5 REASONS YOU CANT LOSE WEIGHT

Even if you skip breakfast, drink too many calories, or just don't have time to plan, you can still fix your weight-loss problems.

From Real Age

You haven't had a bite of pizza or a lick of ice cream in, like, forever, but you still can't lose a pound. What's up with that? Here's the real what, plus some expert fixes.

1. Consciously or not, you're clueless"Very few Americans tell the truth about what they eat," says Elizabeth Somer, R.D., author of 10 Habits That Mess Up a Woman's Diet. In one USDA study, more than 80 percent of women underestimated their daily food intake by a whopping 700 calories! Part of the problem is visual: Most people don't have a clue about what a true portion looks like, Somer says.
The fix
Find your measuring cups and spoons. And if you don't have one, buy an inexpensive kitchen scale.
Measure out the recommended portions of everything you eat for a week. You'll quickly learn to accurately identify a 1/2-cup serving of pasta, a 2-ounce muffin, a teaspoon of butter, a cup of cereal, or a 4-ounce portion of chicken.

2. You skip breakfastSuccessful dieters share a common habit: They eat breakfast, say University of Colorado researchers who monitor people who have lost at least 30 pounds and kept it off for a year or more. The benefits are big. As well as preventing 10 a.m. attacks on the vending machine, eating breakfast boosts your mood, memory, and work performance.
The fix
Adopt the gold standard: Top 1 cup of whole-grain cereal with berries and fat-free or low-fat milk. Add OJ and coffee and you'll be good to go for hours.
Try the make-ahead version: The night before, put these into a preheated wide-mouth thermos: 1/2 cup old-fashioned oatmeal, a few chopped dried apricots, a pinch of brown sugar, a dash of cinnamon, a drop of almond extract, and 1 cup of hot fat-free or low-fat milk. Close tightly. In the morning, just open the thermos, sprinkle with slivered almonds, and spoon out a warm, delicious, ready-to-eat breakfast!

3. You eat without thinkingDo you nibble off the plates of others? Constantly taste while cooking? Feed small fry in "one for you, one for me" bites? Each mindless nibble averages 25 calories, and with only four mindless bites a day, you gain a pound a month!
The fix
Turn mindless eating into mindful eating, says Somer, by keeping a food journal and writing down every single thing you eat. You'll be amazed.
Eat food only when served on a plate to avoid overindulging.
Eat sitting at a table, not watching TV, driving, or flipping through magazines. And don't rush meals—enjoy each bite.

4. You drink more calories than you realizeSugary sodas, teas, and juice drinks don't fill you up, yet they pack on pounds. So do happy hours. For example, a bottle of sweetened green tea has 140 calories, the equivalent of a chocolate chip cookie. And a large margarita can have up to 800 calories—more than four cake doughnuts!
The fix
Can't give up regular soda? Make it an occasional treat.
Nix supersized cocktails and drinks made with high-calorie mixes or cream.
At parties, alternate a glass of wine with a glass of sparkling water.
Make your own iced green tea, and sweeten lightly (1 teaspoon of sugar has only 16 calories). The plus: Home-brewed tea usually has more healthy antioxidants, which often get lost in commercial processing.
Cut juice calories by mixing 1/3 cup of OJ, apricot nectar, or your favorite juice with 2/3 cup sparkling water.

5. It's not you, it's your lifeYou swear you want to eat well, but in the next breath lament how hard it is to find the time, money, or mental energy to make it happen.
The fix
Try tough love: Stop blaming others, the weather, your job, your life, the dog, etc. Focus on reaching your goal. "People lose weight every day, often despite overwhelming odds," Somer says.
List your excuses, and then brainstorm solutions. Lack of time? Cook large quantities and divide into single portions to eat throughout the week. Keep meals simple, and buy prepared foods, including sliced veggies and fruit.
Finding ways to eat right makes you not only slimmer and healthier but also physically younger: Maintaining a desirable weight can take 6 years off your RealAge.

Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc.

www.boostfatloss.net

3 HOUR DIETING

When it comes to the world of dieting you will find that there are many diet, weight loss, and fitness plans on the market. It takes years for some to become a contender and others remain a best-kept secret of sorts. One such ‘best kept’ secret would be the 3 Hour Diet that was designed by Jorge Cruise. I am sure that there are many reading along and chuckling under your breath that there is no way one can lose weight by eating every three hours however the science behind the theory is fairly common and Jorge Cruise is a mainstay in the fitness industry.

