Five Habits That Cause Weight Gain

ByMark L Crews

If you are overweight and cannot seem to lose weight no matter how hard you try, it might be time to examine your habits. A great quote from Emerson Ralph Waldo puts it into perspective " Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow an act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny." If we are sowing the wrong habits we set ourselves up for ultimate failure. Below are five habits that may be sabotaging your weight loss goals.

1. Too much TV: Are you aware of how much time you spend in front of the TV? It is easy to come home from work and park ourselves in front of the TV for hours at a time. One of the reasons this works against our weight loss goals is the advertisers of junk food and fast food are good, the reason advertisers pay millions of dollars for ads is because it works. Even the healthiest individuals can succumb to temptations. You are also burning very few calories while viewing TV. Plus most of us eat unhealthy snacks while watching TV and we don't monitor portion control.

2. We Skip Breakfast: Skipping breakfast is linked to obesity. By not having breakfast you are more likely to eat more at other meals. Eating a small healthy breakfast will give you more energy for morning activities, so you will burn more fat.

3. Eating Three Large Meals: Studies have shown that it is better for weight loss to eat six small meals daily than to eat two or three large ones. Eating six small meals spread out over the entire day, helps regulate blood sugar and control cravings. Just be sure that the meals are small and total up to your needed calories intake.

4. Not getting enough Sleep: If you are in the habit of staying up late and not getting enough sleep then you may be causing your body to store weight. Many studies show a correlation between your weight gain and sleep deprivation. If you are tired in the morning and feeling sluggish you may want to try and get an extra hour or two of sleep. It's hard to exercise and be productive if you are tired.

5. Eating Fast Food: This one is a no brainer. If you are going through a drive through for your lunch or dinner, than you are definitely going in the wrong direction in the pursuit of your weight loss goals. Prepare healthy meals ahead of time and take them with you.

Once you identify the habits that cause weight gain, you can then go about the process of fixing the issues. You do not have to fix all your bad habits at once. Trying to do too much can overwhelm you. Instead take one habit and decide to change it. To break the bad habit you have to replace it with a more productive habit. As an example if you watch too much TV, start scheduling your viewing; make it no more than 2 hours a day. Replace the remaining time with more healthy alternatives, like going for walks, runs or to the gym. Stick with the new plan for at least 21 days, once you have made it this far you have created a new and healthy habit. After 21 days you can start working on the next habit you would like to change.

Mark L Crews invites you to learn more about weight loss and receive the free report "Six Pack Abs Revealed" by visiting http://www.workoutover40.com

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Smart Sugars and Your Triglyceride Battle - CAUSE for FAT GAIN and What to Do About It

The "answer" to FAT GAIN is on magazine covers everywhere you turn. But, few know the CAUSE for fat gain! In one word, it is TRIGLYCERIDES. Triglycerides impact your body and is the CAUSE for fat gain. Sugar consuming humans have a glucose metabolism challenge and an ongoing triglyceride battle.

A high triglyceride level makes it impossible to lose weight. Triglycerides are lipids that facilitate the bi-directional transfer of blood glucose and adipose fat through the liver. Balance is the key. High triglycerides cause chaos with the bi-directional conversion of adipose fat and blood glucose.

Lipids are fatty structural molecules with the primary biological functions for storing energy, building cell membranes, and when sugar(s) are added, to make glycolipids to serve as important signaling molecules inside the cell.

Accelerated fat loss for the obese is experienced when they lower their triglycerides and keep them under 150 mg/dL which is considered normal. Over 200 is high and 500 is very high.

The raging fat battle is between good fats and bad fats, good sugars and bad sugars. Saturated fats (bad fat) along with bad sugars result in high plasma levels of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins which produce glucose intolerance leading to diabetes. Food and drink high in bad sugars cause increased triglyceride levels. These foods are converted into triglycerides and are stored in the adipose tissue, or fat cells.

Obesity is normally based on the amount of body fat in the form of adipose tissue. Adipose (meaning fat depot) fat, or tissue, is the loosely connective tissue composed of adipocytes primarily located beneath the skin, but is also found around internal organs. Adipose fat stores energy and cushions and insulates the body.

