyways they very often pick them up in villages and smaller towns. Sometimes they are just taken off the street, other times it is semi voluntary after they are lied to (about all the great stuff they will get in the west).

From then on they are taken abroad and told that all sorts of nasty things will happen to them if the authorities ever find out. Fear is the key really, they are kept in constant terror- so much so that when people try to rescue them they often run away (sometimes back to their captors).

I saw them bust a huge Asian prostiture ring on tv. Even after reassuring the girls all was going to be ok, that they were not in trouble etc. almost all ran away when they turned their back on them.

In Romania about 10 years ago I heard some guys talking about the prostitutes they frequented. One was bragging about the price (it was in a bar), which at the time was equivalent to a couple of dollars. I asked him how it was possible, and he said casually... "Oh its kidnapped Russian girls". My mouth dropped open and I asked the guy "What about the police?"... he replied "Oh yeah, the police go there too...".

No joke. Hard to fight the sex trade when corruption is rampant.

Anyways, seems I went on for a bit :) Hope this was of some use to you.

I cook all my vegetables in big pans with olive oil. does heating it take out nutrients, and is the olive oil just making it really fatty? (i use a lot of oil)thanks

I have tried to research this and I get some mixed results. Some articles claim that raw is better and some claim one should eat a mix of the two. Either way, it does not seem to be a good idea to eat only cooked.

I also agree with the columnist below, how you cook seems to matter (boiling is probably the worst). Using a lot of oil is also not good in the long run.

However, it seems that any amount of cooking will change the composition of the vegetables. Sometimes some nutrients will be destroyed, other times some will be easier to absorb. What I would do in your case is start to get into the habit of eating at least some fresh vegetables, and then ease up on the oil when you cook. That way you should be able to get the best of both worlds.

I recently bought a new laptop which had the 2007 version microsoft office installed. I did not know that it was only a 60 day trail period, but I didn't keep the product key so now I am stuck with a new computer without microsoft office. What can I do? How do I fix this? I really really need to use microsoft word a lot of the time for assignments etc. and now I can't, I don't know what to do. I pretty much have a computer I can't even use.

I do not know what to do about the product key. However I can tell you where to find a replacement that is virtually identical to MS Office and totally free.

Its called open office and you can download it here:

http://www.openoffice.org/

It has clones of pretty much all the key MS products. Just be careful that by default it saves in open document format. So if you want to open your work on a computer running Word or another Office application, you need to remember to tell it to save in the right format. Thats easy enough though, and it supports dozens of different file formats (it even has a pdf converter built in).

i'm not really that fat and i am pretty active everyday since i play softball but i want to tone up my stomach for swimsuit season. i don't have a problem exercising at all but the diet for me is difficult. i always find myself either eating yogurt for breakfast (which isn't the problem because i love yogurt) a sandwich for lunch and a salad for dinner but i get bored really fast with these foods. does anyone have any other foods to help me lose a few pounds?

Good wholesome foods include things like: Chicken, turkey, lean beef, fish, whole grain pasta, rice, vegetables, fruit (in moderation), oats, eggs (also in moderation), egg whites, skim milk, etc.

Remember not to overdo it on carbs and minimise saturated fats (fat found in animal products is often high in saturated fats).

Then make sure you have a small regular daily intake of good fats (from good oils, nuts, fish etc.) and particularly omega 3 which is often neglected in our diets. Some sources include: oily fish, flax seeds & oil, walnuts, dark leafy vegetables, etc. You can also get some oils like canola and olive oil with a higher omega 3 content. Deficiency in this fatty acid is associated with a long list of health problems and it also makes weight loss harder.

Good luck.

In the Christian religion, the Bible says that gay or incest actions cause someone to go straight to the lake of fire. Well i have a question: is it really incest if it is a step sibling or an adopted sibling/cousin?? thanks

Ok, I think you have the wrong person here. This is something I have never even remotely considered since I do not buy into Christianity, nor do I have any attractive relatives :D

Anyway, for my two cents... I cannot see how it could be considered incest if it is an adopted child. A cousin is a different matter since you are related by blood.

Of course if one grew up with one's adopted brother/sister one would probably develop similar feelings that "normal" brothers and sisters have. Society would also look at it similarly. I have no idea what Christians would think.

Personally I look at this from a more practical point of view. We dont inbreed so as to avoid genetic problems. That is most likely why we have developed this view on those kinds of relationships. It is a means to preserve our species (you can see evidence of what can happen when the gene pool is too small by looking at some royal houses throughout history).

Those are my thoughts. Sorry I couldnt be of more help.

I am a 16 year old female, 5 9, and 220 lbs.

Ok, I am overweight and have been for a few years. I desperately want to change that, but the first thing I need to know is how to plan a good workout. I have 2 workout DVDs that I plan to use. One is a dance video, and one is Fat Blasting Yoga. I also want to be able to run the mile in less than 20 minutes, but right now it takes me five minutes just to run 1/4 of a mile, and after that, i get tired. (These are all important factors for me...please think about these when you answer this question.) So any ideas on how to use these things to plan an effective but fun workout? (FYI, I get bored with a structured routine after a few days.)

Hey there.

First off let me stress one thing. With exercise you get benefits that are directly related to what you are doing. Meaning that if you do yoga you will get better at yoga- it will not improve your running much (except for its effect on making you a smaller person). Exercise training needs to be specific and tailored for your goals, otherwise impprovements are slow.

Now, while I do know something about workouts, I have no idea how to make them "fun". Variation is key in exercise routines, but rarely is it recommended to change things up every few days. Usually cycles run for weeks. So instead I will just give you some general guidelines and you will have to see how you can incorporate them into your life.

- You need regular running training. This is a must if you want to run your mile. I would build up my endurance by running at a slow steady pace until tired and then briskly walking the rest of the distance.
- You can alternate between running and one of your videos if you want. This might help keep things interesting. I would aim to take a 20- 30 minute cardio of some kind daily, with one rest day.
- Think about incorporating some anaerobic exercises as well, even if its just things you can do at home. They will help boost your metabolism and provide other health benefits. I would suggest things like push ups, lunges, squats, crunches, and lower back exercises (there are a variety you can do at home, I have included two link below). You dont need to do this, but it would be beneficial.

http://www.expertvillage.com/video/33857_different-exercises-lower-back.htm?ref=yssp
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.php?MainMuscle=Lower+Back
(for the last link check out the second last exercise on the page)

Remember that your diet will make or break all of this. You need to incorporate sound habits, eating frequently in small/ moderate amounts, eating based on what you are about to do, eating balanced, and so on.

Good luck.

can someone read the poem i wrote and make sure it has iambic pentameter and the rhyme scheme- abab cdcd efef gg, like shakespeare's works. also please check and see if its a good poem and any changes i can make. thanks so much

"Love"

Love is an amazing feeling, leaving
A gigantic mark, almost all will face. It
Also can end in some people grieving.
In relationships, you need to commit.

You need to speak up and say “I love you.”
Just remember that it all can be lost;
And keep in mind you will always get through.
You know true love as well as you know frost,

At times it can be depressing and cold,
Especially when its hidden from your
Heart. That’s why you need to tightly hold.
There is no need to start another war.

No need for forcing, your soul-mate will come
Don’t wait for them by being a lazy bum.

This is not iambic pentameter. Iambic is a series of unstress- stress (da- DUM da- DUM etc). There is no way that your poem follows that (it breaks it everywhere, including the first line).

Here check out the wiki link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iambic_pentameter#Simple_example

The rhyme scheme is as you intended it. In terms of improving the quality, I would focus on trying not to make the rhymes seem forced... e.g. "as you know frost", "to start another war".

Good luck.

ok. so my one friend is convinced that the world is going to end in 2012. i am one of those people who hears something and wants to be logical but i can't help but believe it. i also worry alot. can someone help set me straight because this whole thing is really starting to scare me. please respond!!

Ok console yourself with the fact that the end of the world has been predicted over and over and over. Yet we are still here.

People have interpreted and reinterpreted predictions from people like Nostradamus, they have trembled with fear at every freakin turn of the century (lets not even talk about millenuim).

So, there must come a point when one realises that these people's track record is lousy. There is no need to buy into this nonsense.

