Weight Loss: The No-Diet Approach



Weight Gain Shockers Slideshow Pictures
Take the Quiz: Belly (Abdominal) Fat
25 Ways to Get Ready for Swimsuit Season Slideshow



Medical Author: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD
Medical Editor: William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR
Introduction to weight loss
How do you lose weight?
How fast should you expect to lose weight?
The no-diet approach to weight control
An example of a successful no-diet weight loss program
What about special diet plans (popular diets and fad diets)?
When should medications be used for weight loss?
Why is weight loss important?
7 tips for successful weight loss
Find a local Family Physician in your town
Diet and Women

Medical Author: Carolyn Janet Crandall, MD, MS, FACP
Medical Editors: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD and William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Ms. W. J., a 55 year-old woman, comes to her doctor saying, "Doctor, I have never been this heavy in my life, even after I had my kids. I am trying to diet, but it's not working. I'm so frustrated. Is it due to my hormone pills? It seems like it's worse since my mother passed on last year." This type of encounter occurs every day across the U.S. Over half of all Americans are overweight, meaning they are at a weight that is associated with increased health risks. Even though Ms. W. J. has worked hard at trying to lose weight, she needs to know some of the possible reasons why she hasn't been successful. Her situation brings up four major issues, including menopause, hormones, personal loss, and diet failure.

Menopause and hormones

Women have more body fat throughout their lives as compared to men. After menopause, women generally gain weight. Research is still conflicting as to whether this is due solely to menopause or solely to age (because men also typically gain weight as they become older), or perhaps a combination of age and menopause.

When women are taking hormone replacement therapy, they are just as likely to gain weight as women taking a sugar pill (placebo). This means that the hormones are not causing the weight gain but rather that menopause itself, in conjunction with age, is likely to be responsible. It is not Ms. W. J.'s imagination that she is heavier than she has ever been during this menopause period. This is very common.
Learn what may be preventing you from losing weight, and get helpful weight loss tips »
Top Searched Weight Loss Terms
diet plans, surgery, teens, spas, green tea, supplements, apple cider vinegar, laxatives, camps, walking, prescription drugs

Introduction to weight loss


Whether you are trying to lose 5 pounds or more than 50, the same principles determine how much weight you lose and how fast your weight loss will occur. Remembering the following simple guidelines and putting them into practice can lead to weight loss without the aid of any special diet plans, books, or medications.

Our body weight is determined by the amount of energy that we take in as food and the amount of energy we expend in the activities of our day. Energy is measured in calories. If your weight remains constant, you are probably taking in the same amount of calories that you burn each day. If you're slowly gaining weight over time, it is likely that your caloric intake is greater than the number of calories you burn through your daily activities.

Everyone is in control of the amount of food he or she consumes each day, so our intake of calories is something we can control. To a major degree, we can also control our output of energy, or the number of calories we burn each day. The number of calories we burn each day is dependent upon
our basal metabolic rate (BMR), the number of calories we burn per hour simply by being alive and maintaining body functions


and our level of physical activity.

For some people, due to genetic (inherited) factors or other conditions, the resting metabolic rate (BMR) can be slightly higher or lower than average. Our weight also plays a role in determining how many calories we burn at rest -- the more calories are required to maintain your body in its present state, the greater your body weight. A 100-pound person requires less energy (food) to maintain body weight than a person who weighs 200 pounds.

Lifestyle and work habits partially determine how many calories we need each day. Someone whose job involves heavy physical labor will naturally burn more calories in a day than someone who sits at a desk most of the day (a sedentary job). For people who do not have jobs that require intense physical activity, exercise or increased physical activity can increase the number of calories burned.

As a rough estimate, an average woman 31-50 years of age who leads a sedentary lifestyle needs about 1,800 calories per day to maintain a normal weight. A man of the same age requires about 2,200 calories. Participating in a moderate level of physical activity (exercising three to five days per week) requires about 200 additional calories per day.

