When you are losing weight it seems that losing the last 5 pounds is the hardest part of the whole diet regimen. I know I have been there and have struggled through the frustration of losing the last five pounds from my body.

I did however mange to breakthrough the plateau and achieve my goal weight. In the post below I will share with you some of the things I did to help me break through the plateau and hit my target weight.

What I Did To Lose My Last 5 LBS

Drank Lots Of Ice Water- My husband was big into bodybuilding in the mid 1990’s and told me a trick he used to use to burn more fat. Ice cold water, this makes your body use energy to re heat your core. That energy is calories and by burning more calories you will lose more weight. I even added fresh squeezed lemon juice to the water to take advantage of lemons natural fat burning lipotropics!

Switching Foods Around- Based on the Fat Loss 4 Idiots plan I would shift the types of foods I ate around in order to confuse my body. Some days I ate only proteins and other days I went heavy on the fruit. Its called calorie shifting and it worked great for me.

Got More Sleep- I swear to god that once i started resting right and sleeping through the night my weight loss goals were easier to hit. While this was hard being the mom of two small kids I managed to pull it off!

No More Diet Soda- The one thing i had a hard time giving up was my Diet Coke. I was reluctant to stop drinking my one soda a day. But i read somewhere that even diet soda is linked to weight loss and cellulite,just what I don’t need!

Watch Less TV- While it sounds simple most people still watch to much television. To reduce my TV watching time i would TIVO my shows and watch them and fast forward through the commercials. That simple step would limit my time of being inactive from about one hour per show to around 20-25 minutes!

While there is nothing earth shattering about any of these tips they do work when put into practice. So if you are struggling to lose that last 5 pounds try them and see how they work out for you. And remeber to check out our weight loss plan reviews at www.weightlossguidereviews.com

Proper Diet

For the most part the absolute best things you can use to lose weight are the right type of food. There are many foods that will suppress you appetite and some are even thought to increase the metabolism of the body.These foods include lean meats like chicken, fish and also high protein foods like eggs. Foods that are calcium rich will also help your body to lose weight. Foods like skim milk, fat free yogurt and fat free cottage cheese all fall into this group.

Exercise Routines

Exercise is also another important part that you will need and no pill can replace. Proper exercise will build lean muscle, burn fat and help your metabolism increase so you can burn more fat and calories.On average you will need at least three or four 30-40 minute workout sessions a week to have good results with your exercise routine.

Supplements That Work

There are a few supplements that can help the body shed weight but they are not going to help you drop 25 lbs. What they do is help you shed that final few pounds you could not get rid of with diet and exercise alone. Among these supplements the one that has proven to work the best in the most people is L-carnitine a from of amino acid that you can get at any health food store.

Prescription Drugs

If you are in need of serious weight loss you can ask your doctor for help. In most cases your doctor will prescribe you a appetite suppressant such as Phentermine or Phen-Pro. These prescription strength drugs will help you eat less.Although like any drug they have potential side effects that you need to discuss with your doctor.

Diet Plans

Because nutrition is so important nothing will help you more then having and sticking to a proper diet plan. Most people fail here because they think they can do it on their own but are often met by confusion and failure when find they have a hard time planing their diets!

I have reviewed the three best Weight Loss Programs on the market that have proven themselves to me and to others who have tried them. To see the reviews on these outstanding products and log onto http://www.weightlossguidereviews.com

For alot of people no matter what they do they just cannot win the battle and every winter they wind up packing on a few pounds. As we get older it seems that we can never quite lose all that we gained which makes weigh a little more each year.

If you are one of these people you are probably wondering why do i gain weight every winter and what can i do to stop it, or at least keep it to a minimum!

First off no matter what you do your body will adapt to the cold and will have a tendency to store more fat cells in order to insulate itself, its a basic survival mechanism. This happens to both people and animals alike.

