You might bust a weight loss plateau
It’s a common scenario: To stay full throughout the day but keep calories low, many people will sip five or six diet sodas and eat their only meal at dinner, explains Caroline Cederquist, MD, a metabolism and weight loss expert and founder of bistroMD. And even if that meal isn’t huge (so their total daily calorie intake is not high), they find they still can’t lose weight. The problem may be all those sugar substitutes. “Artificial sweeteners consumed alone, without food, can trigger the release of insulin, because the body is expecting something sweet,” Cederquist explains. “Insulin is a hormone that helps with the storage of fat.” Eat regular meals to avoid a spike in insulin and you could start seeing excess pounds come off. These are the 10 biggest food myths you need to stop believing.
The post 7 Things That Could Happen If You Stop Eating Artificial Sweeteners appeared first on Reader's Digest.
from Diet & Weight Loss – Reader's Digest https://ift.tt/2xBXklw
One simple, but effective, diet change that could help you lose weight is asking two questions. First, ask if you’re hungry and then ask what you’re in the mood to eat. Susan Bowerman, registered dietitian, and director of Worldwide Nutritional Education and Training at Herbalife, says that people often eat for reasons besides physical hunger. Understanding why you want to eat a certain food could help you determine if eating is the best solution. “You could be procrastinating, or bored, or stressed. Or maybe you just really need a hug. Distract yourself for five to ten minutes, a buffer time to decide if you’re really hungry,” adds Jennipher Walters, a certified personal trainer, co-founder of Fit Bottomed Girls LLC, and author of 
A grande iced coffee with skim milk and two Splendas, please? Think again—and hold the sweet stuff. “I do not think there is sufficient evidence to prove that most artificial sweeteners are safe for consumers, so I prefer to stay away from them and indulge in the real thing [sugar] occasionally and mindfully. Plus, there’s a plethora of research that shows how consuming diet beverages may counter-intuitively lead to weight gain, which can increase your risk of chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease,” registered dietitian and nutritionist, 
The South Beach Diet is a low-carbohydrate approach to weight loss, and the 7-Day Body Reboot focuses on the Phase 1 part of the diet. In general, you’ll be cutting back on bread, white rice and pasta, sugary treats, and alcohol while adding in lean proteins like fish and chicken along with emphasizing healthy fats such as those found in nuts and avocados. The goal of the reboot is to reduce cravings and jumpstart your weight loss. Don’t miss these 
It’s actually really simple: The diet is high fat, moderate protein, and low carbohydrates. I decided to give it a try because I wanted to lose fat and had already started transitioning to a lower carb diet. Ketogenic was the next logical move to target the extra fat on my body.
The goal of a ketogenic diet is to force your body to stop burning its favorite fuel—glucose from the carbs you eat—and start burning fat stores for energy. The body does this by converting the fats to ketones—a state called ketosis. Keto dieters accomplish this digestive feat by cutting way back on their carbohydrate intake. But to do it right, it’s not enough to just guesstimate your carb intake; you could get it wrong and undermine all your efforts. “If you are a beginner to the ketogenic diet, counting carbs is an absolute necessity to avoid frustration in the future,” says Justin Solar, a spokesman for 
Cutting back on carb-rich foods typically means you’re eliminating some staples of your usual diet (bread, pasta, rice, cereal). This equates to eating less than you might normally, and therefor taking in fewer calories. In addition, protein and fat are more satisfying and filling than carbs, so you’ll feel less hungry.
“Many people think if it’s healthy, you can eat as much as you want, but it’s important to limit ‘recreational’ eating, no matter how healthy the snack.” —Fiola Sowemimo, MD, Board-Certified in Internal and Bariatric Medicine When you do snack, make sure you’re choosing the right kind; 
Sugar is added to all kinds of foods that you really wouldn’t expect to find it in—even foods you assume are “healthy” often have added sugar. In fact, it’s the very foods and drinks you may not consider sweet that can take you by surprise, so it pays to read labels. It’s not like you need more sugar, right? It provides just empty calories that add girth to your waistline—and raise insulin, putting you at risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and more. Take a look at 
Bell peppers are one of the best low-carb keto-approved vegetables you can dd to your keto diet plan dinners. While this recipe for 
Even to conscientious eaters, a slice of chocolate cake can be irresistible. What’s baffling is why we sometimes give in to temptation despite our better judgment.
