Understanding Underlying Weight Gain Causes

By Jennifer R. ScottReviewed by a board-certified physician

I like this blog post from VeryWell.com. It answers a lot of the questions I get in my emails. Many of us don't understand what's happening to our bodies. They don't know why they keep adding weight? Answering this question is "key" to losing your fat. When you're adding weight, you're adding body fat and you have to correct the problem before you end up with serious health problems. Excess body fat will slow down body functions.

Most people who aren't overweight think that the root cause of overweight and obesity is deceptively simple. If you take in more calories than you use, you'll gain weight. And if you eat less, you lose weight. But in reality, there are several underlying weight gain causes that can contribute to your weight beyond just calories consumed and calories burned.

Normal Weight Gain in Daily Life

Some weight gain is a normal part of life, particularly for women.

Weight gain occurs with pregnancy, and many breastfeeding mothers maintain a certain amount of weight while nursing. In addition, most women experience a periodic weight gain each month before and during menstruation. While much of this weight gain is typically referred to as water weight, many women get used to rising and falling numbers on the scale. Rapid weight gain that can't be attributed to either of these normal causes may be a sign of dangerous fluid retention, and anyone experiencing it should notify their doctor.

Aging also contributes to natural weight gain in many adults. While it's unclear whether or not aging actually causes weight gain, it is clear that most of us gain at least a small amount of weight as we get older. So why does it happen? As we age, our body composition changes, we often lose muscle mass, metabolism slows, and our lifestyles change. Each of these factors can contribute to weight gain unless we reduce the amount of food we eat and get enough exercise to maintain our weight.

Other Possible Causes of Weight Gain 

You may also gain weight because of other reasons that are not a part of everyone's daily life. These are some underlying weight gain causes to consider if you start to add pounds or inches.

• Significant alcohol use. Booze calories add up quickly. And when we drink we often indulge in empty calories that can contribute to weight gain.

• The use of certain drugs such as corticosteroids, cyproheptadine, lithium, tranquilizers, phenothiazines, some antidepressants, and medicines that increase fluid retention and cause edema. If you've started a new prescription and notice weight gain, talk to your doctor or pharmacist to make sure that the weight change is normal
• Emotional factors, such as guilt and anxiety can contribute to changes in your weight. Some people lose weight during divorce, job change or other difficult transitions but other people gain weight during times of stress
• Quitting smoking often leads to weight gain in some people. Why? It may be that smoking was the way that you managed anxiety or nerves. Without cigarettes, some people turn to food.

Medical Causes of Weight Gain

If you notice that you're putting on weight and there is no apparent lifestyle cause, it is possible that something more serious is at play. Weight gain can be a symptom or the result of certain medical conditions. These can include:

• Certain endocrine diseases, such as Cushing syndrome and hypothyroidism
• Heart disorders
• Lung disorders
• Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
• Depression

It's important to talk to your doctor today if you have unexplained weight gain and any of the following symptoms:

• Constipation
• Hair loss
• Sensitivity to cold
• Swollen feet and shortness of breath
• Uncontrollable hunger accompanied by palpitations, tremor, and sweating
• Vision changes

If you suspect that there is a medical issue that is causing your weight gain (or weight loss) don't be afraid to speak to your health care provider.  The good news is that weight gain, regardless of its cause, can often be managed with consistent lifestyle and dietary changes and an increase in physical activity. Your physician can help you determine whether or not these underlying causes may be leading to weight gain in your own personal situation.

He or she may also be able to refer you to experts including a registered dietitian, physical therapist, behavioral health experts for additional help. 

If you really want to lose the extra flab you can get help, I write 4 blogs and I’ve written two E-books. E-books are the easiest and cheapest way to learn about any subject without groping through hundreds of website looking for the material you want. 

My first e-book is “HowBadDoYouWantToLoseWeight” and it sells for $2.99 on most online bookstores like Amazon, BN.com, iBook, Kobo, and Gardner books in the U.K.

My second e-book is available in the same stores. And on smashwords.com.  Just type in the search line “getting to a healthy weight”.

