Hitting the weight loss plateau isn’t uncommon as many people find that this will happen every time they start a new weight loss plan; most diets and plans are sold on the premise that you will see quick and emphatic weight loss and this is because ALL diets do have this effect. As the body adjusts to a lower calorie intake it still continues to burn calories at the older higher level; result: weight loss.

Unfortunately, weight loss plans generally have great results in the short term and the reason for this is that your body adjusts to survive on the reduced calorie intake and at that the point the body has adjusted and will stop losing weight.

When you reach this point, it is generally known as the weight loss plateau, the only way to counter this effect is to alter your lifestyle; changes to eating habits and the type of foods you eat on a regular basis and of course, regular exercise.

The scary thing about this weight loss plateau is that many people give up once they reach it and then see that their weight loss plan isn’t helping them lose weight anymore.

The problem is if they go back to how they were eating previously, prior to starting their weight loss plan, they will probably become heavier than they were before they started as their body has to adapt yet again, but this time to a higher calorie intake. This normally means that a rapid weight gain replaces a rapid weight loss.
That is why you need to find a weight loss plan that not only helps you lose weight quickly but also will help you lose weight continuously until your target weight is reached.

Most weight loss plans probably consist of the same types of food eaten daily and possibly the same type of exercise routine. The problem is that our bodies are smart and they naturally go into survival mode by adapting to burn fewer calories in order to make the energy reserves, stored in the body, last longer.
In order to go beyond this point, you must change the way you eat and exercise, a complete lifestyle turnaround.

Here are a couple of methods that will help you move off the weight loss plateau and continue with successful weight reduction.

1. Don’t let your Calorie intake drop too low: Never lower your calorie intake to a point where the body stops burning calories altogether, it can and will happen. You need to find foodstuffs that you can eat as much of as you like, that will take more calories to digest than they actually contain. These are commonly known as ‘negative’ calorie foods. There are weight loss plans that can help you understand the use of this type of strategy and you can find out more information by using the links at the end of this article.

2. Exercise: Exercise is vital as is increases your metabolic rate and the higher your metabolic rate the more calories your body will burn hence you lose weight, hardly rocket science, but you would be amazed how many people think that all you need to do is diet!

By using these two methods you will continue to lose weight and reach your target weight sooner than you ever thought was possible.

As mentioned there is a weight loss plan that you may want to consider looking at that concentrates on calorie shifting. Calorie shifting fools your metabolism into burning calories that you haven’t eaten and as a result you can enjoy rapid PROLONGED weight loss, something I’m sure we would all give serious consideration to. You can find out more about this program by following the links below.

The Atkins’ diet has been a craze for a couple of decades. Here’s how you can gain from it.

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All of you who are reading this article right now have definitely been on a diet at some point or the other of your lives. The battle of the bulge is an ongoing problem and we are always on the lookout for various means to win this war.

Along with exercise, our diet and nutrition also plays an important role in reducing our weight. Hence, this obsession persists in all of us to undertake some form of dieting. But going on a diet is definitely not an easy thing. What to eat and what to stay away from is always a perennial problem.

One of my friends told me that she ate the normal menu which she cooked for the family, but her weight loss recipe is “portion control.” This is a really simple diet plan. In this plan, you cut down on the portion of food you consume. For example, if you usually have two pieces of toast for breakfast, you should eat only one piece. If you normally eat two cups of rice for lunch, cut it down to one cup. In this way, you are automatically reducing your calorie intake by half.

Another popular method of dieting is to stop all intake of fatty foods and sugar. In this diet, you cut down on your oil, butter and ghee intake which automatically reduces your fat deposits.

While I was leafing through a magazine, I read about one of our Hollywood celebrities following the Atkins’ diet. This immediately aroused my curiosity about the diet. Though I have heard about the diet many times, I had no inside knowledge about it. So, I immediately set to work on it and found out certain basic facts’ about the Atkins diet which I want to share with my readers.

The Atkins’ diet made its first appearance in 1972 and was invented by its namesake, Dr Atkins. According to him, this method enables us to lose weight by inducing a change in metabolism. Our body burns both fat and carbohydrates to provide energy. If we reduce the intake of carbohydrates significantly, our body starts burning only fat to provide energy. This method is called “lipolysis”, which in turn induces ketosis. In ketosis, our body burns fat as fuel. Atkins also felt that ketosis will affect insulin production which will result in less fat being formed. And, once your body enters ketosis, your cravings for carbohydrates will reduce significantly which, in turn, will reduce your body weight.

The major difference between Atkins’ diet and other types of diet is that, while most diets restrict calorie, intake, the Atkins’ plan encourages us to eat more. While most of the diets recommend low fat, high carbohydrate intake, Atkins’ does just the opposite. Instead of carbohydrate and sugar, this diet wants us to consume plenty of fat and protein.

The core principle of the Atkins’ diet is that, by limiting carbohydrates, our body is forced to burn its stored fat, rather than carbs for fuel.

The Atkins’ diet has a four carbohydrates stage plan induction, ongoing weight loss, pre-maintenance and lifetime maintenance. With the help of these four stages, you can reduce as well as maintain your weight throughout your life.