10 Tips For Fast Weight Loss

Posted by George Cherniko

Losing weight can be a challenge, especially if you have many pounds to shed. It can be difficult to sift through all the fad diets, and downright dangerous supplements and pills on the market today. How do you know what works and what doesn’t? Whom should you believe?
Here are 10 no-nonsense tips for fast, […]
July 30th
127 Comments
Filed under: Weight Loss Tips
How To Burn Fat and Keep It Off

Posted by Judi Lake

There are plenty of ways to burn fat . Knowing some of them will help you to lose weight as quickly as possible.
There are a lot of people going to the gym and was frustrated with the way your body looks, even though they are working hard. If they can not […]
August 31st
No Comments
Filed under: Weight Loss Tips
4 Fast Weight Loss Tips To Lose Weight Fast

Posted by Judi Lake

Tip 1
A fundamental point of rapid weight loss is to listen to music while exercising. Well, now you know that exercise is the best way to lose weight , but the problem is that it can be a hassle right? The reason for this is that if you are concentrating […]
August 20th
No Comments
Filed under: Weight Loss Tips
8 Final Tips For Quick Weight Loss

Posted by George Cherniko

1. Drink more water
One of the secrets of weight loss is to get rid of sodas and stick to water! Experts say you should drink about 8 glasses of water a day to stay hydrated and healthy. Instead of resorting to beverages rich in calories or sugar, take a refreshing glass of water. In addition […]
August 18th
No Comments
Filed under: Weight Loss Tips
5 Tips to Lose Weight Fast in 10 Days

Posted by Judi Lake

Here are 5 quick tips to lose weight fast and burn fat that did wonders for me! And you can start immediately.
1. More fruits, more vegetables, more powerful fat loss!
Do you have a sweet tooth? Eat more fruits
Grab an apple, an orange or a mango instead of seeking a snack.This sugery […]
August 17th
No Comments
Filed under: Weight Loss Tips
How To Lose Weight In A Week

Posted by Judi Lake

Is it possible to lose weight in a week ? The obesity people are looking for ways to lose weight fast. This post will discuss weight loss tips and plans that you should avoid.
Low fat diet do not work at all. Foods that are low in fat have been around […]
June 28th
No Comments
Filed under: Weight Loss Tips
5 Fast Weight Loss Tips To Lose Weight Fast

Posted by Judi Lake

If you’ve been struggling with weight loss for years, these 5 quick weight loss tips can help you lose weight quickly. You can lose weight quickly in a month following these simple tips.
1) The regular soda Thrash
Substitute regular soda with diet soda. If possible, avoid diet soda together to lose weight […]
April 28th
No Comments
Filed under: Weight Loss Tips
10 Ways For How to Lose Weight Fast At Home

Posted by Yulia Berry

There are many diets out there that will show you how to lose weight quickly. The problem is that many of the claims of rapid weight loss are false and could be hurting yourself if you reduce too quickly. Small changes in your lifestyle can definitely help shed those extra kilos. […]
April 6th
No Comments
Filed under: Weight Loss Tips
20 Great Tips For Rapid Weigh loss

Posted by Judi Lake

If you want to achieve rapid weight loss of the extra pounds, you should be careful what you eat and your activity level. With a program of rapid weight loss, identify what needs to change and include in your lifestyle tips after weight loss.
Tip1. Reducing calories consumed
One gram of fat contains twice the […]
April 6th
2 Comments
Filed under: Weight Loss Tips
How Many Calories Should I Eat to Lose Weight?

Posted by Yulia Berry

I want to lose weight . I want to lose weight fast . How many calories should I eat to lose weight? The answer depends on many factors, there is no magic number, if you will. Someone recommended daily intake of calories to lose weight will depend on factors such as height, current […]

10 Tips For Fast Weight Loss

Losing weight can be a challenge, especially if you have many pounds to shed. It can be difficult to sift through all the fad diets, and downright dangerous supplements and pills on the market today. How do you know what works and what doesn’t? Whom should you believe?

Here are 10 no-nonsense tips for fast, healthy weight loss :

1) Drink 8-10 glasses of water each day - this helps flush your body of impurities and fat. You can also substitute a few glasses of water for green or herbal tea.
2) Break up your meals into 5 or 6 smaller ones - this will help speed up your metabolism and keep you from getting too hungry in between meals.
3) Increase your fruit and vegetable intake - these are packed with vitamins.
4) Decrease your fat intake - try for no more than 20 grams per day.
5) Exercise for 30 minutes each day - take a walk, or play a game with your kids. Just get moving.
6) Find a hobby - take up knitting or painting to keep your hands busy.
7) Don’t eat that late night snack - Try not to eat for at least 2 hours before going to bed.
Listen to your body - your body will tell you when it is full, hungry, stressed, tired. Learn the signs and obey what your body is telling you.
9) Increase your fiber - choose whole grain pasta and bread.
10) Cleanse and detoxify - this may be the most important. Rid your body of harmful toxins and chemicals, while allowing it to function normally.