How To Stop Food Cravings

If you seriously want to stop the cravings you have to stop eating food or drinks that spike your blood sugar. Your blood sugar levels will normally increase when you eat, but you want the increase to be slow and gradual. We know that sweet foods or sweet drinks will spike your blood sugar, but now science says that “enriched wheat flour” also will spike your sugar levels. And what's so bad about that, you might ask? A big spike in blood sugars meanings that blood sugars will crash hard and in a very short time will be lower than normal and that will cause a craving to bring your blood sugar level back to normal. Then depending on what you eat, you might spike those levels again which will set you up for another crash and yet another craving. So snacking at night would be inevitable. If you want to avoid food cravings avoid anything that will spike your glucose or blood sugar levels.

I'll explain as if you're looking at a graph. If a normal blood sugar is about 5.6 and you eat ice cream and your blood sugar spike to 8, and your body is working normally, your blood sugar will drop rapidly to say 4 because the effects of the sugar won't last very long, but now your below your normal level and your body will trigger another craving to get you back up to your normal level of 5.6. Now, these numbers are just numbers and if you're concerned about your level you want to see your Doctor and get a blood test. When you're overweight it's important to have regular checkups that include blood tests. High blood sugar levels are a serious problem. 

But let's get back to cravings, people that snack a lot often don't understand why their snacking, and snacks put on the weight. So we know sugary foods will spike glucose or blood sugars levels and now science thinks that enriched wheat flour can do the same. Enriched wheat flour is in almost all bakery goods. Bread, cakes, donuts anything that comes from a bakery and that includes chips, crackers, pretzels and any other type of snack food. Now you might think because you don't eat wheat bread that you're safe. All processed flour is made from wheat flour or partial wheat flour. You want to start reading the labels and avoid foods with processed or enriched flour. 

Ever wonder why gluten-free is so popular now. Gluten-free means there's no wheat flour or any wheat in that food. Read the label on gluten-free bread and you find it's made of rice flour. Gluten-free products will help you control the spike in your blood sugar which in turn help you avoid cravings. You can buy gluten-free bagels, pasta, rice cakes, cereal and bread just to name a few at any of the major grocery chains. So gluten-free will help you control your weight and avoiding sugary foods and drinks will also help cut your calories.

Most people think that losing weight is all about either dieting or all about exercising. But you have to do both. Nine out of ten people put the weight back in a few months. If you're going thru the trouble to lose the weight and don't forget the money your spending, it's important to keep it off. Losing the weight and staying with a moderate exercise plan will make you much healthier. You're going to feel like a kid again after you lose your first 10 pounds of body fat. You don't want to return to the old you, overweight and tired all the time.  

If you really want to lose the extra flab you can get help, I write 4 blogs and I’ve written two E-books. E-books are the easiest and cheapest way to learn about any subject without groping through hundreds of website looking for the material you want. 

My first e-book is “HowBadDoYouWantToLoseWeight” and it sells for $2.99 on most online bookstores like Amazon, BN.com, iBook, Kobo, and Gardner books in the U.K.

My second e-book is available in the same stores. And on smash words.com. If you use the smash word promotional code You can get my second book for $1.99 (PJ42H). Just type in the search line “getting to a healthy weight”.

Will Gut Bacteria Help You Lose Weight?

How Gut Bacteria Affects Our Body

This blog post is from VeryWell.com and explains how the bacteria in your stomach plays a part in digesting your food. So does that help me lose fat? The healthy bacteria in your stomach will process your food so less food is turned into fat. Many of us don't understand why we can't lose our body fat. Much of the work that your stomach does plays a big role in the processing of fat. 

Gut bacteria or microbes live in our digestive tract helping us digest food, prevent infection, and shown to play a role in our physical fitness. Gut flora, gut microbiota, and gastrointestinal microbiota are other common names used for gut bacteria. Our gut contains the largest amount of bacteria compared to other parts of the body and with an estimated 500 to 1,000 variety of species. These species are broken down into trillions of microbes that populate the gut.

