Lose Extra Fat the Right Way

Change doesn't have to happen overnight.

Remember lasting fat loss is a marathon, not a sprint. In 120 days you can incorporate all the 16 keys to Lasting Fat Loss and be well on your way to a Slimmer and More Fit Body for Life!

Start a journal and track each segment's habit you've selected.

Add a daily affirmation that includes your intention or goal to remind yourself of where you're headed. As you start, take a before picture, take your measurements, then create a positive "I am" statement of the end result you see yourself achieving and date it.

Write down the reason why you want to lose weight.

Maybe it's to be healthier, live longer, look more attractive, or get slim for a special occasion. The stronger your why, the more rooted your commitment.

I recommend you stay off the scale and watch for the subtle results like clothes fitting better, belt loops moving a notch, waking up feeling refreshed, better stamina, etc. If you just can't stay off the scale, limit it to every 30 days and add the results to your journal.

How "Fat" are your fat cells?

Recent studies have shown that our number of fat cells develop during childhood and teen years and remain constant throughout adulthood. So, what can you do if you have more than your fair share of them? Did you know there are foods that can actually expand your fat cells and foods that will help burn your fat as fuel and shrink your fat cells? Do you think that could help you in your effort to lose weight?

I'm going to talk about which foods actually plump up your fat cells and are primary causes of weight gain and major barriers to weight loss. Just by finding some alternatives to these fat storing foods, you will begin changing the way your body metabolizes and see a trimmer waistline in days.

White and fluffy makes you puffy

You may already be familiar with the words glycemic index (GI). Exactly what is it? And why is it so important for losing fat? The GI measures how quickly foods that contain carbohydrates raise your blood glucose levels.

High GI foods like white potatoes, white bread, white rice and most sweets spike our glucose levels and quickly release insulin, the hormone that sends glucose to our cells for fuel. When the glucose gets absorbed too fast it gets stored as fat.

By eating lower GI rated foods like whole grains, sweet potatoes, broccoli, etc. the glucose levels increase gradually, absorb more slowly and get burned as fuel for energy. The result: a body that begins to flush the fat from the cells and looks leaner and more toned!

Eat balanced meals

Besides substituting high GI foods with foods containing whole grains and fiber, eat snacks and meals with good ratios of protein, fat and carbohydrates. Lean protein should be a core part of your meal planning. Lean protein allows you to maintain muscle mass while losing weight, which keeps your metabolism running at full speed.

Cutting back on protein during weight loss, on the other hand, contributes to a loss of muscle mass and a slower metabolism. Lean protein is also an excellent choice when it comes to satisfying hunger and keeping blood sugar levels steady.

Understand your hunger feelings

I've mentioned the importance of changing from the inside out for lasting success in getting and staying lean and healthy for life. Being aware of your hunger feelings is one step to that change.

Often we eat for no apparent reason...because of stress, boredom, anxiety, or just because the food is there. When we start eating we tend to overeat, even gorging, on occasion.

Eat when your stomach says "ouch"

If we can be aware of when our stomach says "ouch!" we will begin to feel when it's empty, the time to eat something, and when it's satisfied, the point at which you should push the plate away. Doing that can be easier said than done, however. Our programming, especially in America, is super-size me, clean your plate, don't waste any food...think of the people who are starving.

To help you understand what a typical size meal should be, ball up your fist. Your entrée should be no larger than that, since your fist is representative of the size your stomach should be.

Eat less more often

You should plan on eating 4-6 fist sized meals a day. Start your day with a healthy breakfast balanced with protein, fat, and lower GI carbohydrates and then wait until your stomach is empty (ouch!) to eat your next snack or meal. Eating to the size of your fist will help you recognize when you are satisfied rather than eating until you feel full. We call this eating 0-5.

If you feel full, you are eating to a 7 and if you are stuffed, then you are probably at an 8-10. Eating beyond 5 will significantly reduce your weight loss results.

There is a term we call Glycemic Load (GL). The same way the GI increases your fat storage, the GL does too. Eating too much of the right kind of foods can overload the body and trigger rapid insulin release. On the other hand, eating small amounts of higher GI rated foods may be okay if mixed with protein and eaten in their rawest form.

Check out the videos below for a better understanding of how the GI and GL impact your weight loss efforts

It's much healthier to eat smaller amounts of food every 3-4 hours, so if you work, plan your small meals or snacks and take your breaks around them. Eating this way actually increases metabolism, helps the cells burn more fuel for energy, and results in more rapid fat burn, thereby enhancing your fat loss.

