There are five essential things you need to do, if you want to lose weight and keep it off.

#1. Reduce or Eliminate Sugar. This is the biggest challenge for most people, as most of us are highly addicted to sugar. The pleasure center in the brain is very stimulated by sugar and it can’t get enough of that sweet stuff. We binge on sugary foods, we cheat on our diets with sugary foods, and we treat ourselves with sugary foods. The first and most important thing to get healthy and lose weight is cutting out the sugar.

#2. Reduce refined carbohydrates. This means most wheat products. You know, bread, pasta, pastries, cakes and muffins. These refined carbohydrates are almost the same as sugar in our system. When the low-fat craze it, the carbohydrate consumption went up, and we all got fatter and many of us developed diabetes. Time to reduce those fast acting carbs.

#3. Eat Saturated Fat. If you eat low-fat… then chances are you are fat. Eating fat does not make you fat. Mind you, you do need to be careful of the types of fats you are eating. Saturated fats are good, polyunsaturated and mono-unsaturated fats (like in margarine) are bad. Please note there are many old beliefs that those polyunsaturated and mono-unsaturated fats are good for you because they lower cholesterol. But I encourage you to research further. When the low-fat (trying to eliminate saturated fats) craze began, then North American began to become sick, over weight and developing diabetes. Many Doctors, are now starting to change their tune when it comes to eating low-fat. I encourage you to read the book, “The Big Fat Surprise” by Nina Teicholz. Eating saturated fats are actually required by your body to function properly. In fact your brain is at least 60% fat. If you suffer brain fog…. Maybe it’s the lack of saturated fat that you’re not eating???

#4. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Now I’m sure most people are groaning at this one. Yes we’ve all hear this one before, not to mention heard it many, many times before. Usually people comment that they don’t like vegetables. But here is a little news flash for you. When you cut out sugar and fast acting carbs out of your regular eating, vegetables actually takes better. In fact some of them actually taste, dare I say it….. good! It is our reward center in our brains that tells us we don’t like vegetables, and pesters you to eat more sugar.

#5. Get help! – Possibly hire a Weight Loss Coach. Coaches help you deal with your excuses. What do I mean by that? Well you know, the excuses you tell yourself when you are trying to lose weight and you cheat on your eating plan. These may sound like, “I’ve had a bad day, I deserve a cookie.” Or may even sound like, “I was too busy to get anything decent to eat, so I just grabbed a chocolate bar.” These may sound like reasons as to why you went off your eating plan, but if you are honest with yourself, you will realise they are actually excuses. This is your addicted brain at work…. Sugar…. I need …. Sugar….!!!!

Although I feel all of the above are important, I believe #5 is the real key to successful long lasting weight loss. It’s your inner mind (addicted brain) that keeps you from succeeding, and a diet plan alone just cannot help you with that.

By Adriana Ellis. Adriana is a Certified Life Coach, Certified Weight Loss Coach. Certified Holistic Nutrition Coach, Certified Food Addictions Coach, Law of Attraction Coach and has her Diploma (with distinction) in Counselling. Adriana teaches her clients how to change their thinking and habits to help them feel better and get the results that they want.

www.attunedwholistic.com