High triglycerides indicate a metabolic disorder with the lipo-glucose conversion process. In such cases, the conversion process between blood glucose and adipose fat is impaired, resulting in a buildup of triglycerides. This can be a difficult condition to overcome and does not respond well to diet and exercise. Inability to lose fat with diet and exercise is the cause for frustration and abandonment of all hope for many.

High triglyceride levels can produce LDL (bad) cholesterol and can quickly cause cardiovascular and pancreatic problems. When LDL and total cholesterol are high, the root cause is most likely high triglycerides. More people are recognizing that statin drugs are not the answer and may cause even more serious problems.

Polyunsaturated fat, (the good fat) as Omega-3, has been shown to lower triglycerides by balancing blood sugar, reducing inflammation, and helping to regulate metabolism. Exactly how this happens is not yet clear, but we understand that Omega-3 decreases lipid synthesis (lipogenesis) and may allow the hormone leptin to work better which researchers have linked to how fast fat is burned.

Certain good sugars including Trehalose help construct quality glycolipids inside the cell while other Smart Sugars are the building blocks for glycoprotein receptor sites that coat the surface of human cells for proper communication. Cellular communication allows our bodies to know and to take action toward fulfilling the exact need of each cell.

Research confirms that Trehalose can inhibit fat cell hypertrophy (cell enlargement) and prevent metabolic syndrome which induces insulin resistance that leads to type 2 diabetes.

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Even Healthy Foods Cause Weight Gain

For anyone trying to lose weight, eating the right amount of food can pose quite a challenge. A wide variety of relatively inexpensive, good tasting food is available almost everywhere; in fact, it's hard to get away from. There are fast food restaurants featuring super-sized meals and drive through options on practically every corner. Pizzerias tempt us with coupons, buy one-get one deals, and free delivery. Food markets - big and small - lure us in with can-can sales and free samples. And at work, free food occasions happen on a regular basis.

We no longer have to spend most of our day hunting and gathering food as our ancestors did. It's quite the opposite; we have to work very hard to get away from the overabundance we are faced with on a minute-by-minute basis in today's toxic food environment. So, what's a health-conscious eater to do? Here are a few simple techniques that are sure to help you choose portion sizes that support a healthy weight.

Have a plan. Decide ahead of time what, when, how much, and where you will eat. This will minimize your chances of making poor eating decisions. For example, imagine you arrive at work one day and are welcomed by a spread of bagels with all the toppings, but you already ate breakfast. Without a plan, you eat a bagel and feel guilty. With a plan, you walk away or take a bagel and save it for tomorrow.

Eat before you eat. Start your meal with a filling appetizer such as a salad topped with vinaigrette, low-calorie soup, or cut-up fresh fruit. This way you take the edge off your hunger before eating the more calorically dense main course. You'll end up feeling satisfied with less.

Fill your plate. Start with a smaller plate and fill it up. It's common sense; a smaller plate holds less food. And your healthy portions won't look too small when they are filling the whole plate. This technique satisfies your psychological need to get enough food. The same principle applies to bowls and glasses.

Divide it before you eat it. Think of the protein and starch items on your plate as side dishes. For example, fill half your plate with broccoli, a quarter with chicken, and a quarter with pasta. This will provide you with a healthy balance of food and leave you feeling satisfied - with less calories.

Pre-portion tempting foods. Dipping your spoon right into a pint of ice cream or reaching your hand into a bottomless bag of your favorite chips is just asking for trouble. It's easy to overdo it when you're not paying attention. Rather than eating straight from the package, get out your scale or measuring cups, serve yourself one portion, and then put the rest away.

Slow down and decide. When you eat too fast, you can end up consuming more food than originally intended. Try to make your meals last at least 15 minutes and give your body a chance to feel satisfied. Then wait awhile and go back for seconds only if you are still truly hungry.

