Why I Chose The Diet Solution

Lose Weight and Reduce Belly Fat Once and For All

The Diet Solution has helped me lose excess weight and get my flat stomach back!  If you’re like me you’ve had your own weight loss ups and downs.

I’ve been thin for most of my life.  But over the past couple years the weight has been creeping up on me, especially around my waist, so I finally got up on the scale and faced the truth.  I guess seeing that I weighed 171 pounds was enough to push me over.

I was tired of feeling bad about the way I look.  I hated to go out.  I couldn’t fit into the nice clothes I have in my closet, so wore baggy T shirts and sweat shirts that I “borrow” from my husband and son.

I allowed this to happen, and I deserved better, so I decided it was time to do something.  It was 12 days before Christmas, a crazy time to start a new exercise and eating plan, but I was ready to make changes right away.  Changes that would reduce belly fat in particular.

What is “The Diet Solution?”

There are lots of weight loss programs out there but I had seen some great reviews for The Diet Solution online and had thought about giving it a try, you know, some day.  Maybe in January, or when Summer rolled around.  But the day I weighed in at 171 pounds I knew the time had come!

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Isabel Before The Diet Solution

Isabel After The Diet Solution

The Diet Solution isn’t a fad or a crash diet.  It’s a long term lifestyle change that includes a healthy way of eating along with exercise. It teaches you how you can eat delicious food, combined the right way, to lose weight and keep it off, permanently.

The Diet Solution Program is an easy to follow, comprehensive weight loss program that will help you reduce  fat, increase your energy and improve your overall health without going hungry!

Isabel De Los Rios – Founder of “The Diet Solution”

Why Should You Try The Diet Solution?

• Get Results Fast – I’m living proof that it works!  I lost 4 pounds and 2 inches off my waist in the first 3 weeks (which included Christmas & New Year’s)
• Individualized Meal Plans and Shopping Lists Based on Your Metablolic Type
• No Calorie Counting
• You Don’t Have to Give Up Carbs!
• Easy to Start, Understand and Maintain
• Never go Hungry – Eat Real Delicious Food!
• Great Recipes
• Online Support
• Newsletters and Diet and Fitness Tips

I found out that I had a lot of misconceptions when it came to healthy eating and weight loss.  I’ve always been a carboholic and have avoided fat of all kinds as well as many sources of protein.  I admit that I clung on to calorie counting at first.  Wrong!

What The Diet Solution Taught Me:

• Calorie Counting Doesn’t Work for Long Term Weight Loss
• Restricting Calories is the Worst Thing You Can Do to Lose Weight
• Why Some So Called “Health Foods” Can Make You Gain Weight
• That You NEED to EAT in Order to Lose Weight…Amen!

It’s been 27 days for me and I’m still on my weight loss journey. But I’ve already come a long way to reduce belly fat and I’m looking forward to Summer for the first time in a long time.  First I gave up bathing suits, then shorts, then tank tops.  Not this year!

It’s up to you to decide for yourself.  Click on the banner below and get your Free 7 Day Starter Kit and lifetime subscription to Isabel’s “Nutritionist Tells All” Newsletter.

You Have Nothing to Lose But Your Unwanted Weight!

The Diet Solution

Obviously you DO have to work at this.  It’s not a magic pill.  It can also be inconvenient that the plan stresses organic foods so strongly.  They can be harder to find and are always more expensive.  But I don’t let that stop me.  I just stick to the program the best I can with what I have, and it IS working to reduce belly fat and help my lose weight.

About Isabel

Isabel De Los Rios, a certified nutritionist and a specialist in exercise,  has  helped more than 25,000 people a world wide lose their excess weight, get back their health and change their lives for the better.  A graduate of Rutgers University with a degree in exercise physiology, she is a certified conditioning and strength specialist.

Always consult your physician before starting an exercise or diet plan

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The Quickest Way to Lose Weight?

OK, so you gained back a few pounds.  Maybe it was the Holidays, an especially stressful time in your life, or even  a special occasion.  I hate to admit it but it happened to me over the Holidays this year.  Over indulging, even moderately, has left me feeling sluggish and bloated.  But with the New Year here it’s time to let go of the guilt and  get back on track!

So what is the quickest way to lose those unwanted pounds and inches?  For me it’s focusing on the basics of healthy eating.   Fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, nuts and whole grains!