We begin forming gut bacteria from birth and microbial balance is established from our food and environment. There are constant shifts of good and bad gut bacteria in response to what we eat working to balance the digestive tract. When we consume unhealthy food, we feed the bad bacteria causing a negative imbalance. 

According to research, gut bacteria can influence fat stores through energy extraction from the diet.  This means what we’re eating directly affects the microbes in our gut. Microbes are either working to increase fat or helping us maintain a healthy weight. It’s the abundance of bad bacteria that stimulates fat formation. Having more bad bacteria in our gut will also mean having more fat stores on our body. 

More Bad Gut Bacteria Means More Fat

Gut microbes are shown to differ between lean and obese humans as well as mice. Evidently, imbalances in our gut bacteria are linked to obesity and associated diseases. Studies are indicating more bad gut bacteria means more body fat stores. 

Research results do show bad gut bacteria as one of the possible causes of obesity. The important takeaway from all this is to avoid diets stimulating the growth of bad gut bacteria. This means avoiding processed foods high in saturated fats and sugar. 

In order to improve good gut bacteria and create intestinal flora, eating a healthy diet is essential. This would include eating a wide variety of vegetables, whole grains, and fruits.

Gut Bacteria and Bad Food Cravings

In addition to altering our ability to lose fat, it appears bad gut bacteria increases unhealthy food cravings. This can occur because of unbalanced microbes (gut bacteria) according to research.  

Our body is composed of a diversity of organisms competing for nutritional resources. It appears the constant conflict between our body and microbiota may lead to cravings and unhealthy food choices.

Unhealthy cravings may be due to the bad microbes that benefit from those foods. Science is simply saying bad gut bacteria wants to be kept alive by the host (you) feeding it what it wants to be maintained. 

Exerting self-control over eating choices may help suppress microbial signals that originate in the gut. According to research, eating healthier can reduce our food cravings by intervening in our microbiota. Reducing bad gut bacteria would help reduce food cravings, make a positive change in our intestinal flora, and enable us to lose weight.

How to Improve Good Gut Bacteria

What we eat plays an important role in maintaining healthy gut bacteria. Promoting a healthy digestive tract full of good microbes will require eliminating foods promoting bad gut bacteria. Bad gut bacteria feeds off diets high in saturated fat and low in fruits and vegetables. Implementing changes to increase good gut bacteria is essential for fat loss and overall health. You will find the following tips helpful to improve intestinal flora:

• Healthy nutrition - eat a high fiber, whole foods diet. Incorporate foods like beans, nuts, seeds, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, all of which feed good gut bacteria. 
• Eliminate processed foods - keep sugar intake, animal fats, and processed foods to an absolute minimum or eliminate completely to encourage the growth of good bacteria. 
• Pre and probiotics - research is linked to good gut bacteria restored through daily supplementation of pre and/or probiotics. Probiotics may improve gut flora and digestive health creating a happy environment for good gut bacteria. Consult with your doctor before taking any supplements including pre and probiotics.  
• Things to avoid - antibiotics, acid blockers, and anti-inflammatories are indicated to destroy good and bad bacteria and do not create a favorable gut environment. Antibiotics should only be used when necessary and prescribed by a physician. 

Bonus - Best Foods to Improve Your Gut Bacteria

Apple cider vinegar – stimulates hydrochloric acid (HCL) to help maintain proper acidity and normal pH levels in the body. Promotes good gut bacteria and fat loss

Plain yogurt – rich source of natural probiotics. Contains live active cultures S.thermophilus, L. bulgaricus, L.acidophilus, and Bifidobacteria (good gut bacteria)

Fermented foods – sauerkraut is a naturally fermented food containing Lactobacillus bacteria (good gut bacteria)

Mangos – nutrient profile is shown to improve gut health, reduce body fat and maintain normal sugar levels

Kefir – drinkable yogurt full of live and active strains of good gut bacteria 

Coconut oil - medium chain fatty acid. Contains lauric and caprylic acids shown to reduce bad gut bacteria and maintain healthy stomach acidity levels

Garlic – natural prebiotic helping to fuel and maintain existing healthy intestinal flora

A Word From Verywell

Gut bacteria plays an important role in how our body stores fat. We can make positive improvements in reducing body fat by changing our intestinal flora. This is done by applying healthy eating habits that will increase our good gut bacteria while reducing bad microbes. Our body functions may be working constantly to balance our gut bacteria, but it will be the implementation of a healthy diet that enables us to maintain a healthy gut.  

