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As many of you have already heard, Atkins Nutritionals Inc. the company that turned low carb eating into a worldwide diet craze has filed for bankruptcy court protection.

Does this mean that people did not lose weight on the Atkins diet?

Of course not, carbohydrate restriction has been proven to accelerate weight loss in the short term. Notice the last two words...short term. There is a simple reason why Atkins filed bankruptcy, people love to jump on the latest diet craze and then jump off just as quickly as they jumped on. When buyer demand slows, so do revenues.

People did lose weight, and lot's of it on the Atkins diet. The problem is that diets like the Atkins diet are hard to stick with long term. In fact, there has been little solid evidence to show that carbohydrate restriction can lead to permanent weight loss. What then is the key to permanent weight loss?

The key to permanent weight loss is to change your lifestyle. Your lifestyle is made up of the habits and routines that you have made a part of your life.You can achieve permanent weight loss by simply acquiring new "Positive Habits" that provide weight loss as a benefit.

What is a positive habit? A positive habit is simply a habit that produces positive benefits, actions and attitudes you want to acquire and make a part of your lifestyle. Why are positive habits so powerful. Because habits, by their very nature, are automatic. After a period of time they can become permanent.

So how do we go about adding new positive habits to our life? It's really quite easy. You simply begin repeating an action, attitude or thought process every day for at least 21 days. Research has shown that an action that is repeated for a minimum of 21 days is likely to become a permanent habit.

Remember that positive habits have positive benefits and you will reap those benefits for as long as you maintain that habit. So now that we know what positive habits are, and how to acquire them, let's look at some simple positive habits that will help you achieve permanent weight loss.

Habit #1 - When Dining Out, Control Food Preparation and Lose Weight

When you eat out, make it a habit to request how your food is prepared. You should never feel like you have to accept food items exactly as they are described on the menu. Most restaurants will happily prepare your meal in different ways if you just request it. You can ask that they bake or broil items which are usually fried.

Always remember to ask for salad dressing on the side. Salad dressing can be one of the biggest sources of fat in a person's diet. Studies have shown that females gets most of their fat from dairy products, margarine, mayonnaise, and salad dressing. By making it a habit to order salad dressing on the side, you can control the amount and type of dressing your put on your salads and reduce the amount of fat and calories that you consume. Try substituting olive oil or a low fat alternative like balsamic vinegar for bottled dressings. Olive oil contains healthy monosaturated fat and is a key ingredient in the healthy heart Mediterranean diet.

Remember that sometimes, small changes in your lifestyle can result in big changes to your life. According to the Encyclopedia of Foods: A Guide To Healthy Nutrition, simple changes to your food order as described above you can save 10 to 30 grams of fat and 100 to 300 calories per entree!

Think about how this positive habit can help you achieve a trim and fit body automatically! Remember, your new positive habits will result in a change in your lifestyle. The cumulative effects of these lifestyle changes are considerable, they hold the keys to achieving a permanent weight loss and a trim and fit body.

Habit #2 - Drink Green Tea ...Burn Fat! Boost Your Metabolism!

If you want some help achieving that trim and fit body, make it a positive habit to drink green tea daily. Here are just of few of the benefits you will receive from this positive habit: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition recently published research demonstrating that a substance found in green tea called catechin polyphenols increases your metabolism and also increases the rate at which your body burns calories. Burning more calories is your ticket to a leaner body.

Green tea is also loaded with antioxidants, which have been shown to protect you from cancer and many other diseases. Other studies have shown that green tea may help you control your appetite. Green tea is available in many restaurants and most grocery stores.

Copyright 2005 Dan Robey