Make it Happen

Six Keys to Weight Loss Quality over quantity .The and most effective way to lose weight is not by restricting calories. Instead a better approach is to eat yourself skinny by eating whole foods. This allows you to eat plenty of food on a daily basis without any sense of deprivation, hunger or excess cravings. Your energy will improve and the pounds will suddenly come off! Eat fat to lose fat. Your brain is always searching for a source of sugar and fat. The point is to avoid the sugar and give your body an abundant amount of good, healthy fats and oils, daily. This communicates the perfect biochemical message to your body and encourages the weight loss process. By avoiding or restricting fat, you are actually setting the body up to store more fat in the long run, sabotaging any initial results that may have been achieved. Food is fuel. The best way to stay on any program is to look at food differently. Yes, you want to enjoy the taste and texture, but ask yourself if your body will benefit from your food choices. Eating small meals throughout the day allows for stability in your blood sugar and keeps your biochemistry one step ahead, ensuring better food choices. If you wait too long to eat, inevitably you will cave in and eat for pleasure making terrible choices. Then, the cycle will continue until you finally go to sleep or eat what your body really wants. Your caloric intake should follow the path of the sun. (Hmm........what does that mean????). This simply means that as the sun rises during the day, caloric intake should rise as well up until noon to 1:00pm. At this point, the sun begins to set for the day, so caloric intake should begin to diminish. Many people restrict calories throughout the day and then they are famished at dinner, eating their largest meal at night. This is huge obstacle in the weight loss equation. Your body is set up to use a set number of calories for energy and when we overeat, usually from being famished, unused fuel stores as fat. Eat your largest meal at lunch. Consistency is the mother of perfection. In relation to diet, the goal should be consistency and not perfection. Life happens and there will always be special occasions. Food choice is 100% our own responsibility. Be diligent as often as possible but allow yourself some leeway which helps you to be successful in the long run. Practice the 80/20 Rule. This rule can be applied to many areas such as business, money, relationships and food. Basically the rule sets you up for success. In relation to diet, eat nourishing foods 80% of the time and allow yourself 20% leeway. Try not to use the word "cheat" for your 20%. The connotation is negative and sneaky making the 20% food choices taste unbelievably delicious. Make it happen! Contributed by Bill Esch with Smith & Esch Fitness