Eat and think like a thin person

If you've ever watched a thin person eat, you'll notice they often push their plate away with food still on it. They usually eat when they're hungry and seldom stuff themselves. Start thinking and eating like a thin person and you'll become one. If this is hard for you, it may be good to journal when and why you eat. Finding those emotional triggers is important in controlling how much you eat.

Getting more active is one way to not only lose weight, but gain added health, add years to your lifespan, and have fun doing it.

Walking is one of the safest and most effective activities you can add to your daily routine. It's easy to do, more fun if you do it with a buddy, and it is virtually free. An eight-year study of 13,000 people found that those who walked 30 minutes a day had a significantly lower risk of premature death than people who rarely exercised.

A regular walking program can help:

1. Reduce blood cholesterol
2. Lower blood pressure
3. Increase cardiovascular endurance
4. Boost bone strength
5. Burn calories and keep weight down

A walking program is simple to start. All you need are comfortable clothes and shoes. I recommend going to a quality store with knowledgeable staff and purchasing shoes that are properly fitted to your walking style that have good support. Start with a brief warm-up and a few simple stretches. It's always a good idea to talk with your doctor before starting any exercise program.

Keep in mind the following:

1. Walk short distances (15-30 minutes)
2. Forget about speed and increase it gradually
3. Swing your arms naturally
4. Be sure you can talk while walking

A great way to monitor your daily activity is to wear a pedometer. Shoot for at least 10,000 steps a day and more if you have a lot of weight to lose. A daily walking program will help you get to those numbers needed to support your weight loss goals.

If you want to walk for exercise but tend to procrastinate, start a walking club in your neighborhood, or connect with a walking buddy at work and walk during your breaks or over lunch. The extra responsibility just may help you get off your sofa and start this life changing habit!

Can consuming certain sugars affect your waistline more than others?

Some recent studies, published in a recent publication by Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP), "Not So Sweet: Missing Mercury and High Fructose Corn Syrup," and the Environmental Health journal publication "Mercury from chlor-alkali plants: measured concentrations in food product sugar," by Dufault et al, 2009, are raising some concern about a sugar called fructose, specifically high fructose corn syrup. In fact, people in the study who consumed a fructose sweetened breakfast drink produced double the body fat in a subsequent 4-hour period, compared with the people who had a glucose sweetened breakfast beverage.

Not only does HFCS add calories, but it is found in many processed foods like breakfast cereals, crackers, soups, drinks, salad dressings, condiments, etc. making it hard to detect how much you consume in your everyday diet.

In another study it was found that Americans consume an average of 12 teaspoons of HFCS daily and teens consume over 80% the normal amounts.

Even more alarming, however, was that mercury was found in almost half of the HFCS sweetened products tested and in 1 of 3 products in a second study. This could be a source of mercury toxicity plaguing Americans and could lead to a whole host of diseases both now and in the future. However, the Corn Refiners Association denies that the studies are valid and has summarized them as misleading and vague. So, until more research is completed what can you do to be safe?

Take responsibility!

The first thing is to be more aware of what you eat. Drink juices with no added sugars and check the labels of all processed foods. Avoid eating foods with HFCS when possible since there's little nutritional value, it will affect your weight loss efforts, and it's possibly toxic.

Choose a sweetener that is great for losing weight.

If you are looking for resources for sweetening foods and drinks, try Sweet Fiber. It's a calorie reducer, a great source of soluble fiber, feeds the good bacteria in your colon, helps you feel fuller, traps cholesterol and fats in the stomach and small intestine and slows the absorption of sugar, making it lower glycemic than either table sugar or HFCS.

According to the makers of Sweet Fiber:

"The fiber in Sweet Fiber is inulin, an all-natural vegetable fiber. Inulin occurs naturally in over 36,000 plants and vegetables. The 100% natural inulin is extracted with hot water from chicory roots."

"The sweetness in Sweet Fiber comes from a sweet tasting fruit called monk fruit or luo han guo. It's known for its healing properties and has been used for centuries as a sweet curative."

As with anything, remember moderation is best. There are no reports of inulin toxicity. However, it is always better to eat foods naturally high in inulin such as onions, artichokes, bananas, asparagus, and garlic.