Is it a Case of Mind Over Matter to Win the Mental Game of Stubborn Fat Loss?

We all understand the far reaching benefits of healthy eating and regular exercise, right?

Did you know as women our hormones play a key role in every aspect of our lives?

Dear Friend,

Allow me to start by being totally up front and saying I’m NOT an endocrinologist and I do NOT claim to be an expert…

You do NOT necessary have to become one either.

But the truth is unless you address your hormones in context to your nutritional plan as a key factor in weight loss, you’re most likely going to continue to gain weight and struggle.

Many so called experts don’t really cover the basics and true importance of your body’s chemical makeup on how and why hormones produce fat.

And how hormones influences how much fat your body burns and stores.

The goal is to keep this as simple as possible while providing you with sound research.

Why does it all start with hormones?

Hormones don’t often get talked about, yet are vitally important.

You see, whatever body type you are it comes down to much more than just how much and what you eat or exercise.

Hormones and body muscle content play a very big role in your ability to stay lean and healthy (not talking about becoming a body builder)…

So understanding how hormones work for or against you means you can only get better control over your waistline if you know what is happening, even if it is at a very basic level.

Hormones are the driving force behind the body you see in your mirror.

If your body produces the right hormones, your body thrives.

If not, your body suffers…

There is a BIG reason why America is approaching 70% overweight.

The signals women send their body through food they eat and exercise they do is detrimental…

And yes the results do show what’s happening.

If you want to transform your body, it starts with your hormones.

And that doesn’t mean via supplementation.

You see, the best and most effective way is through living a healthy lifestyle, eating the right foods and exercising consistently.

As Weight Loss Coach, I’m often asked about hormones and how they affect us?

Hormones are a complex topic, hopefully this short article explains it all in a really simple, easy to understand way…

Hormones affect the way we feeling during adolescence and continue to play a key role throughout our lives.

Hormones affect your metabolism, stress levels and reproductive system.

There are many hormones which influence your own health.

So how do these hormones affect your overall health…

A major hormone which is influenced by what you eat is called insulin.

Insulin is one of the biggest influences for many health areas.

Insulin is a hormone which is secreted by the pancreas after you eat carbohydrates.

When you eat carbohydrates, the sugars are absorbed into bloodstream, naturally causing your blood glucose levels to rise.

The pancreas secretes insulin in order to help your body process blood glucose.

Insulin helps to move glucose from blood into cells of your body so cells can use glucose for energy…

When you eat food, in particularly carbohydrates, your body releases insulin to lower the increase in blood sugar right?

You can never lose fat in the presence of insulin.

When you eat protein with carbohydrates, it slows the sharp release of insulin so you never have a spike of insulin. Try to always include some protein with every meal…

Insulin also helps to change any excess glucose your body does not immediately need into a stable form of energy called glycogen.

Glycogen is produced in the liver…

Leptin and ghrelin are hormones which tell you when to eat and when to stop eating.

Ghrelin is produced in the stomach and pancreas…

Ghrenlin alerts your brain when your stomach is empty.

Leptin is secreted by fat cells and triggers appetite suppressing hormones when you’ve eaten enough.

Both hormones are affected by sugar…

In other words, how much sugar you eat.

Eat too much sugar and the result can mean reduced leptin production, which leaves ghrelin to send out unnecessary hunger signals (pangs and cravings).

Cortisol is a stress hormone which is released from the brain into your bloodstream.

Now, in times of stress and anxiety, cortisol licks in to help accelerate your heartbeat, feeds your brain extra oxygen and releases energy from your fat and glucose stores.

Your mood and memory are partly controlled by serotonin…

Serotonin is often produced in the gut.

Serotonin is commonly known as the feel-good hormone or neurotransmitter.

Female sex hormones…

The most important hormones made by the ovaries are known as female sex hormones and the two main ones are oestrogen and progesterone.

The ovaries produce both testosterone and estrogen…

Women’s ovaries produce a minimal amount of testosterone, which drives sexual desire, muscle strength, bone density and metabolism.

Relatively small quantities of testosterone are released into your bloodstream by the ovaries and adrenal glands.

Too little testosterone can affect a woman’s energy level, libido and mood health.

Too much testosterone in women can contribute to acne and facial hair.

Oestrogen and progesterone are female sex hormones produced in the ovaries.

Oestrogen is primarily a female sex hormone…

Oestrogen enlarges breasts, widens pelvis and oestrogen is what gives women the curvy appearance.

