Can't lose weight?

If you're anything like many other women and more recently, ever increasingly more men. Weight loss is something you have likely striven to attain probably on and off for years. In some cases maybe even most of your life. We often hear about the frequent promises made for instant weight loss, all the lotions, potions, pills and seemingly endless products that are available on the market, all claiming quick, easy weight loss.

We also hear about numerous tips, tricks and techniques from people all the time who profess to know, the miracle of how you can lose ten pounds in a week or two stone in a month, unfortunately the majority of these allegations are empty, unrealistic and often even wildly exaggerated.

Yet we try them anyway, with all the best intentions and in the vain hope, that this time you may have found something, that might actually work.

However the sad truth is that although you stick to the diet rigidly, follow all the rules religiously, fully embrace the diet and follow it to the letter. Rather depressingly and inevitably it seems the second a morsel of food passes your lips, after the diet is over. Not only do you quickly gain the weight that took an eternity to lose, you also find yourself weighing more then you did before you started the diet in the first place, leaving you feeling that all your hard work and deprivation has gone to waste. It's all very depressing and frustrating.

If you can identify with this, you are in good company, it is not unusual and you are by no means alone in this experience with dieting. It is estimated that as many as 80% of people that diet regularly say this is true in their previous participation of diets and in their pursuit of weight loss.

Although there are a lot of unsubstantiated and unfounded dietary claims made, that's not to say that this is true in all cases.

Fortunately there are a lot of very good solutions to not only help you to lose weight but also to keep it off, for good. It's all about finding what's right for you.

I have listed below a few of the more common reasons why people generally can't lose weight or find it difficult and that might just be whats holding you back from, discovering your ideal weight.

This is a very common inhibitor of weight loss, for a few reasons. One is that if you are dehydrated your body may trick you into thinking your hungry, so you eat. When in fact it's because your thirsty and needed a drink. If you feel hungry try drinking a glass of water first and wait to see if you still want to eat, you maybe surprised to find that most of the time you won't.

If you're dehydrated you will also feel tired and energy zapped. Again this will lead you wanting to reach for food, only this time you will crave something sweet, as your body will want for a quick energy fix, in the form of sugar.

Water also helps to expel toxins from your body and will improve the appearence of your skin.

So how much water should you drink? It's recommended that you drink, eight pint glasses or two litres a day.

It's advised by the government and experts that for optimal weight loss, to eat little and often.

Most of us skip breakfast, which means we are running on empty right from the beginning of the day, this puts our bodies under added pressure and tricks your body into thinking it's in starvation mode.

When we leave lengthy amounts of time in between meals or snacks, are body thinks we are unable to obtain food, or it is in limited supply and prepares us for a famine. This means that it holds on to the fat reserves we have and slows our metabolism down. Making it increasingly difficult to lose weight later on.

It's an old cliche and something we hear a lot, but that's simply because it's so true.

Exercise is extremely beneficial in so many way's, good for the body, mind and soul. When participating in active pursuits, you're burning calories, toning muscle, increasing the production of happy hormones and gaining confidence. Leaving you looking and feeling great.

Twenty minuets a day is recommended in any form, weather it be walking your dog, cycling along the local bicycle route or taking up the latest celebrity fitness craze. What ever gets you moving and you enjoy.

We live very busy lives, the consequences being that most of the time we don't know whether were coming or going. We are juggling more commitments and filling more roles then you can shake a stick at and on top of everything else you're on another diet. Trouble is your not entirely sure what time you're meeting is tomorrow, let alone remember what you have and haven't eaten all day.

The culmination of this means that you've either eaten very little and your bodies gone into starvation mode or you have eaten more then you think. A biscuit here, a piece of cake there, maybe a chocolate bar or two and then there was that double chocolate muffin you had with your coffee to go this morning, because you missed breakfast, again. All those calories soon add up.

You can help combat this by keeping a food diary and pre-packing your lunch. This way you are giving yourself more time to make informed decisions and noticing where all the extra calories are sneaking in from.

It takes up to twenty minutes before your brain registers that your stomach is full, if your eating fast or on the run, you may not notice that you've already eaten all you need. Your then expanding your stomach before your next meal or snack, which will mean it will than take more food to fill you up, the next time you eat.

By eating more slowly and conscientiously, you will be better aware of what your body is trying to tell you and changing your eating habits accordingly.

When I started to take a closer look at my diet and exactly what I was eating on a daily basis. I was really shocked about some of the things I came to discover and that what you would assume is good for you, may well not be the case at all.

Products that are low in fat, are often high in sugar and similarly those low in sugar are often high in fat. Many products are packed with artificial colours, flavours and additives. Foods designed to aid weight loss are for the most part not so much healthier, just smaller and just because a product boasts that it is natural, does not technically make it so or at least not in the true sense of the word anyway. In short, it's always worth reading the label.

Fast food, take away meals and processed foods are also not the friend of a person trying to lose weight and live a healthy lifestyle.

If you're bodies not resting and recuperating properly at night, you'll still be feeling drained and tired during the day, your then going to be filling up on snacks for energy to see you through the day. You will crave sugar for a quick fix and be less alert to noticing your bodies natural signs and increasing your chances of over riding them.

Eating late at night will also put added strain on the digestive system and will not allow you the time needed to burn off any access calories.

The government advises that we eat at least five different fruit and vegetables a day.

Drinking five glasses of orange juice is no more beneficial then one and the emphasis is to keep the range of fruit and vegetables you eat varied.

Try to include as many different coloured food as possible, as each have different beneficial properties, including things like vitamins, minerals, iron and antioxidants.

If you really can't figure out why you are struggling to lose weight, you may have an undiagnosed medical problem, like an under-active thyroid or depression, which just maybe the cause.

If you think this is the case, see your local GP and they will be able to assist you.

When we hear the word diet, we associate it with deprivation and denial. We are told so often about all the things we can't have and very little about all the wonderful, foods we can have in abundance.

Certain foods are branded as bad or sins and all the pleasure is taken out of food, therefore eating becomes yet another chore.

This is detrimental in many ways, either temptation gets the better of us and we monumentally fall off the wagon, indulging in a long overdue binge.

We may also find that we don't end up eating enough and overriding our bodies signals by ignoring our hunger.

This also tends to lead itself to resenting the diet, feeling it's really not worth it after all and subsequently quitting.

If you feel like a cream bun or a portion of chips, then by all means treat yourself. It really won't hurt every now and again, as long as it's in moderation.

Sustainable, long term weight loss takes time, there really is no two ways about it. The best and most successful dieters, are the one's that set realistic and achievable targets.

The healthiest way to lose weight is little and often.

What is your ultimate goal, are you expecting to much of yourself?

Why do you want to lose weight? Is it to be happier and healthier, or is it because you think you should be supermodel skinny.

Everybody has a different body shape and sometimes the body you think you want is either extremely difficult to uphold or attain. Go easier on yourself and be realistic.