Tropical Weight Loss
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What should I eat if I crave chips?

Curb Your Craving With This Reach for kale chips, air-popped popcorn, and crunchy produce like apples, celery, and carrots. Dip veggie sticks into hummus if you feel the urge for chips and dip coming on!

When was Sierra Mist Cranberry discontinued?
When was Sierra Mist Cranberry discontinued?

Discontinued Name Dates of production Sierra Mist (HFCS version) 1999–2010 2016–2018 Sierra Mist Free 2004–2008 Sierra Mist Cranberry Splash...

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What is the most unhealthiest soda ever?
What is the most unhealthiest soda ever?

After you're done crossing these sugar bombs off your shopping list, be sure to try out any of the Healthiest Foods to Eat Right Now. Fanta Piña...

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Getting to the Root of What’s Fueling Your Food Cravings

There’s a lot of talk about food cravings stemming from nutritional deficiencies, but research has not proved this to be true. If you've ever been tempted to blame your chocolate urges on a magnesium deficiency, Kimberly Snyder, a clinical nutritionist and the author of The Beauty Detox Power, would beg to disagree. She claims your desire for chocolate is more likely coming from an emotional place than a biological one. “I do believe it’s important to listen to your body and feel what foods you are naturally drawn to,” says Snyder. “Overall though, many common cravings are tied to emotional root causes. We often crave foods with specific textures — crunchy, soft, creamy, or smooth — and these textures correspond to particular emotions.” “There are two types of hunger,” explains Amy Gorin, RDN, of Amy Gorin Nutrition, in the New York City area. “Homeostatic hunger, or the physical need to eat, and hedonic hunger, the desire to eat foods for pleasure.” For instance, she notes, “you might be craving salt when your body actually needs it, such as after a hard workout during which you lost salt through sweating. Or you might be craving the salty food as more of a comfort food, since foods that tend to be salty are also ones that are higher in fat, like potato chips, which is what we crave sometimes during hedonic hunger.” It’s not hard to grasp the psychological component of food cravings and how we may have been conditioned, from childhood, to want certain foods right now. Take sweets, for instance. “Most of us grew up with sweets being presented as a reward,” says Snyder. “The very anticipation of a reward triggers the neurotransmitter dopamine in our brain and studies show that regular bingeing on sugar stimulates dopamine — the ‘feel-good’ chemical, which is very addictive.” Or maybe you don’t have an out-of-control sweet tooth but you still find yourself wanting to reach for the carton of cookie dough ice cream. Snyder sees clients craving fatty foods like ice cream and cream-laden dishes during extremely busy times, when they are being pulled in different directions. “During these times, fat can feel stabilizing. It’s heavy in your stomach and takes a while to digest, which can feel like it is grounding for you,” she says. Different cravings also appear to have different consequences. A study published in December 2015 in the journal Eating Behaviors looked at the relationship between food cravings and addictive eating. Researchers found that cravings for sweets and other foods high in carbohydrates may be more closely linked with bingeing and other addictive eating behaviors, while cravings for fats seem to be more closely associated with increased body mass index. Cravings announce themselves clearly, but what’s behind them is complex, and various factors come into play. While cravings aren’t always tied to emotional eating, before you reach for that piece of cake or bowl of pasta, check to see if your emotions may be to blame — and learn the smart ways to combat the cravings.

Additional reporting by Deborah Shapiro.

What carbs should I avoid to lose belly fat?
What carbs should I avoid to lose belly fat?

Cut the carbs—When you cut out refined carbs like white bread, rice, bagels, pasta, cookies, candy and chips and focus on nutrient- and fiber-rich...

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How quickly do you lose weight on phentermine?
How quickly do you lose weight on phentermine?

Effective for weight loss The average weight loss when taking phentermine is 3% of your initial body weight after 3 months and 5–7% after 6 months....

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Should I only eat when hungry to lose weight?

Hunger Cues By letting your hunger guide you through your weight loss journey -- and only eating when you feel hungry -- you should be able to effectively lose weight. Symptoms of hunger may include fatigue, dizziness, weakness, a drop in blood sugar and stomach cramping.

Letting your hunger be a guide is an effective weight loss strategy. Eating when you're not hungry, or for emotional reasons such as anger, sadness or boredom, can be a major contributor to weight gain. Paying attention to your hunger cues and reducing your calorie intake is essential to shed excess weight. However, eating too few calories is not only unnecessary for weight loss—it can also be dangerous.

Minimum Safe Intake

Unless you’re supervised by your healthcare provider, avoid consuming fewer than 1,000 calories a day. According to Weight-control Information Network, very low-calorie diets containing 800 calories or less can lead to nausea, fatigue and gallstone formation. Eating too few calories long term can also cause nutrient deficiencies. Most likely, you’ll feel hungry if you reduce your calorie intake below 1,000 calories a day.

Calorie Recommendations

According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, effective weight loss diets for men, active women and women who weigh more than 164 pounds consist of 1,200 to 1,600 calories per day, while most other women can safely lose weight using 1,000- to 1,200-calorie diets. If you feel hungry on the plan you choose, slightly boost your calorie intake. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends reducing your current intake by 500 to 1,000 calories a day to safely lose 1 to 2 pounds per week.

Hunger Cues

By letting your hunger guide you through your weight loss journey -- and only eating when you feel hungry -- you should be able to effectively lose weight. Symptoms of hunger may include fatigue, dizziness, weakness, a drop in blood sugar and stomach cramping. Avoid emotional eating -- eating when you feel lonely, sad, stressed or bored -- and being around food you tend to crave, like fried foods and sweets.

Meal Frequency

What's the best coffee for weight loss?
What's the best coffee for weight loss?

Black Coffee Black Coffee Is Best for Weight Loss “A cup of plain, black coffee has two to five calories,” Pham says, and “consuming a cup can...

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How long will it take to lose 15 pounds on a 1200 calorie diet?
How long will it take to lose 15 pounds on a 1200 calorie diet?

After 1 year, those on the 1,200–1,500-calorie-per-day diet experienced an average weight loss of 15 pounds (6.8 kg). Jun 11, 2020

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What is an estrogen belly?
What is an estrogen belly?

Many women also notice an increase in belly fat as they get older — even if they aren't gaining weight. This is likely due to a decreasing level of...

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What are the dangers of Thermogenics?
What are the dangers of Thermogenics?

Many people tolerate thermogenic supplements just fine, but they can cause unpleasant side effects in some ( 34 , 35 ). The most common complaints...

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