Oestrogen stimulates a female’s instinct, increases alertness, lowers body fat levels, increases insulin sensitivity and improved glucose tolerance.

Symptoms of low oestrogen can occur at any age, more prominent in menopause.

Progesterone increases sleepiness, helps to build and maintain bones, slows digestive process, promotes appetite and helps breast tissue mature.

Progesterone stimulates production of breast milk during pregnancy.

Symptoms of low progesterone include premenstrual migraines, irregular or heavy periods and anxiety…

Hormones from PMS to menopause these are messengers of womanhood which can affect your mood, weight, food cravings and even your desire for sex.

Some women experience normal “smooth sailing” and other women metabolize hormones differently…it just might feel like a roller coaster ride at every turn of the hormonal bend…

Eat fresh, nutritionally dense foods as often as possible.

If you can, avoid food from a box or bag; especially any ingredient you can’t pronounce.

Keep ingredient lists to fewer than five recognizable ingredients and you’ll experience fat loss with fewer cravings because your body is properly nourished.

Generally white or bleached carbohydrates have a high glycemic index.

Essentially it means food is broken down quickly and your blood sugar will spike.

This results in a dump of insulin…

And as you remember, you can’t lose fat in the presence of insulin.

So do yourself a favor and eat low glycemic complex carbohydrates and you avoid the roller coaster of peaks and valleys in blood sugar.

You won’t feel crazy hungry an hour after eating…

You’ll stay full longer and it’s easier to make healthy choices if you don’t feel starved or deprived.

Fat Loss for Females

Low fat recipes foods with a high satiety value help reduce the amount of food it takes to stop hunger and cravings…

Are you tired of struggling with your weight?

Sick and tired of rail thin celebrities touting the latest diet patch, diet pill or another domineering diet plan?

What low fat or low calorie food helps stop hunger and cravings while extending time between meals?

What about hunger pangs and hunger pains…

Satiety is the feeling that you are not being deprived and are full, and often satiety is the only determining factor in successful weight management.

Good news is there are many low-calorie foods can help you achieve satiety.

In general, the more water, fiber and protein a food has the longer it will keep you satisfied…

Eggs have been dubbed the perfect protein with omega-3 nutrient dense.

Eggs are a nutrient dense food that boosts brain power thanks to the choline they contain.

A 2005 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition concludes that protein foods have a strong role in satiety.

In the study, women who ate a daily diet of 30 percent protein consumed 441 fewer calories than women who ate 15 percent of calories from protein.

Other low-fat, high-protein choices can give satiety, too.

Protein empties from the stomach more slowly than carbohydrates that’s why some women feel full longer, according to the Mayo Clinic.

It keeps blood sugar steady instead of spiking as some carbohydrates can.

Good protein foods include:

• Lean meats
• Poultry without skin
•  Low fat or non fat low calorie dairy foods…

Fish is more satisfying on a per-calorie basis than other proteins according to the Diabetes Network.

Broth based soup can fill you up without filling you out.

Soup is a great way to start a meal and save on calories, thanks to its high water content.

Barbara Rolls, Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University’s chairwoman of nutrition researched the difference between women who started meals with soup and those who began with entrees…

Rolls found that women who ate meals with soup consumed 100 fewer calories during the meal.

Complex carbohydrates high in water and fiber such as apples, oranges and grapes give you more food for fewer calories.

Also high fiber and higher fiber foods stay in your stomach longer because they’re processed slower.

This means you feel fuller for longer according to Elisa Zied spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.

Popcorn is a low calorie snack food that allows you to indulge your urge to munch without lots of extra calories thanks to its bulk.

Just make sure you don’t drench it in high-fat butter.

Some herbs or spices can be used to give extra pizazz to your snack without adding extra calories.

Choose popcorn over dry foods…

Including pretzels and crackers because these snacks lack fiber, water and are low in volume as recommended by Weight Watchers.

Legumes and beans truly are magical when it comes to feeling full because of their high fiber and protein contents.

Lentils and baked beans both had high marks on the Satiety Index developed by Australian researcher Dr. Susanne Holt of the University of Sydney.

Beans and lentils also have “anti” nutrients delaying their absorption and keep you feeling fuller longer.

Salad gives you the satisfying crunch factor along with fiber and water.

As with soup, women who start their meals with salad eat fewer calories than those who skip the greens according to Rolls’ research.