By Dr. Joey Shulman

Have you had enough of diet pills, potions and lotions to last you a lifetime? Have you tried several diet programs only to not lose weight or gain back more weight in the long run? If so, you are not alone. It is a sad but true fact that over 90% of all diets fail! I always say the diet industry is an ever-growing billion-dollar industry not because it is working –rather, because it is not working.

When closely examining why diets fail, there are several contributors I refer to as “diet sabotagers” such as:

• People are confused and tend to follow the latest fad diet promising long-lasting results. Sadly, these diets are often not based on nutritional science and obtainable results

• Weight loss seekers may be super-sizing their foods and eating too many calories without even being aware

• Emotional eating triggers over-consumption of food

• Lack of exercise

• A sluggish digestive system due to a history of yo-yo dieting

In order to improve the success rate of dieters, Truestar Health and Truestar for Women have addressed all five of the above-mentioned areas in our approach to weight loss. In terms of fad diets, the Truestar method of eating is based on scientific and researched principles that provide long-lasting and obtainable results for each and every one of our members. If you have been a chronic dieter in the past, or wish to lose weight at a faster pace (2-6 pounds per week), we recommend beginning our Phase I – Metabolic Booster plan. In this program, members will find three meals and two snacks with a slightly higher protein percentage. Although this program also contains low glycemic index carbohydrates and essential fats, the slightly higher protein content will help to facilitate the hormone glucagon, which will work to burn up excess fat. Members need not worry they will go hungry in this plan. The meals that have been created contain an abundance of nutrient dense, calorie light foods that are filling and delicious. Due to the variety of homemade and “on-the-go options” available, combined with hundreds of substitution meals to match your taste buds, this plan can fit into any and all lifestyles.

If you are looking for a more gradual approach to losing weight or have almost reached your target weight and are looking to slowly introduce low glycemic index carbohydrates, such as whole grains, our Phase II – Continuum Weight Loss plan would be perfect for you. On this plan, members can expect to lose approximately 1-2 pounds per week. This plan also contains a slightly higher ratio of low glycemic index carbohydrates and is based on the 40:30:30 method of eating.

With the super-sizing of food items, people are eating an abundant amount of mislabeled foods with claims such as “lowfat”, “filled with real fruit” and made from “100% whole wheat” and still gaining weight. Frustrating, isn’t it?  The key to winning the war against super-sizing is to make smarter and more informed choices, to eat until you are sufficiently sufficed and not stuffed, and to slow down your eating patterns.

It takes twenty minutes for the stomach to register a “full” signal in the brain. If you slow down your meals and snacks by chewing your food, not eating in front of the TV and engaging in conversation at mealtime, you will find you get fuller and eat less and less. Of course, when dining out, order the small size instead of packing excess calories and unwanted fat by ordering large or extra large options.

Emotional eating is another very common occurrence that can de-rail even the most wholehearted attempts to dieting. Emotional eating can be defined as overeating or eating the wrong foods to numb various feelings such as loneliness, sadness and even boredom. Similar to drugs or alcohol, food is used to mask a feeling or problem, rather than getting to the bottom of it. There is no one answer to emotional eating that absolutely works for everyone. One effective approach is to engage in a replacement behavior. In other words, whether it is exercise, gum chewing, journaling, brushing your teeth or talking on the phone, substituting a positive behavior in for abnormal eating patterns is one of many steps to take. Not allowing unhealthy food items into your home (the temptation will be too much), journaling your feelings, speaking to a friend or counselor and exercising to release feel-good chemicals (endorphins) are also very effective approaches.
 
No weight loss program can be considered complete without implementing a proper exercise plan. At Truestar Health and Truestar for Women, we acknowledge the fact that some people love to exercise, while some do not. In order to tone your body, lose weight more effectively and boost your metabolism, exercise is a necessary and effective component. This is why the Truestar exercise plans offer shorter workouts that are 20 or 30 minutes and are just as effective at helping you shed excess weight and feel great. Visit the Truestar Exercise section to learn more.

The last “weight loss sabotager” typically occurs to those who have been dieting for years and have a sluggish metabolic system, or to those who just naturally have a slower metabolic system. Unfortunately, if this is the case, you may have a more difficult time losing weight in comparison to others. To combat this situation, it is best to use natural and safe supplements to once again rev up your metabolic engine and kick-start the fat burning process.  Visit our TrueLEAN products to learn more on how to access and safely use our high quality and effective weight loss supplements to once and for all win the battle of the bulge.

Weight loss does not have to be an exercise in futility. With the proper information, tools and the right approach, you can lose the weight permanently and start to look and feel your best! Using the integrative approach that Truestar offers guarantees your weight loss to be successful, easy and long lasting. For more information about helpful weight loss tips and strategies, visit our weight loss article archives.