If you're taking prescription drug talk to your doctor first before changing your diet. Getting rid of body fat can be a little complicated. You can lose weight but not lose fat and that's the wrong way because the weight will return and when it does you end up with more fat than before.

If you really want to lose the extra flab you can get help, I write 4 blogs and I’ve written two E-books. E-books are the easiest and cheapest way to learn about any subject without groping through hundreds of website looking for the material you want. 

My first e-book is “HowBadDoYouWantToLoseWeight” and it sells for $2.99 on most online bookstores like Amazon, BN.com, iBook, Kobo, and Gardner books in the U.K.

My second e-book is available in the same stores. And on smash words.com. If you use the smash word promotional code You can get my second book for $1.99 (PJ42H). Just type in the search line “getting to a healthy weight”.

Understanding the Causes for Weight Gain

This post first appeared on VeryWell.com. I stress this all the time. You have to understand how you gained weight before you can lose weight. Anyone overweight can lose the extra fat by first analyzing their situation. In other words, "how did I gain this extra weight"? and be honest with yourself.  Most people don't know where to begin but this post can help you decide. Once you have the answer you can reverse the process and the weight will begin to disappear. 

For instance, a friend of mine had gain 40 pounds in just a couple of years because he was eating ice cream every night. Subconsciously he knew what his problem was but he didn't care because he was worried about his business and eating ice cream was his way of dealing with the problem. So this sounds simple, just stop eating ice cream, right? It's not that simple. Because he has a problem that won't go away, just stop eating ice cream won't change anything. He'll find another food to binge on. He has to solve his problems at work and then he'll stop bingeing. He was using food as a crutch and feeling sorry for himself instead of finding a solution. 

Many people often use food as a crutch to increase the pleasure in their life. That's how you gain weight. You have to solve those life crisis problems that we all have and sometimes we need help. You don't need a dietitian to solve life's problems. Just losing weight won't fix you life. This is the reason most people regain lost weight. If you can't fix your life, you will always have the same problems and you will always fall back on comfort food to give you a pleasure that your missing. Being overweight is more emotional than anything else. 

Most people who aren't overweight think that the root cause of overweight and obesity is deceptively simple. If you take in more calories than you use, you'll gain weight. And if you eat less, you lose weight. But in reality, there are several underlying weight gain causes that can contribute to your weight beyond just calories consumed and calories burned.

Normal Weight Gain in Daily Life

Some weight gain is a normal part of life, particularly for women.

Weight gain occurs with pregnancy, and many breastfeeding mothers maintain a certain amount of weight while nursing. In addition, most women experience a periodic weight gain each month before and during menstruation. While much of this weight gain is typically referred to as water weight, many women get used to rising and falling numbers on the scale. Rapid weight gain that can't be attributed to either of these normal causes may be a sign of dangerous fluid retention, and anyone experiencing it should notify their doctor.

Aging also contributes to natural weight gain in many adults. While it's unclear whether or not aging actually causes weight gain, it is clear that most of us gain at least a small amount of weight as we get older. So why does it happen? As we age, our body composition changes, we often lose muscle mass, metabolism slows, and our lifestyles change. Each of these factors can contribute to weight gain unless we reduce the amount of food we eat and get enough exercise to maintain our weight.

Other Possible Causes of Weight Gain 

You may also gain weight because of other reasons that are not a part of everyone's daily life. These are some underlying weight gain causes to consider if you start to add pounds or inches.

• Significant alcohol use. Booze calories add up quickly. And when we drink we often indulge in empty calories that can contribute to weight gain.

