Do you wonder why you can’t lose weight? If you’re fighting the battle of the bulge, you should first look at how much you drink.

Each gram of pure alcohol equals seven calories, which is double the number of calories in the same amount of sugar or meat. While there may be some nutrients in a drink, alcohol alone also provides no nutritional benefit. But that’s not all. Most people tend to nibble on snacks while they drink, or eat fatty food when they’re coming down (stating that it helps them avoid the hang over). Since alcohol is the first thing the body uses as fuel, everything else eaten or stored away already will be ignored – not a good thing if you’re trying not to build up your fat reserves! This means drinking heavily on a regular basis is one of the easiest ways to pack on the pounds.

However, research conducted in collaboration with the Mayo Clinic has shown that a regular drink or two most days of the week won’t do much harm, so that’s a bit of good news isn’t it? In fact, drinking a bit can actually help you lose weight more efficiently when compared to participants of the study who abstained or drank heavily (more than 4 drinks a day or binged). The study was conducted on non-smokers.

If you want to lose weight then try cutting back on the alcohol you consume on a weekly basis. Your weight loss efforts will significantly improve and you’ll definitely notice the difference, especially around the stomach!

If you’d like to check out the abstract for this study

Did you fall off the wagon and gorge at the family barbecue this weekend? Visited a buffet because you needed a fix of grease and carbs? Don’t beat yourself up over it – it’s really not that bad.

Once in a while, gorging on fatty, greasy and/or sugar laden foods we deprive ourselves of while we diet is okay. (Of course we don’t recommend you do this on a regular basis since it is a slippery slope.) Sure, you will gain extra weight since you’ve consumed so much food, but the majority of this excess weight is actually composed mainly of water. And here’s why:

Our bodies store extra carbs mainly as molecules of  glycogen as an energy reserve. Glycogen  is converted to glucose when the body breaks it down to use as energy, but before it does that it’s stored. Every ounce of glycogen requires about 3 ounces of water in storage – which means that the majority of the weight you gain following a gorge is actually water. “Water weight” doesn’t last and will disappear in a couple of days. On top of that, you’d have to eat at least 3,500 extra calories to gain one pound of fat (not water weight), and that’s a whole lot of food.

So, even though you may have ventured far off the dieting path last night, no worries. Just get back onto the right path with your healthy diet and exercise program, forgive yourself and move on.

Remember: To Err Is Human, To Forgive Divine.

As a woman, I love my carbs. I thrive on bread, pasta, and rice, and often fill up on those while ignoring protein. But for someone who’s also trying to lose weight, eating so many carbs on a daily basis and eating insufficient amounts of protein may actually be hindering my weight loss efforts. Here’s why:

Your body doesn’t heal as quickly, so your muscles can’t repair themselves after a workout as effectively. The amino acids that protein provides are vital in repairing tissue, so you need to eat protein if you’re toning or increasing muscle mass through strength training.

Eating insufficient amounts of protein can cause health problems in the long term. These problems include decreased immunity, kwashiorokor and even death. When it comes to weight loss, insufficient protein consumption will make you lose muscle mass, which is a huge problem if you’re on a diet. Muscle tends to burn more calories, even when resting, and loss of muscle mass means that you may find it harder to lose weight.

The body processes protein at a slower rate than carbs. Protein goes through the stomach and intestine slowly, allowing you to feel satiated for a longer period of time, preventing that spike in blood sugar levels so you don’t rise and crash and, finally, makes your body use up more energy to process the protein.

The results of clinical trials have proven that low-carb and high-protein diets were more successful than high-carb and low-fat diets.

So if you’re trying to lose weight, you may want to find a happy balance between carbs and protein. Consider limiting your carb intake to a healthy amount and boost protein consumption to about .8 grams per every kilo you weigh (this is recommended by the Institute of Medicine). Meat, fish, dairy, beans and nuts are great sources of protein while whole grains are a great source of carbs.

Burning more calories than you consume on a daily basis is the key to losing weight. You can try the fanciest diet in the world, but when it comes right down to it, eating less and exercising more is essentially what you’re doing. At the beginning of the diet, you’ll probably find that shedding the pounds comes fairly easily. However, there will always be a point when weight loss may no longer occur. A week, or even a month may pass with the same number registering everytime you step on the scale, despite your best efforts at sticking religiously to your diet.

If your diet is giving you sufficient nutrients to sustain your health and your exercise regimen is still burning those excess calories, then it may be your habits that are preventing you from losing weight. 3 reasons why your diet isn’t effective anymore may be due to the following 3 points:

1. You’re stressed out, all the time. Even though you might not be gorging on snacks, boozing, or smoking to help you relax, stress can still be detrminetal to weight loss. It sends your hormones out of whack, preparing your body for tough times. Stress not only slows your metabolism, it also facilitates fat storage and boosts your cravings for sweet and starchy foods, since “tough times” to your body means food scarcity (probably harking back to the past as a method of self preservation when food supplies were not as stable as today). It’s a little counter productive if you’re on a diet, isn’t it?

