Is "Yo-Yo" Dieting Your Permanent Diet Plan?

We all know the drill, and I do believe that pretty much everyone can, and usually does, reach a certain interim number each time they "diet." They anticipate that number, look to reach it within a reasonable period of time, and are also very sure of doing so. But then what? What happens when you reach your "first step" goal? You know you can make it, and you do, but you don't know how much further you can go, and since you never really thought you could go any further, you haven't. Perhaps you hung in there for a little bit, but then you gave in, slacked off and just gradually went right back up. Yoyo anyone? We all have heard this term before, and we all have been on this "elevator" ride. We persist in dreaming that this time will be different, that somehow, miraculously, we will get below that very familiar number; however, if deep inside you don't believe it's possible, then you will keep repeating the same cycle of loss and gain.

We call it yoyo-ing. Usually it's a decent 10-20 pounds per year. It tends to begin during the transition between spring and summer when everyone is on a diet, anticipating bathing suit season. By the end of the summer, when you are just a few pounds up-nothing crazy-you tell yourself that come September you will pull it all together and get back on track. The problem is that before you know it, Halloween turns into Thanksgiving and the festive, food-oriented holiday season is upon you. Come the first of the year, you are back to square one, if not worse, and nervously counting the months you have left to get ready for summer. Just one big yoyo!

Why does it happen? First of all, many of us don't think of ourselves as yoyos, but we are. You see, the yoyo effect happens because you are dieting and taking care of yourself, but only to lose a few pounds. The problem with most happinesslifetime.com weight loss plans is that eventually you have to stop because they don't provide all of the nutrients your body needs over the long haul. In addition, you don't really know how to eat correctly because you never learned what healthy eating looks like. Admit it, you are pretty much off your game the minute a party or a barbecue comes along! The big mistake is thinking that you can handle deviations from your normal day; but you can't if haven't put in the effort to understand what exactly is going on in your head.

When I guide my clients down to their goal weight, I know they have internalized lessons that will inform their food choices for the rest of their lives. Yoyoers don't like to hear phrases like "lifelong choices." They prefer going on a "diet" to lose a few so they can get back to living! The reality that they need to make lifelong changes makes them feel as if they are being handed a prison sentence for a crime they didn't commit! Do you see that looking at this process that way will almost guarantee that you will reach your goal and go right back up?

Why wouldn't you, if you haven't decided that you need make lifelong changes for the sake of your health and overall happiness with the way you look and feel? But here is the thing: it doesn't have to be that bad! Try to remember that the process of losing weight is far more difficult than the process of maintaining your ideal weight. We spend so much time reading and understanding one leg of the journey that we never even get to the more important one. You need two legs to walk this path, and the only thing that will be forever is your weight loss. The things you omit on the way down can actually be added back to your diet, in moderation, once you are maintaining. Moderation is the key to just about everything.

For instance, I used to polish off a pint of Ben and Jerry's Phish Food every night. Now I have it as an occasional treat. Every few months or so, I go out and buy a pint, telling myself that I will only eat a little, saving enough to snack on for a few days. Ha! After warming it up in the microwave for 30 seconds, making it nice and soft with perfectly gooey marshmallow, I sit down, take a bite, and before you know it, it's gone. Okay, this is not a binge. This is just my way of overindulging once every few months-sometimes longer-and it doesn't mess up my weight. I also know that I can do the same thing the next time I get that craving, as long as it's not the next night! You see, once you have arrived to your goal, then all you have to understand is that you should almost always enjoy healthy, low fat, high fiber foods. Once in a while, you can have whatever food you most crave because you will have achieved balance and you will no longer be driven to binge. The true gifts are balance and moderation: these will keep you at your goal.

The only thing that is sure to sabotage you at this point is not anticipating the very real possibility that you can go right back up. This false sense of security will surely lead you straight back into the world of bad habits and addictions: habits that you might never break, unless, of course, you come to understand what is happening. I can't predict what will bring about individual downfalls because there are as many reasons as there are people.

Here is an example of the yoyo, albeit an extreme one, but it really does encompass so many problematic behaviors that I thought I would share it.