Also the holidays come in the fall and winter, holidays that are always celebrated with rich hearty foods. Think about it it seems no matter where you turn you see cookies, candy and other fatty foods from Halloween to new years. The availibity of these foods often makes us subconsciously want them or other fatty foods!

Another contributing factor that is often overlooked is your bodies hormones.Hormones can do crazy things to your body and your brain and make food cravings take over your better judgment.

It is also thought that the neurotransmitters in our brains can influence or appetties and food cravings. In studies it has been found that overweight and obese people of ten have a reduce number of neurotransmitters that can lead to over eating, being depressed and difficulty sleeping.

The shorter days and longer periods of darkness can also lead to winter depression and possible over eating or eating out of boredom. To combat the winter blues many people without realizing it turn to “comfort food” that are often high carbohydrate, high sugar fat filled foods. Foods like chips, cookies and snacks in this group can give you a quick sugar rush that makes you fee temporarily better.

This is a vicious circle to be in, you feel bad so you eat. Then you feel bad because you ate and end up eating more!! Put all those factors together and you can see why winter weight gain is so common and such a big problem for so many people in the world!

How Can I Avoid Gaining Weight In Winter

One proven way to limit or avoid the extra pounds is to be aware of what yo put in your mouth. And if yo must have carbs try and eat some good carbs instead of bad ones. Try eating a potato, some buttered whole grain bread or fruit over cookies and pies.

You must also try and stay active in the winter months and not turn into a couch potato. Lack of physical activity is very common during the long cold days and nights when most people stay inside.

Bu this can easily be avoided by either joining a health club or buying a piece of exercise equipment for your home. You do not have to over do it either, just a few 20-30 minute workouts a week will go along way in keeping your winter weight gain at bay.

I have reviewed the three best Weight Loss Programs on the market that have proven themselves to me and others who have tried them. To see the reviews on these outstanding products and log onto http://www.weightlossguidereviews.com

If you think about it, your body needs enough energy to complete its daily activities, and this requires that you get sufficient sleep. If you are awake too long, then your body uses up all the nutrients, and energy, which was saved up to be used during the day, and now these nutrients and energy need to be refilled. How do you refill the nutrients in your body, and give it more energy? The answer is simple you eat, and generally when you want to get food fast, the food is unhealthy, thus losing precious sleeping time, can cause drastic weight gain.

Another problem with gaining weight is stress. Many people get stressed out from school, and work and can’t seem to find the time to eat healthy, therefore they just go for the food that is nearest to them, which may include chocolates, and other sweets. Stress isn?t the only reason for weight gain, there are many other physiological factors that come into play as well, and these can alter your lifestyle into a bad one. When under stress, people forget about their eating habits and how to eat healthy, they eat whatever is nearest, and easiest for them to eat. This is due to the fact that stress is an emotional symptom, and many people are too worried about their emotions, while under stress, and this causes them to eat unhealthy.

Thirdly alcohol is a major contributor to weight gain. Alcohol has lots of calories in it, which will cause you to gain weight rapidly. Even if you have been eating healthy, alcohol will make you gain weight, due to the amount of calories in it. However that’s not the major part! Alcohol has the potential to mess up your metabolism, which controls how much you eat, and how much calories you burn. Essentially alcohol slows down your metabolism, so that whenever you eat food, you will want to teat more and more, and your body wont knows what to do with the extra food, because your metabolism is going slow, therefore your body stores this extra food as fat, and you gain weight.

Lastly medications can cause weight gain. If you have medication prescribed by your doctor, than by all means continue taking it. However if you use over the counter medications, and you use medications for various other reasons, this may contribute t your unhealthy weight gain. If you take antidepressants, medications for blood pressure, diabetes, then you may be at risk. If these medications aren’t prescribed by your doctor, then they may be causing your unhealthy weight gain. If its not possible to quit taking these medications, than gradually lower the amount you take, and you will see if it affects your weight. Eventually you will be able to stop, and you will see drastic changes in your life! I hope these tips have started you on your journey to weight loss.

