Over the years, people have doubted the effectiveness of aromatherapy for weight loss. More recently, though, scientists have studied the relationship between weight loss and the sense of smell. And they’ve reached some interesting conclusions.

So… Can you use aromatherapy for weight loss? The short answer is “Yes”.

This is not to say that aromatherapy is a “magic bullet” or instant weight loss cure – there is no such thing. But aromatherapy can be a valuable part of a healthy, sensible weight loss program.

Aromatherapy does two things: It can help manage cravings and feelings of hunger, and it can also address some contributors to weight issues such as stress, anxiety and depression.

How Aromatherapy for Weight Loss Works

Research shows that appetite and the sense of smell are closely connected. In fact, studies have found that our sense of smell actually triggers feelings of fullness before our stomach does.

When you inhale an essential oil, its microscopic molecules directly affect a part of the brain called the hypothalamus. An area inside the hypothalamus called the “satiety center” controls feelings of hunger/fullness.

The satiety center ‘reads’ certain essential oil molecules as a signal that you are full. And the good news is, this happens much faster than your brain gets the signals from your stomach telling you you’re full – so you feel full sooner!

The most well-known essential oil for weight loss is Pink Grapefruit.

Basil, Bergamot, Clary Sage, Cumin, Dill, Fennel, Ginger, Lemon, Marjoram, Patchouli, Peppermint, Sandalwood, Spearmint, Thyme, Vanilla and Ylang Ylang are some other appetite-suppressing essential oils for weight loss.

The trick to using these essential oils to curb your cravings and suppress your appetite is to inhale the appetite-suppressing essential oil for at least five minutes. Inhaling for less than five minutes can actually stimulate your appetite – not good!

Make Your Own Aromatherapy Weight Loss Inhaler

Use this handy aromatherapy inhaler any time you feel a craving come along. Carry it in your bag, keep one in your desk, your kitchen… wherever it will do the most good.

Pour a teaspoon of coarse sea salt in a very small dark glass or PET plastic bottle and add one of the following blends:

Aromatherapy for Weight Loss Citrus Blend

30 drops Grapefruit essential oil

4 drops Lemon essential oil

1 drop Ylang Ylang essential oil



Aromatherapy for Weight Loss Mint Blend

20 drops Peppermint essential oil

10 drops Bergamot essential oil

4 drops Spearmint essential oil

1 drop Ylang Ylang essential oil

Aromatherapy for Weight Loss Herb Blend

15 drops Basil essential oil

15 drops Marjoram essential oil

1 drop Oregano essential oil

1 drop Thyme essential oil

To use your aromatherapy weight loss inhaler, take three long, slow, deep breaths of the aroma. Take a short break, then take three more deep breaths. Do this three times. Sniff long and hard through each nostril. Really flood your nose with scent – in this case, more is better!

Use the aromatherapy weight loss inhaler before eating and whenever your appetite is triggered. Scientific studies show that the more often you inhale essential oils for weight loss throughout the day, the more effective it will be.

Some studies suggest that aromatherapy is more effective for weight loss if you change up the scents every day. You might try making an aromatherapy inhaler with each of the essential oil weight loss blends above, and then use Citrus on Monday, Mint on Tuesday, Herb on Wednesday and so on.

In these stressful, hectic times it makes sense to use every tool available to support our health – both mental and physical. Using aromatherapy for weight loss will not only help you meet your weight loss goals, but it will also help you feel happier, calmer and more able to cope every day. After all, that’s the nature of essential oils!

Further reading about aromatherapy and weight loss:

http://www.aromapatch.org/Hirsch_Weight_Loss_Smell.pdf

http://www.gritman.com/EO_Papers/Weightloss.html

Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to treat, prevent, diagnose, or cure any condition.



By: Kyley Zimmerman

About the Author:

Top Secret Fat Loss Secret!

Understand why you havent been successful with weight loss in the past. For many, there is a worry or a fear that keeps them from making weight loss happen. For others, a physical condition limits their ability. Determine the best way to lose weight without depriving yourself. Those that cut out whole food groups or those that dont eat enough are going to be the most likely to fail in their weight loss. Thats because the body always craves what it doesnt have.

Avoid skipping meals. Skipping meals slows down your metabolism in an attempt to conserve calories during what your body perceives as a crisis situation where it has limited fuel. Eating increases your metabolism so be sure to eat small meals constantly through out the day. Eat three small meals and two snacks daily instead of three huge meals. In order to curb overeating, eat slowly and chew each bite completely.

Tired of losing weight but gaining it back in just weeks or months? Then maybe a weight loss summer camp is the perfect option for you. Most people react when they hear of a weight loss summer camp, because they associated the place to a fat camp. But most weight loss camps are now offering fun and exciting weight loss programs that make losing weight a great and rewarding experience for its visitors. Whether you are young or old, male or female, there is a weight loss summer camp that is perfect for you. Each weight loss summer camp has specific programs for specific age and gender groups.

Losing weight has never been an easy task to do. Many give up and continue to be unhappy with their body shape claiming nothing works. Losing weight can be done but you do need a strong determination and dedication to lose weight. But it is equally hard to find the best weight loss program. Here are some tips to finding the best weight loss program for you. It is hard to loss weight without a plan, if you have the wrong plan you will see every little or no difference.

