Difficulty Losing Weight - Why Lie To Yourself

Many people have had difficulty losing weight, nothing is more frustrating to get your motivation up, find the perfect diet and exercise program for you and then... nothing. Some people actually do have a metabolic issue that makes it virtually impossible to lose weight, but not many. For most of us the harsh reality is that we're just not being as good as we think we are. The cool thing is that there are a few simple things you can do that will help keep you 'honest' in your weight loss journey.

For one thing, it's amazingly easy to 'lie' to ourselves about what we've eaten in any given day. There have been times when I would have sworn I was good, until a friend (I use that term loosely!) will remind me of that pastry I had at lunch or all the cream and sugar I put in my coffee. Ooops. I didn't mean to lie to myself, it just happened. Most of us are like that to one degree or another.

To keep yourself on track one very simple but effective thing you can do is to keep a food journal. For a week or two, write down every single thing that you eat or drink. You have to be honest and you have to include everything even that second glass of soda at lunch and the two pats of margarine you put on your toast... everything.

If you do that for few weeks, you'll quickly be able to spot the times of the day and the areas in your diet where you might have a bit of trouble. Once you pinpoint the reasons you have difficulty losing weight you can make changes that will help you achieve your goals much more quickly.

The same principle can apply to when you work out. Again, it's easy to think that you're working harder than you really think. If you keep a workout journal it's harder to convince yourself that you've done something you really haven't done. Not only can you track the number of times you go to the gym but you can also track how long you spent on the treadmill (or doing cardio in general), how many exercises you did for your upper body, how many you did for your lower body, etc.

You can also keep track of how much weight you lifted for each exercise. Ideally, you should be increasing your weights over a period of time. It's important to keep your body challenged and not let it get into a rut. By changing up the weights you lift as well as the exercises you do, you'll keep your body 'guessing' which will help you get better results in less time.

Most of the major muscle groups (chest, upper back, lower back, abs, butt, quadriceps, hamstrings) will have more than one exercise you can do. By mixing up the exercises you do for each group you are keeping your toning efforts in high gear. Another benefit is that the different exercises will target each muscle group in a slightly different way which can also lessen a lot of the repetitive types of injuries to your body.

I don't mean to be the bearer of bad news, but usually when someone has difficulty losing weight it's really more about the way they're doing things than about any metabolic issue with their body.

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Clothes Designs For Obese Women That Flatter You

With so much of the population 'expanding' you would think that more and more manufacturers would find good clothes designs for obese women, but not necessarily. Some manufacturers are catering to bigger women, but many of them have refused to expand their lines.

Still, it's good news for any woman who is large but still has a sense of style and wants to look good. Many department stores carry lines for bigger women and there are even some stores that are entirely devoted to carrying plus size clothing for women.

The truth of the matter is that the average size of women in the U.S. is 14. The size 0 -2 that seem so popular on t.v. or on the runways are few and far between, possibly because they blew away in the wind!

If you are plus size don't even try to look like some little sprite from t.v., instead find the best styles for you and your body style. There are some guidelines that can help you put together a fashionable wardrobe that will accentuate the positive and hide some of the negative.

1. Stay away from clothes that don't fit. This means get rid of the huge tent dresses and the ultra clingy stretch pants. Both clothes that are too tight or too loose will make you just seem bigger, odd but true. Instead opt for good fitting clothing styles.

Too many women think that if they get loose fitting clothes it will hide the fat, but in reality baggy clothes just tend to make you look bigger and sloppy. Too tight clothes will make you look like you're bursting out of your clothes, find a good fit and stick with it.

2. Despite what many people think, you can wear more than black. Yes, black is slimming but you do have other choices.  Any pattern that makes your torso appear longer and  draws the eye away from your mid section can be flattering.

However, for pants you should wear mostly darker hues such as black or dark blue or gray. Keep most of the color on your upper body.

3. Skirts and dresses can provide an attractive style that will hide a multitude of body flaws. They can be stylish and perfect for work, or you can go with more casual styles for day to day. Just remember, a dress does not a muumuu make, make sure the dresses are well fitted and not too big, otherwise they will only make you look bigger and that is not what anyone wants. 

4. To give yourself a little extra help you may want to invest in some shape ware, don't worry, this isn't your grandma's girdle. Today there are various under garments that can provide a little extra support without making you feel like you're going to pass out because you can't breathe.

Look, it doesn't matter if you've got a few extra pounds or if you're obese, there are still plenty of attractive
clothes designs for obese women. Do not think you have to give up on fashion, you don't. Just find out what looks best on you and go from there. You have more options than ever before so take full advantage and feel good about the woman you are.

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Addicted To Food

Being addicted to alcohol, drugs or gambling is tough, but at least you don't need those things to stay alive. But can you imagine being addicted to food? The very thing you are trying to stop being addicted to is the very thing you need to survive. Having such an addiction would have to be incredibly frustrating, not to mention hard to get over.

But is it really possible to have such an addiction? According to researchers it is. One they have tested this is by scanning the brains of people that were addicted to food. They then had them think about food. So, what did they find? They found that these thoughts activated the same parts of the brain as an alcoholic or drug addict when they thought about drinking and drugs.
 