Cleansing is an important part of long-term weight loss success. Our bodies are laden with insecticides, pesticides, lead, and dozens of other harmful substances. These chemicals clog our internal organs and our bodies respond by coating these chemicals with layers of fat.

One way to cleanse your body of harmful impurities is by using Acai Berry. This fruit is a nutritional powerhouse and will get your body functioning normally again, so it can fight illness and disease. It will also allow your body to burn calories and fat faster and more efficiently. You will see a faster rate of weight loss, and you will be able to keep it off.

Acai berry has many health benefits as well, including increased circulation, increased metabolism, and increased mental clarity and focus.

By Anne Jamie Silver

10 Tips For Fast Weight Loss

Posted by Steve



To lose 50 pounds is never an easy thing to do. But people have done it before you, so it’s entirely within your power. I say this only to be straight with you: it’s not going to be easy for you, but you can succeed if you set your mind to it. I can only suggest a way in which you can do it.

To lose 50 pounds fast, you need a diet which will provide a fast and continuous weight loss. Fast because you want to get thin as soon as possible, continuous because it takes time to lose 50 pounds. To do so, you need a diet which will work in the long term and not just in the short term. That’s why you need to be extra careful when choosing a diet to follow, since most diets will only work short term and not long.

To lose 50 lbs as fast as possible, I recommend a diet called Fat Loss 4 Idiots. Why do I make this recommendation? Because this diet provides a fast and continuous weight loss, just as we decided you need in order to achieve your goal.

How does this diet work? Fat Loss 4 Idiots is an online diet, which means that you download it to your computer. You get an ebook with diet tips and guidelines for you to follow, and a unique menu generating software through which you get a personal menu which is based on foods selected by you. The reason it’s called Fat Loss 4 Idiots is that you just need to stick to the menu (which has 4 meals each day) in order to succeed. It’s so simple an idiot can do it.

Fat Loss 4 Idiots is based on the Calorie Shifting diet method. This is a scientific method by which you maintain a high metabolic rate by eating different types of calories throughout the day. That way your metabolism remains running high, unlike many other diets which cause the metabolism to slow down.

How much can you lose with this diet? The diet says you can lose 9 pounds every 11 days. I say that even if your lose 6-7 pounds in that time frame, you should be very happy. According to this weight loss rate, you can expect to lose 50 pounds in as little as 4 months which is very impressive.

I hope I’ve given you something to consider when you ask yourself how to lose 50 pounds fast. I wish you the best of luck.

By John Davenport

A Precise Review About The Shakespeare's Othello

A Precise Review About The Shakespeare's Othello
Story of Othello by Shakespeare

Othello: The Play

Othello is a tragic Shakespearian play which was written around the year 1603 and was based on a sixteenth century Italian story titled Un Captiano Moro which means ‘A Moorish Captain'. Othello is portrayed as a Moorish general serving in the Venetian army of the time.

The play addresses issues of that time period, most of which are still seen in existence today. It highlights the impact of racial discrimination, jealousy, love and betrayal; elements which are not alien to most Shakespearian plays. These elements are amongst other reasons why the play has been adapted into modern times in the form of film,literature and broadcasting.

Shakespeare: The English Poet and Playwright

William Shakespeare was baptized on the 26th of April, 1564 (his actual birthdate is unknown) in Warwickshire, England. He is considered by many as the greatest writer in the history of the English language which is why he remains in odes of admiration today.

He is also regarded as England's national poet and the ‘Bard of Avon'. He married Anne Hathaway at the age of 18 and rose to be an actor, playwright and the owner of a theatrical enterprise which was later known as King's Men.

He died in 1616 at the age of fifty two. Today, four hundred years later, his legacy is no stranger to conspiracy and controversy regarding the originality of his work, his appearance, his sexuality and his beliefs.

Why did Shakespeare Write Othello? Addressing the Prevalent Racism

Shakespeare lived in a time when racism was prevalent and racial discrimination and segregation were acceptable norms in developed societies and civilizations. He tried to shorten the gaping divide between the white race and peoples of color.

