How to lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks without starving yourself to death or becoming miserable

Women are more inclined to fail on the weight loss front.   We can’t help it as it is genetic.

Why is that?  The fact is that we produce less serotonin (the feel good chemical you also find in chocolate – why did I have to mention chocolate?) than men do.   Most people who diet focus on the 10 pounds they want to lose this week, they forget that in order to lose that weight, they are also going to lose the fat cells that keep their brains happy.  This is the reason why most dieters are miserable and it might explain why so many skinny celebs look like they are sulking!

If you pursue the trendy low carb diets, the more you diet, the lower your serotonin levels fall.  This is one reason why you suddenly begin to crave carbohydrates – your body is telling you that it actually needs them.  It is also the reason why most dieters will have stopped the diet within 8 weeks of starting.  Finally, these lower serotonin levels account for the fact that a significant number of people will end up weighing more than when they started the diet.

The cause is the fact that the majority of diets focus on eating less and exercising more.   They don’t focus on treating your body as a whole.  Yes you do lose weight but the level of serotonin in your system will drop significantly.  This can lead to mood swings, lack of sex drive (might explain why a lot of men say they preferred their partners when they were fat!), and let’s face it feeling miserable isn’t going to help you stick to any weight loss plan.  Significant numbers of women trying to lose weight end up on anti –depressants.  

So what can you do to stop this happening and lose weight?  You need to work with your brain chemicals in order to achieve your weight loss goals. The two neurotransmitters that you need to keep topped up are serotonin and dopamine as they complement each other.  Serotonin helps to regulate your mood and also your blood pressure, your memory and your desires for carbohydrates.  Dopamine helps you to focus and be alert.  People whose levels of these neurotransmitters are out of balance will suffer from depression, anxiety, loss of sex drive etc.

So in order to lose weight you need to follow a calorie controlled diet that also looks after your brain.  Taking 1000mgs of an omega 3 supplement will help to maintain your serotonin levels as will eating Turkey which is rich in tryptophan. Taking showers, laughing and dancing will help maintain your dopamine resources.