What is a Fatty Liver?

September 9th, 2008 — alcohol, cardiovascular, diabetes, exercise, fats, fatty liver 

Fatty LiverMany of us go to a doctor for our annual exam only to be told that we have a fatty liver. For the vast majority this is a pretty confusing diagnosis and it's hard to know what we can do to fix it. First, let's find out what a fatty liver is and then find out how to change it.

Normally, a fat liver is associated with drinking. However, a lifetime of unhealthy eating can do almost the same amount of damage to your liver. Over time, fat deposits collect in your liver and it starts to affect the overall function of that organ. We all need our livers and it's not really easy to get a transplant, so it's important to make that change towards getting healthy as soon as you find out that you have this problem.

A fatty liver can lead to numerous other health problems and in many cases, it's associated with adult-onset diabetes. There are plenty of other diseases that can result from having a fatty liver and the decreased function you're experiencing will begin to affect your total body health. There is also a second form of fatty liver disease that is far more serious and can actually be fatal.

So, know that we know what causes a fatty liver and why we don't want one, let's focus on ways to get rid of those fat deposits and get healthy. While there is no diet that will spot target your liver, there are proven ways of losing weight that will help you reduce the amount of fat in your liver and get healthy again. The good news is that you can undo that damage, but you will have to make a commitment towards your future.

The first step you need to take is modifying your lifestyle and targeting the foods that you're eating that are leading to the problem. For many people, cutting fast foods and high sugar foods out of their diet is the fastest way to get rid of fat deposits in the liver. But you're also going to need to add some activity if you really want to burn fat. The more calories you burn, the faster you'll get going on the road to health.

Cardio is by far the best way to burn fat from your body. You'll be getting your heart rate into that target zone so that your body can begin burning calories. If you're not reaching that target heart rate, all that effort is pretty much for naught. You'll need to get there and keep going in order to get any real benefit from your exercises.

The proper diet, combined with cardio is the quickest and most effective way to combat a fatty liver. It may take a few months, but you will start to see results and you will be getting healthier. Just remember, once you reach that goal, you've got to keep going. Changing your life requires smart decisions, healthy eating choices and plenty of exercise.

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Getting Motivated the Right Way

May 21st, 2008 — goals, healthy eating, motivation 

Goal List One of the key components to eating right is getting motivated. While it's easy enough at first to have grand plans, if you don't have enough motivation to do the follow through, there's just no point. In order to make sure that you're successful with your diet, you're going to need to make sure that your priorities are in order and that you have the right kind of motivation.

Before you even start your diet, we recommend making a list of all of the things that you hope to accomplish. Divide these into three columns: Physical Appearance, Body Health, Activities. Now, you'll be able to see all of the things on one sheet of paper. This makes it a lot easier to keep your goals right in front of you. Once you have them all down, redo your list and prioritize the things that are the most important to you. For example, if lowering your blood pressure is a high priority, move that to the top of the health list.

Once you have all of your items prioritized in each column, make a master list that contains them in order of importance. You'll be referring back to this as you start to meet your goals. By putting it on paper, you're giving yourself that visualization that makes it a lot easier to see your goals and meet them. While it's fine to keep it in your head, most people prefer having a hard copy. When you start to check those items off as goals attained, it really is a great feeling.

So, now that you have your list done, you're ready to start on your diet. Make sure that you select one that will make it easy to keep your goals at first. Rome was not built in a day and a good diet takes time to work. Don't doom yourself to failure by going on an extreme diet that you have no hope of keeping. Start small and work your way up. You'll be a lot less likely to call it quits after a few days and you'll be able to keep motivated.

One great way to start small is simply by cutting out a few of the foods you eat or drink every day that contain empty calories. Soda is the best place to start since you'll usually see pretty quick results. Try cutting out one or two a day at first, and then increase the amount until you are no longer drinking it. The results you see will keep you motivated and you won't be depriving yourself of it all at once.

Whenever you feel as though you want to quit with your diet, pull out that list and re-read it. See what you've crossed out and remind yourself that these are important goals that will change your life. It is easy to quit and walk away, but you will be paying the price for it for the rest of your life.

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