It meant to counter the commonly accepted philosophy of racial superiority of the white race hence it was bound to create waves and controversy in a time when slavery was perfectly acceptable in human societies.

Although traveling was not as frequent in that age and racial compositions were more homogenous, Venice was a major trading hub in the entire world and it attracted sailors and merchants from countries and continents afar. Therefore racial intermingling was relatively common.

Elements of Humanization

Through Othello, Shakespeare intended to humanize the perception of other racial groups and showed how they fitted into the virtues and ills of society just like ordinary locals did. As with most of his plays, Othello showed human passion and human weakness through tales of seduction, love, power and betrayal.

Othello's Criticism

Shakespeare's works always possessed a tinge of subtlety which was a double-edged sword. It beautified his writing prowess yet it also led to conflicting interpretations of his work. Several critics argue that Othello contains slurs of racist jargon which were prevalent in that society. Although it shows the helplessness of black men, it consistently shows the West as the beacon of rationality and the East as its irrational counterpart. Turks were not considered to be of equal mental ability and devoid of humane mannerisms in the eyes of the European characters, and arguably, in Shakespeare's. His critics include A.C. Bradley and Anthony Gilbert.

Othello in the Modern Era

Despite the controversy, Othello survived the engulfing tides of time and is a part of modern theatricals and has been inscribed in literary history for all times to come. It has had several influences on modern works as well.

Adaptations

Film

The play has been adapted in multiple films which include:

  • Jarum Halus (2008) a Malaysian version.
  • Omkara (2006) a Bollywood feature.
  • Eloise (2002) set in Australia.
  • Kaliyattam (1997) a Kerala based production.
  • Othello (1995, 1982, 1965, 1955, 1914 and 1909) made in different countries all over the world.
  • The Tragedy of Othello (1952)

Plays

Othello has been performed in theatricals and operas all across the modern world which includes Naples and Milan based operas. It has also surfaced in the form of ballet in New York City.

Other Adaptations

The play has also been made into a few television series in 1981, 1990 and 2001 for various production houses such as the British Broadcasting Corporation. It has also been adapted into a graphic novel by Oscar Zarate.



Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/book-reviews-articles/a-precise-review-about-the-shakespeares-othello-4998994.html#ixzz1RjK314Yj
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution No Derivatives

Sharing My Love of Dice Game with My Friends

Sharing My Love of Dice Game with My Friends

It's not uncommon for new friends to be confused when I say I like to roll dice, or I'm going to roll dice with my buddies later. Some people think I'm a degenerate gambler and don't ask, and other's think I'm making things up to avoid going out.

The truth is I love to play games. Some people do understand the dice games I like to play, and they think I'm a big dork. Well, I am a big dork. My buddies and I have been playing Risk, Monopoly, and any other dice game we can get our hands on for years. I guess I never grew up, but we all have our quirks.

We play the classic games from growing up, we play crazy new games like Settlers of Catan, and we even play the super nerdy strategy games like Warhammer. My friends and I all have huge collections of dice and dice games, but in the past we rarely ever got anyone new to play our games. We all have a lot fun playing these games, so it was not because everyone thought our games were dumb. Unfortunately, our games had a stigma that you had to be some loser that lives in your mom's basement to play games for fun.

This all changed a few years ago when we first started playing the L.C.R. dice game. L.C.R. stands for left, right, center and the game is about as easy to understand as that. Like the classic card game War, there is not a lot of strategy or planning. You start with a few quarters, and when you roll the dice you move your quarters to the person to your left, your right, the center of the board, or you get to keep your coins. The last person with a quarter in front of them gets all of the money in the center and wins the L.C.R. dice game. My grandmother likes the L.C.R. dice game, my nephews like the game, and my friends like the game a lot.

We started playing L.C.R. with our friends, and they all got hooked. After playing with new people a few times we started introducing them to some of the other games we like to play. Soon enough, we got almost all of our friends into playing games with us.

Last year we had so many people that wanted to play games with us that we started a dice games night at the bar down the street from my house. The bar loves it, because we bring so many people on a once slow night. My friends and I love it, because you can show up any time you like. It sure beats sitting around with three or four guys in your basement playing board games.

