Don’t give up on your weight loss goal; there may be a simple solution! If you are frustrated from the lack of results as you try to lose weight, then this article just might have the answer you are looking for.

I’ve been there…You feel like you are eating less, and you have integrated an intense exercise routine into your daily schedule — you even joined a racquetball league at your local LA Fitness or another organized sport just to burn extra calories—but you’re not losing weight. I wrote in a previous article how it is important to be patient, so remain positive, patient and continue to work on your weight loss goal. But also consider the possibility that, even though you are eating less, you may not have cut-back enough on your calorie intake to lose weight.

Don’t fear the scale any longer — Not the one you weigh yourself on, nor the kind that you can weigh your food on; tracking the weight of your food can directly correlate to the weight of your body.  This is because weighing your food gives you an accurate measurement of your portion sizes, which in turn gives you a more accurate count of the calories that you are consuming.

It seems like a lot of work and another expense, right? Well, let’s put it in perspective. Weighing your food takes about 15 to 20 minutes of your time per day — and this is to weigh ALL of your food for a day. If you plan out all your meals a day ahead of time, you can really save time; this will also keep you from snacking or making last minute food choice that may hinder your weight loss goal.  How much time are you spending between working out and preparing healthy meals already…one, two, three hours per day? That extra 15 minutes a day of weighing your food can make it all worth-while, and you will become to be more efficient with the process after a couple of weeks. The cost of a food scale is marginal too — standard scales can be as cheap as ten dollars.

Now that you are measuring your food and your body weight, losing weight becomes as simple as addition and subtraction. If the pounds are not subtracting from your body weight, it is time to subtract a bit more calories and add-in some more cardio and/or weight training. If you have finally conquered that stubborn scale and the weight is coming off…congratulations! Remember that weight loss is about consistency and averages, and though you do need to weigh your food every day, you have to be patient with your weight loss. Weigh yourself only once a week or every two weeks and let the law of averages have enough time to reflect your hard work when you step on the scale. Your body will naturally try to resist weight loss, so give your body a chance to break its desire to stay the same — this physiological response to resist change is called “homeostasis.” With the right tools —knowledge, a food scale, exercise and patience — it’s only a matter of time until you meet your goal!

Are you struggling with losing weight? Leave a comment and begin a discussion with our online community!

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If you have questions about your diet visit our Q & A site on Formspring at http://www.formspring.me/LAFitness to ask our registered dietician how you can adjust your diet to meet your weight loss goal.