HYPOTHALAMUS...THE KEY TO WEIGHT LOSS SUCCESS

It's no big secret that some people cheat during the HCG Weight Loss Diet.

But just because someone loses weight does not mean that the diet was a success!
Losing weight is really only the half of it - Keeping it from coming back by retraining your metabolism and resetting your Hypothalamus is the other half; some would even argue that it's maybe even more important than the weight loss itself.

Because if you gain all of your weight back, then something went terribly wrong.

Let's not forget that even though the HCG Diet was created to help people lose weight at a rapid pace, it was also designed to help you keep the weight off for good.

That's why it's called the cure for obesity, instead of the temporary fix for obesity. So if you do decide to drink soda or eat forbidden foods, you may unknowingly be sabotaging the diet and setting yourself up for failure in the long-run.

And if you are still wondering what's more important than weight loss on the HCG Diet, it's keeping it off.

The Hypothalamus Gland is located directly below the Thalamus which is at the center of the brain. It controls many automatic functions of the human body. So this means that it can tell the autonomic nervous system what to do. The Hypothalamus also controls pituitary output by distributing certain chemicals to the pituitary's frontal lobe.

To put it more simply, the Hypothalamus Gland organizes and controls many complex emotions, feelings and moods. It also controls all motivational states including hunger, appetite and food intake, and everything to do with the concept of pleasure including satisfaction, comfort and creative activities.

The Hypothalamus Gland is also involved in the integration of all physiological stimulation and all 5 senses. This of course includes taste, smell, sight, sound, and touch, which then translates and assembles them all into one discernible "package" relating all the attributes of an experience.

This is why it is so important to reset and retrain the Hypothalamus in order to succeed on the HCG Diet. Because if you want to lose weight and keep it off, you should fix the part which is causing a lot of the problem.
So do yourself a favor, after working so hard to lose the weight, make sure you are working just as hard to keep it from coming back. Because in the end that is what will determine your success.

DETERMINING YOUR CALORIC NEEDS

Knowing exactly how many calories you body needs can make or break your fitness goals. Guessing may be enough for some people, but most of us need concrete numbers to follow. Here's a "no brainer" way to figure out your calorie consumption using the high-school algebra you thought you'd never need.

Your total calorie needs include your resting energy needs (basal metabolism) and the calories you use during various activities. Your metabolic calorie needs include breathing, heartbeat, food digestion, etc. and count for 60-70% of your total daily calorie needs! These needs vary depending on your gender, height, weight, age and the amount of lean body mass (muscle) you have.

The following link will make this determination even easier!

http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

MORE ON FOOD LABEL LIES

How food-label savvy are you? Although food labels are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), cutting through the fat (ha!) to understand the fine print can be difficult for even the sharpest of grocery shoppers. Here are 10 sneaky ways food manufacturers cash in on your healthy intentions:

1. If the label says "0 Grams of trans fat..."
A mad-scientist project gone wrong, trans fats are created in a lab by partially hydrogenating healthier oils. This process destroys the many good benefits of the original fats. What's worse, consuming trans fats ups your risk for heart disease and metabolic syndrome. Most nutritionists recommend avoiding them altogether, which doesn't sound so hard except current labeling guidelines allow manufacturers to round anything less than 0.5g/serving down to zero. Eat more than a few servings, and you've consumed a significant amount of the Frankenfood.

Anything that says "partially hydrogenated oil," "hydrogenated vegetable oil," or "shortening" on the ingredients list contains trans fats, no matter what the label says.

2. If the label says "100 percent natural" or "all natural..."
You may think buying an "all natural" chicken is better than buying its unlabeled counterpart, but the truth is that "natural" has no legal definition, meaning that companies can stick the phrase on anything they want.

Check the ingredients list and label for what you're most concerned about. "USDA-certified organic" means the food has met certain guidelines. You can also check for genetically modified ingredients (if it doesn't specifically say it's non-GMO and it's corn or soy, then it likely is), artificial colorings and flavors, or preservatives.