Years ago, when I was in my mid 20s, starving myself and exercising like a crazy person, I worked in a gym where I met Alan. Alan is actually in the Guinness Book of World Records for losing the most weight in the shortest period of time. I met him when he was down and working out with his trainer nearly every day of the week. At the time, I was a personal trainer and taught classes at the gym, so I got to know Alan pretty well. Everyone was so happy about his recent recognition by Guinness, and Alan was very proud and happy to show his photos. At around 550 pounds, Alan had announced his plan to lose the weight in a guest spot on the Dick Cavett show (Alan and Dick were buddies). This was in the 80s, before the gastric bypass surgery, by the way.

True to his word, Alan began a total liquid diet. This made perfect sense to Alan. Since food was the issue, it was easier to avoid it altogether. In record time-literally-Alan proceeded to lose over 350 pounds. I don't recall exactly, but he took the weight off with this liquid diet in something like three to five months. One of the problems with dramatic weight loss like this is the issue of excess skin, and Alan had the most extreme case of this that I have ever seen. Included in his Guinness entry were photos showing the horrific image of Alan's wife standing five feet away from him and lifting his sagging skin off of the floor! Of course, by the time I met him, he was covered in scars from the many surgeries he had undergone to remove excess skin from every part of his body.

So there he was, every day biking away at the gym. If only I knew then what I know now, perhaps I might have helped him. You see, as I stated earlier, no one gains that kind of weight eating to satisfy physical hunger: there is always more to it. In any event, Alan was very dedicated to working out. Actually he worked out obsessively, and if you have been reading my blogs, you will know that all he was doing was transferring his food addiction to an exercise addiction. After months of this, there came the day that Alan didn't show up. A few days passed, and then a few weeks, and still no Alan. People asked about him, but no one knew anything. Seven months after the last Alan sighting, I received a phone call from him. I don't know why he called me, but I was intrigued and complied with his request that I visit him at his home.

I'm sure you know where I am going with this story because, of course, Alan had gained back every pound, and then some. I wanted to cry: not for the weight gain, but for the pain he had to be suffering. Alan asked me to help him by becoming his personal trainer and dietitian. He said that he had spoken to Dick Cavett, and Dick wanted Alan to come back on the show, this time with me, to record his progress, live, before a national audience! He wanted to do it the right way this time. All I could think about was his skin and how much they removed and how it had all stretched out again. Poor, poor, Alan.

I agreed to help him, although, to be honest, I wasn't sure how. I was young, and I was afraid that with that enormous loss and gain his heart might not hold up. We began with Alan telling me what he ate: cases of coke, one or two entire cakes daily. He owned a gourmet deli and he basically ate all day and all night long. He slept downstairs because he was too big to get up to the bedroom. In order to drive he had removed the car's front seat and he sat in the rear passenger seat to make room for his body. He had to sleep near the bathroom because he was diabetic and had to urinate frequently at night. I can still feel the pain, the despair, and the hope that emanated from him that day.

And so we began. Weeks passed and he did well. I was hard to say exactly how well, since we couldn't weigh him unless we went to a meat market and used a harness-type scale. However, despite his progress, the process was grueling, accustomed as he was to rapid weight loss. Since I did not know enough back then to help him explore his psyche and figure out why he got where he was in the first place, we focused exclusively on the desired outcome and Alan was learning nothing other than how to create healthy meals. One month after we began, Alan spoke to his doctor and decided to start the liquid diet again. Again! I was appalled and told him that he was playing with fire. Alan tried to reassure me, and he asked me to support him. I couldn't; I wouldn't. And I stopped seeing him when he began the fast. What kind of doctor would condone something like that? To this day, I can't believe anyone would prescribe a regimen that was so clearly foolhardy.

I hate to keep you in suspense, but I don't know what became of Alan after that. However, I tell his story, extreme though it is, because it is exactly the type of thing we all go through. We want the magic pill that will take off the weight, yet we refuse to acknowledge that the weight will always come back if we don't understand why we eat the way we do. So go ahead and try the latest weight loss craze. But, honestly, if you don't do the emotional work, it's going to be the yoyo all the way.

Berta Prevosti is a weight loss counselor known for transforming the lives of overweight women who have previously given up on losing weight. She has counseled hundreds of women losing thousands of pounds using emotional support and healthy common sense methods.

Berta's expertise has grown to such a point that she can articulate points in a way that she hears at least weekly "I never had it explained to me that way - it all makes sense now". At her clients requests, and as a result of her growing waiting list, she is shifting her practice to the Internet to share her transformations and help more women reclaim the lives and dreams they had given up on. Please go to justloseit.com justloseit.com and sign up for her FREE weekly e-zine packed full of great information and loving support.