When I want to drop a few pounds fast, and reset my mindset when it comes to eating, I take two weeks off from:  red meat, sugar, wheat, corn, alcohol, starch and cheese.

It’s a lot easier to stick to my plan when I’ve stocked up on the essentials like steel cut oats, fresh fruits and vegetables, tomato juice, nuts, and lean meats like chicken, fish, cottage cheese and Greek yogurt.

And this is my very favorite way to take the guess work out of what to eat when hunger strikes.  My home made soup.  Always ready, super healthy, nutritious and full of fiber.

You can adapt the recipe to suit your tastes and include your favorite ingredients.  A 2 cup portion can have as much as 4 servings of vegetables!

Click HERE for the basic recipe.

Breakfast (I rotate these 3):

Steel cut oats with blueberries and Greek yogurt

Two eggs scrambled with fresh spinach and red onions

Large serving (11.5 oz) of V8 juice with a handful of almonds

Lunch:

Big bowl of home made soup

Snack:

Another big bowl of home made soup

Dinner:

1 serving of lean meat

Salad with home made dressing

Fresh vegetables (all you want to eat!)

Of course sticking to, or getting back to, a regular exercise routine, and including LOTS of water every day are also part of the Quickest Way to Lose Weight!

With the Holidays here again most of us will no doubt put on a few pounds.  But there are steps we can take to avoid that extra weight. 

I actually started on the Diet Solution in mid December of last year and LOST weight during the Holidays!

1. Plan ahead.  Before you go to a gathering where you know there will be temptation, eat a healthy meal.  Then enjoy small portions of festive food and drink.

2. Stick to your regular work out schedule. We all know how important it is to work out regularly and if we over indulge, even just a little, it’s important to keep our metabolism up.

3. Schedule your cheat meals. When you’re planning to attend parties or holiday meals where you know you’ll be tempted, use those meals as your cheat meals. Then enjoy the meal without guilt and get back to your regular eating routine the next day.

4. Stick to your regular eating plan unless it’s a scheduled cheat. Then enjoy your occasional indulgence without guilt!

5. Use portion control. If you’re going to eat foods that you know you should avoid, at least eat them in smaller portions.

6. Stick to your guns.  Don’t allow others to sabotage you by tempting you to break with your plan.  Have a plan and stick to it!

7. Fill your plate with the healthiest food choices available.  If there are limited choices use portion control and plan to eat a healthy meal when you get home.

8. Watch your alcohol intake.  Plan to stick to a two drink limit and then switch to sparkling water.  You’ll thank yourself in the morning! 

9. Reward yourself for your efforts!  Looking forward to a new pair of running shoes or a massage would be a great way to keep you motivated when faced with all those Holiday temptations!

Flat Stomach Diet Plan

Eat This Not That An Easy Way to Lose Weight?

An easy way to lose weight is to start with some simple substitutions in your every day food choices.  In fact, there’s a series of “Eat This Not That” books on the subject!

Choices!

Here are a few  to get you started:

Avoid:  Sugary drinks or drinks with high fructose corn syrup.  Drinking empty calories is one of the easiest ways to gain unwanted weight.

Substitute:  Water.  Substituting water for just ONE sugary soda a day could amount to a 20 pound weight loss over a year!

Avoid:  Meats high in fat such as well marbled beef or fried chicken or fish.

Substitute:  Lean meats like skinless chicken, lean ground turkey (not all ground turkey is low in fat), and steamed or grilled fish.

Avoid:  Fruit flavored yogurt.  Many contain high fructose corn syrup and/or sugar.

Substitute:  Greek yogurt and low fat cottage cheese.  Eat them plain or add your own fresh fruit

Avoid:  Sugary cereals.  Check the label to make sure your cereal does not contain sugar or high fructose corn syrup.

Substitute:  Whole grain oatmeal or steel cut oats.  Steel cut oats with blueberries is one of my very favorite breakfasts and it keep me feeling full for hours.

Avoid:  Crackers and chips.  I know, they’re my favorites too but the calories in these snack foods add up pretty darn fast.

Substitute:  Nuts!  Nuts like almonds and seeds like sunflower seeds are packed with protein and make a perfect, healthy snack.  Just watch your portions because they are also high in calories.  A handful is all it takes to satisfy mid day hunger.

Avoid:  Packaged sweets like cookies and candy.

Substitute:  Dried fruit.  Just check the label to be sure that there is no added sugar.

