| If you are trying to lose weight, aren't
getting the results you want and
want to give up... stop! Take
stock and see if you have fallen
foul of these 'diet traps'. 1.
If no one sees you eat it, it
has no calories This might sound
ridiculous, but you might be surprised
to find that many people act as
though this were true! It is easy
to turn a blind eye to what we
actually eat and drink during
the day. Being true to yourself
with a daily food diary can do
wonders for breaking through a
diet plateau. Keep a small notebook
in you at all times and make a
quick reminder of everything,
and I mean everything you eat
and drink during the day. It's
just too easy to forget what you
eat, especially if you are used
to eating on the run. Mothers
with small children at home are
especially at risk. There are
hundreds of unwanted calories
lurking in toddler leftovers.
Corners of vegemite and toast,
half chewed milk arrowroots and
the last sips of chocolate milk
can wreck havoc. 2. You aren't
diligent about planning your meals
and healthy snackz As a weight
loss coach I've yet to meet the
person who consciously decides
it's their lifetime goal to put
on weight until they are obese
and desperately unhappy about
how they look. Usually it's a
result of one or two decades of
no-so-good food choices and not
finding time to exercise that
leads to packing on the pounds.
Once you have five or more kilos
to lose, it is going to take a
deliberate change in habits over
several months to get rid of the
weight. This is where many folk
run aground in their weight loss
journey. They fail to plan. It
takes conscious planning to do
something different for the length
of time that is required to get
the results you want. If you are
not the type of personality that
plans, ask yourself this. How
many times do find yourself looking
for something to eat and resort
to quick takeaways, vending machines
or skipping meals instead? Start
planning ahead by keeping a bowl
of fresh fruit at home and at
work at all times. Fruit is great
for a healthy snack. Prepare your
lunch to take to work so you won't
be a victim of vending machines.
Get up early so that you have
time to start the day with a healthy
breakfast, instead of grabbing
a skinny decaf on the way to work
and a diet coke for morning tea.
3. You've fallen subject to fad
diet ideas Keeping a balanced
view of all the food groups will
help you have a big enough repertoire
of healthy food choices to keep
you motivated and interested longer.
"You can't look at foods individually,"
says Dayle Hayes, M.S., R.D.,
a nutrition consultant in Billings,
Mont., and member of the Council
for Women's Nutrition Solutions.
"Any time you eliminate whole
food groups or foods that are
a major part of your diet, you
wipe out important nutrients."
For instance, if you dis dairy,
you zap a great source of protein.
If you turn your nose up at high-fat
fish like salmon, sardines and
herring, you eliminate a top source
of omega-3 fatty acids. "The 'bad
food list' is one of the oldest
gimmicks in the world of fad dieting,"
adds Robyn Flipse, RD., a nutrition
consultant in Ocean, N.J. "As
long as people can blame certain
foods or food combinations for
their excess weight, they don't
have to tackle the bigger issues,
like planning, shopping and preparing
meals for themselves and doing
some form of physical activity
on a regular basis," she says.
(c) Kim Beardsmore Kim Beardsmore,
M.Bus(HRM), B.Sc., is an Independent
Herbalife Distributor and creator
of the online magazine Weight
Loss News. For more information
about healthy weight loss, recipes
and health visit http://www.weight-loss-health.com.au
Your online Herbalife store at
http://www.weightlosshealth.herbalcoach.com
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