Induction – phase 1: This phase lasts for two weeks, by the end of which you can obtain significant results. Another point is that, in this diet plan you can begin at any of the phase. But it is recommended to start with induction. As you cut back on your carbohydrates significantly in this phase, you will jump start your weight loss programme. In this phase, only 20 gm of carbohydrates are allowed and hence your weight loss is significant. As you drastically cut down on carbohydrates your body shifts into high gear and starts burning fat. This takes about 48 hours to occur and you may feel hungry and irritated for the first three-four days. But don’t worry, as soon as your fat starts getting converted to fuel, you will feel fit as a fiddle. Induction will strengthen your immune system and also improve our long-term health.

Ongoing Weight Loss (OWL) phase 2: In this phase, the weight loss pace slows down as you add nutrient-rich carbohydrates to your diet. During this period, you will boost your body’s ability to burn fats as well as understand your body better. You will find the right amount of carbohydrates which you can consume and still lose weight. Your body will also prepare itself for permanent weight management. The amount of carbohydrates which you can eat is increased to 25 gm per day for the first week and increased in five gm instalment for the next few weeks. If your weight loss is significant, you can increase your carbohydrate intake. A person has to be on OWL till he or she is within three-five kg of their goal weight.

Pre-maintenance – (phase 3): Pre-maintenance is a practice run for lifetime maintenance. In this phase, you are fast approaching your target. As long as you continue to lose weight, you can increase your weekly allotment of carbohydrates by another 10 gm. You will be in this phase till you reach your goal and stay on it for one month. The ultimate goal here is to achieve a state of balance called Atkins’ Carbohydrate Equilibrium (ACE). The ACE is your individual level of carbohydrate intake wherein you neither gain nor lose weight.

Lifetime maintenance phase 4: In this phase, you have to focus on your individual ACE and strive to stay within two kg of your ideal weight for the rest of your life. By following a sensible eating plan, you gain energy, better health and confidence in yourself.

By following these four phases, you not only achieve your dream weight but are also able to maintain it throughout your life. You can learn more about this diet by reading the book, Dr Atkins’ New Diet Revolution. But, as with any other diet, this plan also has its pros and cons. The good point is that this diet recommends exercise as a vital part of the weight loss programme. Another point to be noted is that you cannot start on carbohydrates after you lose weight as this will result in your gaining back all that you have lost.

Medical experts advise that people who have gout, kidney problems, diabetes or are pregnant women should not follow this diet plan. As this diet is very stringent, do consult your doctor/dietician for proper advice.

Your dietician will provide you with a proper menu chart as to what should be eaten, in what quantities, etc, based on your eating habits and general lifestyle.

Happy dieting and hoping to see slimmer and fitter readers.

Your weight and food issues aren’t about what you eat. It is about why you eat. It isn’t about if you are hungry physically but your emotional eating. One of the problems with weight loss surgery and diet programs is our belief that they hold the answer. If only we can follow them, they will work for us. Unfortunately for many of us, we didn’t experience long-term weight loss success. Did we fail? No. Absolutely not! The diets failed because they are not the answer. As effective of a tool as weight loss surgery and diet programs can be, they aren’t the answer. What?? I’m a weight loss and weight loss surgery coach, and a weight loss surgery post-op of seven years and I’m telling you that surgery and diet programs aren’t the answer? How can that be?

Actually, I am a weight loss and weight loss surgery coach because you need to develop your own program that is special and customized for you. The answer is inside of you. Organized diet programs and plans make us the same and apply their cooker cutter approach to dieting. We are all different and unique. Rather than a diet plan telling you what is best for you. You need your OWN program that is custom just for you and your needs. You can develop coping strategies to combat emotional eating, food triggers, compulsive overeating, and head hunger that are the answer that is yours.

Food and weight issues aren’t about the food. Food is the symptom, not the problem. The key to weight loss success is to discover for yourself why you overeat. If you do that personal work, food will become a non-issue. Food will be food – nothing more or less, and not a way to soothe, calm ourselves or self-medicate numb ourselves out. It isn’t enough to find the right combination of foods, a certain food or other sort of limiting way to eat. Aside from true physical hunger, it is about becoming aware of what drives you to eat. You may think it is because you are hungry. In your head, you might be. Some of the feelings and emotions that drive us to eat emotionally are anger, lonely, tired, boredom, sadness or other emotions and situations that cause us to feel we aren’t in control. Head hunger can be so strong that it masquerades as physical hunger.

Food doesn’t hold the answer for your food triggers-you do. Food is food. It is nothing more than a source of nutrition and replenishment for your body and energy. We make it an emotional issue of what to eat, what not to eat, when to eat, when not to eat, and the accompanying negative emotions. There isn’t any power or magic component in food.

Pay attention to the emotions and situations that cause cravings, drive you to emotionally overeat and are food triggers. By dealing with the emotions, you put food into its proper perspective. It puts you in the driver’s seat of your diet to move full speed to achieve your weight loss goal.