Have you ever wondered why fad diets fail? Millions of people go on diets such as South Beach, Atkins, Grapefruit diet, Low-Fat diet, Apple Cider Vinegar diet, and many others just to lose weight temporarily and quickly gain it back.

 

Before you embark on a fad diet to lose weight, start thinking about getting healthy to lose weight. Not every body is built the same. Different foods can have a different effect on you than on your sibling or your best friend. What many have failed to realize is that factors such as stress, hormones, sleep patterns, medications, and poor nutrition and lifestyle habits may contribute to weight gain.

 

Here are 4 easy tips that will help start you on your way to health and weight loss.

 

1.      First off, get rid of the “Diet” drinks that contain artificial sweeteners. These diet sodas and beverages may be “sugar free” but are sweetened with artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, sucralose, and saccharine. These are all artificially made chemicals that don’t belong in your body and are only adding toxins to your liver. If you are thirsty, drink “All Natural” Water. Make sure you are not drinking out of the tap but have access to some water that contains good minerals, like Evian and Fiji. Remember to drink ½ your body weight in ounces of water daily. For example, if you weigh 165 lbs. half your weight is 82.5 in ounces. That would mean that you should drink about 5 (.5L) bottles of water a day. Seems like a lot, I know but in the long run you will feel much better.

 

2.      Get to bed ON TIME. Your body has a natural hormonal cycle designed to keep you awake during the day and get you sleepy at night. Upon waking hours your cortisol levels increase which gives you energy during the day. As the day starts winding down, your cortisol levels drop and your melatonin levels increase making you feel sleepy. If you stay up late you are depriving your body of its natural repair cycle causing it to keep your cortisol levels elevated. When you finally fall sleep your sleep may be disrupted  wich in turn will make you feel groggy and tired the next day.  Between the hours of 10:30 pm to 2:00 am your body undergoes physical repair. From 2:00 am to 6:00 am your body transitions into mental repair. So get to bed consistently by 10:00 pm, and avoid TV and computers before bedtime as they stimulate your cortisol levels. With proper sleep you will wake up feeling re-energized.

 

3.      You’ve heard the term “You are what you eat”. Well, it’s true. Think of your body as a Porsche. You wouldn’t dream of filling it with regular unleaded fuel as it may ruin the engine. Instead you fill it up with premium fuel to keep it running smoothly and purring like a kitten. Our body is the same way. When you eat cheap fast foods, processed meals and conventionally grown meat, fruits and vegetables, you are pumping fuel that in the long run will damage your body. These foods make you feel bloated, affect your bowel movement, can give you food allergies that affect your immune system. When you eat high quality foods, organically grown fruits and vegetables, free range poultry and high quality meats, you will not only feel better but you will notice that you will stop craving sweets. Make sure you are also eating for your Metabolic Type. Protein types and Carb types and Mixed types have different nutritional needs that if you don't eat according to your type you will feel sluggish.

 

4.      Get Movin’! Exercise is very important. It not only helps you lose weight by increasing your metabolism, but it helps keep your muscles, bones and joints strong. Resistance training is extremely important to build some muscle strength. Muscle strength keeps your joints strong helping you to move with ease and avoid injuries. It supports your foundation. With weak muscles your foundation will collapse even during cardio exercise leading to injury and an expensive trip to the Physical Therapist. Exercise also helps your brain communicate with our body to function more efficiently. Cardio exercise helps keep the most important muscle of all strong, our heart. Three 10-minute, two 15-minute, or one 30-minute investment of some form of cardio a day can keep you generally healthy.

 

More and more people are being diagnosed with diabetes and other illnesses or are on their way to obesity. By making lifestyle changes you can be on your way to looking and feeling great. To get started on your transformation or if you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact me. I look forward to helping you Get Fit and stay healthy.