Sustainable Weight Loss: Taking the Weekend Off

My secret to staying on course was simple; I took the weekend off.

I found it much easier to stick to my diet when I was working. There are several reasons for that; you stay in a (good) routine, you have more distractions from food and you don't have as much time to go out for dinner (or any other meal). However, I would allow myself a lot more Friday-Sunday.

During the weekend, we like to go out for dinner and drinks sometimes. I would try to chose the lighter meals, but with an alcoholic drink your calorie intake increases rapidly.
Warning: drink alcohol with care.
As you are eating less, most likely you have a lower alcohol tolerance.

I had an interesting the experience the first weekend as I am used to be rather tolerant to alcohol...those days are over! If you are not prepared, you will be much more drunk than intended and - more importantly - suffering the next day.

One Month Later...

At the beginning of this blog I told you I am no expert, I am just sharing my own experience. I remind you of it now as I failed catastrophically in my diet the past few weeks. I had dinners with friends, my father's birthday, my birthday...AND my engagement!
So yes all happy occassions and very happy news, but my behind beggs to differ. And the worst part is, I am too happy to care.

So here's advice number one for weight loss; don't get engaged. Or have birthdays. Or have a social life. Basically you need to be alone and miserable to lose weight. Obviously I am not going to make myself alone and miserable to lose weight, so I will just have to get back into a healthy daily rythm.

In all fairness, the damage is not so bad. I broke all the rules; I've drunk alcohol, eaten big meals, eaten late, eaten sugary things between meals, you name it. This lasted for about 2 weeks (possibly 3, I lost count in my sugary haze). I was away for a weekend and was not able to do any sports, but I did get back into in when I came back, even if it was a bit less than before. Despite all this, I gained only 1.8 kg. I find that acceptable.

However, as the weather is getting warming and beach season is approaching, I want to lose those last 2 kg as well as exercise more to have a firmer body, so I will need to pay a bit more attention.

I think this is some of the best advice I can give those of you looking to lose weight; you're human. You're going to be less than perfect, and that's ok. Don't beat yourself up for every piece of chocolate you had, or do 4 hours at the gym because you overate or forgot to do your exercise yesterday. This will only lead you back on the track to gaining weight. I think most of us who are struggling to lose weight are emotional eaters. I certainly am. And I can tell you that this guilt tripping and compensating and pressuring only made me feel worse and want to eat more. Because that's what I do, I eat when I feel bad.

So take it easy on yourself. Instead of beating yourself up over that piece of cake you had or the fact that you lost only a few grams this week, focus on the fact that you are losing, even when you think it is not enough. Not only that, but you are taking care of yourself and creating a healthier lifestyle for yourself. When I first started eating healthier, it was difficult to go with so little sugar (hence the high amount of fruit in my diet). At first I felt energyless and depraved. But after a while you start feeling the opposite - you feel more energized because you are taking better care of your body.

I'll be honest, those 2 extra kilos are bothering me. But in the end it doesn't matter as I am feeling more energetic than ever and more confident in my own skin. On top of that, my weight is now steady between 61-62 kg which is ca. 7-8 kg lower than my starting weight. And it is stable enough to go crazy every once in a while and break all the rules. All in all, a successful journey in my eyes.

Fear is the Greatest Motivator

I wanted to include a post about dieting for the right reasons. The usual message; don't do it out of pressure from someone else, do it for yourself. Of course you should do it for your own well-being (and keep realistic goals!), but let's be honest here, my real motivation was fear.

Part of me was worried about my BMI climbing up over the limits and the health repercussions, but the thin that drove me the most was my mom. Not because she told me I was fat or forced me on a diet she decided, but the opposite. My mother is a rather curvy woman if we want to give it a flattering name. Don't get me wrong, that doesn't reflect upon her personality or how much she is loved, but it does make life more difficult. I see how she is struggling with physical activity or even finding clothes that fit and not to forget self-image. I feel like her weight is ruining a big part of her life. I'm also seriously concerned about her health.

Knowing that we share much of the genetic coding, I was getting worried when I saw that number on the scale rise. On top of that it was exactly in her twenties that my mother gained the bulk of her weight. Seeing my future in her, I decided to take measures. As I'd never dieted before in my life I wasn't sure how to go about it, so I did some internet research and tried following other people's diet. That lasted like two days.