(ArticlesBase SC #4997874)

Start increasing your traffic today just by submitting articles with us, click here to get started.Liked this article? Click here to publish it on your website or blog, it's free and easy!

Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/board-games-articles/sharing-my-love-of-dice-game-with-my-friends-4997874.html#ixzz1RjHytygB
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution No Derivatives

Children Gams, Toys and Gadgets: What Makes Them important

Children Gams, Toys and Gadgets: What Makes Them important

Playtime is an integral part of childhood for the development of young children. When little ones play, this doesn't only present them pleasure and fun; but will make them learn plenty of lessons that develop their skills. Due to the fact play enables them to master additional skills and concepts, they must be supplied with a safe environment and relaxed atmosphere to see these, making these vital and conducive for their learning.

Even though playing, children figure out how to interact with their environment; and particularly with their peers in a productive and fun manner. These kinds of opportunities increase their intelligence, self-esteem, problem-solving, and social skills. When they are among their peers, this is a ways of being familiar with and resolving key issues. It instructs them how to work with cooperation and participation; the way to get along with others, and ways to resolve conflicts.

It truly is due to this that parents should actively encourage kids to play, particularly if you use playthings. Products for children should be properly chosen to provide learning, such as a new skill, and should provide a healthy environment for the learning to take place. These products must be able to teach the little ones about the world outside their homes, and how itfunctions for them. Gadgets that imitate how the adults are working in their particular environment in the workplace are ideal. For example, playthings that will allow them to play like doctors in a medical clinic, farmers creating their farm, office workers using computers in their workplace, and many more.

In the choice of toys for children, it is important to keep things in mind to remind you that these are considerations you should be making. First, remember, it is quality, and never quantity, that is vital. It is not imperative that you buy a lot of products, but expect to spend a fair amount of money on even just just one toy. Choose games that are appropriate for the age of your child. This is easy to do since toy producers indicate on the packaging, the appropriateness of the toy for specific age groups. Avoid the playthings that are overly taxing or hard to assemble, or those that are overly simple as it does not provide mind stimulation. Oftentimes, games preferably for the age range of 3-6 are the ones that are helpful and significant for childhood development.

Often consider buying playthings which aren't only fun but also educational. These types of must teach all of us skills relating to mechanical intelligence like how things work, as these offer them significant lessons in life while having fun themselves. Ensure also that you consider popularity of the toys. These are especially critical to allow them to be able to relate to their peers easily as these kinds of playthings are defines their generation and enhances peer-to-peer socialization. Given that they need to feel a part of society, buy products that other small children have to help facilitate social interaction. In order to develop a unique personality in them, add unusual gadgets that will go well with their collection, but ensure that they are fully aware what the current trends among their peers are.

(ArticlesBase SC #4996581)

Watch your traffic increase just by submitting articles with us, click here to get started.Liked this article? Click here to publish it on your website or blog, it's free and easy!

Read more:http://www.articlesbase.com/board-games-articles/children-gams-toys-and-gadgets-what-makes-them-important-4996581.html#ixzz1RjHYzK00
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution No Derivatives

User Driven Articles can Drive Your Business

User Driven Articles can Drive Your Business

There's a lot of talk on the web about SEO and keywords as being the key to driving your ranking higher. That's all well and good, but if you don't have the information the customer is looking for, it won't help in the long run. Ultimately your customer is the one that determines what is relevant in their search, not some algorithm, so while your site might pop up initially, they are just going to click away if you haven't got what they need.

Product blogs are an excellent way of bringing customers to your site. By writing about what you know and other people are interested in, your website becomes the place to acquire both skills and goods. As an example, let's say you sell camping gear online. You've got great stuff and know your subject, right? Then you need a blog to demonstrate your expertise! While a lot of your customers are going to have a certain level of experience of their own, they need to know that you are the master; the one that can recommend the right tent, the right stove, the right clothes or other gear that can improve their camping experience.

They want to know if a tent is heavy enough or too small for four people, will it stand up to high winds, etc. You've had that brand of tent out in the high sierras and didn't like it. When you tell them the good and bad points, they will listen, especially if you give them alternatives and comparisons. If you go on and on about the color it comes in and nothing about the waterproofing or ease of setup, it isn't going to help them and you look like some wannabe instead of an authority. Not good.

