Weight Loss Tips

Question
Hi,

I am 23 years old, 5'8 and about 168 pounds.  Since college I have gained about 10-15 pounds that seems to have developed in my stomach.  Ideally I would like to weigh about 155 but I struggle to lose the weight.  I believe I get enough exercise per day (I work with kids and am on my feet all day.  I also play tennis about 2-3 times per week.)  My problem is I have a sweet tooth and cannot stop eating unhealthy food.  I believe that is what is preventing me from losing weight.  What alternatives are there to unhealthy food? And what tips do you have to deter me from constantly eating so unhealthy?  Lastly, are there specific exercises to lose belly weight?  I have heard some people say there are while others say there are not.

Thanks,
Brad

Answer
Hi Brad, sorry about the late answer. I've had some personal things going on that have been taking up a lot of my time.

First I will address your exercise issue. There are no exercises to target belly fat. The whole spot reduction belief is something made up by TV infomercials but the theory holds no truth. Its physically impossible to "target" and specific area.

When it comes to foods there are plenty of alternatives. Is your love of sweets from candy, baked goods, or both?
You might try looking into something like a protein bar. These days some taste quite similar to candy bars. A lot of them can be iffy nutrition wise, but I recommend Supreme Protein bars or Robert Irvine's FortiFX bars. You can use these as a snack between meals and to help with urges to eat sweets.

The other thing is to watch your carb intake. Avoid simple carbs like sugar, white flour, white pasta, white rice, and things like that. Stick with whole grain sources of carbs like oats, whole wheat bread/pasta, quinoa, brown rice, and sweet potato. And try to reserve a lot of these starchy foods for breakfast and lunch. As your activity levels decrease, lower your starch intake and replace them with vegetables.

Without knowing your entire diet its hard to pinpoint any other issues. The things I mentioned though are pretty concise though in regard to your issues.
finally assure you get enough fiber and water. You may have bloating issues too. Try to get about 30 grams of fiber and drink at least 20 ounces of water every hour.  

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