In a post a while back we talked about good-looking advertisements, and the discussion was enjoyable. However, it got me thinking about how, in this quest to make money on the internet, we have to often sell ourselves just like advertisements do. In taking a look at how we can better make ourselves as attractive as possible in this regard, someone mentioned weight loss. I know a lot of people struggle with this, and that the slimband is something many have considered. I wanted to clarify some facts on it so that we could continue the discussion from a more informed place. Here is some of the best information I could find for us to start from.
"Lap Band Obesity Surgery is one of the fastest growing methods for weight loss in this country today. Many people that have a substantial amount of weight to lose have probably thought about gastric bypass surgery as an option for taking off the extra pounds. This surgery can give you your health back and help you lose a lot of weight, but if you think this process will not take work, you are mistaken.
For the first 6 months to a year, the weight will come off relatively easy, because your stomach is very small. It is best not to overeat so that it will stay that way. You may think you can eat anything you want, because you cannot eat much, but there are many foods that have very little volume, but contain a great deal of calories.
Most gastric bypass surgery centers offer instruction on proper diet and exercise as part of your pre-op preparation. This information is part of giving you all the tools you will need to be successful at losing the excess weight.
It is important to understand that neither a roux-en-y or lap band surgery will cure obesity. You will lose weight, but at some point in time your weight loss will depend on the choices that you make and the changes you have integrated into your lifestyle. If is necessary for you to learn when you have physical hunger and head hunger. You want to eat to nourish your body and not to fill a void.
It is best to keep a food log and weigh often. These are two things that will help keep your weight under control. It is essential you learn to limit your sugar and fat intake. Some people will have no problem with this part, because their body will not tolerate unhealthy eating. But there are those that will not have problems eating almost anything after a year or two. If these people do not make wise choices, they may soon find themselves with a weight problem again.
The stomach is a muscle and it will stretch, no matter how small it is after surgery. It is best to start making your lifestyle changes prior to your surgery. This will get you ready for losing weight and living your future as a healthy person. Lap band obesity surgery can get you there, staying there is up to you."
"For people who are looking to lose weight through greater appetite control, slim band surgery may be the answer. This surgery has been proven to be very effective, and it is also very different from gastric bypass surgery. When a patient undergoes gastric bypass surgery, a part of the intestine is bypassed, so the patient can no longer consume as much food. With slim band, however, a band is placed around part of the stomach, usually the top part, to help them decrease their appetites and feel satisfied faster. Although you will not lose a huge amount of weight really quickly with this surgery, it is possible to have really good results over time.
Expected Amount of Weight Loss
Most doctors and nutritionists agree that losing up to two pounds a week is a healthy amount of weight to lose for the average person. Even people who exercise regularly and switch over to healthy diets should expect to lose weight at this rate. Keeping up with a healthy weight loss routine, according to this rate, may result in a person weighing up to 100 pounds less, which is amazing.
According to the World Health Organization, the average rate of weight loss for people who have slim band surgery is around one to two pounds per week. This is a healthy amount of weight to lose, but some people may lose even more depending upon how overweight they were before undergoing surgery and how they approach dieting and exercise.
Some people may not be able to exercise right after they have received slim band surgery. In this case, weight may be lost at a very slow rate. During this time, though, it is very important that they eat healthfully and start taking on healthy habits, such as eating regularly and avoiding junk food. Once they are able to start exercising, they should expect to lose weight at a much faster rate. In some cases, they may even lose up to five or more pounds per week, which is fine as long as the weight is being lost due to healthy eating and exercise habits.
After the surgery
Different people will achieve different results with slim band surgery, and some may not be able to start their regular weight loss routines straight away due to the positioning of the slim band. There are several reasons why results vary, and these include:
* If there is discomfort from the band, doctors may have to adjust it until a more comfortable location is found. This may involve several additional visits to the doctor’s office.
* There is a port that is used to remove and inject a saline solution into band. If this port moves, doctors will need to put it back in its right place.
* Patients cannot return to their normal lives right after surgery. They usually have to take special steps to ensure that they do not compromise their results or their health. For instance, it is common for patients to be put on a liquid diet and this may lead to a higher rate of weight loss in the first few weeks after the surgery for some patients. At a later date, patients will be able to eat solid foods again, and this may decrease the rate of weight loss for some people.
From there, the 1 to 2 pounds of weight loss will occur. Eventually, exercise can take place. Although it may seem like a journey that will be long, the steady weight loss will make it seem not so bad. Simply make small goals for yourself. For example, make your goal to lose 4 to 8 pounds for the month. At the beginning of the next month, weigh yourself and see your goal become real. You can then mark it on your calendar and set a new goal. Do the same when you add exercise into your routine and you will see yourself shrink before your eyes. Once you hit your ideal weight, it is then time to maintain it, which is something you will find easier than the actual weight loss."
