Weight Loss Made Easy

Weight loss is never really painless, but it can be endurable and permanent with the right knowledge, tools and mindset. Quick weight loss parallels with the right attitude. To lose weight fast, you need to be in the right frame of mind. I believe too many people begin a diet plan without mentally preparing for it first.

Quick weight loss is possible. We all can understand that. But the challenge is keeping the pounds and inches off, after the weight loss has occurred. And that takes both the right mental approach and friend support. We all have seen hundreds of people who want to lose weight fast, but the most successful ones – the ones who keep the weight off – are the ones who have the correct attitude before starting.

I recommend the following three attitudes for long-term weight loss.

Surround yourself with the right people for quick weight loss.

You need to understand that you will need to make some different lifestyle choices to keep the weight off. And that may very well mean not be able to socialize with others who can be a negative influence. Research was recently completed that showed you are more likely to adopt your friends eating habits and body image by hanging around them. So that means if 4 of your 6 friends are overweight and eat like crap you are more likely to eat like crap and start to gain weight to match them as well. The same is true if 4 of your 6 friends were thin and ate healthy. You are more likely to follow their habits. So make sure you associate yourself with like-minded people. Your successful weight loss depends on it.

Don’t expect it will be easy.

While losing weight doesn’t have to be a chore, you need to come to grips with the fact that it is going to take effort. Anything worth doing most often is. Accept the fact there will be some tough times ahead. That is why it is so important to surround yourself with positive people. They will help encourage you when you face obstacles. Remember each day is a new day and you should take it one day at a time for quick weight loss. Start each day with your goals in mind and a believe you will achieve those goals for that day. Don’t lose sight of your goals and keep working towards them each and every day.

Don’t expect to lose weight at a steady, quick rate.

The rate at which you achieve your weight loss will eventuallly slow down because your body will be adjusting to the numerous changes you are forcing on it. The challenge now becomes how do you maintain your new quick weight loss and keep it from returning. It seems many people know how to lose weight fast, but struggle how to keep it off for a lifetime. The second part of the equation is perhaps the most important. Many diets can get you to lose the weight, but the key is to keep the weight off. Make sure you make the proper lifestyle changes so that you create permanent weight loss and enjoy the health and emotional benefits your new body has in store for you.

Can carbohydrates make you fat? Are carbohydrates essential for fueling the body and having it run efficiently? Do I need to watch my intake of carbohydrates to prevent fat storage? The answer to all 3 questions is Yes!

So what does all this mean? Am I not to eat carbs or am I supposed to eat carbs? How many carbs should I eat? What types? The entire carbohydrate craze has gone from one extreme to the other and back again. It’s no wonder you may be confused, frustrated, mad or all of the above.

There is a ton of information flying around and much of it is garbage. Here are the facts about carbs and how you should use this information.

1. Your body can store all carbs as fat when the muscles and the liver are already full of glycogen. So if you continuously eat a high carbohydrate diet this can lead to increased fat storage. Also, you can store more of your carb calories as fat when you eat too many processed and refined carbs. The key is to consume moderate carbs and choose carbs that have at least 2gms of fiber per serving. This will help control insulin spikes, which leads us to number 2.

2. Eating too many carbs at one sitting without enough other nutrients to counteract its effect will cause insulin spikes, which then triggers your body’s fat storing mechanisms. This is why I suggest you eat whole grain carbs, vegetables and fruits with skin when possible because they will provide good sources of fiber to help control these insulin spikes. Also, make sure you balance your carb intake with lean protein to further counteract the effects of carbs in the body in regards to elevating your insulin levels.

3. Through a process known as de novo lipogenesis your body can directly increase fat storage by converting carbohydrates to fat. So I will reiterate why you need to eat carbs. Eat whole grain, high fiber carbs as well as lean protein to control blood sugar rise, which then controls insulin spikes and helps prevent you from storing carb calories as fat.

So now that you have the facts about carbs should you be eating them or not. To summarize, you do need carbs. Your body does need carbs to function properly and maintain optimal efficiency. The body doesn’t need as many carbs as we feed it though. It also doesn’t need the refined flours and process carbs we have become accustomed to eating. As we have gotten lazier and our lives have become busier we tend to lean towards convenient foods and they are usually not the healthiest choices.

We have consumed too much of those foods and then blamed it all on carbs as to why we are fat. Carbs are not the main culprit. They do play a part as I describe above as to how they can make you fat. I also mention how to eat carbs so that they don’t make you fat.

To learn my program on how to eat for lasting weight loss, click here for my quick weight loss tips.

Jayson Hunter RD, CSCS is the author of the 30 Day Belly Fat Blaster Meal Plan Program. To discover how to eat healthier and lose weight fast you can click here. Article used with permission.