Cant Lose Weight? Here Is The Reason You Keep Failing...

I can't lose weight! These are the words of desperate dieters everywhere, who feel they have done everything possible to shed pounds, and yet are continually disappointed when it comes time to step on the scale.

If you, too, believe you have done everything in your power to lose weight but your pants still resist that top button, don't despair! There is probably an easy solution to your diet dilemma. But before we jump to conclusions, let's make sure you are following the basic elements of a solid weight loss plan.

What's Up Doc?
First up, have you had a medical physical within the past year? If not, it's a good idea to make an appointment with your family doctor. You want to rule out any medical conditions that might be affecting your metabolism and your ability to shed pounds. For instance, an underactive thyroid gland or untreated diabetes can both make your metabolism sluggish. Either of these conditions can be easily detected with a simple blood test.

Eating to Win?
If your doctor has given you a clean bill of health, then it is time to take a look at your eating habits. Hopefully, your doctor has given you a sample diet to follow in order to jumpstart your weight loss. If you are eating the proper number of calories -- and if these calories are coming from a balanced mix of protein, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats, you should be seeing some results on your bathroom scale.

Moving and Grooving?
If not, it's time to examine your exercise habits. Are you moving your body for at least thirty minutes per day? Is your exercise level vigorous enough to make you break a sweat? No? Then it's time to walk a little faster, a little longer and more consistently.

The Solution:
But what if your doctor says you are healthy, you are following a proper diet and exercising regularly -- but you still haven't seen any results on the scales? Then, my friend, it's time to correct the one mistake that you are undoubtedly making: you simply forgot to make accountability a part of your diet program.

You see, in spite of all our good intentions, most of us "think" we are following the rules when, in fact, we are cheating a great deal more than we want to admit. So what is the best way to correct this mistake? Simple. Keep a written record of every bite that enters your mouth. And I mean every Oreo, every handful of chips, every grape. I guarantee that if you do this for one full week, you will be amazed at the difference it can make in your weight loss program.

Tracking Systems:
There are several methods you can use to track your food intake. The simplest way is to buy a small notebook and write down every calorie you consume. To be truly accountable, you should weigh or measure your food to determine exact portion sizes. You may also need to purchase a pocket calorie guide so you can research the calorie count of the foods you consume.

Instead of a notebook, you might consider using diet software that provides all of the calorie counts for you. You still need to keep track of what you eat and in what portions, and then enter that information faithfully into your computer. But then the software will tell you the exact calorie count and nutritional make-up of your daily diet. Weight loss becomes automatic because you can't lie to the computer!

Regardless of the method you choose, tracking your daily food intake will undoubtedly help keep you on the straight and narrow path to weight loss success. After you get into the routine of recording your food choices, you will think twice about eating that cookie at work or having that extra glass of wine with dinner. It will simply be too much trouble to write it down -- and soon you will be saying "I can't believe I used to say I can't lose weight!"

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