Having seen my mother go through various diets, I decided I'd have to 200% for it and I'd have to do it my way. Now I have a mother-in-law who a fantastic cook and loves to make me happy with her dishes. Despite the sweet intentions behind it, this could be a bit of a problem. But I can promise you that with the image of me as my mother, I was able to say no to that second piece of cake that she offered me more than once. That's how visualisations work I guess. And that's the power of fear.

Losing Weight Fast: The Consequences of Alcohol

Nothing makes you gain weight like alcohol.
I know that is depressing news to all of us who like a glass of wine (or vodka??) every now and again, but I must tell you the honest truth.

I did some comparisons and basically a cocktail contains more or less the same amount of calories as a nice portion of your favorite ice cream. If you have a glass of wine with your meal, that means you probably should be having salad. And my stomach doesn't work that way. I like having salads during the day, but I also like a small sweet snack or a nice hot dinner. More than I like wine.

Another thing I've noticed for me personally is that I can notice the difference in my weight immediately after I have had a nice weekend with a few glasses of that special something. With other things such as ice cream or cakes I can let myself go from time to time without having to face too much guilt from the scale later on.

Don't ask me for the science behind it, I'm sure there is a good biological explanation for it, but all I know is what I experienced. And my experience says you need to stay far, far away from alcohol. Obviously a cocktail also contains sugar, meaning that pure vodka might be less damaging to your weight, but I find all types of alcohol tend to have a very rapid influence on my weight.

Of course you can allow yourself a small glass every now and again, but this is really the thing you need to try to avoid the most. The first 2-3 weeks I would not allow myself any alcohol, but when I was more advanced in my diet I would allow myself a small glass over the weekend. Just control the amount as well as the type of alcohol.

As much as I love beer, beer is not your friend in this situation. Beer and cocktails are the worst culprits and wine and champagne are your friends. or you just go straight for heavy-duty vodka or other pure alcohols.

Be aware that your tolerance may be less as you not only eat less, but you lost weight. You do not wish to be surprised by this. I know my limits very well, but a diet can completely change this and you should be prepared. I do recall going out with my boyfriend and his friend, getting completely slammered after 3 drinks not knowing what I was doing...not exactly what I was aiming for that night.

Picking Up Where You Left Off a.k.a. Damage Control

I've failed. As much as I preach about keeping the weight off and staying healthy, I regained. I'm human and we all have certain periods in our life where we cannot focus completely on our well-being. I've had a stressful period with plenty of distractions, which caused me to feel like it was ok to slip back into old habits. As I was stressed and not feeling good mentally, I decided to make it visible physically.

The biggest problem is that the decisions you make do not quite go like that. If only this was our thought process then we at least made a conscious choice. A conscious choice can be changed if you are convinced of the reasons for change. However, much of this is very unconscious. I don't want to play the woman card here, but hormones play a role too and make it more difficult to suppress those cravings. Somehow we never crave celery during that time of the month...

I was feeling stressed and felt the need to comfort myself with food as I was no longer able to do it any other way. It doesn't help that I got a cold, which meant I wasn't able to go to the gym (still struggling with that by the way). The gym has become a good replacement to me for that rush you feel after finishing a tub of ice cream. In addition, I usually have more energy after a nice workout than after eating a tub of ice cream. However, I was prevented from my workouts due to my physical condition, making me reach for the ice cream again (my favorite is Caramel/Vanilla with caramel bits in it...yum!). Of course approximately two weeks of this will leave its traces.

I've gained back 2 kilo. After all my hard work and effort, being so happy in my "new skin", I gained 2 kilo back...for what? For a bit of stress? That doesn't seem worth it??

And it's not, yet we always succumb.

You could say that 2 kilo is not much and I'll admit it won't make a huge difference, but once you start paying attention to your health and weight you'll notice even small changes. It was in combination with having to stop going to the gym, which of course also changes your appearance.

This means I'll be having another go at a small diet for this week. The problem is that I have organized dinners with work, so it is more difficult to control what I eat. I have my birthday on the 21st so I will clearly not be dieting that day. Say what you want about a healthier lifestyle, but everyone deserves a slice of cake on their birthday.

Update: Keeping the Weight Off

I have a confession to make...I gained back more or less 1 kg.

The hardest part about losing weight is keeping it off. I can manage the discipline when I have a clear deadline, but in order to keep your weight it would require a permanent lifestyle change.