April 17, 2011
April 8, 2011
Advertising - It's Only Profitable When It Works: A Perfect Example
Advertising is a great way to get attention for your product or business, but often people pay far too much for far too little. The problem with advertising is that there are so many ad out there, and only so many eyeballs. The trick is to not only be seen, but to evoke an emotion, be it love, hate, fear, or nostalgia.
A perfect example of the latter can be seen in this full-sized outdoor Hot Wheels advertisement. Anyone my age (and likely younger) will instantly feel the nostalgia this Hot Wheels outdoor "billboard" brings. In fact, I went out and bought my kid a few cars after seeing this perfect example of how to make ad dollars work for you.
Make sure when you participate in advertising, be it for your business, your product, or even yourself (your blog/website), make sure that some level of emotion is evoked with your attempts, be it positive or negative. The worst thing an advertisement can do is make the viewer ambivalent.
A perfect example of the latter can be seen in this full-sized outdoor Hot Wheels advertisement. Anyone my age (and likely younger) will instantly feel the nostalgia this Hot Wheels outdoor "billboard" brings. In fact, I went out and bought my kid a few cars after seeing this perfect example of how to make ad dollars work for you.
Make sure when you participate in advertising, be it for your business, your product, or even yourself (your blog/website), make sure that some level of emotion is evoked with your attempts, be it positive or negative. The worst thing an advertisement can do is make the viewer ambivalent.
November 12, 2010
5 Business Propositions To Say 'No' To
As an online entrepreneur, you will, at one point or another, start to receive all sorts of propositions. Some will, of course, prove to be great opportunities which you definitely need to take advantage of. Others, on the other hand, are nothing more than time-wasters you need to steer clear of .
Here are the top 5 propositions that you will definitely encounter:
Proposition 1: “Will You Buy My Product?”
There are more than a few occasions when you are approached by all sorts of people who claim to have products you just have to buy. Why say “no”? Think about it: if their product is actually worth it, why do they have to email people individually in order to convince them of that? Wouldn’t they be better off letting the product speak for itself? Sure, they want to advertise it, but there a lot of professional ways to let others know about your product, from purchasing advertising to SEO and emailing webmasters individually isn’t one of them.
Proposition 2: “Will You Hire Me?”
There are several people who think that emailing every webmaster they can find is the best way to get a job. Of course you should say “no” to such a proposition because if that person were truly an asset to you, he would have found better ways to advertise his services rather than constantly asking if you want to hire him directly.
Proposition 3: “Will You Advertise on My Website?”
Let’s face it: a person you have never been in contact with who e-mails you in order to let you know about a great “advertising opportunity” doesn’t exactly strike you as professional. Of course, if we’re talking about a former business partner who emails you such a proposition then sure, you can definitely look into it but in this case, saying “no” is a must.
Proposition 4: “Will You Invest In My Project”
Doesn’t an email from a complete stranger who asks you if you would like to invest in his or her project strike you as at the very least a little bit suspicious? When investing in a project, trusting your partners is a must and that is clearly not the case with such a proposition, so that your reaction should be obvious.
Proposition 5: “Will You Let Me Use Your [insert name here] Account?”
Having a strong account with social media websites is always a huge advantage and it should come as no surprise that, if you have one, people will try to take advantage of that. The same thing applies for any type of website where you have an account. If someone asks if you can share your password so that they can use that account, delete that email and never look back. If we’re talking about social media websites, why not, you can submit certain articles for them, but sharing your password is out of the question. Of course, even if he or she tries to steal your account, there are ways to get it back but I am sure that the thought of wasting time doesn’t exactly sound all that appealing so that “no” is the best answer in this case as well.
This is your time and money we are talking about here. The more noise you listen to and consider, the less time you will have to focus on the real issues your business or life are throwing at you. Don't bury your head in the sand, but know how to quickly determine what's hot and what's not.
Here are the top 5 propositions that you will definitely encounter:
Proposition 1: “Will You Buy My Product?”
There are more than a few occasions when you are approached by all sorts of people who claim to have products you just have to buy. Why say “no”? Think about it: if their product is actually worth it, why do they have to email people individually in order to convince them of that? Wouldn’t they be better off letting the product speak for itself? Sure, they want to advertise it, but there a lot of professional ways to let others know about your product, from purchasing advertising to SEO and emailing webmasters individually isn’t one of them.