Don't be a victim of portion distortion. Take charge of your eating by learning how much you need to eat each day to lose weight and then follow through by measuring and weighing your foods and beverages. Don't kid yourself. If you're not losing weight chances are you're overeating. Remember, even healthy foods can cause weight gain.

Lorraine Matthews-Antosiewicz, MS RD, is a food and nutrition expert specializing in weight management. She is committed to empowering people through education, support, and inspiration to make real changes that lead to optimal health and lasting weight loss. Sign up for her Free Consultation and receive expert advice on how to lose 20 lb - or more. Jump Start your weight loss today! http://njnutritionist.com/freeconsult

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Slimming Drugs and Protocols Do Not Target the Cause of Weight Gain

A diet high in simple, refined carbohydrates and saturated fats over stimulates oestrogenic activity and fat cells. When deficient in vitamin B6, these fat laden cells swell up with fluid. The fatter you get, the more oestrogen you make out of androgenic hormones like testosterone. Often men fall prey to excess oestrogen and have only their eating habits to blame. Excessive oestrogen shuts down thyroid activity and your system becomes sluggish and more resistant to exercise or any form of fuel burning.

Hormones can make you fat!

It gets worse when insulin resistance sets in due to an excessive and almost continuous intake of sugar and refined starches. When cortisol activity increases as a reaction to prolonged stress signals your waistline expands. Inflammatory responses and systemic acidity take their toll. By eating comfort foods like chocolate and craving more sugar in search of elusive "energy" you become morbidly obese. When insulin; the sugar processing hormone, cannot pump glucose into hungry cells it converts glucose into triglycerides to reduce blood sugar levels. Up goes the blood pressure, but do you really think this is from hardened arteries? Not yet. But blood vessels that are damaged due to vitamin deficiencies do make use cholesterol for repair work.

It is odd to be asked: "I am on blood pressure and cholesterol medication and I take Glucophage for my blood sugar. I am overweight so would your slimming product conflict with my prescription?" These are the classic 4 symptoms of insulin resistance known as syndrome X. How funny, then to think that the first warning signal is usually elevated blood pressure and one expects a heart medication instead of hormonal investigation. At this stage caloric restriction, low fat and whole grains will not get the hormonal cavalcade back into line. Stress starvation also sets in and reactive weight gain is the result, especially if you take appetite suppressants.

The most popular letters I receive come from frustrated people who have "tried every diet and slimming product". There is no diet that will work for everybody. Don't be fooled by claims! When suffering from an allergenic addiction to soft drinks, chocolates and cookies full of wheat can any of us really eat the foods we love? To seriously slim down requires a firm mind set and commitment to continue the discipline regardless of excuses. You also have to undertake detoxification protocols prior to embarking on a diet.

An eating plan that really suits your body type as well as blood type, hormonal requirements and lifestyle is a specialised undertaking. If you are serious about your condition then it is best to consult with a registered Dietician or Naturopath to do the fine tuning. Medications begin to clash with dietary improvements or supplements that lower blood sugar or blood pressure naturally. Experts need to wean you off the drugs instead of dismissing the natural solutions to syndrome X.

Regular monitoring of your progress will give you courage as well as confidence. Doctors are not supposed to prescribe medications or hormones if the patient's kidneys or liver are not healthy or there is a history of heart disease. But do they? Are you warned about the side effects - weight gain, bloating or blood thickening? This is why your food needs to become your medicine and that includes the way it affects your hormones.

The more your selection suits you, the better you will look and feel. After detoxification we can begin to load the correct food and micronutrients into a clean body with a healthy liver, digestive system and kidneys.

Sue Visser is a health researcher and product developer for Nature Fresh Health Products. She developed MEGASLIM, a herbal treatment to deal with hormonal issues that cause weight gain. The three ladies used for the trials lost a shared toltal of over 50kg in less than 12 weeks. Sue also recommends the use of Coleus Forskholii to speed up the metabolism. By eating food that suits your blood type people also notice a steady weight loss. Sue is author of the book: HEALTHY HAPPT EATING for all blood types. For more information and access to email Q & A sessions with Sue visit the website below.

http://www.naturefresh.co.za/

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