I'm lucky as for me it is usually sufficient to do regular exercise in order to keep my weight stable. I will not manage to lose the weight with exercise, but it will keep me at a stable level. I have been paying a bit more attention that I used to before my diet (i.e. I'm still having some unhealthy snacks or an alcoholic drink now and again, but I won't have them on a daily basis anymore - I now see it as a luxury), but I haven't been putting any real effort into keeping my weight stable. In my mind, the goal was reached and the job was done.

If only it were that simple.

I may have only gained back 1 kg but it really hasn't been a very long time. So it's time to get back on track and realize that sugar is evil. It's really, really tasty, but that's part of why it's evil. i will continue to do regular exercise, but I might have to put some more effort into my dietary habits. It's important not to lose sight of the goal.

In addition, my goal was not just to lose weight (ok, I must admit it was the major thing), but to have a healthier lifestyle. A healthy lifestyle does not include a beer and a bag of chips in front of the TV. Nor does it include chocolate as a self-rewarding system for everything and nothing I do on a daily basis. It's important to keep at it and not get weak or lazy just because you've reached your goal weight. You won't be able to keep it that way.

The Final Push Round 2 End of Week 2 of Diet – 4 kg in 2 Weeks

I won't say it was an immaculate success as I am 60,3 kg today, but I think I got pretty damn close.

I managed to go from 64 kg to 60,3 kg in two weeks without starving myself.

I am very proud of myself. I lost the necessary weight, I lost the weight fast and I stayed healthy. In fact, aside from the occasional cranky day or strong craving, I was feeling better. I had more energy after lunch because I was having a lighter meal. Instead of eating a big heavy meal I was having salad, which kept me going until my afternoon snack. I will continue with this habit as I simply feel better this way.

I don't suffer from a slow metabolism nor from any hormonal imbalance and I am sure this could make things more difficult. However, I am far from an expert on dieting and had no experience in the field. Therefore, if I can do it, anyone can. Technology is now a great help and guided me along the way, but the key is to eat as healthy as possible and as much raw fruit and vegetables as possible.

With modern technology, you can have access to an equivalent to a nutritionist in your pocket, for free. I say let's take advantage of that and improve our lifestyle.

The Final Push Round 2 Week 2 of Diet – 4 kg in 2 Weeks

I am sorry, I had an extremely stressful week at work and was not able to update on my daily progress. It is now Wednesday of week 2 and I will give a short summary of what happened since last Friday.

However, I was able to stay on target, despite the fact that I am an emotional eater and the only way I know how to deal with stress is to eat...I am giving myself a little pat on the back for that.

I have been eating in much the same style as last week; many smaller meals. I continue to log in Noom in order to keep track of what I eat. However, I have had to cut down on sports due to lack of time. I'm coming home late only to continue working. I only went to the gym yesterday, but I did make the most out of it with a 25 minute intense cardio followed by an intense muscle-building group course.

I am now at 60.5 kg and getting closer to my goal. I have only 0.5 kg to go until Friday, but it is getting more and more difficult to keep my sugar cravings at bay. It doesn't help that I didn't have time to do grocery shopping so I am out of fruit. Well, except dried fruit...definitely containing calories...

Nonetheless, I have 2 days left to get those last 0.5 kg off. Friday and Saturday evening I have plans to go out for drinks with friends so I will not be able to keep my calorie budget...

The Final Push Round 2 Day 5 of Diet – 4 kg in 2 Weeks

I had a grapefruit for breakfast, but I recommend preparing your fruit in advance...I'm starting to get too much attention while I am cutting my fruit in the kitchen at work. On the other hand you might inspire some colleagues with your good example. Obviously I was hungry again shortly after the grapefruit so I had a Blevita Forest Berry to sustain me until lunch.

For lunch, I had a broccoli soup consisting of broccoli, 1 onion, 1 potato, 1 carrot and a little bouillon and spices. I then had 2 clementines for desert, but had to refill with some more Blevita (this time Gruyere taste) to last me until dinner.

For dinner I had a healthy salad (lettuce, cherry tomatoes, raw cabbage and some light French dressing) along with a bit of lean ham on the side. In the evening I was hungry again and I shared a honey melon with my boyfriend. I must admit I ate a lot more than my boyfriend...

Still, I am keeping my calorie budget every day and I am now at 61.8 kg. I might go a little softer over the weekend, I think I deserved it.

