Why You Need Help Losing Weight.

We all know how to lose weight. Eat healthier foods, watch your portion sizes, and exercise more often. It’s a simple formula — so in theory, we should all have no problem getting to our goal weights and staying there.

But obviously it’s not that easy, or we’d all be at our ideal weights right now. So if we’re all following the same basic rulebook, why are some people successful and others need help losing weight?

The difference is mental toughness. Resilience, determination, willpower — whatever you want to call it, your mindset is what will ultimately make or break your weight-loss success.

We’re not saying you can simply think yourself thin. The rules still apply: You need to fine-tune your nutrition and break a sweat regularly. But if you want to be successful — if you want this time to be different — you need to have your head in the game. Because your healthiest intentions will be tested. You’ll have stressful times and comfort-food cravings and days when you just can’t get motivated to work out. And that’s when your brain needs to step up to the plate and keep you on track.

5 Easy Food Swaps For A Healthier Diet

Check out these food swaps to help reduce calories. Let me know what you think.

Related: This is 200 calories

How Much Protein Should You eat To Lose Weight?

Experts are pushing the protein when it comes to weight loss, and for good reason, because it regulates your appetite and satiates hunger. But if loading up on tons of protein is your main focus at mealtimes, you might be getting more than you need.

Certified dietitian Leslie Langevin, MS, RD, CD, of Whole Health Nutrition says to aim for "no more than 20 to 30 grams of protein at each meal." This is in line with the CDC's recommendation for women ages 19 to 70 to get an average of 46 grams of protein per day. But since everyone's weight and activity level matter, this handy chart should help you determine exactly how much protein you need in a day.

 Related: 3 Protein Mistakes You Could Be Making

So why only 20 to 30 grams at each meal? If you've heard that eating more protein is better for weight loss, it's true, but Leslie says, "The body can only absorb 20 to 30 grams at one time. Eating this amount of protein is a good target per meal because that will help with satiety and be the max your body can absorb at the meal for muscle repair." This leaves room for the other nutrients your body needs. For the perfect weight-loss meal, you always want to combine your protein with carbs for sustained energy and both fibre and healthy fats to keep you feeling fuller longer.

So there's no need to eat scrambled eggs with your morning protein smoothie. And Leslie says you definitely don't want to focus on just animal protein. Plant-based protein like legumes, leafy greens, whole grains, nuts, and soy products offer fibre and are necessary for everyone to "help reduce heart disease, cancer, and can help with weight control."

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What Is A Ketogenic Diet?

A ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high-fat, adequate protein diet that was initially developed in the ’20s to help people with neurological diseases such as epilepsy. On a ketogenic diet, you’re attempting to get your body into ketosis, which is a metabolic state where you begin to use fat as your primary source of fuel.

What Is Ketosis?

Usually, our bodies rely on carbs as the first source of energy. Carbs are broken down into sugar when you eat them, leading to the production of insulin, a hormone that tells your cells to use the sugar for energy now or store it for use later.

“When you only eat a very limited amount of carbs, your body breaks down fatty acids from fat stores and forms ketones, which are released into the bloodstream by the liver,” says Alissa Rumsey M.S., R.D., C.S.C.S., and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “Ketosis occurs when blood ketones are higher than normal.”

Where Does Fat Go When You Lose It?

This may seem like a silly question, but it's one we've all pondered at least a few times along our weight-loss journeys. Where does the fat go when we lose weight? Do the fat cells burst and flush out? Do we expel it during bathroom breaks? Do little fairies fly in at night and swipe away all that unwanted jiggle? Let's get into the science, dispel some myths, and answer some (fat-)burning questions.

First of all, there is a difference between weight loss and fat loss. Weight loss is an overall decrease in the number on the scale. This could be from water loss, muscle loss, fat loss, or even getting a drastic haircut (and no, we're not referencing your fringe in school). Fat loss, however, is the amount of body fat we lose, and this is done when the body burns off more calories than it consumes in a given day.

Healthy Swaps That Help You Cut Calories.

Check out these handy ideas for reducing your daily calories. Let me know what you think?

Do I Need To Count Macros To Lose Weight?

One of the more popular methods people use to lose weight these days is counting macronutrients, a method that tracks the amount of protein, carbohydrates, and fat you eat every day. Rather than counting calories, counting macros is said to be a healthier, more effective way of tracking the food you're eating and how that contributes to your weight loss because it looks more at nutrients.

Although there's certainly nothing wrong with counting macros — it can offer useful insight into your overall diet — it may not be the best, most sustainable way to get your health on track. Julieanna Hever, MS, RD, CPT, certified plant-based dietitian and health and fitness expert, explained why you might want to take a step away from your macro calculator and instead develop a more holistic relationship with your food.