3. If the label says "made with real fruit..."
Everyone knows that fresh fruits and veggies are healthy. Sadly, manufacturers take advantage of that trust by slapping this label on anything with a fruit product in it. This may include fruit concentrates, which are essentially just sugar and things like beet juice for coloring. Many popular fruit roll ups are mostly high-fructose corn syrup and food coloring. Sure, some "real" fruit might be in there, but it certainly doesn't have the benefits of an actual piece of fruit.

Eat real, whole fruits and vegetables. They should have exactly one ingredient. 

4. If the label says "made with whole grains..."
Whole grains are great for providing essential minerals, fiber, and energy, but all this label means is that there are some whole grains somewhere in the product with typical white flour-confusingly called "enriched wheat flour"-as the main ingredient.

Check the ingredients list . Whole wheat (or some other grain) should be listed first. Ideally it should be the only type of grain used. "100-percent whole grain" is defined by the USDA and means exactly what it says. Look for this label on foods and don't get confused by those that say "8g of whole grains per serving!"-they're just trying to distract you from the fact that it's not made with only whole grains.

5. If the label says "packed with antioxidants..."
Antioxidants, the latest health wunderkind, are amazing little nutrients and enzymes that inhibit the potentially harmful (but inevitable) process of cellular oxidation. You don't have to understand all the science to know they're incredibly good for you, with everything from anti-cancer to anti-aging benefits. The problem is that this label does not have a formal definition. When you see "packed with antioxidants," it usually means that the food was either made with something that once had antioxidants in it-like fruit juice used for coloring cereal-or that the food was fortified with some vitamins. Unfortunately nutrients extracted from food don't have all the health benefits of nutrients eaten in their natural state.

Whole fruits and vegetables are the best sources of antioxidants-and are easy to recognize.

6. If the label says "sugar-free..."
Sugar is fine in moderation, but many processed foods contain much more-and in different places than you'd expect. Since ingredients are required to be listed from most to least on food labels, manufacturers often break up the sugar into smaller amounts of lesser-known sugars, making the food appear healthier. Another issue is that real sugar is often replaced with artificial sweeteners, which can cause bloating and stomach discomfort.

Nutritionally speaking, there's not a huge difference between different types of sneaky sugars so knowing the pseudonyms is half the battle. While there are more than 100 names for the sweet stuff, common tricky ones include brown rice syrup, barley malt, caramel, fructose, fruit juice concentrate, and anything involving corn syrup.

7. If the label says "reduced-fat" or "fat-free"...
While fats aren't the dietary demon they were made out to be in the past, many health-conscious consumers still seek out lower-fat or fat-free options. But since removing fat also removes flavor, many companies replace fat with sugar. This label is often used as a smoke screen to give an otherwise unhealthy food, like gummy bears, an aura of health. Of course gummy bears have never been made with fat; they're pure sugar.

Don't be afraid to eat healthy fats in your diet. Even some saturate fats like those found in coconut oil and grass-fed dairy have significant health benefits. Plus, fat is satiating so in the end, you'll eat less and enjoy it more.

8. If the label says "free range or vegetarian fed eggs..."
Who doesn't prefer to think of happy chickens roaming merrily through a barnyard getting fed by a singing Snow White? The truth is that factory chickens are kept in very tight quarters and "free range" only means they had access to an open door, not that they ever used it. Also, "vegetarian fed" is not a good thing. Chickens are natural omnivores and when they are forced to eat a vegetarian diet (often consisting of processed soy) their eggs contain less nutrition.

If you are truly concerned about buying fresh, organic, natural, or free-range eggs, local farmers are your best bet. Look for them at farmer's markets or find one on LocalHarvest.org. Even if the farm isn't certified organic, many small farmers use the highest standards and are happy to have you come check out their farm.