• The use of certain drugs such as corticosteroids, cyproheptadine, lithium, tranquilizers, phenothiazines, some antidepressants, and medicines that increase fluid retention and cause edema. If you've started a new prescription and notice weight gain, talk to your doctor or pharmacist to make sure that the weight change is normal.
• 
  
• Emotional factors, such as guilt and anxiety can contribute to changes in your weight. Some people lose weight during a divorce, job change or other difficult transitions but other people gain weight during times of stress.
• Quitting smoking often leads to weight gain in some people. Why? It may be that smoking was the way that you managed anxiety or nerves. Without cigarettes, some people turn to food.

Medical Causes of Weight Gain

If you notice that you're putting on weight and there is no apparent lifestyle cause, it is possible that sometimes more serious is at play. Weight gain can be a symptom or the result of certain medical conditions. These can include:

• If you suspect that there is a medical issue that is causing your weight gain (or weight loss) don't be afraid to speak to your health care provider.  The good news is that weight gain, regardless of its cause, can often be managed with consistent lifestyle and dietary changes and an increase in physical activity. Your physician can help you determine whether or not these underlying causes may be leading to weight gain in your own personal situation.

If you have never had a problem controlling your weight and now you do, talk to your doctor, don't let your weight get out of control. Even 5 pounds over a few months might be a sign that you have a health problem. 

If you really want to lose the extra flab you can get help, I write 4 blogs and I’ve written two E-books. E-books are the easiest and cheapest way to learn about any subject without groping through hundreds of website looking for the material you want. 

My first e-book is “HowBadDoYouWantToLoseWeight” and it sells for $2.99 on most online bookstores like Amazon, BN.com, iBook, Kobo, and Gardner books in the U.K.

My second e-book is available in the same stores. And on smash words.com. If you use the smash word promotional code You can get my second book for $1.99 (PJ42H). Just type in the search line “getting to a healthy weight”.

Use It Or Lose It

It's an old proverb that most of us never paid much attention to. But it's  just as true today as ever before. Your body works in real time and if you're not building muscle your losing muscle. Your body is continually changing. You build the muscles you use and you lose muscle that you're not using.

This is the main reason you need to workout. Did you ever wonder why most people have lower back problems? I had lower back pain for years. Then I start to exercise to build strength in my core. I did sit-ups, and yoga and now no more back aches. I lost my belly and love-handles and no more pain. Even know I'm a senior, I can play ball with my grandsons, ride my bike and even jog. Exercising will give you your life back. I do some exercise every day. I can't start my day without some exercise. I'll exercise about an hour 3 times a week with lite days in-between. You have to give your muscles 48 hours or so to recover from a hard workout. The other day I do more yoga to stay limber, maybe 20 minutes in the morning while I watch the morning show.

I learned most of this on the internet. There's so much free information I can change my routine every week. As long as you workout with the same intensity, it doesn't matter what you do. Some days I swim, some days I ride a bike, some days I lift weights and some days I do yoga. If you change your routine you actually get better results.

Don't forget to eat better foods and never eat a lot at one time. I nibble all day long, and never eat a regular meal, and I'm never hungry. If I eat a regular meal I get sluggish and tired. I stopped doing that and now I'm more active. I'm back in size 34 pants after about 40 years, I weigh the same as I did in High School and I feel like I'm 35 again.

I'm never going back to that overweight guy who didn't know how to eat real food, snacked every night after dinner, stayed up too late and never wanted to get out of bed.  After I lost that body fat I was a different people and I like this guy.

If you really want to lose the extra flab you can get help, I write 4 blogs and I’ve written two E-books. E-books are the easiest and cheapest way to learn about any subject without groping through hundreds of website looking for the material you want. 

My first e-book is “HowBadDoYouWantToLoseWeight” and it sells for $2.99 on most online bookstores like Amazon, BN.com, iBook, Kobo, and Gardner books in the U.K.

My second e-book is available in the same stores. And on smashwords.com.

Are You Destin To Be Fat?

Your genes are why your eyes are brown and your hair is red. They are what make you,  "you". But can genetics determine the size of your jeans?

