The importance of the right amount of movement at the right time #CBHealthNY

On our #StubbornFatFix plan, you exercise only once you feel ready. For many people, that’s only after losing a considerable amount of weight. Trying to force your body through intense cardio or weight lifting routines from the very beginning of a diet usually backfires. Why? In the beginning, with your metabolism out of balance, exercise just causes even more imbalance by keeping you in a burned-out state. It taxes your body at a time when you need rest. Plus, you feel tired. Who wants to exercise when they’re tired? It’s much better to change your eating first and then slowly add in exercise once you feel more energetic.

Watch your cheese portions #TheStubbornFatFix

We recommend you eat only 3 to 4 ounces daily, for many reasons. Cheese is easy to overeat. Many people head to the fridge thinking that they will have just one slice, then find they can’t stop until they’ve polished off a half pound. Dairy products contain carbohydrate in the form of lactose. Although cheese is lower in lactose than milk is, it’s still not a food you can eat without limits. Cheese also contains high amounts of salt, which can raise blood pressure and cause bloating in susceptible people. When you bloat from excess salt, you retain water. Your weight does not go down on the scale and you feel pudgy around the middle. If you have done a low-carb diet in the past and your LDL levels have not fallen, cheese may have been one of the culprits.

Know Yourself & Your Food Risk Situations #TheStubbornFatFix

We all have trigger foods that are addictive. Not only can you not hold yourself to a reasonable portion of these foods, but they actually induce physical sensations, such as sweating and a racing heartbeat. If you want to indulge in chocolate but you know you cannot stop at two squares, then do not indulge in chocolate. If you have an insulin disadvantage, this is extremely important because any dessert has the potential to swing your blood sugar up and down, triggering intense cravings for more sweets. Make the best choice you can in any given situation, get back on the plan as soon as possible, and look at ways to solve the problem that caused you to go off the plan in the first place.

To reduce stress, get out of the house #TheStubbornFatFix

Have you ever noticed that you sleep better and feel happier when you have a busy social calendar? That’s because engaging socially helps your body relax. The vagus nerve- which connects the brain stem to the heart, lungs, and intestines- slows heart rate, lowers blood pressure, and calms the body. Part of this nerve, called the myelinated vagus, links the brain nerves to the face, allowing facial expressions to influence stress response. When you tune in to social cues- the smiles and laughter of your friends- these nerves send calming signals to your body.

The Importance of Mental Activity #TheStubbornFatFix

If you don’t already take part in a hobby, think about starting one. Activities such as painting, dancing, singing, and knitting help boost your sense of self, which can go a long way toward helping you stick with a new way of eating. They also keep you busy, which is important when losing weight. Boredom often leads to only one thing: thoughts about foods you wish you didn’t find tempting.

If You Need Salty Snacks #TheStubbornFatFix

“No one can eat just one” is such an apt slogan for a potato chip. Once a week, you may have a single 1-ounce serving of any trans fats-free snack, such as pretzels or baked potato chips. (Check the list of ingredients to make sure the word hydrogenated does not appear. Packaged foods can claim they have zero trans fat even if they have up to 0.5 gram per serving.) Always consume salty snacks with a little fat to slow digestion and help you stay in control. Have them with 1 to 2 tablespoons of peanut or almond butter, avocado, ricotta cheese, or hummus.

The Dangers of Trans Fat #TheStubbornFatFix

Trans fatty acids are created when manufacturers partially hydrogenate vegetable oils, whipping the fats with hydrogen to make them solid at room temperature. These fats were invented in a lab a century ago to provide a cheap alternative to butter. At the time, it may have seemed like a good idea, but maybe the joke is on us. The consumption of hydrogenated trans fat from vegetable oils (found in margarine, baked goods, fried foods, and most processed foods) jumped 400 percent during the 1900s. Trans fat carries a number of health risks, including infertility and ovulation problems, heart disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity.