For many people, losing weight is a source of great pride and accomplishment. After all, dieting can be a grueling endeavor, and the pounds you've shed represent a lot of hard work. Once you've lost the weight, you have both a slimmer body and improved health to show for your efforts.But if weight loss is so satisfying, why is "diet" still considered a four-letter word? Sadly, most dieters' success is fleeting.According to researchers who analyzed 31 long-term diet studies, only a very small percentage of study participants managed to sustain their weight loss, while the vast majority put the weight back on. In some cases, the subjects eventually gained even more weight than they'd initially lost.

The Dangers of Yo-Yo Dieting
If any of this sounds familiar, chances are, you're a yo-yo-dieter-and the constant ups and downs are may be undermining your weight-loss efforts and your health. In addition to the discouragement that may accompany rapid weight cycling, according to the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), yo-yo dieting has been linked to long-lasting negative impacts on metabolism.

What's more, a study by the Cooper Institute for Aerobics Research in Dallas showed that men who are yo-yo dieters are more likely to suffer heart attacks, high blood pressure, and diabetes than non-dieters. Further, yo-yo dieters may experience physical problems such as a decrease of muscular strength and endurance, thinning hair, loss of coordination, fainting, weakness, and slowed heart rates, the NEDA reports.

Stopping the Cycle
Creating a food plan is a great idea-it can help you lead a healthier life and reach your goal weight. But take a closer look. Does yours restrict certain foods completely or promote eating from only certain food groups? Did you find it in a magazine at the grocery-store checkout? Is it really more like a diet than a healthy food plan? If so, it could put you at risk for yo-yo dieting.

Instead, talk with your doctor or nutritionist about finding a meal plan that will meet your long-term dietary needs. In addition, the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that you make sure your plan meets the following criteria:

• It enables you to burn at least as many calories as you take in.

• It encourages you to eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods.

• It emphasizes vegetables and fruits, as well as whole-grain, high-fiber foods.

• It includes fish, lean meats, and poultry without skin, cooked without added saturated or trans fats.

• It helps you cut back on beverages and foods with added sugars.

• It cuts back on foods containing partially hydrogenated vegetable.

In addition to eating a healthy meal plan, you should be sure to combine it with at least 30 minutes of physical activity most days of the week.

Summer is just around the corner, and that means beaches, bikinis, and (almost) bare bodies. If the thought of being seen in a bathing suit seems as frightening as a scene from Jaws, you might be tempted by diets that promise quick and easy weight loss. But will they really work? Here's a look at seven diets that don't live up to their promises

These weight-loss plans promise that you’ll shed pounds by flushing out your system, preventing your body from absorbing fat, or tricking your metabolism. Can you believe their claims?

Detox Diet. A detox diet (also known as the lemonade diet, master cleanser, or maple syrup diet) promises to cleanse your body of toxins and flush out fat. Experts say the diet may cause you to lose weight because of the severe calorie restrictions, but you’re likely to regain it very quickly. It can also cause serious side effects, such as irritability, fatigue, and digestive problems.
Diet Pills. Most diet pills promise extreme weight loss, either by suppressing your appetite or preventing the absorption of fat. Despite the dramatic claims, diet pills are generally ineffective and can have dangerous side effects, most commonly causing digestive problems.
Calorie Shifting. This plan claims that if you restrict calories on some days and eat more on other days, you’ll “trick” your metabolism, losing weight without worries of regaining it later. Calorie shifting may require dieters to eat a dangerously low amount of calories, leading to dizziness and lightheadedness.

I just want to share the story about ur National Flag. How they make it and stuff.I believe sometimes we have forgotten about the things in the Philippines.
The national flag of the Philippines is a horizontal bicolor with equal bands of blue and red, and with a white equilateral triangle based at the hoist side; in the center of the triangle is a golden yellow sun with eight primary rays, each containing three individual rays; and at each corner of the triangle is a five-pointed golden yellow star. The flag is displayed with the blue field on top in times of peace, and with the red field on top in times of war.

The flag was first conceptualized by Emilio Aguinaldo. The first flag was sewn in Hong Kong by Marcela Agoncillo, her daughter Lorenza, and Doña Delfina Herbosa de Natividad, niece of José Rizal, the Philippines' national hero.

So you spent your youth smoking, eating doughnuts, or keeping the couch warm. Don't despair.

There are four simple steps middle-aged people can take to lower the risk of death in the ensuing four years by 40 percent -- even if they haven't been a health superstar to date. Live the Good Life
Make these modest changes to start undoing all the unhealthy things you did before:

* Eat more than five servings of fruit and vegetables daily. Search for fruit- and veggie-friendly recipes.
* Walk at least 2.5 hours a week. Find a walking buddy on our message boards.
* Shave your BMI to under 30; 24.9 is ideal
* Quit smoking. All Four Is Best

Try to take all four changes to heart -- it's your best shot at lowering your risk of heart disease.