By Bonnie Pfiester

When someone begins an exercise program, there comes a point where people begin to realize they may need to go on some kind of diet. Since most people have no idea how many calories to take in or what foods are the best choices, people often turn to brand name diets.

You see, people don’t want to think. They want simple answers. This is why the weight loss industry is raking in billions of dollars. People are attracted to the magic pill or the “3-step plan”, but quick fixes are not the answer.

If every major diet on the market is based on 1200-1500 calories, then maybe we should take notice. Nearly every major weight loss company has nutritionists and dieticians on staff dedicated to designing diet plans that work. Interestingly enough, no matter the combination of fats, proteins and carbohydrates, they all have similar caloric restrictions.

To see real results, you need to be in the right mindset. But how do you know if you’re there yet? And if you aren’t there, how can you get there?

Industry experts have used a simple, one-stop tool for years to help clients lead healthier lives. The Weight Loss Readiness Test gauges how mentally prepared you are to start a program that will change your life. With indexes on motivation, expectations, confidence, hunger and eating cues, binge eating and purging, and emotional eating, the assessment aims to pinpoint your challenge areas and determine if you are ready to start a new diet and exercise program.

Critics may oppose the idea that a person should continue on with unhealthy lifestyle habits until he or she is ‘ready’ to diet, asserting that any diet is better than no diet at all. However, what we know about weight loss is that gradual changes are far more beneficial than a binary mentality – either you’re dieting or you’re not. Instead of yo-yoing between committing to and cheating on a strict diet, it’s better to implement small, permanent changes – for example, giving up all soda or cutting back on refined sugars.

Are you getting ready to go out for a big dinner? The best way to prevent overeating during a night out is, surprisingly enough, to eat more! The trick is to prep yourself with calories before you even leave for the restaurant. One of my favorite ways to do this is to enjoy a delicious, nutritious smoothie an hour or two before the meal.

Keep a journal for your diet. Healthcare giant Kaiser Permanente recently conducted a study that followed thousands of participants starting a healthy lifestyle plan. They found that a group of subjects who kept track of everything they ate lost twice as much weight as those who did not. Here’s how you can become a successful diet tracker - losing weight and keeping it off!

Each year, we learn more about the way people eat and maintain, gain, or lose weight. With summer here and overall activity level increasing, a healthy diet can help – or derail – your weight loss plans. Here are a few of the latest research-based tips to a fruitful summer:

1. Mindless eating is never more prevalent than in restaurants. While your dinner mates are indulging themselves, it’s easy to keep on eating, regardless of whether or not you are full. To prevent overeating, order a half-size (even if it’s not on the menu, most restaurants will serve it if you ask for it) or ask for half of your meal to be boxed. Try to be more conscious of your eating in general; eat slowly, enjoying each bite of food. Have a small snack high in fiber and protein about one to two hours before your meal.

By Bonnie Pfiester

Setting goals is not difficult. It's maintaining balance and staying focused while trying to reach your goals that are a challenge. It's so easy to get sidetracked by things that don't matter; allowing small stuff get in the way of your plans. This happens with work, relationships, fitness and other areas of our life. Priorities get choked out by circumstance and a lack of accountability. Reaching goals requires planning, measuring and correcting.

By: Rick Schaff

-- an excerpt from my book, MISLED

www.HEALTHandINSPIRATION.com

I have walked into a grocery store dozens of times only to see the same sad scenario played over and over; an overweight woman with a shopping cart full of miscellaneous protein bars. It breaks my heart. Here is a woman who is obviously struggling with a weight problem, and she is looking for help. Unfortunately she has found help from a wolf in sheep’s clothing and she has been cleverly deceived into believing that these bars will help her lose weight and become healthy. She believes their misleading advertisements. She believes the thin, perfect models displayed in these deceptive advertisements owe their beautiful physiques to these enchanted bars. She believes the doctors, experts, and staged callers who were paid to confirm that these bars are indeed “healthy.” She also believes that if she eats enough of these bars her fat will magically melt away, and her body will sculpt itself into perfection. Blow up that experiment; IT’S A LIE!

In the 90s, fat-free products deluged the marketplace. Dieters were in a frenzy to get their favorite foods, without the fat. Fast forward to today, and you can still get everything from fat-free ice cream and cookies to fat-free hot dogs. Many weight watchers believe they are sticking to strict diet plans by using fat-free foods, but when you eat one of these foods, what are you really eating?

Most diet foods like these replace the fat with sugar, and each serving still packs a powerful caloric punch. Sometimes, fat-free foods actually have MORE calories than their normal counterparts. The best foods are those that are low in calories AND fat, not one or the other.

In order to have a sleeker, flatter midsection, your diet needs to have adequate amounts of fiber to reduce bloating, as well as enough protein and antioxidants for your body to function optimally. Here are some healthy picks that can help you achieve a flatter waist.

Myth #1 Drop 5 pounds in 5 days!

We all would love to be able to lose weight this fast, but no one we know would agree it was possible to lose 5 pounds of fat in 5 days without some seriously dangerous crash dieting and massive amounts of exercise.