Research shows that differences in your genes can lead to weight issues. So if your parents are obese, you’re more likely to be, too. But that doesn’t mean you will without question. Many people with obesity in their families aren't heavy. And you can fight the odds with diet and exercise.

Is There a “Fat Gene?”

There’s one gene that’s getting a lot of attention, called FTO. Scientists found that people with certain differences in this gene have a 20% to 30% higher chance of obesity. And those differences are pretty common. That said, I don't think your genes will make you fat, but your parents genes change as they change. So if they were overweight when you were conceived then maybe those genes may have created a fat baby, but that doesn't mean you're going to stay fat. I remember a case in my family were one boy was born over 11 

pounds but throughout childhood and now as a young adult his weight is perfectly normal.

Dozens of other genes are linked to weight as well. Some, for example, cause people to just naturally store more fat. That could be heredity. But it’s still unclear exactly how much weight genes really do carry. Are you really destined to be overweight?

“Obesity is a very complex disease, and many factors can contribute to it and cause it, including genetics, behavior, and environment,” says Naima Moustaid-Moussa, PhD, director of the Obesity Research Cluster at Texas Tech University. Obesity can run in families -- not because of genetics, but because of habits and environment, she says.

More than a third of adults in the United States are obese, Moustaid-Moussa says. “The number of Americans with obesity has steadily increased over the past five decades, but this can’t be explained by some dramatic changes in our genes.”

Jung Han Kim, PhD, an obesity researcher and professor at Marshall University’s Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, agrees. Obesity has increased around the world with industrialization, a sedentary lifestyle, and a fat-filled diet, she says.

The Bottom Line

Family history alone doesn’t seem to be enough to make you obese. “Genetics does play a role, but the truth is who you are is still determined by how you live your life,” Li says.

So the same advice holds true:

Get active. Aim for 2 1/2 hours of moderate-intensity exercise like brisk walking every week. Even doing 10 minutes at a time helps. Weight training, done at least twice a week, will help make your muscles strong.

Eat less. Cut calories. Lopping off 500 to 1,000 a day can help you lose 1 to 2 pounds a week.

Choose good-for-you foods. Go for fruit, veggies, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat dairy foods. Fish, lean meats, beans, eggs, and nuts are also good options.

There's a bunch of different opinions about cutting calories for weight loss. Personally, I had to change the food I was eating. If you eat fresh, healthy foods you will be cutting calories. It's all the manufactured foods and drinks that are loaded with calories.
We are a product of our environmental and in your early years you eat whatever your parents feed you. And the exercise you get depends on your parents. So before you reach middle school you are pretty much programed to do whatever your parents allow you to do, which depends a lot on the region of the country and whether you live in the city or country.

Those formative years are very important in the way you will develop as and adult. So in some respects, if you're looking for someone to blame, maybe your parents did have something to do with your weight problem. But most of the chubby kids in school have lose that fat, I know I did, so you can't use that excuse for ever. 

If you really want to lose the extra flab you can get help, I write 4 blogs and I’ve written two E-books. E-books are the easiest and cheapest way to learn about any subject without groping through hundreds of website looking for the material you want. 

My first e-book is “HowBadDoYouWantToLoseWeight” and it sells for $2.99 on most online bookstores like Amazon, BN.com, iBook, Kobo, and Gardner books in the U.K.

My second e-book is available in the same stores. And on smash words.com. Just type in the search line “getting to a healthy weight”.

The Lies We Tell Ourselves To Keep From Dealing With Their Weight

I really think that most people are in denial about the weight and about their health. They just don't want to take the time to deal with it. This post brings out all those lie's we tell ourselves just so we don't have to deal with our weight. This blog post first appeared on WebMD.com

1. “I know how much I’m 

eating.” 

An extra bite here, a snack in the car there …“It’s surprising how often people don’t know exactly what they’re eating,” says Terese Weinstein Katz, PhD, a clinical psychologist who specializes in diet issues. Instead of trusting your gut, start tracking daily calories in a food journal (or on your smartphone). In one study, women who kept a food journal lost up to 6 pounds more than those who didn’t.