But if you really want to talk to your friend ask him to explain this rationally. Ask for hard evidence and other things that one must provide when one presents a theory, let alone a fact. If he cannot provide this then his words are meaningless. You may not be able to make him see that (people choose to believe all sorts of illogical rubbish), but at least you will know there is nothing to worry about.

Good luck.

Oh by the way. If I were you I would get him to put money on this. Think about it, if he is daft enough you to agree you will be in a no lose situation. If the world does not end you can make a nice profit, while if it does we will all be dead anyways :D

okay. so for about 9 months or so i've stop eating all red meat regularly.
i mean every three weeks or so maybe a little bit of beef but i dont like eating anything but chicken, turkey, and fish. and i dont think im getting everything i need. like iron.
but i was wondering if there maybe be any way to tell what i need to take instead of eating red meat.
i dont eat regulary but i still eat fruits and veggies and drink plunty of milk.
anything helps. =))

Cutting out red meat should not mean you will have deficiencies in your diet. In general people should be encouraged to make the sort of change you have made.

You can of course go and get tested as the columnist below correctly suggested. However if I were you I would just take a good quality daily vitamin and mineral supplement. That should more than cover it.

people say im skinny but when i run my butt hurts a lot! i can feel the jiggle to the point of pain.. so hence the question. also i have buffalo wings. which are fat by the armpits! ahh!

Typically, an easy way to tell if you are getting fatter is if you cant fit your clothes as well. You could also measure your waist and see if there are any changes.

Otherwise if you want to know with more accuracy there are a number of methods available to measure body fat. However they all require some investment. Some cheaper alternatives include: Underwater weighing and skinfold thickness. For the latter you need to get some special calipers which pinch the skin and measure subcutaneous fat.

Now, unfortunately the only way to lose this fat is through diet and exercise. Running and other cardios are far, far superior to any area specific exercises.

do guys like it more if a girl shaves "down south"??
and if so.. like.. straight bald or what??..
i really don't know!!!

Well Im not sure I totally agree with the answer below (not least of all with the "guys will do anything" comment). In my experience each guy seems to have a definite preference. Some really prefer it shaved, others really do not. Generally speaking, it seems much more common today to talk to guys that prefer it shaved. On the other hand there are still a fair amount of people out there (including myself incidentally) who do not.

One suggestion would be to just trim it. Then, when you have a boyfriend you can choose to discuss it with him if you want.

Good luck.

how do games like http://www.psychicreadings.org.uk/game2.htm
work?!?!

Oh lol that was a good laugh. Like Razhie said, none of them do. You dont need to write them all down, pressing back/ forward on my browser allowed me to check them out.

It is a scam, but it one of the most pathetic attempts I have ever seen. I almost feel like giving them some money :D

Edit: Oh and as for the Esp test, they guessed wrong lol.

im trying to work my outside leg, not my thigh, hamstring, or hip but on the outside of my leg.

know any good excersizes for fat loss there?

sorry i cant explain it better.

You cannot target fat loss. Doing an exercise will in no way whatsoever reduce fat from that specific area. If you want to lose weight from anywhere you have to lose weight overall. Anything else is just a myth and therefore a waste of time (try google "fat spot reduction" if you dont believe me).

just a few questions about Metabolism:

1) How do you know if you have a fast or slow metabolism?

2) Is there such thing as a "medium" metabolism?

3) If you have a slow metabolism, how can you speed it up?

4) Is there a way to go directly from a slow metabolism to a fast metabolism, or will you always stay what you are (even if you speed it up a bit)

Thanks:)

1. The most obvious way to notice is if you are one of those people that tends to gain weight easily (that would imply a slow metabolism) or vice versa.

2. Yes sure you have people with regular metabolisms. You should look at it more as a spectrum rather than three categories.

3. Yes. Exercise is a good way, particularly when it includes resistance training since that is a great way to increase lean muscle mass. Other things that also affect the metabolism are: exposure to a colder climate; certain foods (e.g. hot and spicy foods); eating frequently during the day; getting enough rest; drinking enough water.

4. You can affect your metabolic rate substantially. However it is not a change that occurs overnight and may require a lot of work. Now make no mistake, there is a strong genetic factor here, which will make it harder on some. However with discipline one can affect the body quite profoundly.

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