So you are wondering ?can I be committed to losing weight? well my reply to you would be to think of something you really want to attain from losing weight and keep that possibility in your head, as to supplement your weight loss, also this will keep you motivated to lose weight, and achieve a better lifestyle.

So the first thing you need to do is go to a personal trainer and see how much weight you need to lose, and find out your BMI, (Body Mass Index). Your BMI will be able to tell you how much fat is in your body, and how much fat to lean muscle you have in your body. It’s beneficial to let a personal trainer do this task for you, as many of the internet BMI calculators don’t account for people with muscles, different body types, different heights, and even whether or not you are a male or a female. Generally females have higher BMI’s than males, ranging from 15-20%, while males generally range from 10-15%, as their BMI level.

Changing your lifestyle is the most important part in losing weight, therefore if you have lots of spare time, and can exercise, and prepare healthy food, go for it! However many of the people whom are overweight don?t have the luxury to just get up and exercise whenever they want, they have busy work schedules, and thus are overweight. The stress of work, or school can cause unhealthy weight gain, as well as cause skipping healthy meals, eating unhealthy, loss of exercise, and ultimately this will lead to you attracting dangerous diseases, like diabetes. Thus in America, many people are stuck in small offices, and can’t get outside and exercise, that’s why obesity is a growing problem in America, as well as in other countries.

What does eating healthy mean? Well it means not going to Mc Donald’s, or Burger King every time your hungry, instead you should prepare a meal at home so that you will be more full, and will be confident that you are eating healthier. You should monitor your daily calorie intake, and watch for foods with a high calorie intake, as they are generally bad for you. Yes, many modern diets promise fast results in no time, but this is exactly the worst about these diets. When we say healthy diet, we mean a balanced eating plan, not skipping meals, just combining different foods in the appropriate way.

If you start exercising, and not change your diet, you will feel that the effects of you exercising, and playing sports are taking too long to show up in your life. This can happen, due to your lifestyle, which hasn’t been changed, because you still eat unhealthy food. If you can plan a diet where you consume healthy food, and have deserts once in a while, then you will see the results of your exercise in your daily life. These results can range from weight loss, eating less, eating healthier, and ultimately looking better, and having a better body, that’s healthy. 

Now how do you know choose the perfect sport, that will be fun for you and let you lose weight? Well first you must consider the type of sport you wish to do. There are two major categories aerobic exercise, and anaerobic exercise, one involves running, jogging, sprinting, and sports such as soccer and football, while the other involves sports where breathing: isn’t required, such as lifting weights, and yoga. If you want to lose weight you should go for an aerobic exercise, and sport, as they tend to get your body more active than anaerobic exercises. Thus weight loss will come faster, and your looks will drastically improve. 

As for eating healthy its imperative to change your lifestyle and stop eating fried foods, and fast food. Instead try a more homely approach and cook your own food, which way you know what’s in it, and you can monitor what goes in your body. Also you can eat foods that will help you play your sport better, such as meat to gain muscle and strength for football, and vegetables and rice to stay agile for soccer. 

However losing weight doesn’t have to be difficult, all you have to do is plan when you want to get physical exercise, and take a little time to prepare healthier food. Next time you come back from work, or school, don’t head for the nearest Mc Donald’s, instead try to go home and fix a hearty meal that will help you lose weight, as well as fill you up longer. Eating fast food once in a while is ok, and is encouraged. Don’t cut yourself of completely from your favorite foods, once in a while when you think you?ve been following your exercise and eating schedule, you can have a desert that you really like.

This slow change to your eating and living habits will alter your whole lifestyle. Instead of sitting down and watching TV with a tub of ice cream, get a little bowl of it, and portion how much you’re going to eat. Soon you will see that these small changes to your lifestyle will have big effects in the future, as they will hamper you contracting diseases, as well as increase your appearance tremendously.

