Finding it hard to lose Weight?

Have you tried everything to lose that extra weight? Have you tried every diet and gimmick that other women have had success with to no avail? Losing weight is just harder for some women than others, which is totally frustrating and unfair- But if you figure out WHY this is occurring, well, then you can fix it.

First of all, think about your habits and the foods you eat. Do you smoke, depend on caffeine, or go out drinking a few nights a week? Do you eat a lot of prepackaged foods, I'm even talking about those so called 'diet meals', that you can just pop in the microwave? Do you usually plan your meals around foods that have already been prepared (I'm talking soups, pizzas, cereal, chips, etc.)? Even if you pick the diet versions of all of these processed foods, it's not necessarily a whole lot better.

The problem with all of the above habits, are that they aren't NATURAL. You can't put all of these foreign, and even harmful substances in your body, and expect it to perform optimally. The nicotine, caffeine, alcohol, food preservatives, and additives are in no way shape or form good for us. AT ALL. Actually they are very damaging. Stop and think about how many people now-a-days live with or even die of disease? Medicine and science are advancing, yet people are getting unhealthier and unhealthier. It doesn't make any sense- until we take a look at the foods we eat. 90% of the average Americans diet is made up of processed foods. What is curious to me is how exactly the average person consuming all of this fake food is expecting their body to be efficient enough to lose weight successfully. If you are not correctly nourishing your machine and giving it natural and beneficial energy it can use, then don't be surprised when it isn't functioning at a 110%. Don't be surprised when you are fighting off the same cold ALL winter, or feeling sleepy after lunchtime, or grumpy for no reason and can't LOSE WEIGHT.

First let's address how assaulting your body with nicotine, alcohol, caffeine, and other substances is not exactly kind. Well, to put it simply, you are throwing off your natural balance and putting harmful chemicals into your body at the same time. For example, say you are going through a mid-day slump so you decide to drink a cup of coffee- all of a sudden you have thrown your body into overdrive.. just to crash and be overwhelmed with even worse fatigue. This roller coaster ride is not the best scenario when you are hoping to lose weight, all that stress will inhibit weight loss if anything. All of this is probably (hopefully) obvious to you, I know I am just preaching what people reeeaaally don't want to hear. Hell, I don't want to hear this stuff- it's like telling me I have to give up all my favorite hobbies. Okay, anyway..... :)



Moving on to- Preservatives and food additives. Oh yay, this is the part where I tell you that food producers have been pumping crap into all your favorite foods to make them taste better/last longer. I'm sorry, it's true- those guys suck.

So, what exactly is a Preservative? Basically, it is a chemical added to food products to keep them from rotting during transportation and keep them on your shelf longer. They kill bacteria, mold, and insects from growing on your food and even help retain some vitamins longer. That doesn't sound so bad. But alas, they are.. Generally these bad boys are toxic; they can cause cancer and other diseases, wreck havoc on your nervous system (feel bitchy after lunch?- could be why), lower your immune system, impact your reproductive system, and have a whole slew of side effects they don't exactly advertise. I hate to break it to ya- the rich old men up the corporate food chain aren't thinking of your health, they are thinking of their wallets- and selling food that doesn't rot is a money maker.

Now there are some natural food preservatives, which are: salt, vinegar, and sugar. For the most part, these are pretty safe. And definitely safer that the synthetic versions. The ones we need to look out for are Benzoates, Nitrites, Sulphites, and Sorbates.

Benzoates will be listed in the ingredients under sodium benzoate and benzoic acid. Generally they are added to soda and condiments.

Nitrites could be listed as sodium nitrite, and will be found in meat products.

Sulphites could be listed as sulphur dioxide and you'll find it in juices, dried fruits, and wine.

And lastly, Sorbates, which could be listed as sodium sorbate and potassium sorbate. These are added to cheese, bread, cakes, among other things.

There are also other preservatives or antioxidants added to food that you should look out for. Some examples of these would be Sodium Erythorbate, Sodium Diacetate, Sodium Succinate, and Grape Seed Extract. If something in the ingredient list sounds fishy, theres a good chance it is.



Now for Artificial food additives- these are sweeteners, dyes, flavor enhancers, thickeners, etc. Basically anything that is going to take the food out of it's natural state. They are harmful for the same reasons as preservatives- they are mostly all damaging in one way without being beneficial to your body. Beneficial to the presentation of the food, yes- but really, it's just not worth it. Some examples to stay away from are: Aspartame, Butylated Hydroxy-anisole, Calcium benzoate, Monosodium glutamate (MSG), and Sulphur dioxide.

Google any of those additives that I listed and your results will contain an absurd amount of scary things. Its frightening that we eat so much of the stuff. I know that looking for all of these ingredients on food labels is not exactly conducive to a happy shopping experience.. or you know, sanity. So just follow this rule of thumb: the ingredients list should be short and you should know what those ingredients are (and um, not because I told you to stay away from them here).



Mainly, try to get as much of your food in it's natural form. Opt for organic fruits and veggies over processed side dishes. 100% Whole wheat, meat that is free of nitrates, hormones, and antibiotics. Cut out as much processed food as you can, stay away from prepacked foods in boxes, cans, and the like. Be as kind to your body as you can. The healthier and more efficiently your body is running, the easier it will be for you to lose weight. And keep it off.

Hopefully this helped teach you a little bit about health, the foods you consume, and their correlation to weight loss!