Alot of people approach me asking me the best way to lose weight. As we know the nation is becoming more and more obese, in fact the percentage of obese people in the UK is getting close to the figures in America.

Sadly, my reply to those people is never a simple one. There are many factors that affect weight loss/fat loss so I will always ask the following questions relating to diet, sleep and stress.

* Are you eating a lot of processed food?

* Are you snacking all day?

* Do you eat late at night?

* Do you drink a lot of alcohol?

* Do you eat enough?

* Do you go for long periods without eating then binge on a big meal?

* How many times in your life have you been on a calorie-restricted diet such as the cabbage soup diet or shake diet?

* Do you fast too much and too often?

* If you exercise, are you doing the right kind of exercise to meet your goals?

* Are you overtraining , doing too much exercise?

* Do you get enough sleep and what is the quality of sleep you get?

* Do you rest and recover enough, not just at night when you go to bed but in the day and at weekends?

* Do you give yourself complete days off from work and exercise?

* Do you feel tired all the time?

* Are you stressed at work , in the family, or in relationships?

* Are you struggling with something that’s effecting your emotions?

Every single one of these will affect weight and fat loss in a BIG way.

Why? Because they will affect your hormones. And if your hormones are out of balance then weight loss and fat loss will be almost impossible.

No matter how much you exercise and eat the correct foods – which is generally the first thing most people address – you will not lose weight/fat in the long term because your hormones are out of balance.

I suggest you write down these questions and fill in your answers. It will bring attention to what is really happening in your life.

When you gradually address all these factors you will be in a good place to achieve your goals.

Exercise and eat correctly but then take your time to work through the process of sorting out those areas which your answers reveal need attention and you will begin to notice a big difference, not just in your body physically, but also mentally.

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