Lightning Fast Fat Loss - UNBELIEVABLY Fast Online Diet Plan to Burn Away Inches of Fat Very Easily!

Want to get lightning fast fat loss without having to take diet pills or do some kind of crazy fad diet? Well, take just a couple of quick minutes out of your day to learn more about a powerful online diet that had me drop an amazing 50 pounds of fat in 2 months...PERMANENTLY!

First things first. It's okay if you want to burn fat fast, just make sure that you stick with NATURAL methods to do so. With that said, I recommend for you to stay away from those "fad diets" out here because due to their unnatural techniques, your metabolism will end up DECREASING...which causes STORED fat!

Now, if you want to burn away inches of fat very easily and PERMANENTLY, the following is what a diet SHOULD be based around:

A. Increasing your metabolic rate.

B. Consuming ALL nutrients (no depriving) and the right amount of calories each day (no starvation).

The best online diet I have found that is based on the above is the "calorie shifting diet".

This is an incredibly easy diet to burn fat quickly. Not only is everything provided to you making it easy to get started, the primary function with this diet to lose lbs. of fat is to just simply EAT foods. No crazy fad diet tricks or weird exercising to get results....just follow the custom meal plan that is generated for you and you will lose fat quickly.

I started this diet program weighing at around 300 pounds and lost 50 pounds in 8 weeks time....and it all stayed off for good. I learned that the reason this diet worked so well while other plans didn't was because this diet will SKYROCKET your metabolism to the maximum peak just by following the custom meal plan consistently.

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Diet Plan Not Working? Simplify Your Approach to Food

Without wading into the tricky territory of whether or not certain diet plans are effective for healthy, sustained weight loss, it's safe to say that no single diet plan is perfect for everyone. We all have different body types, different target body weights, different genetic backgrounds, different allergies and food intolerances, different lifestyles, and different exercise capabilities. In short, there is no one-size-fits-all diet plan, and any plan that claims to be for everyone is misleading.

It's time to set all the diet crazes aside and to just be smart. After all, many of the popular diet plans operate by restricting certain types of food, which, depending on which plan it is, can lead to malnutrition, shortage of important vitamins, lack of energy, and muscle loss. In the end, with many of these plans, while your may lose weight, your body will suffer in other ways, many of which can be damaging to your looks and your long-term health.

The key is to know which foods are healthy and which are unhealthy, and to monitor how you respond to various types of foods. If you find that your body responds well to a type of food that some diet plans forbid, trust yourself first and foremost. Words written in a book by someone who has never met you can't discount the evidence you see with your own eyes and feel in your body.

Foods that are almost universally healthy and nourishing include whole grain-based foods such as oatmeal, granola, brown rice, whole grain bread, and whole wheat pasta; lean and white meats, particularly fish and chicken; legumes, beans, and lentils like black-eyed peas, black beans, soy beans, and kidney beans; unsaturated and monosaturated plant-based oils such as olive oil; and practically all fruits and vegetables. While the specific content of these foods varies greatly, they're all overwhelmingly made up of good stuff, with very little unhealthy fats and bad carbohydrates.

Speaking of fat and carbohydrates, disregard any diet plan that tells you to leave these out entirely. There are good fats and good carbohydrates that you need to keep your body functioning and beautiful. For example, the omega fatty acids found in fish, nuts, flax seed, and olive oil are essential for a healthy body, mind, and appearance. As for carbs, while synthetic sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup are invariably bad, the types of natural sugars found in fruits and vegetables are necessary fuel for the exercise that is needed for any healthy diet plan.

The worst foods to consume in any weight-loss diet plans are those that contain lots of calories without any good nutrients to make up for it. For example, sweet drinks like soda and non-organic juices from concentrate are good ways to get a little bit of a sugar fix, but they are nothing but empty calories from a nutritional standpoint. Meanwhile, other forbidden foods include fried foods, sweets, desserts, and greasy, cheesy meals like pizza. Any of these things can be consumed in moderation, but be careful. When we say "moderation," we mean it. If you're going to have pizza, have one slice. If you're going to have cake, have one small piece. And confine such indulgences to no more than once or twice a week.

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What Is The Best Diet Plan

Diet plans are a dime a dozen, and that's why choosing a good weight loss diet program can get really confusing for the average person. Because obesity has become such a huge problem in America, and is a growing problem in the world, maintaining a healthy diet is more important than ever. In fact, it's a life and death struggle for many people.

