The word “diet” has always been associated with weight loss and negativity. Self-induced starvation and food withdrawal can induce symptoms that could turn the most pleasant of individuals into Attila the Hun or Lizzy Borden. nnn The goal of dieting is to lose weight and body fat, which would ideally lead to better health and improve other medical conditions; lower blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, etc. When I talk to people about dieting they inquire about information regarding food plans ranging from high protein diets to programs whose caloric intake so low that a Venus flytrap plant would starve. Weight loss at its basics is “calories in” versus “calories out.” Using a scale is the typical way to measure if a diet is working; but body weight is just a number. It doesn’t tell you how well that dress or suit well fit you, or how much more energy you will have. Over the years I have found that by working on your eating habits and structures this will increase the benefits of any program you choose to use as well as help you learn how to keep the weight off in the long run. Using various techniques that I have devised for food tracking, you will get a better understanding of how to be successful, not just in the short term, but for the rest of your life. I have always wanted to change the perception of how one approaches weight loss, that adding what you may be lacking is more important than cutting back on nutrition. Dieting is usually associated with giving up calories. What if dieting wasn’t about food? What if going on a diet was about having more? Imagine accomplishing your health or weight goals by having more! More water, more exercise, more sleep, more fruit and vegetables, more muscles, more shape, more energy. The MORE concept still requires give and take. If I get more sleep I usually will eat less. If I eat more fruit and vegetables the fiber will fill me up and I won’t want to eat as much because I won’t feel as hungry. If I get more exercise in I will lose more body fat and get into better shape. By applying the concepts of  “MORE” there will be less of you, and sometimes more is really less. 1) Set Realistic Goals 2) Your goal weight should be a weight that fits your lifestyle. (Ex.) To weigh 135 you may have to eat 1700 calories a day and workout five times a week. To weigh 141 you may have to eat 2000 calories a day and workout 3 times a week. Which fits your lifestyle? 3) There is no such thing as “Perfect Maintenance”. Being perfect in weight loss doesn’t teach you anything. It’s what you do after you over eat that keeps your weight off. 4) Practice moderation. Avoid going from one extreme to another. Imagine it’s your birthday and you go out and have champagne and cake and you over eat. The next day do not reduce your calories; you should eat “normal.” It would take a great deal of over eating to gain one pound in a day. And the goal is long-term success, not how fast you can take off one pound. 5) Drink lots of water. It will fill you up, and help minimize any feelings of hunger. 6) Eat until you are no longer hungry, not full. Full is not ok. Usually when were full we have over eaten. Stop before you feel that way. Remember you can always get more food. 7) Have dessert. Enjoying dessert is normal. Dessert can be an apple or a slice of pie. Remember it is a treat, so have what you want, but only one serving. 8) Clothes never lie. Scales will vary. Sometimes the scale doesn’t move, but if your clothes are fitting looser your probably on the right track. 9) If you are feeling lethargic or rundown, you may need more food. Make sure you are taking a multivitamin to ensure adequate nutrition. 10) Do not rely on vitamins for nutrition. Use them only as a supplement. Vitamins help release the energy from food. Vitamins do nut supply fiber for the digestive system. The body absorbs nutrition better from an organic source such as food rather than from a non-organic source such as vitamins. Contact Chicago Personal Training to get started on your weight loss and fitness program; Call 847-772-3487 or click on the link below for more information.