Are You Still Fat? I Think Your Diet Is To Blame - written by Sarah Elena Elliott

Losing weight isn't a mystery. It requires eating healthy foods, regular exercise, and drinking as much water as you can stand. For whatever reason, it's easy for us to know what we need to do, but much harder to actually do it.

If you're in dieting mode, you may look at your dietary changes as temporary, something you work on until you reach your goal. You may even see your diet program as a crutch, something you depend on to change your behaviors. A bad dieting slip up can mess up your progress for weeks on end. Your diet program does not consider emotions and stress that may lead you to overeat.

The "you can never eat that again" mentality of dieting makes us desire junk food even more.

Weekends often become an excuse to overindulge. Finally we get to order those cheese fries we've been eying all week! Work parties or gatherings with friends or family turn into feasts and can get us off track for the days following. We always say "just this once" and that we'll go right back to our diet afterwards. Those indulgences add up making your goal that much further in the future.

When you get out of the dieting mindset and into the healthy living for the rest of your life mindset you will find that you can enjoy all foods in a moderate way. Listening to your body will make the biggest difference. Learn to experience real hunger, and enjoy real food that your body craves. Having junk food cravings is normal, everyone has them. It doesn't mean that you have to satisfy your every craving. If you really do want something that is high in calories and low in nutrients then allow yourself whatever it is when you're hungry and in moderation. Savor it and do not allow yourself to feel guilty about it.

Keep going no matter what; don't let small setbacks grow into larger day-long binges. Learn from your mistakes and move forward. The only way to lose weight is to be consistent. Once you've formed your new habits, they will stick with you for a lifetime. You will never have to diet again. All you have to do is listen to your body. Your body craves nutrients and will lead you to eating them.

Weight loss doesn't have to be slow and dreadful. Think about the healthy and slim people in your life, are they tracking all of their calories? Chances are they aren't. Thin people are aware of what they are eating usually but they don't keep track every single thing like fat dieters tend to. If they had a carb heavy breakfast, chances are they will stick to a light dinner. They make exercise a priority and stick to common sense when it comes to eating.