Check out "Half their Size"

People Magazine is hitting the newsstands tomorrow with their annual "Half their Size" weight loss issue. Check it out when you do your grocery shopping over the next week. They always have some very inspirational stories of people who've lost over a hundred pounds.

This year they feature Mary Smith, who went from size 28 to a size 4 with low-carb eating, Janene Campbell who lost 207 pounds in two years with the help of LA Weight Loss and Tiana Silva who lost 150 pounds by walking, cardio kick-boxing and lifting weights.

They also interview Mia Tyler who's happy to be a plus-size model and says that if you feel healthy, some extra pounds shouldn't get in the way of your happiness.

I wasn't able to find a photo of the upcoming issue but above is their cover for last year, featuring success stories by Cathi Lee and Angela Hefel amongst many others.

The Secret to Losing Weight?

Every so often a big bestseller comes along that serves to inspire and motivate people. This Christmas season, the big winner is The Secret. The Secret is all about how people can inspire themselves to creating a new lifestyle and a new future for themselves.

'The Secret' is probably the ultimate truth; which is that our thoughts are the major factor in determining our lives and our futures. If one can somehow move to a different mind frame, and take on everyday life in a new mindset, this can completely transform the texture of our daily lives and can be the easy driver which enables us to meet our goals.

The Secret comes in DVD or book format and has become the surprise best-seller in the couple of weeks since it was released. This must be due to word of mouth because it hasn't benefited from a massive marketing campaign.

All the small bookstores are promoting it as a great Christmas gift. (Here's one example). Most people are saying that the DVD even more so than the book is incredibly inspiring for making profound lifestyle changes.

Update January 29th: The Secret is being featured on the Oprah show on February 8th. Rhonda Byrne will make her first TV appearance since she released the film. She'll be joined by Jack Canfield, Michael Beckwith, Lisa Nichols, and James Ray.

Here's the trailer video clip of the Secret DVD;

The Master Cleanse Diet is Back in Vogue

The Master Cleanse Diet is back in vogue according to a recent article in the New York Times.

This is a liquid diet recommended for ten days. Beyonce Knowles may be part of the reason for this diet's resurgence. It's been widely publicized that she lost 20 pounds on this fast to get ready for her role for the movie 'Dreamgirls'.

And Robin Quivers, Howard Stern's long-suffering sidekick, told People magazine that she did the fast on three separate occasions in 2004 and shrunk to 145 pounds from a peak of 218.

I've personally tried to fast, three or four times in the last 10 years, but never lasted more than five days. However, the results were great. If you are overweight, it's probably safe to go without food for a few days if you can muster it (but do ask your doctor, as I am no medical advisor and most doctors are reluctant to recommend this route to weight loss.}

My sister, who is very beautiful at the age of 50, has followed this Master Cleanse fasting diet twice in the last two years, for ten days each time. From personal observation, it worked extremely well for her.

The simple recipe for the Master Cleanse Diet is two tablespoons lemon juice, two tablespoons Grade-B maple syrup, 1/10 teaspoon cayenne pepper and 8 ounces of spring or purified water. You can enjoy this drink as many times a day as you want.

No More Binge Eating for Boston Guy

Chris Stockbridge was all set to get weight loss surgery a couple of months ago. He weighed 340 pounds and wanted to lose more than a hundred pounds.

But the story happened to get out that he was binge eating as his surgery approached. The Boston Herald took photos of him binge eating at a buffet. And many radio stations interviewed him.

His doctor was upset with him. He thought he was setting a bad example for other people who were about to get weight loss surgery. But he's since found out that it's quite common for people to go on a big binge before their planned weight loss surgery.

However the doctor was upset and told him he had to lose forty pounds first on his own, before he would accept him for weight loss surgery.

The good news is that Chris Stockbridge has now lost 56 pounds (in less than three months) and he had changed his mind about taking the surgery route. He thinks he may now be able to lose all his excess weight with the lifestyle change he's made over the past few weeks.

See the full and very interesting story at CalorieLab.

Getting Rid of Flabby Excess Skin

Some people who have recently lost a great deal of weight are paying $50,000 or more to have excess skin removed surgically. These are typically people who have lost over 100 pounds via bariatric surgery. Though they are much slimmer, they often have extra flaps of skin hanging from their arms, legs or stomach.

Wired Magazine has some good before and after photos of body contouring surgeries. Though this seems like a relatively easy way to get rid of sagging excess skin, it can be painful, will leave scarring, can result in further complications, and costs a fortune.

See how other people have gotten rid of their excess skin naturally over time, via regular exercise.

Getting in Shape for the Wedding

Jason Taylor was getting married in a few months and wanted to look his best for the wedding. He weighed 225 and his height is 6'1'.

He succeeded in losing 25 pounds over two and a half months. He also lowered his body fat percentage from 15 to 8.

One can achieve a lot in just two months but he says it took discipline.

Taylor did it by exercising on an elliptical machine six days a week. He also limited himself to 2,100 calories a day and gave up on refined sugar. He ate most of his carbohydrates at breakfast.

See his story here.

A Complete Lifestyle Change for Camille

Camille Tirzah, age 47, was obese for many years. But she finally succeeded in losing all her excess weight. She lost 100 pounds over three years by making a complete lifestyle change her top priority. She began to exercise regularly for the first time and dropped junk foods from her diet.

She says she feels 10 years younger. "I can run and jump. I feel like the Energizer Bunny.”. She's became a certified personal trainer and is now a mentor to others in the Portland-metro area.