If you expand the blog to include things like camping etiquette, best parks to go hiking, skills like using portable stoves, camprecipes, emergency advice that they can actually use, your website doesn't just get a higher ranking, it gets bookmarked for future use. They are going to come back because you gave them something they need and want and they know you are truly good at what you do.

This goes for almost any business you may be in. By giving the user what information they need in an article, it will make them feel more confident that they can buy from you without fear. Blogging about your experiences gives them a share pool of information to draw from and lets them know they can come to you with questions and suggestions, if need be.

The customer wants answers to their questions, not just a quick shopping experience, although that may also be a consideration. Information drives the internet and sharing it with the people you work for is important. Making sure that your content is relevant to your target audience is the best possible way to improve your SEO and your business in the long run.

(ArticlesBase SC #5005524)

Start increasing your traffic today just by submitting articles with us, click here to get started.Liked this article? Click here to publish it on your website or blog, it's free and easy!

Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/blogging-articles/user-driven-articles-can-drive-your-business-5005524.html#ixzz1RjG3ujaC
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution No Derivatives

How Blog Design Can Help or Hinder Your Readership

How Blog Design Can Help or Hinder Your Readership

Regardless of whether the blog you are reading is a personal account marking an anecdote in somebody's life or whether the blog relates to an advertising campaign presented by an international company to make prospective customers aware of their products, template design for these blogs is important. With a blog you can read a lighthearted, newsy account of somebody's day with product advertising strategically slotted into that same blog. In other words, a prospective customer is reading about a product you might want to sell without your advertising appearing particularly overt or 'in-your-face'.

Email Advertising
Essentially, in such a case as advertising products through the use of blogging, embedded links, linking the blog reader back to an official product website is essential - and an essential component of the blogging template design. Subscribing to a blog newsletter is an ideal way of building your subscriber list to enable you to legitimately pursue the lucrative email marketing sector which is fraught with dangers to the unwary marketer following the CAN-SPAM campaign.

Product Reviews
Many people assiduously write a daily blog as a way of getting something 'off their chests'. When it comes to product reviews, this can be an enormous help to other readers, giving them a true indication about a product and even about the customer service generated after the sale of that product. It is true that some product reviews are written by paid individuals but this is not the norm and professional reviews written as blogs are very much in the minority.

The upside of blogging about a product comes when you are attempting to market your product. If you have lots of readers who regularly read your blog then, on the laws of averages you will also have many potential customers to interest about the product you are selling.

Advertising your Blog
Nobody likes to be overtly sold to so, in focusing on generating extra traffic to your blog instead of trying to build your marketing list by pushing your product at them, you are likely to get a lot of indirect interest in your product. This really is one of the beauties associated with blogging. People just seem to love reading blogs! Another way of advertising your blog is to become a member of the many affiliate sites which encourage you to join their affiliate program.

In return your blog will be entered in their catalogue under a relevant category name. The main advantage to this is that theadvertising is free: you will not be charged by the affiliate programs for listing the URL associated with your blog. There are lots of other websites that will list your blog. Some of these charge a fee, so it is advisable to 'Google' all the websites offering free advertising, even if you have to disguise your advertising by incorporating that advertising into a storyline in your blog. This is actually a very effective way of promoting any products you may have for sale.

Return Visitors to your Blog
A recurring income is generated by previous clients returning to you. Similarly, readers who like your blog and return time after time to read what you have to say will slowly build up your clientele. As your blog traffic increases you need to continually present new material within your blog in order to keep your regular readers satisfied and wanting to read more. This will encourage them to recommend you to their friends as well. The way to keep your readers' interest is to provide a continuous supply of articles relevant to the product you are selling, incorporating strategic links that will take your readers to your marketing landing page where they can find out more information about the product you are selling if they click on that link set within your blog articles.

Obtaining a Steady Stream of Articles
This is fairly easy to do as there are innumerable numbers of websites offering free articles they will allow you to use - usually as long as you leave their byline and URL in situ at the end of each article. In fact, what they are doing is similar to you are intending to do: using their article to advertise their presence in the same way that you intend using their article toadvertise your presence. It all works well if you all acknowledge the rules of the game!

The rules of the game is to attract potential customers. However, your intention will be completely different to the owner of the article so, the article author can allow you to use their article in the certain knowledge that you are only going to benefit them: they want customers for their articles; you want customers for the product you are selling.