9. If the label says "no nitrates..."
Nitrates, nitrites, and other artificial preservatives are definitely bad for you, increasing the risk of certain cancers by up to 50 percent. Unfortunately while consumers are getting wise to the evils of nitrates, they're still overlooking other problematic preservatives.

Check the labels, especially those of processed meats like lunch meats and sausages, for BHA, BHT, benzoates, sulfates, and sorbates, among others.

10. Calorie counts and serving sizes:
The number of calories per serving is usually the first thing people read when they look at a food label. But beware: The USDA allows manufactures to use an estimate that can be up to 20-percent off! And because the serving size is a minimum amount rather than an exact amount, it's more likely that the food has more calories per serving than the label leads you to believe.

If you're being very conscious of calories, some nutritionists recommend automatically adding 10 percent as a buffer and carefully weighing and measuring your food. A more reasonable approach: Listen carefully to your sense of fullness and stop eating when you're satisfied-even if you haven't finished a whole serving.
Article courtesy of Shape magazine.

FOOD LABELS LIE WHEN THEY MAKE YOU THINK . . .

The average consumer relies on the nutritional information on food labels as a guide to healthy and unhealthy foods. It is unfortunate then that these labels routinely and unabashedly lie to consumers and manipulate them into thinking that unhealthy foods are healthy.

Food labels lie when they make you think that . . .

'Fat-Free' is good for you People hawking packaged foods equate deception with good business. Consider the labels on products such as Mike and Ike and Good & Plenty candies, where you’ll find a somewhat surprising claim: “fat-free.” They’re not lying—these empty-calorie junk foods are almost 100 percent sugar and processed carbs. But food manufacturers clearly hope that you’ll equate fat-free with healthy or nonfattening.  Problem is, fat-free snacks that are loaded with sugar are digested rapidly, sending your blood sugar soaring; as soon as it drops again, you’ll crave more “fat-free” empty calories. Fat-free half-and-half is equally dubious.  By definition, a half-and-half dairy product is 50 percent milk and 50 percent cream. Cream, of course, is pretty much all fat. Technically, fat free half-and-half can’t exist.

Cherry-picked stats are meaningful
On the front of a box of crackers, marketers will often use a claim like “33% Less Fat Than the Original!” When you compare the nutritional labels, you’ll see that the math is accurate. For example, the original version of the product might contain 3 grams of fat per serving (per four crackers), while the reduced-fat version has 2 grams (per five crackers). So statistically, yes, it’s a 33 percent difference. But is it meaningful?  After all, when was the last time you ate just five crackers? And, if you continue to study the nutrition content, you’ll probably notice that the reduced fat crackers have 33 percent more carbs than the original. In other words, when they removed 1 gram of fat, they had to replace it with 3 grams of refined flour and sugar to keep the crackers palatable.  And you’d better believe that “33% More Carbs Than the Original” isn’t going to help any crackers fly off the shelves.

'Healthy' beverages are actually healthy Through ingenious marketing, beverage companies have managed to pass off everything from sweetened green tea to vitamin-enhanced waters as good for you. Skip these drinks nine times out of ten in favor of a cool, refreshing glass of zero-calorie water. The beverage aisle is almost like the Wild West of nutritional claims. On behalf of Men’s Health, ChromaDex laboratories recently analyzed 14 different bottled green teas for their levels of disease-fighting antioxidants called catechins. While Honest Tea’s Green Tea with Honey topped the charts with an impressive 215 milligrams of total catechins, some products weren’t even in the game. For instance, Republic of Tea’s  Pomegranate Green Tea had only 8 milligrams, and Ito En Teas’ Tea Lemongrass Green had just 28 milligrams, despite implying on its label that the product is packed with antioxidants.  The rainbow-colored rows of “enhanced” waters have a different dirty little secret. The crutch of every bottle of Vitamin water, for instance, is a host of B vitamins. Everything that goes in after that — zinc, chromium, vitamins A, C, or E, etc.— hinges on whether said beverage is trying to provide “focus,” “sync,” “balance,” or any number of claims. The problem is that this scant collection of nutrients isn’t worth the stiff sugar tariff that Vitamin water charges: 32.5 grams—8 teaspoons’ worth—stuffed into each bottle. Pop a daily multivitamin instead.