Trying to answer the question of what diet plan works best is difficult because everybody has different needs and lifestyles. There really isn't a "one size fits all" diet plan that works great for everybody. We each have our own unique metabolism that responds to whatever foods we eat and to other things like stress, illness and mental health.

Here are some common questions people have about dieting:

What is the healthiest diet?

This is a tricky one. Most diets floating around on the internet and in popular books and magazines will claim that they can work miracles for you if you cut out all the bad junk food. So, to start, you've got to cut way down on consuming snack chips and fried foods, or even cut them out of your diet completely.

Now things get complicated, because there's conflicting ideas about what combination of foods should be eaten to lose weight and still remain healthy. Determining what type of diets are good for the body should be based on whether or not the plan included proper nutrition that allows you to get through your day feeling good.

This should rule out starvation diets that may cause you to lose some quick water weight, but will make you feel drained, irritable and listless.

What is a balanced diet for weight loss?

Ideally, a balanced diet shouldn't deprive your body of any essential proteins and nutrients it needs to function at its best during the duration you are on the program.

According to the USDA, a person should eat something from the following food groups for optimal nutrition:

* Bread, cereal, rice and pasta

* Vegetables

* Fruits

* Milk, yogurt and cheese

* Meat, fish, poultry, beans, eggs and nuts

A good weight loss diet will show you how to combine foods from these groups in a healthy way for optimal fat burning results.

I have a bad diet, what should I do?

First of all, you're going to have to make a serious commitment to getting yourself back on track. Part of that is mental. You need to change the way you think about yourself and figure out why you eat the way you do.

Why are you eating that bag of potato chips after you've just had a big dinner?

Why are you eating a huge slab of chocolate cake at midnight?

Why are you ordering two double cheeseburgers, extra fries and a large soda at your favorite fast food place on a regular basis?

Why are these foods so comforting to you?

Can you change the way you think about these foods?

Answer these questions first. Then you can focus on replacing foods that are causing you to be overweight with healthier choices.

What happens if I don't get enough fat in my diet?

This is a good question. Many fad diets will advise you to cut out all foods containing fat on the notion that you will lose pounds rapidly. The cabbage soup diet, fast weight loss plan, is a good example of this. If you eat cabbage soup for a week, you will probably lose some weight, but at what price?

Your body will go into "starvation mode" and save every single calorie you consume to keep you alive (slowing down your metabolism). Also, you may experience headaches, moodiness and be very tired from not getting enough protein. These kinds of diets are quick fixes and you will gain the weight back rapidly. Not worth it, if you ask me.

So, what diets really work?

The only diets that genuinely work are ones that include proper nutrition, and are proven to be safe and effective in helping you to keep the weight off for good.

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High Protein Diet Plan? Here's a More Sensible Diet Plan to Lose Weight Fast

High protein diet plans are very popular right now. That's because they can give you some immediate weight loss... initially. But just like any unnatural way of eating, a high protein diet plan is not a practical solution to long-term and permanent weight loss. How about a practical alternative... one where you will burn the majority of the calories you eat and still eat plenty of foods you enjoy? Does this sound too good to be true? Maybe not. The good news is that you can definitely do this if you learn how to eat in pre-determined patterns throughout the day.

Any weight loss you get through fad diets is usually very short lived. Forcing yourself to eat in an unnatural and unhealthy way will never work. Drastically cutting calories or staying away from entire food groups is not a desirable way to eat.

Lately everyone seems to be talking about reducing carbs. These high protein, low carb diet plans want you to unrealistically cut way back on your daily carbohydrate intake. Carbohydrates are one of the major food groups necessary for optimal health. Does getting rid of carbs really sound like a smart way to eat?

The low calories approach doesn't work either. Severely restricting calories or skipping meals only results in your metabolism slowing way down. This is totally counter productive. Remember, you want your metabolism to function at a high level so you're constantly burning calories.

Nutritional deficiencies, lack of energy, always hungry... this is what most diets offer. What else can you do?

How about a sensible approach?

How about a way of eating that boosts your metabolism so you're burning calories constantly, but you can still eat plenty of foods you enjoy. You may think this sounds like another fad diet twist... it's not.

Most people get fat by eating the wrong foods at the wrong time. The good news is you can lose weight and keep it off by eating the right foods at the right time. When you choose to eat a particular food is the most important factor.

The body needs particular types of calories and different times during the day. Eat the wrong type at the wrong time and those calories will be stored rather than burned off.