The long and short of this diet operates with the knowledge that if you do not feed your body accurately and regularly your body will go into what is called ‘starvation mode’. In this mode your body holds onto the fat rather than burning it up and consuming it for use. This means that your body is burning muscle rather than fat to take the energy it needs in order to function.

With the 3 Hour Diet you will not feel hungry all the time, in fact, there are many who claim they are constantly setting alarms and reminding themselves to eat. You will also learn the proper foods to eat in order to achieve the best possible results. The key is in learning which foods are right for you when dieting with this plan. You can purchase the book The 3-Hour Diet by Jorge Cruise and you can sign up online for more information about the weight plan itself and how to incorporate it into your busy routine.

I do recommend purchasing the book if you are seriously considering this as your method of dieting as there are many wonderful hints, tips, and tricks that are mentioned in the book to help you keep things going no matter how busy and hectic your lifestyle may be. One thing you need to keep in mind is that dieting with a program such as this is no small commitment. You need to stick to the timetable as much as possible in order to achieve the results this plan is famous for. If you aren’t willing to eat every three hours then this plan really may not be the plan for you.

Otherwise, if this is something you would be interested in, I highly recommend it. There are special considerations based on the amount you weight currently and the amount of weight you are hoping to lose. It is best if you are honest throughout the process in order to achieve the best possible and most immediate results. The claim is that you can lose as many as 10 pounds in the first two weeks and there are those that have claimed to do just that over and over again. This is a diet that even many celebrities endorse for quick and immediate results.

The good and the bad about 3 hour dieting is that it is effective but takes a very real commitment on the part of the one that is dieting. This diet is one that is taking the world by storm. If you haven’t heard of it before now, please take the time to check it out and see if this is something you could incorporate into your life. The results that have been reported as a result of this diet as nothing short of phenomenal. If there were one diet I would recommend above others for those who hate feeling hungry, it would be this diet.

www.boostfatloss.net

EAT HEALTHY FOODS

Apples
Pears
Plums
Peaches
Berries (all kinds)
Mangoes
Cherries
Cantaloupe
Honeydew Melons
Watermelon
Grapes
Nectarines
Carrots
Lettuce
Radishes
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Celery
Cucumbers
Spinach
Other Greens
Snow Peas
Tomatoes
Peppers

Make sure you always have some of these foods on hand, and I would advise you to prepare them well in advance. I like to prep my vegetables when I first bring them home. I take off tops, peel them, cut them up, and put them into plastic storage containers in the refrigerator so I can just grab them when I need them.
I find that one cause of me eating junk food is when I’m hungry and I don’t have anything prepared. Sometimes I feel a bit lazy or tired and I just want to grab something and eat. If I have to spend 10 minutes prepping salad ingredients, I will just eat chips!

By keeping a supply of these foods on hand to just grab whenever I’m hungry, I’m much more likely to take something that is truly healthy rather than grabbing junk because it’s convenient.

www.boostfaloss.net

EATING TOO LITTLE

Surprisingly one of the biggest problems dieters face is actually eating too little! When you eat too little, your body goes into a kind of “starvation mode” in which it slows the metabolism down to conserve precious body fat.
The body thinks it is starving, and that famine is imminent. Naturally, its instinct is to preserve body fat in case food has become scarce. So you have to convince your body there is plenty of food.

That means you have to eat plenty of food, and often. Skipping meals will leave you hungry and cranky, and you will be more likely to start craving things. Plus, it will slow your metabolism down immensely.

You must keep your metabolism up at all times, and that means eating often. That, of course, means eating healthy foods that are low enough in calories that you can eat them in quantity and often.

You should:
ü Eat every 2-4 hours.
ü Eat smaller meals of 200-400 calories each.
ü Eat plenty of low calorie fruits and vegetables.
ü Stick to whole grains.
ü Don’t eat much sugar.
ü Never skip meals.

You should keep a list of “safe foods” with you that you are allowed to have in unlimited quantities. Either memorize a list of 10-20 foods or carry it with you everywhere you go. This will help you grab a snack any time you want one without feeling guilty.

www.boostfatloss.net

ILLNESS

Whenever you’re sick, it can be harder than normal to stick to a diet. When you feel weak and sick, dieting is usually the last thing on your mind. Plus, your body needs extra nutrition to make it stronger.

