“Eight hidden secrets that may help shed body fat”

According to statistics compiled by The National Eating Disorders Information Center, 70% of women and 35% of men are dieting at any given time. Interestingly, as the diet industry gets wealthier by selling weight loss dreams, Americans are not moving toward weight loss but in the complete opposite direction. Obesity is at an all time high. America has the dubious distinction of being the fattest country in the industrialized world.

If you've tried every fad diet but failed to reach your desired body weight you may be up against several obstacles. In two decades of nutrition research and clinical practice, Stephanie Dalvit-McPhillips PhD, a registered dietician and a doctor of nutrition biochemistry, has identified dozens of hidden triggers that can cause fat gain in some cases even when you don't overeat.

Some triggers alter your metabolism, causing you to burn fat and calories inefficiently. Others spark irresistible cravings that give way to out-of-control bingeing. The key is to identify and avoid your personal triggers. Here are eight to be aware of:

Sensory cues If you've claimed to gain weight just by looking at food, you may be right. In a recent Yale University study, insulin levels skyrocketed in hungry individuals exposed to the sight, smell and even the mere mention of charcoal steaks. Participants’ bodies starting converting glucose to fat even before they had taken their first bite. What to do: Don't linger near buffet tables or dessert tables when you're hungry.

Lack of fiber Low fiber diets typically provide a lot of fat and calories but few nutrients. Such diets lack bulk, which means you need to eat more to feel full. High fiber foods are filling, nutritionally dense and relatively low in fat and refined sugar. They also help stabilize blood glucose and insulin levels.

What to do: Get at least 25 grams of fiber in your daily diet.

Insufficient calories When you limit your calories to 1,000 or fewer daily, your body starts to leach protein from lean body tissue, destroying the muscle mass necessary to burn fat and calories. You also begin to produce an overabundance of lipoprotein lipase, an enzyme that stores fat in your cells. At first you may drop pounds but once you resume eating normally, your body will convert what it now perceives as excess calories to fat.

What to do: Don't eat fewer than 1,400 calories daily.

Diet foods Despite the catchy labeling, these foods can be packed with sugar and calories. Sugar free products may contain aspartame or saccharin that can provoke a sweet tooth.

What to do: Read ingredient and nutrition labels.

Salt and flavor enhancers Salt tends to trigger compulsive eating. It may trigger hormonal changes that amplify hunger. In addition to salt, food manufacturers choose from more than 2,000 flavor enhancers to make packaged snacks and meals irresistible. But many of these ingredients, such as monosodium glutamate and ammonium carbonate, may cause you to not only eat more, but also to store more of what you eat as fat.

What to do: Avoid salt and foods with artificial flavor boosters. Use lemon, herbs, balsamic vinegar and no-salt substitutes.

Thirst Most often confused for hunger. We neglect to count the calories we drink. For example, most 12 oz. sodas contain 150 empty calories.

What to do: Before surrendering to cravings, drink a glass of water or herbal tea.

Caffeine and nicotine Often called appetite suppressants, caffeine and nicotine actually increase hunger and cravings in some individuals. Both trigger our fight or flight response. This causes glucose to flood into the bloodstream, providing quick energy and temporarily suppressing appetite. But as blood glucose rises so does insulin. Within one hour of consuming caffeine (even as little as one cup) or nicotine, glucose levels nosedive, leaving you ravenous.

What to do: Avoid caffeine for three months. Are you able to forgo that midmorning doughnut? Have you shed pounds? If so caffeine is a trigger to be avoided. Nicotine should be avoided, weight gain trigger or not.

Not enough sleep Sleep-deprived people may increase their daily calorie consumption by as much as 15% according to research conducted at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta.

What to do: Strive for eight hours of sleep a night.

In addition to these hidden triggers that may help you in your fat loss program, aerobic and resistance training exercises still remain the cornerstone for best results.

May God bless you with vibrant health.