Eating in patterns like this is called calorie shifting. Confusing your metabolism by never eating in predictable patterns causes it to burn faster.

If you eat in a predictable way, your metabolism will quickly adapt. You may see some weight loss initially, but you will gain it all back just as rapidly as soon as your metabolism makes the proper adjustments.

It seems that calorie shifting may be the only sensible solution for long term weight loss. Because there are no unnatural restrictions, it's much more practical and natural than any high protein diet plan.

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Why The Glycemic Index Diet Plan Isn't All It's Cracked Up To Be

Lately you've probably heard rumors that the glycemic index diet plan is the best diet plan on the market, it can help you lose weight easier than anything else, and that it's easy to follow.

Well I'm hear to tell you that you shouldn't believe everything you read. Although the glycemic index diet plan is something that's good to follow, it should never be a complete diet in itself.

Let me explain.

The whole premise of the glycemic index diet plan is that if you follow it correctly, your blood sugar isn't going to spike up like it does if you eat a lot of carbohydrates in 1 sitting.

Each food has it's own value and the lower the value, the less affect is has on your blood sugar levels. For example, a sweet potato has a low glycemic index value while a baked potato is very high. Therefore, to lose weight you would consume more sweet potatoes because it wouldn't spike up your blood sugar which causes fat gain and diabetes.

I want to say now that you'd do yourself a huge favor by memorizing your favorite foods and how they correspond to the glycemic index rating. That way you can always choose the lowest ones.

But, the glycemic index diet plan has a very large loophole in it. Want to know what it is?

It doesn't take calories into account!

For example, pasta has a glycemic index that's under 50, which is considered low. It doesn't spike up your blood sugar like pretzels or sugar would.

But have you ever noticed how many calories are in just a cup of pasta, which is hardly anything? There's enough to make you fatter faster than you could realize!

So if you've been following the glycemic index diet plan, or plan on doing it shortly, be sure you take calories into consideration as well. After all, losing weight is all about calories in versus calories out when it comes down to it.

There are many other fat loss secrets besides the glycemic index diet plan that can help you lose weight easier than you ever have before. Go out and find those programs and by this summer you'll be amazed at the change your body has made.

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Diet Plans to Lose Weight Fast - How to Lose Weight Faster Than Ever

It can be so frustrating to try to lose weight with all of the temptations of fast food, sweets, and salty snacks. It always seems so much easier just to eat whatever you want, especially with all of the stresses of today's world. Unfortunately, the results of eating whatever you want can be damaging to your health. Excess weight gain can leave you feeling depressed, frustrated, and tired. Luckily, there are some very good diet plans to lose weight that you can implement into your daily life, to stave of cravings and excess weight gain.

In order to begin a permanent lifestyle change you will want to revamp your old habits, and trade them in for habits that will completely transform your life. Start with simple steps. Drink more water. Water is essential to how your body really functions. Staying hydrated will also help you to eat less, as many times when you are feeling hunger pangs, your body is really craving water. Water will also flush toxins from your system, and give you more energy.

Another way to start losing weight faster is to add regular exercise to your day. Exercising at least 3 to 5 days a week can change your body and mind. Put in at least 20 - 60 minutes of exercise, and you can build muscle and burn fat faster. You can start at an easy pace to with gentle exercises like yoga, pilates, and long walks. Getting your body in motion is an essential step and it fits in perfectly with the ideal diet plans to lose weight fast.

Changing your diet is the next step in shedding pounds. Replace all of the sugary snacks, processed frozen meals, and salty, fried foods with fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. It can be so easy to reduce your waistline when you know the proper foods to eat. Instead of white bread, buy wheat, or whole grain bread. Don't buy sugar, use real fruit, and get yourself a juicer, and use the juice of fresh fruit instead.

Food preparation can be just as important. Instead of frying food, try baking, or grilling your meals. Use olive oil, and get the added health benefits of omega vitamins and minerals.

Finally, get adequate sleep. Turn off the television, and make your room a sanctuary for good sleep. You want to get as much sleep as your body needs. This increases your focus during your waking hours, and it helps your body to recover and balance itself making you much more likely to stick with your new lifestyle.

The diet plans to lose weight fast can really put you on the road to a brand new slimmer you. Kick up your new healthy diet habits with a free trial weight loss sample [free-trial-weight-loss-pills.info], and accelerate your weight loss now!