There are several versions of the  Eat This Not That no diet, diet books available through Amazon.  They include “Cook This Not That”, “Grill This Not That” and even an eat this not that “Supermarket Survival Guide”.

You really can lose 10, 20 pounds, or even more, just by making simple substitutions to the foods you eat every day!

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What is Leptin and how does it effect weight loss?

Leptin, diet and leptin Resistance.

Hormone levels, especially leptin, play an important role in mediating hunger, regulating food intake, body weight and the assimilation of food.

Leptin is secreted by fat cells.  Its primary function is to replenish fat reserves when stored energy runs low.  Leptin helps the brain monitor the size of these fat stores and regulate them with appetite and energy expenditure.  When leptin levels are low your brain receives a signal that you’re hungry.

Your levels are determined by your calorie intake as well as the percentage of your body fat.  When you consume food your leptin levels rise signaling your brain that you’re full.  If your body fat is low your leptin level is low, which boosts your appetite, encouraging your body to store more fat.

But if your fat levels are high the brain may become immune to the appetite suppressing signals of leptin.  This is called leptin resistance.  Leptin resistance is common in people who are obese.

Leptin and Diet

We lose weight by reducing our calorie intake, sometimes drastically.  But prolonged calorie restriction causes our levels of leptin to fall.  Our bodies go into starvation mode and low leptin levels signal the brain that the body needs food.  The body reduces energy expendeture to compensate for the lack of food intake, which in turn lowers our  metabolism.

This is where we start having problems losing weight.  With thyroid hormones falling, and the hormones cortisol and ghrelin rising, our metabolism begins to conserve energy, causing increased appetite and fat storage.  Leptin Resistance.

What is Leptin Resistance?

Leptin resistance describes the condition where the  brain stops responding to signals from leptin.  Leptin resistance is often associated with weight gain and obesity.

The brain loses sensitivity to leptin due to excessive calorie intake and body fat and you feel hungry all the time, which results in overeating and weight gain.

Even with high blood levels of leptin, the body doesn’t get the satiety signal.  The brain goes into starvation mode even though the body is getting too many calories.

Leptin resistance increases appetite, especially for high calorie foods and junk foods.  It can also lead to other hormone problems such as insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, thyroid problems, heart disease, arthritis, osteoporosis, low testosterone (in men) and other chronic diseases.

How Do You Maintain High Leptin Levels and Still Lose weight?

Start With Your Diet

Eat a balanced diet that includes 40% of your calories from complex carbohydrates, 30% from lean protein and 30% from healthy fats.

Avoid processed carbohydrates.  Focus on healthy sources of carbohydrates like fruits, vegetables, low fat dairy products and whole grains. Eat lean proteins and avoid fatty cuts of meat.  Choose healthy fats rich in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats like fish, olives, avocados and nuts.

Drink water.  Dehydration makes you leptin resistant and makes it difficult to lose weight despite your efforts. Drinking two quarts of cold filtered water boosts metabolism and helps leptin levels.

Don’t starve yourself!  Vary your calorie intake day to day with the goal of lowering your overall calorie intake week to week.

Eat foods that alleviate leptin resistance like fresh fruits and vegetables that are high in antioxidants and calm inflammation.

You shouldn’t skip meals, especially breakfast.  Avoid going for long periods of time without eating. Try to eat every 3-4 hours when awake.

Consume 1000-4000 mg of Omega-3 fatty acids a day.  Four ounces of salmon offers about 2000 mg of omega-3 fatty acids. If you’re not a fan of  salmon you can take a high quality supplement to get the Omega 3 you need.

Excess body fat is the most common cause of inflammation and inflammation causes leptin resistance by dulling the brain’s receptors.  Reduce body fat and you will also reduce inflammation.  Avoid foods high in fat, processed foods and refined carbohydrates, which can lead to leptin resistance.

Including anti-inflammatory herbs and spices (such as turmeric, ginger, nutmeg and rosemary) in your diet will also help reduce inflammation.

Avoid sugar.  Sugar, as well as high fructose corn syrup, has been found to cause leptin resistance leading to weight gain and obesity.

Form Healthy Habits

Exercise daily.  Aim for an hour a day.  The combination of regular exercise and healthy eating is  key to and losing weight and managing leptin levels.

Reduce stress to help control levels of cortisol and regulate leptin.

Get enough sleep.  You need 6-8 hours of sleep each night for leptin to work properly.