Select The Final Push Round 2 Day 4 of Diet – 4 kg in 2 Weeks

For breakfast I had two litchi, but we had a brunch organized by work. For once I was happy to have food allergies as it meant that I was not able to eat some of the tempting things that were not compliant to my diet. At the work brunch end ended up having a small fruit salad, which was absolutely delicious. As it was a buffé I could pick and choose what I wanted and it was not noticeable that the fruit salad was all I had, avoiding awkward social situations where you have to refuse kind offers.

I had an appointment at lunch time and forgot to bring my prepared lunch so I had no time to have a proper lunch so I made do with what I had and ate a make-shift lunch at my desk. It consisted of several snacks: a grapefruit, four clementines and a protein bar. I added the protein bar out of desperate hunger.  In the evening I had dinner with a friend who is also dieting. We had a salad consisting of lettuce and avocado, with some nice, lean bresaola on the side.

I'm starting to feel more hungry and suffering more. Motivation is more and more difficult, but I'm still on track. It helps seeing the results, but today I didn't lose anything. I didn't gain neither, but this is no time for slacking.

The Final Push Round 2 Day 3 of Diet – 4 kg in 2 Weeks

I may have felt frustrated yesterday, but when I woke up today it seemed all worth it. My weight this morning was 62,1 kg! This is 0,5 kg less than yesterday. If I keep this up, I can easily attain my goal in my set time. The problem is not only sticking with it, but your body also gets used to it after a while and you lose less fast...better make the most of this beginning and shock that body to shed some weight!

I didn't have time to have any real breakfast today, but I have stashed some Actimel at work (a drink yoghurt supposedly good for your immune system - again, it's my insurance). These are the tiniest little bottles of yoghurt (I think 100 ml) so you'd have to consume a pack of 6 in order to gain weight from them. However, this is also frustrating as it feels like you put nothing in your stomach. However, I had a coffee (without sugar) with that as well as some water and my stomach calmed down for a little while.

I didn't quite make it to lunch though and had a grapefruit before to silence the worst hunger. For lunch I had a simple salad, but I was hungry again after one hour so I had some cheese flavored blevita whole grain crackers.  I went to the gym after work and did 30 minutes of intense cardio. For dinner I had a carrot soup followed by a smaller portion of what I had yesterday; quinoa with mushrooms.

The Final Push Round 2 Day 2 of Diet – 4 kg in 2 Weeks

As little as I was suffering yesterday, my body decided to make up for it today. On the bright side, I weighed in at 62,6 kg this morning. This is a Tuesday and it was quite a change from last Friday's 64,5 kg. But that's the only positive thing I experienced on day two...

I woke up with an all-consuming hunger. My stomach actually hurt from hunger. I had my tea (supposedly slimming) and a drinkable yoghurt, this time not the healty kind. I had a nice stracciatella yoghurt left and did not have the willpower to forgo it this morning. Especially since my boyfriend so sweetly offered it to me before he left for work.

I tried keeping strong and not eating anything before lunch, but finally I had a few litchi. It helped against the noises my stomach was making as well as the worst of the excruciating hunger. As I share my office with another person, the noises were really too shameful to ignore...

For lunch I had a big sallad with the same light dressing from yesterday. A tad repetitive, but it's my favorite... However, I was starving after one hour so I had a mango. Later in the afternoon I had a banana half an hour before going to the gym. When I came home from the gym, which honestly wasn't that high performing, I was starving again so I had a mandarin and a few slices of pinapple. My boyfriend cooked quinoa for dinner and made it with mushrooms and the tiniest bit of chicken mixed through. It was delicious and even more tasty as my boyfriend did the mushrooms especially for me and had to create something else for him.

However, when I logged my meals, I was way, way over my calorie budget. For some reason Noom considered my mushrooms to be worth 580 calories. I guess with fried mushrooms they mean deep-fried in oil, because I can't believe that simply fried mushrooms would be that calorific. Maybe I'm doing something wrong. All in all, it was a bit of a frustrating day.

Day 2 is definitely the worst...you are still used to your old ways and not yet used to the healthy ways. It's a matter surviving.

The Final Push Round 2 Day 1 of Diet - 4 kg in 2 Weeks

After the holidays we all gain a little weight. Who has the discipline to say no to those wonderful meals and snacks for the holiday season? Eating is also a social thing, and what other time to be social? Point is; I gained back one kilo.