Another finding was that people who were addicted to food share something else with other addicts. That was having fewer dopamine receptors (dopamine is familiarly known as the "feel good hormone"). Because they have fewer receptors, it is believed that addicts need to seek that good feeling from outside sources just to feel as good as "normal" people.

When people overeat, the brain makes food addicts experience a deeper pleasure from their eating by making them less aware of the other parts of their body. To make matters even worse, they can experience many of the same withdrawal symptoms as drug addicts. Symptoms like moodiness, irritability, depression and anger, to name a few.

But...again, we need food to stay alive, so can food addiction be controlled? It can, but it will take commitment. Here are a few things you can do if you're addicted to food:

Think when you eat. Pay attention to the food as you eat it. This will keep you from eating mindlessly, and that will help you control the problem. Also, switching your focus from filling your stomach until you can't eat anymore to focusing on the enjoyment of the food; savoring it. You will naturally slow down and be more aware of what you're eating.

Write it down. Just keeping track of everything you eat will help to ease your addiction. You don't have to share this journal with anybody, unless you choose to. That means you can feel safe writing everything down. You may be shocked at just what you're eating and how much, but sometimes we need a jolt to get on the road to recovery.

Get help. You can get help from a counselor, your personal doctor, or a support group...or all three if you need to. Each one can help you in their own way. The main thing to remember is that you don't have to struggle with being addicted to food alone.

Avoid your triggers. If there are certain foods that make you lose control, then avoiding them will help prevent the problem. In other words, it will be much easier to handle temptation if you are not tempted to begin with.

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I Cant Lose Weight - Yes You Can

If you are saying to yourself, "I can't lose weight", then guess what? You can't lose weight! See, along with changing your diet and exercise habits comes the emotional side of losing weight. Losing weight is a process that takes time and dedication.

If you have a lot of belly fat you may know that when under stress the body produces a hormone called Cortisol. Cortisol increases fat stores around your mid-section putting you at risk for heart disease and diabetes.

Learn some techniques to decrease the stress in your life. Meditation is a good technique to use to decrease stress. Yoga is another good way. Actually, just getting some regular daily exercise will go a long way to decreasing your stress level.

Try to think more positively about your life and your weight loss. If you do then the extra pounds will be long gone in no time.

Getting enough good sleep is also a big part of losing weight. If you are on the "I can t lose weight" bandwagon then try getting an extra hour or two of sleep at night. The human body needs 7-9 hours of sleep per night and when you do not get it your metabolism starts to slow down and your body does not work the way it should. Those of us who work the night shift really have screwed up metabolisms. Working nights is very stressful on the human body. We were all meant to sleep at night not during the day.

OK, so, you have done all the things listed above and find you still cannot lose the weight. Let's investigate the situation a little further. Are you drinking enough water? If you answer that you drink enough fluids then my next question is, do you drink pop or other sweetened drinks? If you do you need to stop. Regular pop, diet pop and other sweetened drinks are called empty calories because they have no nutritional value. The only thing they do is add to your excess fat. Did you know that if you do nothing else but stop drinking pop you can lose approximately 40 pounds in a year, give or take a few pounds.

Wait a sec, diet pop? Yup, diet pop is sweetened with artificial sweeteners and is basically poison. Diet pop actually tricks your body into staying fat. When you drink diet pop the body thinks it is getting something of value and when it realizes you were only kidding the brain signals the stomach that it is still hungry and you end up eating more.

Stick with the water and maybe some green tea. The green tea gives you an added benefit of antioxidants that are so important for your health and it tastes great, too.

So try to decrease the stress in your life, divorce it if you have to, get more sleep at night and give up the pop. This should help turn the, I can t lose weight, into Yes, I can lose weight.

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Emotional Eating: A Prime Ingredient for Obesity

Sandra found her weight ballooning 60 pounds after her separation from her husband. While part of the weight gain was apparently tied to the medication she was taking, the rest appeared to be the result of what can be described as emotional eating. In recent years, greater attention has been focused on the problem of emotional eating for both women and men. In fact, some experts have gone so far as to claim that most weight gain can be blamed on emotional eating. According to Women Today magazine, it has been estimated that as much as 75 percent of overeating is attributed to the emotions.

For a number of people, overeating stems from anxiety. For instance, if you find yourself consuming an entire bag of potato chips, it’s possible that anxiety is the cause. While many people realize that alcohol and illegal drugs are not an antidote to anxiety, they may not understand that indulging in comfort food in order to combat anxiety can be dangerous as well.

In other cases, overeating may be the result of depression. If you feel tired, hopeless, and have lost interest in your normal activities, you may be suffering from a depressive episode. In order to deal with these uncomfortable feelings, people may turn to food in an effort to cheer up. The problem is that the food can lead to weight gain, which can lead to further depression.

