How to make your body slim: Ready to lose your weight

What Is the Carb Lovers Diet?

The editors of Health magazine have big news for you. Our beloved carb-filled foods will not make us fat. Instead, they will actually make us thin.

"Carbophobia," or the fear of carbs, is rampant. Almost every woman has skipped the bread basket or a pasta dish at some point in her life. We’ve learned to fear carbs because we’ve been told for more than 25 years that foods filled with carbohydrates make us gain weight.

Well, we, the editors of Health magazine, have big news for you. There is new research—reliable, solid, groundbreaking research by the smartest minds in nutritional science right now—that reveals our old, beloved carb-filled foods will not make us fat. Instead, they will actually make us thin. We put all the research into our new CarbLovers Diet book.

Order the CarbLovers Diet book!

Scientists at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center for Human Nutrition, in Denver, along with a team of international researchers uncovered new evidence that revealed that eating the right carbs is the best way to get and stay slim. Other exciting new studies showed that certain carb-rich foods:

• Shrink fat cells, especially in your belly
• Boost fat burning
• Increase muscle mass
• Curb cravings
• Keep you feeling full longer than other foods
• Control blood sugar
• Lower cholesterol and triglycerides

Perhaps the most surprising piece of research was a large-scale look into the eating patterns that determine whether people will be fat or skinny over the course of a lifetime. This multicenter study of 4,451 people found out something stunning: It concluded that the slimmest people ate the most carbs (in the form of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables), and the chubbiest people ate the fewest carbs.

Getting ready to lose weight on carbs
If you’ve been convinced for years that eating carbs will make you fat, it’s going to take time for you to adjust to the new reality that they are the best things that ever happened to your waistline.

However, being a CarbLover does not mean you get to stuff yourself with bagels and cookies all day. What you’ll be doing on this plan is increasing your total intake of carbs, and upping the percentage of a type of carb called Resistant Starch in your diet. Resistant Starch is a kind of carbohydrate getting lots of attention in scientific circles these days.

Studies show that adding a little Resistant Starch to your morning meal will shift your body into fat-melting mode, so that you burn nearly 25% more calories a day. Meanwhile, you’ll eat about 10% fewer calories—simply because you’re not as hungry (foods containing Resistant Starch are quite filling)—so you end up eating less overall.

Resistant Starch–filled foods aren’t those magic, super-expensive ingredients; they’re right there, at your local supermarket. They are bread, cereals, potatoes (even potato chips!), and bananas.

Lose fast on the 7-Day CarbLovers Kick-Start
The CarbLovers Diet starts with a 7-Day CarbLovers Kick-Start developed by two top dietitians. We know how hard it may be to allow yourself delicious carbs, after years of denying yourself. That’s why our 7-Day Kick-Start helps you transition to your new world of eating and feeling satisfied. On it, you’ll quickly knock off up to 6 pounds and reduce belly bloat, all while feeling full, in control, and super-energized!

Take off even more on the 21-Day Carb-Immersion Plan
After you’ve tasted success on the 7-Day CarbLovers Kick-Start, you’re ready for the life-changing 21-Day Carb-Immersion Plan. This is the heart and soul of the CarbLovers Diet. It’s basically a plan that gets you back to the way you used to eat before you made carb deprivation a way of life. The plan itself is a breeze. Our experts did all the calculations for you, so all you have to do is eat and enjoy.

Think of Carb Immersion as your road map to the future—an incredibly easy-to-follow set of basic eating rules, daily menus, grocery lists, and delicious recipes anyone can make, enjoy, and share with others. Don’t feel like cooking? No problem. We also have more than 100 quick bites, frozen foods, and restaurant-menu items that work with the CarbLovers Diet.

We’ll support your new eating life with tips, recipes, and clear-cut phases that will change your relationship with food and keep you from ever going hungry again. By the end of the three weeks, you’ll have lost up to another 6 pounds!

You'll find proven get-to-goal strategies and ideas for helping you reach your goal weight even faster if you make some small tweaks to your lifestyle. Exercise, smarter sleep habits, and cooking tricks can speed up weight loss while you’re still enjoying carbs.

As you lose weight, our nutritionists—as well as real women who’ve already successfully lost weight on CarbLovers—will encourage you every step of the way. If you have a little “I can’t believe I ate that muffin!” panic attack, we’re there, too, with real-life advice from women who’ve lost big, as well as experts who can reassure you that the road map to lasting weight loss is the very one you are on.

Finally, when you’ve reached your goal weight, we’ll tell you how to stay as slim as you want to be—forever.