We know – everyone has stress in their lives. However, those of us who are constantly under pressure tend to have the most difficulty maintaining healthy and controlled weight loss.

Solution? Deal with the stress by solving the problem, practicing breathing and meditative exercises, or indulging yourself in things you enjoy. Gentle stretching can also help.

2. Over exercising. Exercise is good, but not if you overdo it. Spending 5 hours at the gym pumping weights and running for miles on the treadmill may work for a professional athlete, but it’s probably way too much for the average person. The huge discrepancy between caloric output and input causes the body to store fat, since you’re actually putting it into starvation mode. It can also cause serious wear and tear on your body, making you more prone to injury.

Solution? You can exercise most days of the week, but experts say that gentler activity is much more effective than long, drawn out sessions filled with grunting and holding your breath. Even better, follow an exercise regimen as outlined by your physician and the advice of your personal trainer.

3.  Sleep deprivation. And yet another form of stress, not sleeping enough is one of the worst things you can do to your body (regardless of whether you’re on a diet or not). Lack of sleep increases levels of ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates the appetite. It also messes up your metabolism and doesn’t allow the body to release toxins and repair itself.

Solution? Get more sleep! While everyone’s requirements are different, aim for at least 8 hours of sleep a night.

Parties, family dinners and edible presents – it’s a dieter’s worst time of the year. Christmas and the New Year translate into, what seems like, endless days of eating and drinking without much care for control. Most of us fall off of the wagon and don’t bother getting back on until January 1, when we vow to reach our goal weight when we’re bloated and hung over, writing out our New Year’s resolutions. (It’s not surprising that it’s Personal Trainer Toronto‘s busiest time of the year!) Treating yourself can help to maintain your sanity while you’re dieting, but we tend to go overboard when on holiday, thinking it’s okay since it’s just one or two days and we’ve been good all year.

Binging is not healthy behaviour. It can stretch the stomach, slow the metabolism and make you gain weight more easily, thereby undoing all of the effort you’ve invested thus far. Remember: 3,500 extra calories translates into a pound of weight, and we gain an average of about 1 pound come the first of the new year.

But there’s no need to refuse invitations to parties or turn your nose up at all of the food you’re offered  this season. Just follow these tips instead:

1. Nibble on bread and crackers without dips or spreads, or if you have no choice, opt for the lower calorie types made with yogurt or reduced fat ingredients.

2. Spreadable cheese like Brie and Camembert are loaded with fat. Avoid them like the plague!

3. Remove the skin from your Christmas turkey. It’s where most of the calories hide.

4. Pie crust is packed with fat. For a healthier alternative, choose filo pastry instead.

5. White wine has fewer calories than red wine and champagne.

6. Stay away from the buffet table and go mingle, or better yet, get on the dance floor! It’s time to burn some calories!

7. Want to snack on something salty? Replace that handful of chips or salted nuts with pickles or olives instead.

8. For sweets, avoid chocolates (unless dark) and other “creamy” confectionery. They usually have a higher caloric content than candy made from just sugar and flavouring. Choose gummy bears, drops and candy canes.

Don’t you hate those people who can eat as much as they want and still not gain a thing? They’ve been blessed with a fast metabolism and a good amount of lean muscle mass. But eventually, even they will have to watch how much they eat to avoid becoming overweight. With the natural aging process, their metabolism will slow gradually, forcing them to change their eating habits.

So, for all of you who are watching what you eat, are following an exercise regimen and are on a diet, or used to have a fast metabolism but now don’t, here are 4 helpful tips to keep your appetite satiated without over eating at the dinner table (the kitchen counter, buffet bar, or wherever else you tend to gorge). Controlling your portions will allow you to maintain a healthy balance between the amount of calories you consume and the amount of calories you burn throughout a single day.

1. Eat slowly. It takes a little while to send the message to your brain that your stomach is full – about 20 minutes. That means you have to eat more slowly, savouring every bite you take. Appreciating your food allows your stomach to send the message to your brain that it’s full, before too much food is consumed. This helps prevent overeating, and feeling satiated but not stuffed.

2. Know how much a “portion” is. To control your portions, you need to know what exactly a “portion” is. Monitor what you eat and record what the average size of specific foods are. Then, simply maintain those sizes or reduce them if it’s too much. It may be tedious at first, but your waistline will thank you for your diligence.

If you’d like to know what a healthy portion size is, you can read the nutrition label to see what a serving size is or refer to charts available on sites devoted to nutrition, such as the one available on the Health Canada website called Canada’s Food Guide.

3. Less is more. Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can provide lasting energy despite being low in calories.  Consider eating more of these foods instead of things like meat and cheese, which are chock full of calories. The good thing about this is that you can eat way more lower calorie foods, both in quantity and variety.