Anyway my goal was to lose 3 more kilo so what harm in starting another diet? This time I have only 4 kg to lose. The only problem is that I will do a training for work on the 10th of February onwards and this will mean dinners in restaurants...not very diet-friendly. Therefore, I've decided I need to lose 4 kg before the 20th of January...wish me luck.

I therefore started strong today, with a protein bar and a slimming tea (not sure I believe in teas that promise to help you lose weight, but it's more like insurance) for breakfast and a small salad for lunch. Here's a tip; don't buy those prepares salads in nice individual boxes. Those are usually overprices, less fresh and come with fatty dressings. I just get a bag of pre-cut salad at my local convenient store and prepare my salad at work. I either prepare a super-light vinaigrette consisting of lots of vinegar/lemon/lime juice and minimal olive oil with some spices, or buy a light dressing separately.

As the salad was very small, I also had a Activia yoghurt (I tried something new: you know the healthy drinkable yoghurt with vitamins) and I had some fruits ready for the afternoon as I hit the gym for an hour. I had a banana and a mandarin or two ready to go. As I had so few calories, I could allow myself a bit more for dinner as I was starving after my workout.

My boyfriend cooked a while grain risotto with lentils which fills you up nicely at the end of the day. I absolutely had some pineapple as dessert (and before because I couldn't wait for dinner). All in all I am satisfied with my effort and I didn't suffer much. I didn't spend the day feeling hungry but kept well under my calorie budget.

Sustainable Weight Loss: Small Pleasures a.k.a. Cutting Yourself a Break

I'm telling you to break the rules and cut yourself a break. No one is perfect and there is no way you can keep the perfect diet. Trying to be flawless is exactly what will make you weak in front of temptation.

Allow yourself a small pleasure. For the first week (after my horrible experience the first day), I allowed myself one little temptation each day. For example, I'd have a small piece of chocolate one day. But when I mean little temptation and small piece, I really mean miniscule, for example the chocolate would be just one square of chocolate. However, if I was a good girl and didn't have any sweets one day, I would add it up so I could have two sweets the day after. it's kind of cheating, I know, but if you're anything like me you'll never go higher than three sweets so it won't completely ruin that day's calorie budget anyway.

Portion size is key for this. I sometimes found this more difficult that refraining from sweets altogether, so remember to stay in control. When I got more settled in my good habits I would decrease the number of sweets allowed even further, but going cold turkey can be really difficult. For the worst addicts, like myself, you'll suffer from severe withdrawal symptoms. This little technique helped me to keep those at a bay and prevented me from losing my mind completely.

The Neverending Story and the Diet Cliché

As much as we hate to admit it, clichés often become cliché for a reason; it is common sense and useful.

Most nutritionists and weight loss coaches worldwide will agree on one thing; fruits and vegetables are good for losing some weight. I don't ignore diets like the Atkins diet where one should avoid carbs at all cost, but let's be honest, fruits and vegetables is the key to lose weight the healthy way.

Fruits or vegetables are both loved and hated. Some hate spinach, others don't like kiwis, we all have fruits or vegetables we dislike and cannot stand the sight of. I've tried to force myself in the past and eat the things I know I don't like, but this will never work. Although it may at times feel that way (at least to me), a goal of a diet is not to torture yourself.

Find healthy things you like and incorporate them into your diet. I experimented with different things for a while. Some of us grew up with healthy habits and know our fruits and vegetables very well and therefore also which ones we like or dislike. I on the other hand, started from scratch and found out what worked and what didn't.

I'm not huge on vegetables, but I decided to have some type of salad for lunch every day. However, I don't particularly enjoy snacking on vegetables as it just doesn't seem to hit the spot for me. I'm more into sugar than salt though, so if you like salty snacks vegetables might work better for you. I personally am now addicted to fruit and am able to replace my unhealthy sweets.

As you may already have read in my previous post, I also have food allergies that limit me in my choice. I wanted to eat as much raw food as possible, but I am allergic to many fruits in raw form. All the usual fruits such as apples, pears and plums (etc.) were not available to me as I would have to cook them before eating them. For a while I had mostly bananas and mandarins, sometimes switching it up with an orange or a melon, but it was very boring. That's when I got into more exotic fruits. Some I didn't even know how to eat, but you can ask a friend or search online. I now regularly eat mango, litchi and grapefruit. Normal grapefruit is a bit too bitter for me, but if you get the pink grapefruit it has a lovely sweet/sour/bitter taste which really peps you up.