Your breakfast is low in sugar
Flavored yogurt seems like an ideal breakfast or snack for a person on the go — after all, it’s a protein-packed dairy product paired with antioxidant-laden fruits in one convenient little cup.  Unfortunately, the sugar content of these seemingly healthy products is sky-high, especially in the fruit-on-the bottom varieties. The fruit itself is swimming in so much thick syrup that high-fructose corn syrup and other such sweeteners often must be listed in the ingredients before the fruit itself.  A similar dilemma presents itself with flavored instant oatmeal. Some brands even proudly display the American Heart Association (AHA) check mark on their products’ boxes. However, the fine print next to the logo will simply read that the cereal meets AHA’s “food criteria for saturated fat and cholesterol.” In other words, it could have as much sugar as Fruit Loops and still get this particular AHA logo! And sugar, a low-quality refined carbohydrate, is the last thing you want for breakfast.  Not only can spikes in blood sugar wreck your short-term memory, according to a study in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, but Australian researchers have found that people whose diets were high in carbohydrates had a lower metabolism than those who ate proportionally more protein. Opt for non-flavored products whenever possible and simply add healthy toppings yourself. 

'Heart-healthy' foods are always good for our hearts
Why is the AHA logo on some products but absent from others, even when both meet the guidelines? Companies pay big money for the right to use most logos, because they know that consumers equate them with credibility.  The NASCAR-ification of our foods means that even cornflakes can sport a “diabetes-friendly” logo on the box’s side pane l— never mind that Australian researchers have shown that cornflakes raise blood glucose faster and to a greater extent than straight table sugar.

Food containers are safe An estimated 93 percent of Americans have bisphenol A (BPA), a synthetic chemical found in plastic and used in the lining of aluminum cans, circulating in their bodies. To date, studies have linked the chemical to diabetes; obesity; mood disorders; lower sperm counts; heart disease; an increase risk of breast, prostate, and testicular cancers; and more. BPA enters our bodies by leaching into food.

A recent study by the Environmental Working Group found that one in 10 cans of food, and one in three cans of infant formula, contained BPA levels more than 200 times the government’s recommended level of exposure to industrial chemicals.  Canned chicken soup, infant formula, and ravioli had BPA levels of the highest concern, with beans and tuna close behind. Unfortunately, jarred foods aren’t much better, thanks to the plastic lining in their lids. A recent study by Health Canada tested glass-jarred baby food and found BPA in 84 percent of the samples. Acidic foods are among the worst (tomatoes, citrus, sodas, and beer), because they increase the rate of leaching. What to do? Opt for products that have minimal contact with plastic and BPA whenever possible by buying fresh or frozen produce, beer and soda in glass bottles, and foods in BPA-free cans by companies such as Eden Organic.

Calorie counts are accurate
That’s because in order to make sure you’re getting at least as much as you pay for, the FDA is more likely to penalize a food manufacturer for overstating the net weight of a product than understating it. As a result, manufacturers often either “generously” package more food than the stated net weight or make servings heavier than the stated serving-size weight. Do some investigative work yourself the next time you come home from the grocery store. Get out an ordinary food scale and check a few products’ actual net weights and serving-size weights. If anything is heavier than the package says, that means you could be eating more calories than you thought you were.

Fruit juices full of fruit
The claim “100 percent juice” deserves a big asterisk. Some juices, such as apple, grape, and pear, are cheap, abundant, and loaded with sugar.  Others—blueberry, açai, and pomegranate, for instance—are more expensive, higher-quality nectars. So what do beverage companies do? Like drug dealers, they cut the good stuff with the cheap stuff. It’s still 100 percent juice, but in reality it’s nothing more than a blend of inexpensive sucrose-loaded fillers tinged with a mere splash of what you really want. Moreover, many juice “cocktails” contain as little as 20 percent real juice; sugar pads the rest. Take
Ocean Spray’s stable of hybrid “juices,” most of which have sugar loads close to 85 percent. They’ll use cane or beet sugar on the ingredients list to make it sound more appetizing, but as far as your body’s concerned, sugar is sugar.  You’re better off thinking of these juices as non-carbonated soft drinks or sugar-laden aperitifs.