Plus, you'll find more than 70 easy, amazingly tasty recipes for nearly every eating moment of your life. You can enjoy a glass of wine (and some amazing pasta salad) with your book club! Or how about tacos after work with co-workers? You can create amazing desserts your family will love.

So get ready for the best—and only—diet plan you’ll ever need. Get ready for your fabulous new life as a CarbLover! Order here. 

Preparing for Weight Loss

It’s not easy to change bad habits. Before trying a new diet or revving up your exercise, make sure to prepare yourself. Start by talking to your doctor, and follow these guidelines as well.

When Heather Lemanski decided it was time to lose some of her 210 pounds, she knew she needed to prepare herself and start slow. “I allowed myself to eat whatever I wanted but stayed around 2,000 calories a day,” she told Health magazine in June 2008. Setting a simple but specific goal paid off; she lost three pounds in the first week. Motivated by her initial loss to stick to the plan, Heather eventually cut her calories to 1,800 a day and built up her exercise routine. After a year of hard work, she had lost 75 pounds.

It's not easy to change bad habits. Before trying a new diet or revving up your exercise, make sure to prepare yourself. Follow these three guidelines to get ready to lose:

Pay your doc a visit
Being overweight or obese can cause a variety of diseases and conditions, including high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes. Before you hit the gym or start cutting calories, have your doctor check your blood pressure and blood cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood sugar levels. He or she will be able to ensure you are ready to start a weight-loss program and may be able to offer tips for easing into a workout regimen. If you have heart problems, a family history of  cardiovascular disease, or any joint problems, be sure to ask your doctor if there is any additional testing you may want to consider before beginning an exercise program. Also mention any medications you're taking, as some of them, including antipsychotics, may hinder your ability to lose weight.

Think like you're thin
Unfortunately, many diets—except for Weight Watchers—don't offer research that proves they actually work at helping people shed pounds and keep them off, according to a review published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in 2005. So, instead of focusing solely on weight loss, try to set goals to improve your overall health. Becoming active and eating healthier are two easy ways to start.

Remember that heredity plays a role in your body type and your weight. Comparing yourself to your rail-thin sister won't help you lose weight or improve your confidence. Using measures other than weight or clothing size (like not losing your breath when you walk up a flight of stairs) to track your progress may be more motivating. Get more ideas with our "Think-It-Off" Guide.

Set goals you can reach
Focus on small, attainable goals that will lead to long-term healthy changes. If you set hard-to-reach goals, failing to achieve them can lead to slipping back into your old habits.

Tips for setting goals:

• Write 'em down. Start a food and exercise journal, and be sure to include a list of goals. As you achieve them, be sure to cross them off and add new ones.


• Make your goals specific. Saying you want to "lose weight" won't keep your hand out of the cookie jar. Make a plan to lose two pounds a week or run a mile without stopping by the end of the month.


• Take things one step at a time. Small, incremental goals are easier to meet.


• Focus on overall health. For every weight-loss goal you set (lose 20 pounds, take two inches off your waist), make one for your overall health. Examples include eating fresh food at every meal, lowering your cholesterol, or walking an extra five minutes each day.


• Plan for setbacks. When changing behavior, slip-ups are inevitable. Identify potential roadblocks—a friend's dinner party—and make a plan for staying motivated when these happen.

Tips for setting activity goals:

• Schedule physical activity. Just like you would with any other activity, block out time on your calendar to engage in some sort of exercise. Don't worry if you're busy; just break up your cardio into 10 or 15 minute segments.


• Get a pedometer. Knowing exactly how many steps you take each day can motivate you to be more physically active. Write down your daily step count on a calendar to track your progress, and set incremental goals each week.


• Think outside the gym. Getting exercise can be as simple as walking to the printer every time you print a page, parking your car at the far end of the parking lot, or doing jumping jacks during commercial breaks of your favorite television show.

Tips for setting healthy eating goals:

• Fill up on high-density, low-calorie foods. An easy way is to fill your plate half-full of vegetables, one-quarter full of protein, and one-quarter full of carbohydrates, preferably whole grains. You'll still have a full plate of food, but you'll be filling up on veggies—not french fries or onion rings.


• Throw out the "don't eat" list. Instead of depriving yourself of your favorite foods, try to make lighter versions. If you love hamburgers and french fries, try to make a turkey burger and baked sweet potato wedges. It may not taste exactly the same, but you'll be getting the same flavors for fewer calories.

Is Exercise Necessary for Weight Loss?

Answer: Yes. People who are physically active are far more likely to lose weight and keep it off.

You probably read headlines this year that screamed: “Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin!” Those stories were based on a controversial Public Library of Science study that showed women who exercised regularly for six months were no more likely to lose weight than women who didn’t work out at all.