At times, overeating may be a symptom of boredom. An individual may figure that he or she has nothing better to do than overeat. This can be particularly true when one is watching television or surfing the Internet. Rather than trying to determine a cause for the boredom, an individual may just try to “fix” it by indulging in high-fat, high-calorie food.

How do you know if you are an emotional eater? Ask yourself some key questions: Do I tend to eat when I’m worried? Scared? Sad? Do I find that eating lifts my spirits? Am I spending more time eating than engaging in other activities I enjoy? Do my binges come after I’ve suffered disappointment? Am I turning to food in order to deal with the death of a loved one…a divorce…or the defeat of my favorite team? If the answers to any of these questions is “yes,” you may be overeating purely for emotional reasons.

After you’ve identified yourself as an emotional eater, you’ll need to take steps to correct your behavior. Perhaps the most effective technique is diversion. In other words, if you find yourself reaching for the cookie jar, find another activity to engage in. The answer could be taking a walk, kickboxing, or dancing. Or it could be something less physically demanding, such as needlepoint or crochet. The idea is to get your hands…and perhaps the rest of your body…moving. In time, you might find the urge to overeat subsides as you become involved with other activities.

Another effective step you can take is to identify the triggers for your emotional eating. Do you tend to binge in mid-morning, mid-afternoon, or right before bedtime? Are you snacking while watching television, while at the computer, or when you’re sitting in your favorite chair? By asking yourself these questions, you can identify the time of day when you overeat, as well as the location for your binging. With this information, you can learn to re-direct your behavior to less fattening pursuits.

Yet another helpful technique is to develop a support network to help you combat overeating. The members of your support team could include your spouse, children, parents, friends, or other over-eaters. You may even consider joining a support group which specializes in helping those who engage in binge eating. If you feel the need to overeat, contact a member of your support team. Talking through your emotions could provide you with the emotional release you need, making overeating unnecessary.

If your anxiety or depression persists, consider seeing a psychotherapist. He or she can help you develop more effective coping mechanisms. If you find it difficult to talk to friends or family about your overeating, a psychotherapist can provide you with the talk therapy you need to overcome your problem.

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The Psychology of Weight Loss

You see the razor-thin models gracing the covers of magazines…you watch actors and actresses on the big screen who seem to never gain a pound. And you wonder: How do I differ from them? You may be surprised to learn that a number of famous people at one time had difficulty maintaining a healthy weight. But they were able to conquer their problem, thanks to a new-and-improved, healthy view of eating.

You may not realize it, but there is a certain psychology at work in successful weight loss. It is no surprise, then, that the magazine Psychology Today has explored the issue in-depth. In October of 2004, the magazine posted an article on its website detailing the experiences of Diane Berry, a nurse practitioner who studied women who had shed at least 15 pounds and had maintained their weight loss for an average of seven years.

The women shared some important things in common. For instance, they all achieved their weight loss through either Weight Watchers or TOPS, which meant that they had a firm support network as they tried to maintain their weight. The group meetings were highly important, because they learned to recognize that they were certainly not alone in their struggles with weight. The women were also quite unusual because up to 90 percent of individuals who have lost weight end up putting it back on within five years.

Another common trait of these women is that they appeared to undergo a profound mood shift as they made the transition from fat to thin. From all indications, they appeared to be depressed when they were heavy but, as they attempted to lose weight, their mood brightened.

For these women, healthy eating became a habit—a habit they refused to break. They themselves recognized the tremendous role that psychology plays in weight loss. They refused to give in to negative feelings of frustration and denial and chose a positive path instead. The women also made it a point to weigh themselves regularly so that they could chart their progress.

And they recognized that maintaining weight loss would be a lifetime struggle. They knew that they could not attempt a weight loss program then put it back on the shelf. They had to learn new eating patterns that they could continue week in and week out. In some cases, they likened their struggle to that of an alcoholic. In other words, they recognized the gravity of their problem and took steps to correct the situation.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of these women’s experiences was the fact that their weight loss actually came in spurts. At times, they regained their weight, but they did not let that deter them from their final goal. They simply viewed their setbacks as challenges that they needed to overcome. This may be the key psychological trait that separates successful dieters from unsuccessful ones—perseverance. In essence, these women were able to change their personalities in a positive way in order to achieve their long-term weight loss goals.

Another interesting aspect of this study was that it showed that the women who had undergone weight loss transformation were genuinely happy. This shows the tremendous psychological impact that weight loss can have on an individual. Once an individual is free from the burden of extra weight, he or she is better able to meet the challenges of life head-on. The dieter benefits from positive reinforcement, as relatives, friends, and co-workers congratulate him or her for the weight loss. In this way, losing weight can be quite a life-affirming experience and can lead to a more optimistic outlook on life.

It must be noted here that the psychology of weight loss is a complicated matter. There is no single ingredient that can turn a fat person into a thin one. However, recognizing that there is a psychological component to successful weight loss may, in fact, be half the battle. Once an individual recognizes that he or she is engaged in a psychological fight, he or she is better able to do battle. By retraining oneself to seek healthy approaches to diet, one can, in effect, mold oneself into a new individual—one that no longer lives to eat, but simply eats to live.

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