While illness often makes it so you don’t feel hungry at all, it’s very important to eat to keep up your strength. You need to feed you immune system with plenty of vitamins and minerals to keep it working well.

But you must eat healthy foods, not junk. You may be feeling tired and depressed, but it’s important to make sure the food you do eat is the highest quality possible.

When you are feeling really poorly, eat lighter foods and liquids like broth, light soups, fruit, and juices. These are mostly low in fat and calories and can give you energy without making you feel tired.

When you feel a bit better, eat heartier, but bland foods like whole wheat toast, brown rice, steamed or roasted vegetables, and heartier soups.

You should stick with your general diet plan, but make sure you don’t eat anything that could make you feel worse. It’s best to avoid meats when you’re sick, because meat has the potential to harbor bacteria that could attack you when your immune system is weakened.

Illness can certainly derail your diet if you let it. Be sure you keep your strength up by eating plenty of healthy food. If you let your body weaken because you don’t eat enough, you will start experiencing cravings that you may satisfy with junk food. Not only could this harm your diet, but it could cause your immune system to weaken and it could take even longer to heal.

If your doctor has specific instructions for what you should eat, you should follow his or her instructions. Don’t worry about your diet if the instructions go against it. Your health is more important than the diet! You can always go back on your diet once your healthcare providers says it’s ok to do so.

www.boostfatloss.net

CRAVINGS

Cravings can happen for a variety of reasons. Sometimes they can be caused by things like PMS and depression, but other times they may actually have roots in necessity.

Sometimes when you crave certain foods, it can have a physiological purpose. For example, if you’re craving things like spaghetti, lasagna, and pizza, it may actually be something like tomatoes you’re craving. Your body might be in need of something contained in tomatoes – a vitamin or perhaps an antioxidant like lycopene.

Sometimes you can be relatively certain your body isn’t craving anything for a reason. For example, sugar cookies are pretty much devoid of all nutritional value, so it’s unlikely your body would actually need anything that they contain.

Other times, it may be very difficult to figure out whether your body is actually craving something for a reason or just because you want the flavor of the food.

If you’re craving something that you think might have a nutritional foundation, try breaking down that food’s ingredients to figure out what it might be.

If you’re craving strawberry shortcake, the only nutritionally sound potential ingredient would be the strawberries themselves. It might be possible that you could be craving the calcium from the whipped cream, but that’s pretty unlikely, especially since it is often non-dairy.

If you have a craving for strawberry shortcake, try having some strawberries, perhaps with a bit of low-calorie whipped topping. This might satisfy your nutritional needs, if present, but it may also satisfy any flavor craving.

There are almost always alternatives you can choose that will contain the same base ingredients, but presented in a much healthier way. For example, you could have some spaghetti sauce with no pasta (or whole wheat pasta) for a spaghetti craving. You could have a slice of cheese for a grilled cheese sandwich craving.

Whenever you manage to cut a craving down by having the main base ingredient, you can be sure it was probably a physiological craving. If the craving continues, it is probably just a psychological craving because you want to taste the food.

That doesn’t mean you can’t satisfy a psychological craving now and then. Having a little bit of the stuff you crave can keep you happy and continuing on your diet. Just don’t overdo it.

You have to learn how to limit the foods you eat. If you can learn how to be careful and not let the cravings take you over, you can indulge on occasion.

www.boostfatloss.net

PMS

Women will undoubtedly understand just how much premenstrual syndrome can affect the appetite. When the body is preparing for menstruation, it may start to crave certain things.

Sometimes this can be something that has a legitimate purpose, such as craving red meat or beans, which contain iron that can help replenish the blood that is about to be lost.

Other times, this can be high-carbohydrate, high-fat foods like ice cream, chocolate, cookies, candy, pizza, French fries, potato chips, and other fatty foods.

PMS can also cause depression and other emotional imbalances that can lead to emotional eating. These are actually quite common with PMS, and there’s not a lot you can do about it.
Whenever PMS strikes, your best bet is to proceed as you would with emotional eating. Call on your support network as much as possible. They will be able to help you through it.

You should also give into your cravings if you think you can keep them under control. A couple of squares of chocolate can help you weather the storm, but only if you can be sure you won’t go overboard.

If you are certain you can keep your cravings under control, it’s okay to have a small piece of cake, a bowl of ice cream, or a couple of slices of pizza during PMS.

www.boostfatloss.net