One weight loss information tidbit available over the internet is how to lose weight fast. This is probably the most rampant information available online. Websites share their two cents on how to lose weight quick and easy. Tips range from using a particular diet patch or shifting to a specific religion that promotes weight loss. After all, weight loss is a hard battle to win, and online weight loss information can definitely help you. But with the proliferation of websites providing weight loss information.

There are many of this aid tools on the internet such as weight loss charts, trackers and journals. Often, these online weight loss tools aim to help you throughout your weight loss timeline and also to help you avoid gaining back the weight you have lost. The ability of these online tools to not only help you lose weight but also to avoid gaining them back is a testimonial to its huge popularity in the online world.

Losing weight is no simple feat. It requires a tremendous amount of perseverance, discipline, and determination. Although thousands of online weight loss help articles are scattered over the internet, it is hard to find that single answer and short cut to weight loss. Nevertheless, sifting through the pile of online weight loss help articles is important to find that right information that will aid you in your weight loss journey.

Burn the Fat!

Gen Wright asked:


Weight loss can be challenging if you don’t have the right weight loss tools to help you along your journey. Tools are used everyday to help us complete simple tasks like fixing a loose door handle, heating up foods or even sending a letter to a friend. We think nothing of using a screw driver, computer or even a microwave. These are just part of the everyday tools we use.

However, when it comes to losing weight people often don’t think in terms of weight loss tools to aid us in reaching our goals. Instead they think only in terms of eating healthy, exercising and finding good exercise and weight loss tips. So if we are willing to use tools for everyday tasks, why do so many people not take advantage of weight loss tools to help them lose weight?

Weight Loss Tools – What are they?

Most people don’t take advantage of these tools because they simply do not know what they are or which tools are right for them. Tools, as defined on Wikipedia, are “a device or piece of equipment which typically provides a mechanical advantage in accomplishing a physical task”. I define weight loss tools a little more loosely. To me a weight loss tool is any document, calculator or software that can help you track, record, calculate information you need to lose weight.

You could expand on this definition, making it wide open, by saying anything, rather it be a weight loss tip or weight loss program, can be considered a weight loss tool. After all, anything that helps you accomplish your task can be considered a tool. So instead of going it alone, you want to look for weight loss tools that will help you lose the weight and keep it off.

Which Weight Loss Tools are Right for You?

When it comes to finding weight loss tools, there are literally hundreds or even thousands, depending on how you define a tool for helping you lose weight. So how do you know which ones you should look for and which ones you need? Although weight loss can be difficult, the formula for weight loss is actually quite simple; consume fewer calories than you burn. In other words, you need to create a calorie deficit.

BMR Calculator / Weight Loss Calculator

In order to create a calorie deficit you first need to understand how many calories you currently burn. Your basal metabolic rate, or BMR, is the amount of calories you burn while at total rest, like sleeping or sitting in a chair. However, we typically do not spend our entire 24 hours sleeping or resting, so a BMR calculator or weight loss calculator will factor in an activity level. These calculators generally have a selection for activity levels that include sedentary, lightly active all the way to highly active.

Other factors used in the BMR calculator are your gender, age, height and weight. These factors are used as each person’s metabolic rate depends on these. For instance, someone who is taller tends to have a higher metabolism. This is because they generally have a higher amount of muscle mass. Additionally, as we age our metabolism tends to slow down, so age is also needed for the calculation. The bottom line is you first need to know how many calories you burn through your metabolism. Then and only then can you begin to create a calorie deficit.

Calorie Intake Calculator / Exercise Calculator

Once you know your BMR calories you can start creating a calorie deficit. This can be done by either consuming fewer calories, exercising more or a combination of both. In order to help you create your calorie deficit there are two weight loss tools you may need. The first, a calorie intake calculator, will help you calculate the number of calories in the foods you eat. These calculators generally have a way to search for food items and select serving sizes. Once you have provided this information these calculators will tell you how many calories are in the specific food item for the specific serving size.

The next weight loss tool to look for is an exercise calculator. These calculators typically have several different exercises to choose from, level of intensity and of course the ability to input the duration. With this information the calculator will return the approximate number of calories burned during your exercise routine.

So you can see that it is easy to create your calorie deficit once you have all the tools to give you the right calorie information. However, unless you want to track this in your head daily, there is one more weight loss tool that I would recommend.

Calorie Intake Chart

This is one weight loss tool that you can create yourself or find one for free online that you can download and save to your computer. What you want to look for or create is a document, such as Microsoft Excel, where you can track it all. The file should include the ability to write down the foods you eat and their calorie content, the exercises you did and how many calories you burned and of course factoring in your basal metabolic rate. With all this information you can easily have the document calculate your calorie deficit for the day. If you really want to get fancy, add daily, weekly and even monthly charts that track your weight, inches lost, etc.

Although there are many other weight loss tools, with just these simple tools mentioned above you are well on your way to achieving your weight loss goals. All of these tools can be found on the web and are often free. You can even download certain files or even look for weight loss software that provides it all.



Strip the Fat!