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STEP ONE: Brain chemistry and hormonal balance
How dieting makes you fat
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Does it seem like forever that you've wanted to lose weight? Have you tried every diet on the latest best-seller list without results? Despite your best efforts, do the pounds pile back as soon you return to your normal eating patterns?
You're not alone in your frustration. It's utterly confusing to decide whether to avoid carbs or eat carbs with a low GI. If you drastically cut calories, will you lose weight faster? Is all fat "bad" for you?
With so much conflicting data in the media, you're entitled to feel bewildered.
The simple fact is that weight loss diets just don't work. Low carb, high protein, no fat ... fad diets abound. And although you may lose weight in the short term, it seldom stays off. This is endorsed by statistics confirming that in the UK more than half of all women and as many as two thirds of all men are either overweight or obese.
Obesity isn't just unsightly; it's often life threatening. Obese individuals increase their risk of serious conditions, from a variety of cancers as well as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Seems like almost everybody is on a diet of some kind
In the Western world it's estimated that 33 percent women and 25 percent of men attempt to follow a weight loss diet at some stage in their lives. Some 75 percent us are eating fewer carbohydrates, although the practice is harmful to our long-term health.
When you look at the big picture, it's remarkable that despite having so much healthy food to choose from, we seem to make the wrong food choices. As a result, millions of us continue to yo-yo diet, and the more we diet the fatter we get.
And it's not just the additional flab that bothers us. Have you noticed feeling more tired than is appropriate for your lifestyle? Do cravings for food get the better of you? Are you always meaning to exercise regularly but finding it hard to fit that good intention into your routine?
For most of us, there seems to be an acceptance and resignation of trying to lose weight and failing. Perhaps that's why Oprah Winfrey has such a huge following - her public weight battles never seem to end, and we all share her angst and frustration.
The simple secret to losing weight
You already know the answer to this one. The secret to losing weight for good is actually very simple: less input and more output.
The only way to seriously maintain weight loss and retain your health is to change your eating habits for good, reduce your portion sizes and get the balance right, not just in your diet, but in all aspects of your life. Research shows the better you eat, the less you crave, and the fewer poor or incorrect choices you make for yourself.
It sounds easy - so why can't we put this secret into practice?
Staying slim and in good shape isn't just about what you eat and drink. Solving a weight problem also depends on how much stress you have in your life, how physically fit you are and how loved you feel by others and yourself.
If you're stressed and your personal life is off-balance, chances are you aren't sleeping well. That affects your physical state, which in turn affects your eating patterns and self-esteem. And guess what happens then? Your sex drive ends ups in low gear too. Perhaps even stalled completely.
The downhill spiral will continue until you finally say, "Stop. I want to be happy and I'm ready and willing to make changes to improve my health and life." For some, the very act of admitting aloud that you're prepared to take action is quite therapeutic. And it sets the tone for the first step on the road to recovery.
Once happiness returns and all aspects of your life are back in balance, you'll amaze yourself. Your weight will stabilise, your skin and hair will glow, and your mental and physical sense of wellbeing will positively radiate.
As for your love life, light the fireworks.
Is your diet is nutritionally deficient?
Research from The Natural Health Advisory Service (NHAS) confirms that when it comes to weight problems, the chief culprit is nutritional deficiencies. This results from either poor eating habits or too many demands on the body, which prevents the normal functions of our brain chemistry.
You know the excuses: too much to do. Eating on the run. Skipped meals. Back-to-back meetings. Dashing around after the kids.
Welcome to reality. Before you know it, your diet (and that of your family) is nutritionally deficient in many areas.
What happens next is familiar to all. Your weight creeps up, while fatigue, mood swings, skin problems, headaches, aches and pains and voracious food cravings kick in too. For women, greater hormonal ups and downs and period problems signal that all is not as it should be.
Lurching from one diet to the next, losing weight and then gaining it again does little for your self-esteem and confidence. Or your health.
But it doesn't have to end up this way. Here's what to do now.
Put your bad habits behind you, and that includes fad diets. Learn how to meet the nutritional needs of your body. The secret is to find the right diet for you and to keep your metabolic rate - the rate at which your body burns up energy - ticking at an optimum rate with the help of regular exercise.
What does regular exercise mean?
Regular exercise doesn't necessarily mean hard body workouts and sweating like a piglet. But it does mean getting your heart rate up so your metabolism continues to work its fat-busting magic long after you've showered and put away your workout clothes.
Which is why, if gardening or walking is your exercise, try to pick up the pace or intensity to at least work up a glisten on your brow.
Regular exercise doesn't mean once in a blue moon, because that phenomenon doesn't happen too often. Most health professionals recommend 30 concentrated minutes a day, four times a week.
Of course, if can you can squeeze in more time to rigorously bike, swim, walk or salsa dance, so much the better.
Trigger your brain into releasing good-feelings
Rest assured, after a hearty bout of exercise you won't end up feeling starved and exhausted. On the contrary, you can expect you brain's chemistry to release a flood of endorphins, those opiate-like good-feelings that some call "the runner's high." Over time, you'll crave more of those natural feelings and want to exercise more just to satisfy those cravings. It's no wonder why some people find exercise addictive
One good activity leads to another. Once you begin to see or feel even minor results, you'll be more mindful of how often you exercise and what you eat. You'll learn to meet your body's nutritional needs, which will make you feel better in every aspect of your life.
Guaranteed, you'll feel more alive, more alert and more aware. You'll feel happier, look better, and your hair and skin will start to glow with a newfound radiance. And bonus, your sex life will improve.
Best of all, your weight will stabilise naturally and you won't go back to unwanted bloats and bulges.
You should notice a host of other benefits too. As you become aware of your body's nutritional needs, everyday niggles such as IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), headaches, cravings, aches and pains, mood swings, anxiety and, for women, premenstrual syndrome, just might become things of the past.
With little effort, you'll be well on your way to lowering your risk of heart disease, diabetes, some cancers, kidney problems, memory loss and osteoporosis.
So, let's get cracking. Speaking of which, with their significant protein, vitamin and mineral content and relatively low saturated fat content, eggs make a lot of sense in a healthy diet.
Sorry, Cadbury crème eggs excluded.
1. Brain Chemistry & Hormone Balance
2. Food & Energy Balance
3. Fitness & Muscle Tone
4. Mind Over Matter
5. Rest, Relax, Sleep & Fun
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Do you have a 'sugar craving' syndrome?
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