Aside from being healthy, full of vitamins, and helping you to feel full, fruits are also perfect to replace those sweet snacks you take between meals. Bear in mind that even fruit contains calories, so don't overdo it. However, it's hard to eat the equivalent of the calorie content of a chocolate cookie in fruit; the quantity would be too big to be enjoyable.

Losing Weight Fast: The Big Secret - Stay Healthy

Here's my biggest secret to losing 5 kg in 4 weeks is really simple: go back to basics.

There's plenty of material out there about raw food diets. There are theories about processed and cooked food being unhealthy for us in a variety of ways. Cooking rarely improves the quality of food. Ok, I admit the taste is often better, but you lose a lot of vitamins when you cook your vegetables. Even with a pressure cooker, vitamins get lost in the process, even if it is less.

It makes sense to me to lose weight with raw food. Not only do you keep more vitamins, making it more healthy, but you will also keep more fiber, making you feel more full. Therefore, you eat less, get more vitamins, and feel more satisfied. The things you cannot eat raw usually have more calories (e.g. meat or even rice).

There are people who have made a lifestyle out of raw food. I personally am unable to go that far. I have to eat something cooked for dinner. I tried to eat raw even for dinner from time to time, but it was an exception rather than a rule. However, I tried to eat raw for all other meals of the day (note: trying is not always the same as achieving, but it's a good goal to strive towards).

A lot of people eat big, warm meals for lunch. I skipped this and went for cold, raw meals. I love salads, so most of the time I would eat some type of salad for lunch. Yes, I sometimes get hungry quickly, but I cannot resist snacking on something in the afternoon anyway, so I figured I might as well eat less and snack guilt-free in the afternoon. Obviously a healthy snack. Another advantage is that you no longer feel stuffed and tired after lunch.

I have as a general rule to eat as much raw food as possible. You'd be surprised how good that feels. A useful guideline to staying slim is to eat as much raw food as possible in order to lose more weight and gain more vitamins. For weight loss: when in doubt; go raw.

Losing Weight Fast: Purification - eating low-cal but healthy

Obviously you need to avoid all those things containing sugar and fat when wanting to lose weight. Everyone knows that sugar and fat makes you gain weight, so no more cookies, chocolate, junk food, pizzas, etc. However, I wanted to lose weight fast and be more healthy, so I took in one step further, I also avoided refined grains.

Another dangerous calorie source comes from potatoes. Potatoes are bad for weight loss as they are starchy and calorific. I love potatoes, but try to avoid it as much as possible. In addition, we often add oil and fatty sauces to our potatoes when we eat them, which makes them even worse for your weight. Honestly, I still love potatoes even boiled in water, but have a tiniest little bit, these are dangerous and add up to your calorie budget very rapidly.

Pasta is another hidden calorie giant. We know pasta is not ideal for weight loss, but once again it becomes even more obvious when you log your meals. The amount of calories you consume in comparison to the enjoyment is just not worth it. I enjoy as much pasta as the next, but is it worth eating only a carrot for the rest of the day?

Bread was no longer part of my diet during my . I love bread, but I sacrificed it in order to lose weight. I may have had two small slices of bread during the 4 weeks. These were consumed in the beginning of my diet when I had no idea how many calories were in there so I quit eating bread while I usually eat bread every day. This is where my application helped me out as well as it showed me just how many calories are in bread.

We try to fool ourselves with whole grain versions, but really these are still full of calories. Whole grain is obviously better than white bread as it makes you feel more full and I am sure there are fewer calories in there. However, pay attention when you log your food; even whole grain bread contains a great deal of calories. I realized that if I have a sandwhich for lunch (even whole grain), I will have to eat salad for dinner. As much as I love bread, that is just not worth it.

Rice is always considered a light alternative and allowed in most diets, but again it is more calorific than you realize. I had rice, but was very careful with the portion size. Brown rice again is better than white rice as it makes you feel more full, but don't overdo it. I would have rice with my meals as it is the best option compared to potatoes or pasta, but I would eat only half a handfull.

Sugar Substitute for the Sugar Addicts - a Spoonful of Sugar Makes theMedicine Go Down

I am a major sugar addict. Not only do I eat tons of sweets and cookies, I also drink soda and even add sugar in my tea and coffee. Therefore, my main priority was to cut down on sugar.

Soda is the most evil thing against your diet. It must be avoided like it's a question of life and death. There are so many calories in these and you don't feel full at all - it is the biggest threat to your diet. At the end of my diet, I decided to replace my soda with the "zero" version, but the best is to drink water.

