Do you find yourself drawn to the confectionary, biscuit or cakes aisle in the supermarket every time you go in, even though you only went in for a cucumber?

Or do you leave your home daily in search of sugary treats? When you have guiltily scooped up what you like the look of and got it all home, do you then delve in, gulping it all down as if possessed and barely stopping for breath?

If this sounds familiar, you're quite possibly addicted to sugar, which leaves you unable or barely able to control your intake of it, not to mention that it occupies your mind constantly or a lot of the time.

But why might you want quit eating sugar at all? Is it really a problem?

Judge for yourself.

It's not the glucose in sugar that's the issue so much as the fructose. Glucose is our body's prime source of energy and gets used by every cell in the body whereas Fructose doesn't serve us any purpose and has to be processed by the liver. 

The American Heart Association recommends that women should only take in up to 100 calories from added sugars and men 150 per day. Since there are 4 calories in a single gram of sugar, that would be 25g and 37.5g a day, respectively. On average we now take in 55g per day, compared with 15g per day in the early 1900s. 

This amount overloads the liver, since it can't turn fructose into energy reserves as it can with glucose. This in turn leads to insulin resistance in the liver, forcing the pancreas to release extra insulin. This results in new fat being created in the liver which is also carried into the blood as triglycerides. If your cholesterol reading is high in triglycerides, you have an increased risk of having a heart attack, compared with a low reading.

Two important things to note in relation to weight loss are firstly that there is now a connection being made between eating too much sugar and gaining fat. The second is that eating fructose leads to our internal "full-up" indicator to fail.

Add to this solid scientific evidence which links the over-consumption of fructose to cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease to mention a few and it's becoming clearer that we might be better off moderating our intake.

The mounting evidence linking fructose to such diseases may eventually force the food industry to take notice and make changes for the sake of our health.

In the meantime, it's up to us.

Taking in our daily 25g or 37.5g via fruit and veg is probably a good idea, and for those of us who feel as if we are addicted to sugar, there is help out there. We just have to look for it.

Your weight loss success comes down to the choices you  make.   Learn about 3 different weight loss options and decide which will work best for you.

1.  The  Weight Loss Patch

Perhaps the most appealing benefit of using a patch is that it is so easy to use.   No pills to remember to take, no special diets, no required exercise routine.   Naturally, sticking to a healthy diet and exercise program is best for your overall health, but if that is difficult for you to adhere to all of the time, the patch may be a solution that works for you.

A weight loss patch that you place on your body will deliver the active ingredients by transdermal delivery, meaning  through the skin.  The patch ingredients will go directly into the bloodstream, bypassing the digestive system and liver. Simply apply the patch to a smooth area of your skin and change it every 3 days.   That is all of the maintenance that is required.

A patch can even be used occasionally when you are traveling and know you will be eating out a lot, or for those times you are too busy to cook the proper foods.  A patch that suppresses your appetite will help you develop good eating habits that will help you maintain your ideal weight in the future  ~ no more yo-yo figures.

2.  Appetite Suppressant Pills

Curbing your appetite to stop the influx of calories in the first place seems to be the logical way to lose and maintain your weight.  However, we are so bombarded by confusing claims everywhere for appetite suppressant pills ~ in print, on the radio, on television, even on billboards when driving, that it is difficult to know which diet pill will really help take off those pounds ~ and keep them off..

Some diet pills will cause your heart to race, your hands to shake, or an overall "wired" feeling.  To avoid these problem, stay away from products that contain  Ephedra, Ma Huang, and Ephedrine.

One herbal diet pill that has gotten a lot of publicity lately is Hoodia Gordonii  The authentic plant comes from the Kalahari desert in  South Aftrica.  Respectable television shows like 60 Minutes, the Today Show, BBC, and even Oprah's "O" magazine have given it rave reviews for its fast acting appetite suppressing qualities.  While it can take one to two weeks to work fully, many users report a decline in their appetite with the first pill.

 In fact, Hoodia has had so many positive reports that there are now a lot of knock-off products being marketed to the uninformed ~ especially on the Internet.   The real Hoodia is very rare because it takes up to 7 years for the Hoodia  plant to mature to a point where it provides appetite suppressant qualities.  In addition, the African government is now limiting the amount of Hoodia it exports, meaning only a few suppliers have the real thing.  Because Hoodia is so rare, you can expect it to be a little more expensive than other diet pills.

Another diet pill that helps shed pounds is Herbal Phentermine.  This is a non-prescription appetite  suppressant that is scientifically designed to produce similar effects of a popular Rx version of phentermine.

The good news is that the Herbal version contains only natural ingredients so you don't have to be worried about side effects.   Plus, you can avoid the time, expense, and embarrassment of a doctor's visit.

Herbal Phentermine will not only suppress your appetite, but it will also increase your metabolism so you burn more calories and have more energy.

3. Carbohydrate Blockers 

Perhaps you prefer not to have your appetite suppressed, but instead would like to eat all of the pasta, bread, rice, and potatoes you want.  If this sounds more like your style, then you might want to try a carbohydrate  blocker.

Scientists have discovered, and thoroughly tested a method to allow us to eat the foods we love and not gain weight.    We can now stop the normal conversion of starchy foods to sugar before it can pass through our digestive system and store as fat on our hips, thighs, buttocks and stomach.  Derived from white kidney beans, the resulting carb blockers, (starch neutralizers), are a completely natural product.  They work by neutralizing the Alpha amylase enzyme that digests starch.

By neutralizing this digestive enzyme, the starch from our food does not get digested.  Instead, it remains intact and does not convert to sugar.  It simply passes through the body undigested and acts as a fiber  ~ which is a very good thing.   We get more fiber going through our intestines while avoiding the conversion to sugar and the resulting fat storage ~  a definite win-win situation.

Over the past several years, there have been many positive studies to determine the effectiveness of carb blockers and their ability to help lose weight.   One study was performed at the Northridge Hospital Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA, over an eight week time period.

It reported that participants saw an average weight loss of 200% more than those taking a placebo, and lost an average of 1.5 inches around their waists.  This was 43 % more than those taking  the placebo.  Plus they reported  having 13% more energy, even though it is not a stimulant.

Whether you choose patches or pills, prefer to eat starchy foods, or use carb blockers, some things to look for when buying diet products are that they:

1) Contain all natural ingredients
2) Do not have harmful side effects
3) Offer a 100% money back guarantee

Let’s face it: Unless you’re a nail polish Picasso, your DIY manicure probably doesn’t look nearly as good as a salon job. And trendy nail art designs are even HARDER to pull off yourself. Enter nail appliqués: stickers made of a thin layer of nail polish with an adhesive back that flex to fit the contour of your nails. They give you perfectly patterned fingertips—without the wet mess. “Nail polish strips let you get creative and expressive without needing the artistic skills,” says Women’s Health beauty editor Jill Percia. “They’re edgy, cool, and fun!”
To apply nail polish strips, follow the instructions on the package and use these tricks from Percia:

1. Avoid crinkling
Slapping down the sticker over your entire nail can cause bubbles. Start at the base of the nail, then smooth down the rest as work your way to the tips.
2. Resize as needed
Appliqués peel easily if they’re too big—the strips shouldn’t touch cuticles or skin. Use a wood cuticle stick or a metal cuticle pusher to “slice” off the excess.
3. Prevent peeling
Fold the very tip of the sticker over the end of your nail to “cap” it. Covering the nail edge ensures that the end of the strip won’t peel off every time you touch something.
4. Keep it simple
With strips, sometimes less is more. Try doing an accent nail (either index or ring finger) on each hand and then paint the others with a solid shade.

I just want to maintain my weight, but sometimes the cravings attack me. I have found this and make a list of foods to chew when craving. And I want to share it to you.
When a certain texture calls your name more than your waistband would like, use these swaps to help you stop food cravings without adding inches.


• When you crave: Crunchy (chips, caramel popcorn, biscotti)
Chew this: Baby carrots, fruit slices, or rice cakes. Almonds can also work, but be careful: Half a cup has over 400 calories.

• When you crave: Creamy (peanut butter, risotto, mac 'n' cheese)
Chew this: Sugar-free Jell-O, hummus, or for dinner, a bowl of velvety soup

• When you crave: Greasy (fries, pizza, burgers)
Chew this: Baked sweet-potato fries or thin-crust pizza with veggies. Choose 90% or higher lean beef--your mouth won't know the difference.

•When you crave: Fluid (juice, soda, slushies)
Sip this: Flavored sparkling water or lightly sweetened iced tea. (Studies suggest that limiting caloric beverages leads to weight loss.) Or try a smoothie. Research shows that the thicker and more whipped the drink, the more satisfying it will be, saving you calories at your next meal. To achieve maximum thickness, toss in a frozen banana and blend.