Before you can start dieting, you need to figure out where you currently stand.  Find out what you body mass index is and where you compare to someone that has a healthy weight.  Keep a journal to find out what you are really eating.  People eat on autopilot never really paying attention to what or how much they eat or drink in a day.  This may be the surprise of your life.  You also need to keep track of your physical activity.  Then you have to make a conscious decision to make changes not for six weeks or six month, but for a life time.  Eating healthy to lose weight is a good thing, but maintaining that weight loss means making choices that are going to be right for the rest of your life.  You have to be willing to do that to succeed.     

Next decide if it’s ideal weight or happy weight where you want to be.  Ideal weight in your mind what you weighed at 17 or as a senior in high school or the day you got married.  The question is do you really need to go that low.  The truth is you can weigh more than what you consider ideal and be healthy and happy.  Research has shown that losing just 10% of your body weight improves blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and even reduces the risk of heart disease.  With this type of weight loss easily attainable and easy to maintain, you are on the way to success.  I know 10% of your body weight doesn’t sound like much and it may not get you down to the size you were at 17, but you will feel better and sleep better and realize how a little is a lot when it comes to your health. 

There are many other things to do and think about.  Choose the right weight loss plan for your lifestyle.  What works for one person, may not work for you.  Set realistic goals and work towards them, write them down.  Don’t set yourself up to fail with ridiculous goals.  Get a diet buddy.  It helps when you are losing weight together.  You can help keep each other motivated and on track.  It works if you have to be accountable to someone for your actions.  Don’t let the little setbacks cause your entire plans to fall apart.  If you have a set back, just start over again or pick up where you were before the set back.  

If you are looking to loose weight fast or have weight loss surgery, you should research the diet and the surgery, not to mention go and see your physician before something like that is undertaken.  It is safer to make changes and lose weight slowly than doing it quickly, but it can be done.  Just make sure to follow any safety tips and your doctor’s advice. 

If it is weight loss surgery that you are considering, make sure you check out all the pros and cons.  Talk to doctors and get more than one opinion.  Some of the surgeries are not reversible and it is a change that is there for the rest of your life and you have to live with the decision.   

There are so many fad diets, diet pills, supplements and weight loss programs out on the market today, which is to say what is right for you?  Only you and your doctor can make that decision.

What you need to do is shake the body up some by making some changes in your current routine.  If you continue to do the same thing over and over, you will get the same result that you are currently experiencing which is a plateau.  So what is one of the changes you can make?  Zig Zagging  your calories or calorie cycling is one thing.  If you vary the number of daily calories by just a little, but maintain the amount of calories you consume on a weekly basis, it could stimulate the metabolism and get you pass that plateau.    For instance, if you are eating 1200 calories a day and have hit a plateau, then up the calories to 1500, or drop it down to 1000. However, remember dropping the calories too much causes problems maintaining lean body mass. So be smart and the change will keep your body guessing and it will work harder trying to establish a balance.   

Here are some additional things to get you over or under the hump so to speak.  Add strength training into your program if you aren’t already. This helps to strength your bone tissue and increases your lean muscle mass, and muscles burn calories, and you boost your metabolism as well.  You can also try changing your current exercise routine.  If you normally walk, then jog, if you swim then go for a bike ride.  You just need to change the way your body is working, exchange a low impact routine for high intensity workout.  

The basic message is this when you are dieting and doing the same things over and over on a consistent, day to day basis, give your body the old switch a roo.  Change your meal frequency, eating smaller amounts but more often again maintaining the caloric intake to the same amount for the week.  Add or change to a protein snack in favor of a carbohydrate filled snack. If you are on a diet higher in carbs, switch to proteins. The idea is to keep your body guessing but sticking to a weight loss program.  Getting frustrated and disappointed is not going to help.  Just remember everyone’s body is unique and reacts differently to each situation.  Don’t give up if one of the above tips does not help.  The internet is loaded with info on weight loss and exercise and finding a solution that works for you is just a click away.

