Have you ever been on a diet and found yourself being totally confused about how to read food labels? Not knowing this information could be the difference between weight loss success and failure. More often than not, people who are trying to achieve a healthy weight loss will not be able to do so just because they believe everything they read. Most of us think that foods labeled “low fat” will help us lose weight. If this were really true, why didn’t anyone from the fat free diet craze of the 1980’s lose weight and keep it off? You may be shocked to discover that low fat foods may do the opposite. Yes, that is right! They can actually make us gain weight! Since the driving force behind any weight loss fad is for the manufacturer to make money, low-fat labels purposely prompt people to overindulge in several different ways. I know you are asking yourself how such a farce can actually be allowed to happen, right? All I have to say to that is keep reading! Reading Food Labels Tip #1: Portion DistortionMost people believe that an appropriate serving size for low-fat food is 30 percent larger than the full-fat version. When this happens, nearly 50 percent more calories are consumed. No matter how much fat a product says it does or does not have, remember it is all about calories. Think of it this way. Which is better for weight loss: 1,000 fat calories from butter or 1,000 fat calories from apples? Neither! They will both give you 1,000 calories. Granted, the apples will give you lots of other vitamins and minerals that will make you healthier than the butter will, but you won’t weigh any less! Reading Food Labels Tip #2: Ingredient ShiftMost of the time when fat content is reduced, carbohydrate and sugars are increased. What happens when carbohydrates and sugars don’t get burned off? Your body turns them into fat so it will have a reserve of fuel. The bottom line is that you must look at all the ingredients, not just the big text on the front of the package that says NO FAT. Diet soda is much more harmful to your body than regular soda because of the nasty ingredients they have to add to make it diet. This goes for NO CARB and NO TRANS FAT foods as well. If a company making a product feels that it needs to grab your  attention by promoting the latest weight loss fad in bold letters across the front of their package, chances are it probably is not a good choice. Reading Food Labels Tip #3: No Label Is KingWhat kinds of foods do not come pre-packaged with a label full of ingredients? Fruits and vegetables. What kinds of foods are all natural and grown from the earth we live on? Fruits and vegetables. What kinds of foods do you know will help you lose weight even though you would rather grab the box of fat free Oreos? Fruits and vegetables. Not that it needs to be said at this point, but if you can not determine if the label is saying something good or bad, put it down and head to the produce department. Fruits and vegetables are the most ideal foods you can eat for a healthy weight loss. What about protein, you say? Think soy. I lost 70 pounds and have kept it off for 15 years when I switched to a soy-protein based way of eating. Label or not, the key to a healthy weight loss is living a healthy lifestyle. Making smart decisions about what you eat, as well as exercising every day, will allow you to lead a label free life. Smart is choosing to eat an apple instead of a donut. Smart is choosing to drink a soy-based protein shake instead of a caramel whip cream latte from Starbucks. Smart is drinking green tea instead of diet Pepsi. Remember… for things to change, you have got to change. Bill Winch is a Personal Wellness Coach whose mission is teaching and coaching others who are struggling with getting healthy, losing weight safely and keeping it off for good. He is also a Certified Business Growth Specialist, former High School and College Business Educator and Counselor, and mentors from his home office in Rochester, NY. If you are interested in receiving his Free Report “9 Weight Loss Myths Exposed” visit his website by clicking on FREE REPORT or by calling him directly at (585) 271-3767 for a free wellness consultation.WP Robot Wordpress Autoposter

Anyone struggling to lose weight may be focusing all of their energy on the wrong thing…food! It is equally important to make sure you are drinking liquids that accelerate healthy weight loss. Staying hydrated is essential for your body. What you drink can effect your mood and focus not to mention your health. If you pick the right drinks, you will benefit from the nutrients, antioxidants and proteins that will help with a healthy weight loss. Americans in general are problem drinkers. We crave high-sugar, high-calorie drinks like sodas and smoothies. Over 20 percent of American’s calorie intake comes from drinks such as soda pop, fruit punches, and the oh-so trendy Starbuck lattes. We are becoming obese because of all these extra calories we do not need. The next time you feel thirsty and have trouble determining whether or not a drink is healthy, refer to the list below. Healthy Weight Loss Drink #1: Water Water is a crucial part of healthy weight loss success. Forget flavored energy drinks and expensive bottled water. Remember the free stuff that comes out of your kitchen sink? We all grew up on this stuff and no one became unhealthy because of it, yet for some reason we flock to the store to buy it in a bottle just because a television commerical tells us to. If you think your tap water is full of impurities, buy a Brita water purifying pitcher or some type of water filter. The main point here is that pure water is healthier than any kind of diet soda or energy drink you can pay for. Drink up to 8 glasses a day and you will notice an acceleration in your weight loss. Healthy Weight Loss Drink #2: Pomegranate Juice Drinking concentrated pomegranate juice may reduce cholesterol and blood pressure while slowing down LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) oxidation. Because they contain beneficial antioxidants, they rid your body of harmful free radicals that can slow down any weight loss program. The healthier your body is, the better it can perform. Pomegranate juice is safe to drink, but just like anything else you should not over-indulge. Most studies have shown that a daily helping of 1.5 oz. of pomegranate juice is the most beneficial. Anti-oxidants are found in bright colored fruits like red grapes. Unlike pomegranate juice, be careful when drinking grape juice. Manufacturers tend to add a lot of sugar into fruit juices so they seem healthy, but they really are not. Healthy Weight Loss Drink #3: Green Tea Green tea is one of the drinks I use on a daily basis that contributes to helping me keep an ideal weight after losing 70 pounds 15 years ago. Just like pomegranite juice, it is full of powerful antioxidants that give your body the very best fuel a drink can possibly give. Depending on the manufacturer, green tea comes in all kinds of flavors. One cup of green tea every morning gives me enough energy to last all day long. It is a natural energy, unlike the sugar rush you get from fitness drinks and coffee, so you never feel let down as the day goes on. Energy is obviously important for weight loss because the more you move around, the more calories you will burn. Healthy Weight Loss Drink #4: Soy-Based Protein Shakes Along with green tea, soy-based protein shakes are responsible for my weight loss and weight maintenance. Imagine getting 2,000 calories worth of nutrition in a 200 calorie smoothie. Your body gets what it needs without the excess baggage that comes with eating tons of food. It is the closest thing to a magic weight loss potion that you will find. Depending on how much weight you need to lose, this drink acts as a meal replacement. Obese people who need to lose over 100 pounds should obviously replace each meal with a shake, and those maintaining weight should replace at least one. I would never let a day go by without one of these powerful drinks. Why would I? I have been at my ideal weight and medication free ever since I introduced them into my diet. The bottom line here is that you must pay attention to what you drink as much as what you eat if you are trying to lose or maintain a healthy weight. Start by replacing what you are now drinking with any or all of the suggestions above. Living a healthy lifestyle is the key to reaching your healthy weight loss goals. That requires the mindset of person willing to make small changes on a daily basis. You are what you eat…and drink! Bill Winch is a Personal Wellness Coach whose mission is teaching and coaching others who are struggling with getting healthy, losing weight safely and keeping it off for good. He is also a Certified Business Growth Specialist, former High School and College Business Educator and Counselor, and mentors from his home office in Rochester, NY. If you are interested in receiving his Free Report “9 Weight Loss Myths Exposed” visit his website by clicking on FREE REPORT or by calling him directly at (585) 271-3767 for a free wellness consultation.rhinestones