"Quitting smoking is easy. I've done it hundreds of times!" It's an old saw with a ring of truth. Substitute "Losing weight" for "Quitting smoking," and that holds true as well. Generally, people know how to lose weight and have successfully lost weight on several occasions. But keeping the weight off is s different story. All too often, weight loss programs concentrate on initial weight loss and don't help people maintain a healthy weight. Permanent weight loss is difficult, but it is not out of reach. One of the keys to permanent weight loss is breaking the addiction to sugar and carbohydrates.
Addictions
In many Western nations, people consume far too much sugar and simple carbohydrates. After all, sweets are easy to find, they're cheap, and they taste good, usually due to the presence of high levels of high fructose corn syrup. The problem is, sugar and carbs are major factors in making people clinically obese. Plus, they're addictive. When we consume carbohydrates we produce insulin, which is responsible for keeping levels of blood glucose under control. When glucose is taken from the bloodstream, if it isn't immediately needed for energy, it's stored as fat. High sugar intake leads to blood sugar spikes, but then blood sugar plummets, which in turn leads to a craving for yet more sugar.
Deprivation and Starvation Don't Work
Key to losing weight is breaking the body's addiction to sugar. Yet starvation diets and those that designate certain foods as absolutely forbidden just don't work in the long term. Proper nutrition helps keep blood sugar levels steady, and once we've mastered that, we slowly learn which foods address hunger without producing a "sugar rush." As a result, we can adapt our lifestyle to favor nutritious foods over sugar. It isn't easy, but with discipline and encouragement it can be done.
The Key to Weight Loss?
Will power is definitely important when it comes to losing weight, but it's not the be-all and end-all. If you never learn to resist the high-calorie treats, you won't be able to lose weight. However, successfully keeping extra weight off requires long-term changes to everyday eating habits. Once we learn healthier habits, we don't have to rely on sheer will power to resist the temptation to go overboard on sugar and carbohydrates. Developing good eating habits helps us learn which foods help us feel healthier and more energetic. Then, we'll be more likely to turn to them when we're hungry.
Diet Coaching Creates Permanent Weight Loss
Going it alone is a tough way to lose weight - and nearly impossible to keep it off. However, with the proper emotional and nutritional support, it's easier. Diet coaching programs that help you change your eating habits and break your addiction to sugar and carbohydrates are successful in the long term, largely due to encouragement and accountability. Permanent weight loss isn't easy, but the effort is worth it because the rewards include looking better, feeling better, and having a longer, healthier life.
Author Resource:
Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the world's MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web.
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