Diet is the next piece of the puzzle to consider.  First stop thinking about DIET,  instead consider your every day habits that could be the cause of you gaining weight.

The following are on the DO NOT LIST:

EATING TOO FAST - Unless you are in a pie eating contest, there is no reward for gobbling your food.  Because of our hectic lifestyles many of us eat on the run or have to shovel the food into our mouths.  SLOW DOWN, taste the food, enjoy your meal.  Eating too fast, doesn’t give our stomach time to realize that food has entered the stomach.  When you eat slowing the fullness signal will kick in before you overeat.

SKIP MEALS - Many people wanting to lose weight will skip breakfast.  This is the most important meal of the day.  Your energy stores are used and upon rising in the morning, if you don’t eat, your body goes into starvation mode.  You will hold on to the fat, as the body thinks no food is coming.  This where metabolism comes in.  Yes, it slows down here, as the body will start to conserve energy and burn fewer calories

HIDDEN CALORIES OR LIQUID CALORIES – When you drink calories, this is not usually a factor in the total calories consumed.  Which means you usually do not eat less.  Eliminate those sodas, watch the dressings on salads (some of them have 500 calories in those itty bitty to go containers), drink light beer instead of regular beer (saving you 50 calories), have skim milk instead of whole milk, canned fruit in its own juice instead of heavy syrup and watch those smoothies and lattes. 

SUPERSIZE PORTIONS – Just say “No”.  More is not better!  Leave a few bites on your plate.  Or feed the fish (if allowed by law). And I know it’s tough, but say no thank you to the bonuses at the fast food chains.  For .99 you can get…… Please save your dollars.  Use the money saved to buy the new pair of pants (smaller size) that you can fit into.

BE AWARE OF WHAT YOU EAT – It’s easy to be at a party or social event and eat a whole day of calories in one hour.  We know about liquid calories, watch those fried appetizers, or the ones wrapped in bacon.  And it is not true that if you eat the broken pieces the calories have leaked out.  Keep track of what you eat.  Become more aware of what your fingers put into your mouth.

SO WHAT IS ONE TO DO?

Eat more fiber rich whole grains.  These include oatmeal, whole wheat bread and brown rice.  Read labels and look for ingredients with whole grains.  Eat a healthy breakfast.  Consider fruits or vegetables, along with the whole grains.  Eat small meals during the day.  Instead of three times a day, break it up to five or six meals a day.  Not to be confused with increasing the calories.  Just take same food, with the above revisions and divide that into the smaller meals. Limit your sweets.  Sugar is empty calories.   Eat the right fats.  No, French Fries are not on the good fats list.  The fats should come from Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated sources.

Find an Exercise Routine that you can stick with.  Weight bearing exercise is excellent, as not only do you get heart benefits, you will increase your muscle tone, which will burn more calories.  Even when you are sleeping.  Muscles require fuel and burn energy .  Increasing your muscle tone will  burn more calories.  Exercise not only helps you lose those extra calories, it helps to maintain a healthy happy Heart.