There are a lot of misconceptions out there when it comes to losing weight and eating healthfully.  Here are a few weight loss myths to consider.

Weight Loss Myths?

10 Exercise Tips to Help You Lose Weight

There are things you can do to improve the effectiveness of your work outs.  Here are 10 quick exercise tips to help you lose weight and stay motivated.

• Make sure you get a good night’s sleep and limit stress.

• Stay hydrated.  Be sure to drink plenty of water during the day to help remove toxins and reduce hunger.  Watch out for the empty calories in some sports drinks.

• Do something you enjoy.  Exercise can be fun and choosing an activity you enjoy doing will help keep you motivated.

• Do resistance training first.  By doing your weight training before your cardio you’ll deplete the glycogen stored in your muscles forcing your body to burn fat for fuel during the cardio portion of your workout.  This is my favorite exercise tip!

• Exercise in the morning if possible.  Get your workout in before the distractions of the day get in the way.

• Stick to a schedule.  You need to be committed to work out consistently if you want to see real results.  You can start off with 15 minutes 3 times a week and build from there.  Aim for at least 5 times a week for a minimum of 30 minutes.

• Make sure you breathe properly.  Your body uses more oxygen when you exercise so breathe deeply.

• Warm up and cool down.   Stretching for 5 minutes before and after exercise will help prevent injuries and muscle fatigue.

• Work out with a friend.  Having a work out buddy can help keep you motivated!

• Listen to music or books on tape while you exercise.   Just be careful to be aware of your surroundings while you do.

If you have any exercise tips of your own that you would like to share please leave a comment.  I’d love to hear about them!

Click Here to Get Your Free 7 Day Fat Loss E-Course

Be sure to consult your physician before starting any diet or exercise program

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Download Your Free Weight Loss Percentage Calculator

Weight loss percentage calculator – this free download includes a Calorie Counter, Nutritional Facts, Quotes to help keep you Motivated and Exercise Programs Customized just for You!  Track your Body Mass Index (BMI) and daily nutritional needs to help you meet your fitness goals!

Requires No Registration

You can take the guesswork out of weight loss with this free weight loss tool.  Decide how much weight you want to lose and how quickly you want to lose it.  Know how many calories are in the food you eat vs how many calories you burn on a daily basis.  Then adjust your exercise and or eating habits to meet your goals.

It’s important to get the right nutrition, especially when on a reduced calories diet.  This free download provides nutritional facts help you make the best food choices for your healthy weight loss plan.

Customize your own exercise program to ensure you burn the desired number of calories every day.

The Daily Fitness Center also includes a BMI (Body Mass Index) calculator.  Your BMI is a calculation based on your weight and height.  The BMI formula provides a chart of acceptable BMI ranges to help you achieve your ideal, healthy weight.

Need motivation?  The Daily Fitness Center also provides motivational quotes to help you stay on course and meet your weight loss and fitness goals.

Taking advantage of this weight loss percentage calculator and the other tools available through The Daily Fitness Center can help you achieve your diet, nutrition and weight loss goals faster.  And it’s fun to use!

Download The Daily Fitness Center

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If you’re like me and you have high cholesterol, you may be wondering how to lower cholesterol naturally.

Here are some simple changes you can make to your diet to help get your number down.

• Replace the half and half in your coffee with skim milk.

• Cook with virgin olive ( a monounsaturated fat) oil, nut oils or grape seed oil rather than butter (a saturated fat).

• When eating out at a restaurant avoid foods that have been fried, breaded or are covered in heavy sauces.  Instead, choose dishes that are grilled, steamed, baked or broiled.

• Eat  nuts!  Besides being delicious and high in protein nuts can help lower bad cholesterol.  Just be sure to watch your portion sizes and stick with 1-1.5 ounces for a healthy snack.

• Add beans to your diet.  Beans are high in soluble fiber, which binds to cholesterol to remove it from your system.  Beans make a wonderful addition to salads (as do nuts) and they also add vegetable protein to your diet.  But watch out for refried beans.  Restaurants sometimes add lard to them and some canned varieties also have saturated fat added to them.

• Have oatmeal for breakfast.  Oatmeal, like beans, is high in soluble fiber and helps to lower cholesterol naturally.

• Choose lean, grass fed red meat rather than fatty cuts like marbled steak.  Again, watch your portion size, limiting servings to 5 ounces.  This can lead to a significant reduction in cholesterol.