Whilst on the subject of customers, you could also subscribe to Google Adsense and arrange to have a strategically placed advertisement placed on your blog. This, in itself, could either help or hinder your attempt to gain followers. However, make sure that, when you arrange to place an advert on your webpage, it doesn't interfere with the text you have written. The last thing you want is to interfere with your readers' enjoyment of your article or disturb the context, detracting from any benefits your article might contribute to.

Design and Layout
Blogging is very popular and the many blogging websites are invariably inundated with potential bloggers. That, in itself, is not a problem: whatever you write will always get published. From your point of view, however, you need to ensure maximum exposure. If you are selling a product you want to make sure that as many people as possible read your blog and, unless you already have a large and avid following of readers, you need to take steps to ensure your blog stands out from the hoi polloi!

How to Make your Blog Stand Out
The name of the game is 'customize'! You are competing for readership from innumerable other blogs so, to get a good readership behind you it is essential for you to make your blog stand out from the others. One way is to alter your banner so that it is individually customized. This is quite easy to do: you simply use the original dimensions of the generic banner and insert your own graphics, made to the same size as the generic banner.

Graphics are the Answer
Once in place you can then edit this graphic and insert your own blog title into it. If you are unable to do this yourself, visit one of the freelance work websites and insert an advert requesting a person to do this for you: try Freelancer.com. Posting photos onto your blog is pretty usual. However, personalizing those photos first can really help to make your blog stand out from the run-of-the-mill rest of the blogs. One way of personalizing photos is to add an interesting border. In fact, if you choose a blog design template with a unique border, this will help to make your blog stand out as well.
Continuing with the graphics' theme, why not consider adding a favicon to your blog? Favicons are actually nothing more than little icons located in front of your URL on the address bar. These graphics are really easy to insert when you make use of one of the many effective editing software programs. Again, if you are unsure, either 'Google' a tutorial online telling you how to do it, or employ somebody to do it for you by visiting Freelancer.com.

Layouts and Backgrounds
Following through with the idea of blog border, why not take a look at the various layouts available to you from the many blog templates available online. You don't just have to rely on the templates available to you from the blogging community you belong to. There are loads of different websites that offer a really diverse range of templates, with huge choices of different skins and textures all designed to make your blog look unique and completely individual.

Get to Grips with RSS Feed
It really is worth learning about RSS feeds. Once again, 'Google' for a tutorial: it is pretty straightforward to get the hang of this. RSS stands for 'Really Simple Syndication' and, as its name suggests, it really is simple to use. Basically, RSS is a way of automatically updating information on a website. Each time a website is updated, you will find out about it via RSS. This useful little piece of technology is also referred to as a 'newsfeed' and, in order to be advised of updates to websites through RSS you will need to be subscribed to an RSS Reader.

As a website is updated you will be notified of the update via email. So, before you go any further, get yourself subscribed to an RSS Feed Reader. If you are unsure which one to pick, you can't go far wrong by subscribing to Bloglines. Another good one is the Google Reader but there are many other ones available.

Go Audio
Whether you stream mp3, playlists or radio stations through your blog, audio will certainly help to personalize it and, for those readers who actually like a blog with audio, you can be sure of a steady stream of returning visitors. Be aware, though that there are many people who cannot stand blogs that spout music at them: these people go online for a quiet read and, the minute they hear audio blasted at them, they will log off: swings and roundabouts - or, put another way, you win some, you lose some!

Don't Just Follow the Crowd
When it comes to increasing your readership and attracting visitors to your website you are aiming for a greater following. Although many of the methods suggested above are well tried and tested, it is important for you to consider each method carefully before deciding which to implement. After all, no matter how well one method may work elsewhere, if it isn't proving advantageous to you, why bother with it? This goes for anything from graphics to advertising. The golden rule, when it comes to online marketing of any sort, is to test the market. Testing the market is also invaluable when it comes to blogging and the importance of a blog design as well as the methods you are going to use to increase the readership of your blogs.

(ArticlesBase SC #5003206)

Start increasing your traffic today just by submitting articles with us, click here to get started.Liked this article? Click here to publish it on your website or blog, it's free and easy!

Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/blogging-articles/how-blog-design-can-help-or-hinder-your-readership-5003206.html#ixzz1RjFcBlug
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution No Derivatives