All milk is equal If you’re a scrupulous consumer, you’ve no doubt noticed the two competing messages on some milk containers. One says “from cows not treated with rbST” while the other reads “no significant difference has been shown between milk derived from rbST-treated and nonrbST- treated cows.” You’re not the only one who finds the pairing contradictory and udderly—ahem — confusing. The first claim comes from legitimate fears about the carcinogenic effects of the hormone rbST, or recombinant bovine somatotropin (also known as rBGH, recombinant bovine growth hormone), which dairy farmers give cows to increase their milk output by 10 to 25 percent. 

The main concern with rbST is that the cows produce milk with higher-than normal levels of the insulin-like growth factor IGF-1. A series of studies at the Channing Laboratory in Boston show that high levels of IGF-1 increase the risk of several cancers, including breast, prostate, and colorectal. In the study, those with the highest levels of the hormone were four times as likely to develop cancer.

CONFUSING HEALTHY WITH LOW CALORIE

BE DISCERNING

Research shows that when shoppers see "healthy" buzz words or claims on food packages (think: gluten-free, organic, all-natural, sugar-free, low-fat, etc.), they automatically assume the food is low in calories. This couldn't be further from the truth.

Food manufacturers will plaster all sorts of enticing lingo onto their packages, knowing that you'll think exactly that. But none of these words really tell you much about the healthfulness of a product; and none of them actually have any affect on a food's calories.

 

Read front-of-package labels with a discerning eye, and always turn over the package and look at the nutrition facts (and ingredients) to get a full picture of what a food is really like. This goes for restaurant menus, too. Don't let healthy-sounding words make you think a food is actually low in calories. Know your menu watch words or look up nutrition facts before you place your order.

TRYING TO EAT AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE

If cutting calories is good for weight loss, then eating as little as possible is better, right?

WRONG!

Especially if you're also trying to fuel your body for regular workouts. You need to eat a certain calorie level to function optimally and get all its essential nutrients your body needs to stay healthy. Eating much less than that can cause serious problems in the long term and damage your metabolism, making weight loss even harder.

Tips for successful weightloss

To lose weight and keep it off, you must keep in perspective you did not gain the weight quickly and you should not plan to lose the weight quickly. The better plan is to chip away at slow but steady weight loss, targeting 0.5 to 2 pounds a week. Why? Well by just knocking off 100 calories at the end of the day (one cookie, one handful of chips, one heaping spoonful of ice cream), you can theoretically lose 10 pounds a year. Knock off 200 calories at the end of the day (16 ounces of cola, 4 Oreos), and you've lost 20 pounds a year. Plan to eat your calories during the day, when they can help you the most. Then, diet (by eating just a little bit less) by night.

DIETING WITHOUT EXERCISING

This may be one of the most common reasons your weight loss is stalling. Yes, you can lose weight through diet alone, but it will be a lot harder. You can only cut so many calories without feeling overly hungry, lethargic or miserable. Yet by exercising along with making dietary changes, you can eat more (and feel more satisfied) and still lose weight.

Plus, you'll get all the amazing physical and mental benefits that come from exercising, including improved appearance, better muscle tone and a healthier body overall.

 

Add exercise to your weight-loss plan.

It doesn't have to be boring, strenuous, or time-consuming either.

Even 10 minutes a day can make a huge difference in your results. You're sure to find something that you enjoy!

FOCUSING ON THE SCALE

You want to lose weight, so you weigh yourself, right? Yes…and no.

Weight is an easy way to measure your progress, but it doesn't tell you the whole story.

Even if the scale isn't budging, that does not mean that you're not making major progress toward losing weight and getting healthier. You can lose inches, get fitter, gain lean muscle mass, drop body fat, become better hydrated, look better and feel more energized without the pounds budging at all.

 

Remember that the scale tells you only one thing: the total mass of all your body parts at a given moment. Don't put too much stock into it.

Weigh yourself frequently but track all the other signs that amazing changes are happening in your body even if the scale doesn't move. This is the best way to stay motivated for the long haul.

ONLY CARING ABOUT CALORIES

Calories are key to weight loss. In fact, balancing your calorie equation (what you eat and what you burn) is what results in successful weight management. However, there is more to weight loss and a healthy lifestyle than calories alone. Some foods that may be higher in calories per serving are actually healthier for you than foods that may be lower in calories (think a heart-healthy avocado vs. a processed 100-calorie pack of pretzels).

So while calories count, nutrition matters, too.

 

While tracking your calories, don't forget to look at other key nutrients like protein and healthy fats (both of which can keep you full) and key vitamins and minerals that are important for your overall health. Ideally, you want to use a little trial and error to balance not only your calorie equation, but make the kinds of choices that meet your protein, fat, carbohydrate and micronutrient (vitamins and minerals) goals.

GIVING UP CERTAIN FOODS

We've already touched on the idea that labeling certain foods as diet no-no's can make you crave them even more. Whether you feel out of control when you're around certain foods or you've read about a certain diet plan that promises results if you were to just cut out wheat, gluten, carbs, sugar, or dairy, a lot of people think that to lose weight they have to give up specific things—including foods that they love.

All things in moderation.

Instead of focusing on the foods you can't have, set goals to eat more of the foods that you know are good for you. This is a much more positive way to think about your goals and get results. Plus, allowing yourself portion-controlled servings of the food you're thinking about banning will keep you happy and content, but also prevent crazed binges that can occur when you're feeling weak.

OVERHAULING YOUR EATING HABITS

How many times have you gone crazy eating all the "bad" foods you know you shouldn't, only to promise to swear them off starting next week or next month or next year? How often have you decided to suddenly clean out your kitchen, throw away all the "junk" and then shop for only healthy food?

How's that working for you? No one can expect to change a lifetime of eating habits overnight—and no one should have to! To lose weight successfully and keep it off, you have to adopt a way of eating that you can stick with for the rest of your life.

 

Eating healthy isn't about taking food away; it's about eating MORE of the things that are good for you.

To be successful, you have to implement small and realistic changes to your diet. Next week, swap that 2% milk for 1%, and switch out your usual bread for a healthy whole-grain variety. Once you get used to that, you can set a small goal like eating at least one serving of fresh fruits and vegetables each day. The point is to start small with changes that fit into your lifestyle.

GIVING UP TOO EASILY

Remember that perfection has no place in a weight loss plan.

No person who ever lost weight successfully reached that goal because they were perfect all the time. Setbacks happen to everyone, even the most successful people. We've all had days where we made a poor food decision during a meal—or even for an entire day. We've all missed workouts, forgot the lunch we packed, or been too busy to cook a diet-friendly meal at home. But those who continue dropping the pounds pick themselves up, forgive themselves from their mistakes, learn from their slipups, and just keep right on going.

Change requires time and old habits die hard.

When you feel yourself ready to give up, reach out for some support, and don't wait until next week or next month to get back on the wagon.

Every time you misstep on your healthy journey, you have two choices: to keep walking backwards, which will surely take you even further away from your goals; or to accept your lack of perfection as normal and forgivable, and take not one, but two positive steps down the path that brings your closer to the future you want.

If you’re reading this, you might have been walking backwards for a while. But instead of waiting for the next day, week, month or even year to overhaul your habits, start TODAY. And start small.

You can’t go from the recliner to running or from burgers to brussels sprouts in an afternoon. But you can do one, two or even a handful of small things that will help you regain your momentum for healthy living.