4. Control your cravings. You want a cookie, but to satisfy your craving, do you really need to eat the whole thing? Try taking just one bite and savour it slowly. In many cases, one bite is just enough to satisfy that craving. Or better yet, experts say that the feeling of craving for a food lasts about 10 minutes. So before you even take a bite, try to occupy yourself with an activity for 15 minutes. Chances are, by the time the 15 minutes is up, you won’t be craving that cookie anymore.

The American Heart Association says Americans are eating an average of 22 teaspoons of sugar on a daily basis, mostly in the form of candy and fizzy drinks. The statistics are unavailable for us up here north of the border, but it’s probably safe to say that the figure isn’t much different.

According to the World Health Organization, added sugar should be limited to 12 teaspoons, or 48 grams, per day for people on an average diet of 2000 calories. However, this figure differs from the recommendation of the American Heart Association, suggesting 6 teaspoons, or 24 grams, is better for women and 9 teaspoons, or 36 grams, for men.

Added sugars is defined as any sweetener that has been added to a food/drink by the manufacturer, consumer or chef. It can be in the form of honey, molasses, or maple syrup, or refined or processed and sourced from such things as cane, beets, and corn. These refined sugars are more commonly known as table sugar, corn sugar, corn syrup, fructose, dextrose, molasses and evaporated cane juice.

The category does not include naturally occurring forms of sugars, such as the lactose in milk or the fructose in fruit and vegetables.

Taking The First Step
If you haven’t considered limiting your sugar intake, then it’s probably a good time to start – especially if you’re on a diet, are concerned about developing heart disease, or have a family history of health problems related to obesity or diabetes.

One of the easiest ways to reduce sugar intake is to simply read the ingredient and nutrition label on foods prior to consumption. The amount of sugars present in the product should be listed and if it’s first on the ingredient list, you know that there’s a lot. On the nutrition label, remember to not only check the sugar amount, but also see how much a serving size is to determine whether that’s how much you’ll actually eat. Unfortunately, most labels do not distinguish between added sugars and naturally occurring sugars.

If you’ve got a sweet tooth, another way to reduce sugar in your diet is to satisfy cravings with fruit, fresh and dried. Pineapples are extremely high in naturally occurring sugars, making them an ideal treat for those with a sweet tooth. Dried fruit, like raisins, dates, and figs, are also packed with natural sweetness. You can even try replacing sugar in baked goods with apple sauce, apple juice, or dried fruit.

And if all else fails and you still find yourself consuming too much, increase your daily physical activity. Burning those calories from sugar is vital to control its effects in the body.

Admittedly, reducing sugar intake can be difficult. While it will probably be difficult in the beginning, you’ll find that once your palate has adjusted to less sweet things, you’ll increase your sensitivity to sweetness (much like salt, another topic to discuss in the future!)

The temptation to lose weight quickly leads many people to experiment with crash dieting. A crash diet is a type of short term eating plan that involves depriving yourself of most types of foods and drastically limiting the amount you eat, thereby allowing you to lose weight relatively quickly. Though they may seem like an appealing option, the effects are temporary and the dangers are too serious to be ignored.

Crash Dieting and Nutritional Deficiency
Crash dieting can cause several health risks. One of the greatest dangers of crash dieting is the fact that it deprives the body of essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. This can lead to nutritional deficiencies, illness, and an overall feeling of weakness. Depriving yourself of nutrients will make it more difficult for your body to fight off infection and inflammation. Physical symptoms such as hair loss and dry skin may eventually arise as a result. A diet that lacks carbohydrates (which is typically restricted on fad diets) can lead to an abnormal metabolic state known as ketosis, which can cause bad breath and nausea.

Weight Loss through Crash Dieting is Unsustainable
Crash dieting slows your metabolism and thus lessens your body’s ability to burn fat and calories efficiently. As a result of your slowed metabolism rate, you will end up gaining more weight after you return to your normal eating habits. Moreover, crash dieting causes a yo-yo effect of weight gain and weight loss that may lead to high cholesterol and heart disease over time.

And there are more negative effects: your body does not receive enough energy from calories in order to function, so it must use energy sources from elsewhere. This can have a detrimental effect on your blood sugar, potassium, and sodium levels. By not consuming any carbohydrates while you are crash dieting, your body will eventually use up all of the glycogen it has and then feed on body tissues, eventually leading to internal bleeding and ulcer formation.

The Effects of Crash Dieting on Mental Health
The effects on mental health cannot be ignored. Crash dieting leads to moodiness and depression since the body is deprived of much-needed nutrients. A loss of concentration can also be a problem, making it difficult for you to focus on everyday activities.

Not only is crash dieting ineffective, it can be harmful to your health. There are no easy, overnight solutions to weight loss. You must make permanent changes to your diet and lifestyle in order to beat the battle of the bulge. Crash dieting will make you feel miserable and ultimately cause you to gain weight. Ditch the last-minute attempts to lose weight and make regular exercise and a healthy diet a part of your life plan. Gradual, sustainable weight loss will follow.