Proposition 2: “Will You Hire Me?”
There are several people who think that emailing every webmaster they can find is the best way to get a job. Of course you should say “no” to such a proposition because if that person were truly an asset to you, he would have found better ways to advertise his services rather than constantly asking if you want to hire him directly.
Proposition 3: “Will You Advertise on My Website?”
Let’s face it: a person you have never been in contact with who e-mails you in order to let you know about a great “advertising opportunity” doesn’t exactly strike you as professional. Of course, if we’re talking about a former business partner who emails you such a proposition then sure, you can definitely look into it but in this case, saying “no” is a must.
Proposition 4: “Will You Invest In My Project”
Doesn’t an email from a complete stranger who asks you if you would like to invest in his or her project strike you as at the very least a little bit suspicious? When investing in a project, trusting your partners is a must and that is clearly not the case with such a proposition, so that your reaction should be obvious.
Proposition 5: “Will You Let Me Use Your [insert name here] Account?”
Having a strong account with social media websites is always a huge advantage and it should come as no surprise that, if you have one, people will try to take advantage of that. The same thing applies for any type of website where you have an account. If someone asks if you can share your password so that they can use that account, delete that email and never look back. If we’re talking about social media websites, why not, you can submit certain articles for them, but sharing your password is out of the question. Of course, even if he or she tries to steal your account, there are ways to get it back but I am sure that the thought of wasting time doesn’t exactly sound all that appealing so that “no” is the best answer in this case as well.
This is your time and money we are talking about here. The more noise you listen to and consider, the less time you will have to focus on the real issues your business or life are throwing at you. Don't bury your head in the sand, but know how to quickly determine what's hot and what's not.
November 2, 2010
Anyone Ever Heard of or Try "Ether"? Sell Your Expert Advice
I've stumbled upon a new way to make your time valuable, but it requires you to know a little something about something. If you are an expert on something, Ether provides a way for people to pay you to talk about it in a one-on-one setting.
If you want to charge $250/hr, that's fine (but might hinder any takers, unless you have a real expertise in something). You have to do all the advertising so you should have a blog or site already established, but the ability to tailor the services you provide (Halo Map Expert, anyone?) makes this site a possibility when looking for income sources.
If you want to charge $250/hr, that's fine (but might hinder any takers, unless you have a real expertise in something). You have to do all the advertising so you should have a blog or site already established, but the ability to tailor the services you provide (Halo Map Expert, anyone?) makes this site a possibility when looking for income sources.
October 30, 2010
October 28, 2010
Cash Crate - Turning Time Into Free Cash
I know there are tons of survey opportunities out there, and I have been researching quite a few that netted no real results, but I gotta tell you that Cash Crate has been, by far, the best thing I've found.
Within the first 3 hours of signing up, I already have a $20 voucher, and I didn't have to wade through pages of repetitive surveys to get it. They even give you $1 just for signing up... $1 you can spend, not just points that never become anything like most sites.
If surveys are your thing, they have offers you can complete for around a buck each, but the real gem is that you earn a percentage of the money you would spend on the internet shopping anyway! 3-4% on Itunes, 3% at WalMart, you get the picture! I really recommend checking it out, if for nothing else grabbing the low-hanging fruit to give yourself that $20 voucher I just earned in less time than I posted this!
Within the first 3 hours of signing up, I already have a $20 voucher, and I didn't have to wade through pages of repetitive surveys to get it. They even give you $1 just for signing up... $1 you can spend, not just points that never become anything like most sites.
If surveys are your thing, they have offers you can complete for around a buck each, but the real gem is that you earn a percentage of the money you would spend on the internet shopping anyway! 3-4% on Itunes, 3% at WalMart, you get the picture! I really recommend checking it out, if for nothing else grabbing the low-hanging fruit to give yourself that $20 voucher I just earned in less time than I posted this!
October 24, 2010
ClickNwork - An Opportunity to Get Paid While Working Remotely From Home
I'm hearing good things about ClickNwork, a website where you can get paid $5-$150 per hour for basically doing freelance work on a per-assignment basis. You have to pass a pretty tough test to get in.
They claim, "At a time when companies are moving jobs offshore, we are promoting the vast and largely untapped resource of skilled and experienced people that want to work from home. Companies that have tried 'homesourcing' realize it can be as cost effective as offshoring but also brings quality gains and much more flexible staffing options. Working from home is also better for families and communities."
Once again, this sounds too good to be true, but if you can pass the test, it seems to offer an opportunity worth your time. I'll be trying this out in the near future, so expect an update... at least on how hard the test is, and how not to pass it!
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