Lipsticks & Celery Sticks

Fast fact... Although chronic hunger (and crippling cravings!) is often associated with drastic dieting, it's not uncommon to initially feel famished (and fatigued) when following a calorie controlled diet that doesn't dictate and deprive. This is simply due to the fact that we're no longer fuelling our body with as much food (both our body and our brain require time to adapt to healthier eating habits and a reduced energy intake - particularly if our previous habits were predominantly poor and/or we chronically consumed a colossal amount of food), and often combine a calorie controlled diet with a regular exercise regime when working towards weight loss, an action that can take its toll physiologically (increased hunger/appetite) and mentally (feeling fatigued) if we're new to participating in physical activity, have a substantial amount of excess weight to eliminate and/or exercise excessively.  www.twitter.com/celerylips

Despite being renowned for reinforcing rebellion (and a raised risk of weight gain), diet plans continue to resemble one of our favoured slimming solutions for fighting the flab.   In order to emphasise why these dictative plans don't work, here are three reasons why this mainstream weight loss method is responsible for forcing dieters to resort back to their unhealthy eating habits and/or pile on the pounds... 1. They fail to acknowledge appetite. Although appetite differs on a daily basis, diet plans frequently fail to take this fundamental fact into consideration by dictating when we eat - a demand that can not only have detrimental consequences for our dress size as we feel forced to feed ourselves unnecessary nutrition at specific times, but shatter our self-esteem and self-efficacy (attributes that play a predominant part in successful slimming) when we succumb to scoffing a food source/s that isn't part of our plan's rigorous eating regime. 2. They teach us ...

Food for thought: how we feel after food can highlight unhealthy eating habits and existing health complications - the most common combinations being... 1.  Poor nutrition/feeling famished. Feeling famished after munching a meal is a common consequence of ingesting inadequate nutrition - be it due to restrictive eating as a result of dieting (our petite portions prevent us from feeling satisfied on a physiological scale), or the failure to fuel our body and brain with the 'right' foods (we opt for calorific convenience cuisine that subjects blood sugar to speedy spikes and slumps, and lacks satiety stimulating nutrients such as protein and fibre). 2. Overeating/feeling stuffed. A sense of sluggishness, particularly when paired with a 'stuffed' and swollen stomach, often occurs as a result of overeating - this most frequently stems from factors such as mindless eating (eating whilst distracted by TV and technology) and binge eating (an action that has a tendency ...

Fast fact... When it comes to the warped world of weight loss, it's not uncommon for both before and after pictures to be captured in a way which falsely promotes colossal change - the former being frequently (and purposely!) photographed in poor lighting and/or at an unflattering angle with imperfections (including a wider waistline!) intensified, and the latter skilfully shot (and photoshopped) in a way which makes the slimmer look trim, toned and tanned (everyone looks great with a golden glow!).  This not only fools us into thinking that we can share and sustain the same slimming success if we purchase the calculating company's (or consultant's) pills, plans and products, particularly if they're persistently promoted by a celebrity slimmer, but it also leaves us failing to fight the flab as a result of resorting to a misleading weight loss method that is incapable of creating the change that's been captured on camera - the change that's often been digi...