2. “I can’t eat anything 

good when I’m dieting.” 

“Diets shouldn’t be ‘all or nothing,’” says nutritionist Carolyn Brown, RD. Researchers have found that being too rigid about what you eat leads to food cravings, which can hamper weight loss. “Allow yourself to have a treat meal or dessert once a week, and don’t think of it as cheating,” Brown says. Occasionally indulging yourself will help you stay on track. When I reward myself, I have a small glass of red wine. It's a treat, but a healthy treat.

3. “Skipping meals will help 

me lose weight faster.” 

“Skipping meals is one of the worst things you can do,” Brown says. Once hunger kicks in -- and it will -- “you’ll overeat, and probably not something healthy.” Missing a meal also puts the brakes on your metabolism. To keep your blood sugar stable and hunger cravings to a minimum, Brown recommends eating breakfast within 2 hours of waking up, then having a healthy snack (like guacamole and carrots, or a small handful of trail mix) or meal every 3-4 hours.

4. “If I’m not hard on 

myself, I won’t lose 

weight.” 

Instead of berating yourself for choosing chocolate cake instead of an apple, show yourself compassion. “We’re more likely to change when we’re kind to ourselves,” Katz says. “Staying sympathetic makes it easier to examine how we can prevent those same setbacks from happening again.”

5. “If I cut calories, then I 

don’t have to exercise.”

Actually, the two go hand in hand. Cutting calories will help you shed pounds, and with regular exercise you can keep the weight off, says Alison Massey, RD, director of diabetes education at Mercy Medical Center. “The people who successfully maintain their weight loss beyond a year are the ones who exercise at least 45 minutes most days of the week.”

6. “I can’t eat out if I’m 

trying to lose weight.” 

Going on a diet doesn’t mean putting your life on hold. “The changes you make to your food choices and meal planning should be lifestyle changes that are sustainable,” Massey says. Go ahead and meet friends for dinner. To avoid overindulging: “Research the restaurant ahead of time to find healthy menu options,” Massey says, “and request a to-go box for half your food at the beginning, rather than the end, of your meal.” I quit trying to find something on the menu. I like to eat in a restaurant where I know the menu. I go for a nice seafood restaurant and I usually order a salad with tuna and a glass of wine. The trick is the dressing. go for a low-cal dressing or just get oil and vinegar.

7. “I’m embarrassed I’m 

dieting.”

Trying to get in shape is nothing to be ashamed of. “Really owning your goals will help you succeed,” Brown says. “Accountability and support are key for weight loss.” Let your friends know your goals, and don’t shy away from admitting when you’ve had a setback. “Sometimes you need other people to cheerlead for you,” Brown says. “Remove the shame and guilt about losing weight, and you’re far more likely to reach your goals.”

8. “Losing weight is all 

about cutting carbs.”

True, you don’t want to load up your plate with refined carbs like white bread and cookies. A better choice: complex carbs like those in vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, says David Grotto, RD, author of 101 Foods That Could Save Your Life. “Carbs are [our] main source of energy,” so Grotto says that a better strategy is to monitor your overall calorie intake and include a variety of healthy foods in your diet.

9. “If I fall off my diet, I 

might as well quit.”

“It’s better to dust yourself off and try again, rather than quit once something’s gone wrong,” Katz says. Setbacks are an inevitable part of dieting. So, next time you’re derailed, think about what habit or thought undermined you. Then plan exactly how you’ll react differently -- and successfully -- next time.

WebMD Feature

If you really want to lose the extra flab you can get help, I write 4 blogs and I’ve written two E-books. E-books are the easiest and cheapest way to learn about any subject without groping through hundreds of website looking for the material you want. 

My first e-book is “HowBadDoYouWantToLoseWeight” and it sells for $2.99 on most online bookstores like Amazon, BN.com, iBook, Kobo, and Gardner books in the U.K.

My second e-book is available in the same stores. And on smash words.com. If you use the smash word promotional code You can get my second book for $1.99 (PJ42H). Just type in the search line “getting to a healthy weight”.