• Drink green tea.  Green tea contains antioxidants called catechins which help lower cholesterol.  Aim for a minimum of 3 cups a day.

• Get more active.  Exercise not only helps you lose weight it improves your good cholesterol (HDL).

How to Lower Cholesterol Naturally

Foods Not to Eat When Losing Weight

There are certain foods not to eat when trying to lose weight, no matter how much we love them.  Here are some you should to avoid.

Foods that cause inflammation:

• cheddar cheeses
• fast food
• fat free salad dressings (most contain sugar)
• french fries
• fruit juice cocktails (high in sugar)
• ice cream
• oils – vegetable, corn and canola
• pasta
• processed foods
• snack foods
• soft drinks, caffeinated and alcoholic beverages
• sugar, in any form
• white bread

Foods that contain trans-fatty acids:

• anything with partially hydrogenated oil
• artificial cheese
• chips – potato, corn/tortilla
• cinnamon rolls, doughnuts, pie crust, pastries
• commercial baked goods
• crackers
• deep fat fried foods
• margarine and shortening
• prepared mixes – cake, muffins etc.

Foods that are genetically modified such as:

• Canola Oil
• Corn
• Cottonseed Oil
• Soy

Also watch out for common “diet” foods not to eat that may actually sabotage your weight loss efforts:

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Add Seeds to Your Diet

Like nuts, the many benefits of seeds make them a healthy, delicious addition to your diet.

Flaxseed and Flaxseeds Oil

Flaxseed: At 50% Flaxseeds are super high in heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids.  The regular consumption of ground Flaxseed is shown to help reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes by lowering cholesterol, and blood sugar, as well as the inflammation associated with arthritis.

Flaxseed is high in lignans, with up to 800 times the amount as in any other plant food.  Flaxseed is high in alpha linolenic acid (ALA) which, like lignans, has been found to be a promising cancer fighting agent, especially breast and colon cancer.

Looking to add more fiber to your diet?  One ounce of flax provides 32% of the USDA’s recommended daily intake of fiber.  Note that ground Flax is better utilized by the body as whole flax will move through the digestive system without breaking down.

Phytoestrogens are estrogen like substances that are found in plants and Flax is the richest known plant source of phytoestrogens.  They act as a natural hormone therapy helping to stabilize hormonal levels which can help alleviate the symptoms of menopause.

Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin Seeds: Also known as Pepitas they are delicious and full of nutrients! Pumpkin Seeds are very high in omega-3 fatty acids.  They also contain minerals such as magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, iron, copper and zinc. The vitamins in pumpkin seeds include the B vitamins riboflavin, thiamin, vitamin B6, niacin (B3), vitamin A, folate, pantothenic acid and vitamin K, which can help prevent or treat osteoporosis.

Pumpkin seeds also contain phytosterols which may inhibit the growth of breast or prostate cancer or reduce the risk of these cancers.

Pepitas also contain L-tryptophan, which can help fight against depression.

Sesame Seeds

Sesame Seeds: Sesame Seeds are high in omega-9 monounsaturated fatty acids.

They and are also an excellent source of minerals like copper, which is known for reducing the effects of rheumatoid arthritis, manganese, which can help protect colon cells from cancer causing chemicals, magnesium which supports respiratory and vascular health, calcium which has been shown to help reduce cancer risk as well as osteoporosis, migraines and PMS, zinc which helps fight osteoporosis, and iron.

Like pumpkin seeds, Sesame seeds also contain phytosterols which are believed to reduce cholesterol while helping to decrease the risk of certain cancers and L-tryptophan to fight depression.

Sunflower Seeds

Sunflower Seeds: When I was a kid I used to eat sunflower seeds by the bag full.  Little did I know that they were such a rich source of  amino acids such as L-tryptophan which are essential for growth, especially in children.

Sunflower seeds are packed with vitamins, including vitamin B1 and B5, vitamin E and folate.

They’re also an excellent source of minerals like copper, magnesium, selenium and phosphorous.

In addition they provide Lignans, Arginine and Phenolic Acids.

All of these are what make Sunflower seeds an important addition to your diet to help prevent or aid with certain deceases and illnesses like cancer, asthma, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis, clogged arteries, heart attacks and stroke.

They can also help reduce the frequency and severity of hot flashes associated with menopause.

Delicious and nutritious they can be added to recipes and are great to keep on hand as a quick snack.  The benefits of seeds in our diets is really amazing!

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