Here we are again - that time of year when everyone begins thinking of the bulge that has expanded around their waist during the winter months, and perhaps before. It's time to bare all, well not literally, but close, so panic sets in. So I thought I'd share with you some guidelines that can help you understand why you have put on those unwanted pounds and how you can let go of them once and for all, provided of course, you really want to let them go.

In my personal research I have found four basic areas that contribute substantially to weight gain, and they are: diet, lack of exercise, stress as it particularly relates to hormone imbalance, and toxic overload. All of these areas have a significant role in weight management, so must all be addressed to achieve the result of weight loss and maintenance.

First and foremost is this fact: You are what you eat! If you put trans fats, processed food, fast food, too many carbs, lots of sugar, and junk food into your body, the result will be unwanted pounds. But it also applies to how much you put into your body. Too many calories yield too many pounds. The key to a proper weight-friendly diet is lots of fresh vegetables and some fresh fruits, quality protein, and complex carbs in proper ratio to the rest of your meal. Drinking plenty of water is necessary as well. Your body is made of over 70% water so must be replaced daily, not to mention the benefit of water to flush out toxins.

Many people want to lose weight but do not want to change their diet. So they opt for a pill to "fix" them temporarily, sometimes putting their health in jeopardy. Diets do not work - that's been proven over and over. A person begins a diet, loses weight, but then resorts back to old eating patterns and the weight pops right back on, often with a vengeance.

Some people live to eat rather than eat to live. Until their thoughts change to realize the importance of a healthy diet in weight management, their unwanted poundage will probably linger. Try this formula for a better diet plan: At every meal or snack, incorporate 30-40% protein, 20% good fats, 40-50% complex carbs.

Lack of exercise can most certainly be part of unwanted pounds. In order to boost one's metabolism exercise is required. Exercise helps fat disappear and strengthens muscles as you firm and tighten. Exercise helps maintain healthy bones and joints, keeps the blood and oxygen circulating, and energizes you.

Since a sluggish metabolism is part of the extra weight picture, it only makes sense to get off that couch and get moving! Best time to move it? In the morning before you eat breakfast because any stored fat will be used for energy in exercising and will be shed easier.

The third aspect of weight management is unbalanced hormones, often caused by stress. Hormones are necessary for every function of the body. They naturally decline with age, but if overworked and stressed they will decline even faster.

The endocrine system - adrenals, thyroid, sex hormones - run your body. They affect your metabolism, energy, libido, aging, weight, sleeping habits, digestion, and enthusiasm for life. The adrenals are particularly important because they are your stress indicator. Chronic stress, so prevalent in society today, depletes the adrenals and creates a roller coaster ride in your health. The adrenals play a part in every function and system in your body, and if they aren't working properly, nothing else will either.

DHEA, the most abundant hormone in your body and located in your adrenals, is important for immune function, fighting aging, slimness, and a strong body. Cortisol, also found in the adrenals, rises when you are stressed. With the DHEA falling and the cortisol rising there is a major imbalance which places you in a vicious cycle of fatigue, sleep disorders, weight gain, poor digestion, and low libido. The secret? Healing the adrenals, which is not always an easy task nor is it quickly done. It requires educating yourself with ways to heal them naturally so that you can lower elevated cortisol and raise DHEA levels until there is a better balance. As these balance your other hormones fall back into balance easier and more quickly. The problem of adrenal fatigue is it is so often overlooked by the medical profession, yet it is the core of many physical symptoms, disorders, and weight issues. Click on these websites - www.allabouthealth.com or www.drcarolynporter.com - and read the article on Adrenal Fatigue: How It Affects Your Life and How to Heal It.

Often the thyroid, the main metabolism regulator, is malfunctioning in a weight gain issue. Many doctors address this without checking for adrenal fatigue. This offers little help to the patient unless both are addressed because when the adrenals are fatigued they will often affect the functioning of the thyroid. Everything in your body is vitally integrated.

Finally, let's talk about toxic overload. Our world is so full of toxins now that it is impossible to escape their affect on our health even when we follow a strict health regimen. So it's important to address these toxins so we can eliminate them.

All petroleum products produce major toxic build-up - that's plastics, anything that says propyl, perfumes, regular cosmetics, processed food, anything with hydrogenated fats, and so on. Avoiding them is impossible completely but try your best to elimnate as many as possible.

Sugar, corn syrup, fructose, maltose, and the like destroy the good bacteria in your intestinal tract, deplete you of nutrients, offer no nutritional value, create tooth decay, spike insulin levels, and add lots of pounds. What's an alternative to sugar? Fruit, raw honey, organic raw cane sugar, stevia, xylitol. No folks, aspartame, malitol, sorbital, splenda, etc are NOT good sugar substitutes - they are in some cases actually more harmful than the sugar.

Your liver is your main filter and must be cleansed regularly. Include a colon cleanse as well so that the toxins are completely eliminated. Infrared sauna is excellent for detoxing. Juicing fresh vegetable juices in a juicer helps to detox as well.

Weight loss that lasts must be a lifestyle change. So understand this important fact - weight loss begins in your mind! Put a picture of yourself at your desired weight where you can see it, even if it's just in your mind, and continually remind yourself you are in the process of reaching your goal.

Sometimes a little help to jumpstart your weight loss program is warranted. Using a full body cleanse can be beneficial, one like CleanSmart, because it rids your body of stored waste. Mega CLA 1200 has been proven to assist in weight loss as has Ultra Skinny Mini and Mighty Lean, all Nature's Plus products. You can learn more about these products or purchase them at allabouthhealth.com.

Know that anything you want to attain is attainable if you simply take one step at a time. It'a simply a matter of choice!