The cookies and sweets are obvious temptations and need to be cut out completely from your diet. I satisfied my afternoon sweet tooth with a nice fruit such as mango or pinapple. Due to my allergies, I am limited to exotic fruits, but you can mix it up a bit more.

For my coffee and tea, I found a sugar replacement. I am now able to drink both of these without sugar or sugar replacement, making them completely calorie-free, but this is not easy to get used to. For tea, the choice is rather obvious in my eyes: honey. Don't put too much as there are still calories in there, but on the bright side these are calories that are burnt immediately and not stored in your body. For coffee it was more complicated as I found that honey changed the taste too much.

I tried different things, both natural and chemical. I hope I can help you find your alternative through my experiences. I personally shy away from chemical sweeteners, so these did not catch on. On top of that I find that they often have a very bitter aftertaste which I cannot get used to. I also tried Stevia, but I find that too has a strange aftertaste. Finally, I discovered Agave Syrup.

Agave syrup is a natural sugar with very little taste. It still changes the taste of your coffee, but it is minimal and acceptable. Agave syrup is much like honey as it is a natural sugar, but slightly more calorific so pay attention to the quantities. However, like honey, it will not be stored in your body. I also used Agave syrup when I needed a sweetener without any real taste, even in baking, but it might change the consistency a bit as it is a syrup instead of sugar crystals.

During my diet I try to avoid sugar as much as possible at all times, but sometimes things just taste horrible without any sweetening (especially if you are a sugar addict). You know the old saying "a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down". If you go too extreme on your diet, you won't be able to stick to it for very long, so I suggest finding a healthy alternative for your favorite weaknesses.

Losing Weight Fast: The Secret of Protein Bars and Shakes

I lost 5 kg in 4 weeks. The first 3 weeks/ ~4 kg I lost were without any help from any protein bars or other substances. The only thing I used were herbal teas that are supposed to help you lose weight. And I'm not sure they work, but I figured it can't hurt. I pride myself on never having used diet pills or the likes, but honestly I'm afraid of them. There have been so many scandals that I am afraid to touch any of those "miracle cures". If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

The last week I cracked and I tried a protein bar. The last week I used protein bars regularly to replace maximum one meal per day. I tried a protein cream but found it tasted more like iron than like chocolate so I decided to stick to the bars. I assume the shakes are rather similar, but after my chocolate-cream-failure I was not in the mood for experiments.

The irony is that the week I started using protein bars, I lost the least weight. Maybe it was due to the fact that I had already lost a lot of weight and I was reaching the famous "plateau". Maybe I lost motivation and I was paying less attention. Or maybe it really was the protein bars' fault.

Honestly the only reason I had the protein bars was so I could have a sugary taste (my favorites are chocolate and caramel) without feeling guilty and without consuming more calories. "Real" chocolate or caramel does nothing for my hunger, I sometimes suspects it makes me more hungry, so I end up eating normal meals anyway. The protein bars allowed me to replace a meal with a chocolate or caramel subsitute as it made me feel more full.

According to me, the secret with these protein bars is not that they are low calorie and will make you magically lose weight. In fact, when I checked my food logs, I noticed that I frequently consumed meals with a lower calorie content than those I replaced with the bars. Therefore, I recommend no However, the bars can kick that chocolate craving without overdoing it.

Slimming Sports

I will get straight to the point: sports will not make you lose weight.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a great fan of staying fit, both for mental and physical well-being, but it will not make you lose weight. However, you will have a nicer shape as you become more firm with increased muscle mass.

When I first started to gain weight, I thought I would just start exercising again and it would all go away. Instead, I gained even more weight. With the help of technology (something I will explain in my next post), I understood that I was compensating for my calorie burn with extra calorie intake. Excercise makes you more hungry, so you eat more. To some extent perhaps you also need more, but most importantly you need to eat right.

The bottom line is, no matter how long you slave away on that treadmill, it is extremely hard to achieve a calorie deficit with exercise. In fact, you might gain weight as muscle tissue is more heavy than fat tissue. However, you will feel more energetic, healthier and firmer with exercise so it is a vital part of the transformation.

Be careful however, not to starve yourself while starting an exercise regime. Make sure you nourish yourself sufficiently to be able to perform in the gym. The key is not to overdo it; not to overdo the exercise nor the diet.