Obesity is a dangerous condition when someone accumulates a high proportion of body fat. The BMI, of course, is based on a person’s weight and height and is a reliable source for providing body fat count. If you are overweight or obese, you’re taking the risk of getting any one of a number of health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, high cholesterol, cancer, and arthritis.

Choosing to lose weight will not only make you look and feel better, but weight loss will greatly improve your health.

Anyone that gains ten to twenty pounds can increase their risk of developing diabetes over those who maintain a healthy weight. Over 75% of people who are overweight or obese have diabetes. You can lower your chance of getting diabetes by losing weight, even if it’s a small amount.

Being overweight or obese can put a lot of pressure on your body and can cause damage and pain in your joints known as arthritis. The risk of developing arthritis increases by a more than 10%, even with a two-pound increase in body weight. Arthritis can cause you to have inflammation and stiffness in your joints which can make it difficult to stay active. Having a well-balanced diet and staying active (even on days that are difficult)  not only helps you lose weight but can also help to keep your joints lubricated and make you ache less or have less pain.

Some cancers such as breast cancer, prostate cancer, kidney cancer, endometrial cancer, and gallbladder cancer are associated with being overweight or obese. Women run a greater risk of developing breast cancer if they have gained weight between the ages of eighteen and forty-five.

Pre-menopausal women who are overweight or obese can have irregular menstrual cycles and problems with fertility. Being overweight while you are pregnant can also cause health problems for the mother and the baby such as gestational diabetes or preeclampsia.

Hypertensive problems such as stroke or heart disease are common in those who are overweight or obese. Having excessive weight can elevate your triglycerides and decrease your good cholesterol. If you reduce your weight from 5-15% you can lower your chances of having heart disease or a stroke. As you lose weight, your blood pressure should improve as well as you should see an improvement with your triglycerides and cholesterol.

While being overweight or obese doesn’t actually cause adult-onset asthma, it certainly doesn’t help. Losing weight can help open your lung passages and help you to breathe easier. Losing weight may also help you reduce how many times you use your corticosteroid inhaler because your breathing will come easier.

Never start a weight loss program without first consulting your doctor or a physician.  Once you get an okay from your physician, talk to him or her and set some realistic goals. It is important to remember that how you feel about yourself can impact your staying on an exercise and diet program.  Keep in mind that you can reshape your body as well as reshape your self image.  Self-esteem is usually a major issue for people who are overweight, and usually the more over weight, the less self esteem you have.  So set those goals!  Achieving even the smallest amount of weight loss can boost your self-esteem.   

Goal setting is an excellent way to improve your mind set. Defining those goals, and meeting them even if it is only walking 10 minutes a day can definitely improve your self image.  Write down your goals; use a journal, your computer, or a note pad.  It doesn’t matter how big or small a goal it is, keep a diary, You are less likely to forget or ignore them, if you put pen to paper or a finger to the keyboard.  

If you make unrealistic goals like loosing 50 pounds in a month and you don’t achieve it, it can cause more damage then you think and leave your self esteem in the gutter.  Be realistic, set achievable goals, start small and be positive, plan and prioritize. Goals for any weight loss program or exercise program should be based on performance not outcome.  It you don’t currently exercise it is best to start out slow.  Five minutes on a bike or a tread mill, is better than sitting on the couch.  Better yet, take the dog for a walk you will get some exercise and the dog will love you for taking them along.  Remember it’s not a race it is a program with goals.

Use your goals for motivation! Be precise! The more detailed your goal is, the more likely you are to obtain and keep it.  Find out from your doctor what your ideal weight should be and then discuss how many calories you should consume based on your activity. As with any weight loss program, should you experience any difficulties, pain or any other health issues, call or go see your doctor. Keep focused and motivated! You can achieve your goal.