Why You're Still Overweight

Most of us know how 'easy' it is to lose weight. Just pick the new 'diet of the month', exercise a few minutes on the new 'gadget of the month' and watch how easily the pounds melt away. Then, when you're done; you'll look great, people and animals will like you, your boss will offer you a raise, and some Hollywood hotshot will write a screenplay based on your life. Then again, there's always reality and that's tells us quite a different story. Forget the fantasy and let's get to some REAL issues on how to lose weight. One of the questions I get asked frequently is

I exercise, I diet, so why am I still fat? And this is a major issue with a lot of people. They're doing the right thing (diet and excerise) but aren't seeing the results. What usually comes next is discouragement, abandonment, then binging. Before you get to this point, I'd like you to take a moment and see if you're following some basic rules on losing weight. Hopefully you'll identify, and correct, some of these roadblocks on your way to success:

1. You're Hungry When you diet, you can sometimes cut too many calories. This forces your body to conserve calories rather than burn them. It also forces your body to break down muscle tissue for fuel. Unfortunately muscle is the key to your metabolism, or the speed at which you burn calories. More muscle means a faster metabolism and less body fat. Reverse that and you'll notice that less muscle means a slower metabolism and more body fat. Answer: At least you're on the right track. You need to cut calories to lose weight. But you need to make sure you're eating the right amount of calories each day to keep your metabolism from shutting down.

If you're looking for some general calorie guidelines, here they are:

Take you're weight then multiply it by 11.

Take that number and multiply it by 1.2

This gives you the amount of calories you can consume in a day AND stay at your present weight. Consider this your base calorie count.

Take last number and multiply that by .15

This basically says you're going to be cutting back on 15% of your base calories. This is THE DIET part.

Take the 15% reduction number and divide 3,500 by it.

This will give you approximately how long it will take you to lose 1 lb. WITHOUT exercising. Of course, doing that will only speed up the process.

2. You're Speeding Animals always seem to eat for about 15 minutes, feel full, and then stop eating. Is that you? Or are you eating so fast that your stomach hardly has time to tell your brain to tell your mouth to quit chewing before your stomach explodes? Answer: Try this during your next meal. On every bite, chew, swallow, put down your fork, and take a sip of water. See how long it takes you to eat. Now, during subsequent meals, take just as long to eat, only without the drill.

3. You're Too Refined Most processed breads and cereals contain little fiber, the calorie-free component of plant foods that fills you up, not out. Plus, foods rich in fiber help control blood glucose and insulin levels. Answer: I never thought I'd say this, but it may be a good idea to cut back on potatoes in any form (especially french-fries). Experts say potatoes raise blood-glucose concentration quickly. Other guilty foods include; snack chips, white bread, low-fiber breakfast cereals, and breakfast bars. Try switching to whole-grain cereals and breads.

4. You're Sleepy Sleep deprivation decreases the odds of losing weight and keeping it off. Researchers found that people that slept only 4 or 7 hours a night for 6 nights in a row had higher glucose and insulin levels in their blood. This is bad for your metabolism. Surplus insulin boosts body-fat storage. Answer: Try and get 8 hours of sleep each and every night. And try to get it for the same 8 hours. That is, establish a regular bedtime and waking hour. Pick the time you have to wake up on most days, and make sure you're in bed at least 8 hours before.

5. You're Thirsty

When you're trying to lose weight, water is your workout partner. You need it to flush the waste products your body makes when it breaks down fat for energy, or when it processes protein. You need it to transport nutrients to your muscles. You need it to help digest food and keep your metabolism clicking along. And water keeps you from overheating during intense exercise on hot days.

6. You're a Weight Loss Pro

We've seen it many times, you can lose 10 or 20 pounds in no time at all. When push comes to shove you can always pull out your 'Peanut Butter and Banana' diet and lose some weight. Unfortunately, that's when you start thinking you're ok. Next thing you know, you're back to your old habits, and your original weight. Answer: Think of this as war. Remember the scene in Patton when George C. Scott refuses to pull his troops back, saying he doesn't like to pay twice for the same real estate? Okay, you're Patton, and every 10 pounds of fat you lose is real estate you own outright. So this time when you lose 10 pounds you've got two options; go for another 10 pounds, or dig in and defend the 10 you've already lost. Stop paying for the same 10 pounds twice.

7. You're Not Worthy When you've run that last mile or counted that last calorie and you're still fat, maybe it's because, deep down inside, you want to be. No, I'm not talking about a desire to be fat on a conscious level, but rather a need to be fat on a subconscious level. Answer: Eliminate the physical reasons for your weight gain, get checked by your doctor for possible medical reasons, and then visit an EFT Practitioner or certified hypnotherapist that specializes in weight loss. Hypnosis recordings also are very effective in helping you to lose weight. Eliminating emotional triggers to food and the subconscious drive to gain weight, or remain fat, can often be the missing piece of your weight loss puzzle. Sherlock Holmes once said Eliminate all other factors, and the one which remains must be the truth.

What have you got to lose, besides the weight?

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