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| Eating and chewing food slowly will send nervous system signals to the stomach that it is "full" and will assist in weight loss and deter weight gain after dieting, especially if a healthy diet is selected. Behavior modification produces gradual change. Four steps to behavior modification include: 1) Identifying eating or related life-style behaviors to be modified 2) Setting specific behavioral goals 3) Modifying determinants of the behavior to be changed (make changes regarding things that result in overeating) 4) Reinforcing the desired behavior. Sometimes dieters resort to the use of metabolic stimulants such as caffeine and ephedra (often from the herb ma huang) which are central nervous system stimulants that, when combined, may help people lose weight. These stimulants should be used only under a physician's supervision. Caffeine leads to an increase of insulin in your body which retards the burning of stored fat. On average, weight loss of 1-1.5 lbs per week (about 0.5-0.75kg) is a reasonable goal, which can be achieved by combining exercise, reduced dietary intake and behavioral changes. It may be best to weigh yourself only once per week to monitor weight loss. |