It’s almost inevitable. At some point in your weight loss journey, you’re going to hit a plateau. It could happen early while you are just getting started, or towards the end when you have just those five measly pounds left to lose. Either way, you’ll hit it.

Changing up your diet may be what you need. Try adding these super foods to your summer grocery list to get the scale moving in the right direction again:

Raspberries There’s nothing like picking fresh berries in the summer. In addition to being delicious, this high-fiber fruit is loaded with phytonutrients. Fruits are also low energy-dense foods, meaning you can eat a large portion for only a few calories. Eating low energy-dense foods is key when you’re trying to lose weight. Try adding raspberries to a smoothie for an afternoon snack or to your lunchtime salad.

Steak Here’s a reason to throw more kabobs on the grill. Lean beef is great for weight loss. The protein stimulates your metabolism, helps you retain muscle mass, and helps you feel full. Buffalo burgers are a good alternative if you can’t find grass-fed beef.

Green tea Kick back on your porch and enjoy a tall glass of iced green tea. This metabolism booster is rich in antioxidants, promotes heart health, and regulates blood sugar. It raises the metabolic rate and speeds up fat oxidation, thus helping you lose weight. As an added benefit, the theanine in green tea is also a great natural de-stressor.

Chilies Fire up your metabolism with these spicy peppers. The capsaicin found in chiles causes your body to burn extra calories, even after you are done eating them. Plus, because spicy foods are so intensely flavorful it’s hard to eat them in excess.

Yogurt Low-fat yogurt is great for blasting belly fat. It’ll also help keep hungry at bay, thanks to its combination of protein and carbs. Yogurt is a great substitute for sour cream or mayo on baked potatoes and salads. Look for Greek yogurt, which has more protein than the regular stuff.

Besides these foods, don’t forget to drink more water! We tend to substitute water for sodas and energy drinks, but plain tap water still the best way to go. If it’s hard for you to drink more water in between meals, eat it instead! Carrots, broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, watermelon and lettuce are each more than 90% water.

Put something healthy on the table next to those burgers, brats and potato salad this 4^th of July weekend. Check out this fresh Summer Salad recipe from my book The Vice-Busting Diet. It includes some delicious seasonal fruit you can pick up at your local farmers’ market. Summer Salad (Serves 6)

• ¼ cup raspberry vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• ¼ cup seedless raspberry jam
• 8 cups raw spinach leaves
• 2 cups cantaloupe balls
• 1 ½ cups strawberries, halved
• 1 cup blackberries
• ¼ cup chopped macadamia nuts

Whisk the vinegar, honey, oil and jam until well mixed. Combine the spinach and fruits in a bowl and toss with the dressing. Sprinkle with nuts and serve. Is there a salad when combined with a grilled chicken breast that isn’t the perfect meal?

There is a reason why effective, permanent weight loss is so elusive for virtually everyone.  Diets fail because they do not deal with the internal signals that tell us when we are hungry or full. Using sophisticated new technology, Dr. Lyon and I discovered the real key to effective appetite control is improving the function of the appetite control centers in the brain.

One of the central themes of their program is based upon the use of a continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMS). This medical device allows for a continuous measurement of blood sugar levels over a 24-hour period. What we discovered and documented for the very first time is that most people who are overweight go through their days with remarkably fluctuating blood sugar.

This blood sugar roller coaster results in powerful signals that result in intense food cravings and overeating. Although the control of appetite is influenced by a whole orchestra of hormones, peptides, and neurotransmitters, blood sugar levels can still be considered as a lead player and perhaps the conductor of this orchestra.

Eliminating the blood sugar roller coaster and using PGX as a cornerstone to your weight loss program, is the first step to living hunger free forever. Our research shows that we can literally flat line a person’s blood sugar levels – something previously thought of as being impossible.

We sure do love our sugar! According the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in 2002 the average person consumed 146 pounds of sugar in a year. But when we are trying to get into our skinny clothes, switching to zero- or low-calorie artificial sweeteners is often one of the first things we do because it’s so easy. Do you know the differences between Splenda, Sweet’N Low or Equal? Which one is best for cooking? And how much should you use when substituting for real sugar?

Here’s some info on the four most common FDA-approved artificial sweeteners:

Sucralose (Splenda): Sucralose is one of the newest non-nutritive sweeteners on the market. It is most well-known for its marketing claim to be made from sugar. Sucralose does have calories, but because it is 600 times sweeter than sugar very small amounts are needed, so you most likely won't consume enough to get any calories. It is the most heat-stable of all the sugar substitutes, so it can be used in baked goods.

Saccharin (Sweet’N Low, Sugar Twin): Saccharin has been around for more than 100 years and claims to be the best researched sweetener. It was even used to sweeten foods during both World Wars while sugar was being rationed. Saccharin is 300 times sweeter than sugar and has no calories, but a lot of people don’t like its bitter aftertaste.

Aspartame (Nutrasweet, Equal): Aspartame has calories, but like sucralose, very small amounts are needed for sweetening so you don’t really need to worry about them going straight to your hips. Unlike most other artificial sweeteners, aspartame cannot be used in cooking or baking because it loses its sweetness.

Acesulfame K (Sweet One, Sunett, Swiss Sweet): Most people are not even aware of this one, but food manufacturers are using it in many of our foods and beverages.  It is listed in the ingredients on the food label as acesulfame K, acesulfame potassium, Ace-K, or Sunett. It is 200 times sweeter than sugar. It does not have an aftertaste and is often used in combination with other sweeteners.

Artificial sweeteners have been the subject of intense scrutiny for decades. There is a lot of debate, for example, about whether foods made with artificial sweeteners satisfy your sweet tooth or fill you up as well as sucrose (so you may wind up eating more of the low-sugar treats than you would the higher-calorie originals, and consuming way too many calories). As with anything in life, they are probably okay in moderation. But to satisfy your craving for sweets and fill your tummy, try reaching for fresh fruit first.

Put away the oatmeal and cereal box. It’s time to mix things up in the morning. Check out this delicious Breakfast Martini recipe from my book The Vice Busting Diet. No bartending skills needed! Breakfast “Martini”(Serves one)

• 3 large frozen strawberries, almost thawed
• ½ cup frozen blueberries, almost thawed
• ½ cup of your favorite granola cereal
• 3 ounces low-fat vanilla pudding
• Fat-free whipped cream topping
• 1 maraschino cherry

In your favorite martini glass, layer your ingredients in ¼- inch-thick layers. Start with a single strawberry, then a layer of blueberries, then the granola, next the pudding. Repeat until the glass is full. Top with whipped cream, a sprinkle of granola, and the single, decorative cherry.