The Ultimate Key to Successful Weight Loss

In conclusion, many individuals would like you to believe that losing weight is easy. Of course! The trick is that they're using deceptive marketing tactics to trick you into purchasing their weight loss solution.


Diet, exercise, weight reduction program, health, and weight loss are all related terms.


This article is copyrighted by Donovan Baldwin in 2006.

You can't help but wonder who's telling the truth when it comes to weight loss "secrets," diet pills that make it seem like they can do it all, drinks that claim to "help" you lose weight, doctors who have "secret weight loss formulas," and fad diets that claim to have all the answers. Next, we have the most important question. Is there a magic formula for losing weight?

The only definition of a "secret" is that it remains unknown to all. Since the "truth" of weight reduction has been known for quite some time, it is hardly a mystery anymore.

A common thread runs across the labels of many weight reduction aids, whether they are pills, drinks, meal replacements, books, or anything else you can think of. Many of their claims end with the phrase "...when used with exercise and proper nutrition."

The kicker is that these diet aids can only facilitate what nature can do nearly as effectively on its own, if not better!

For a long time, people have known the fundamental physical and biological aspects of gaining and losing weight. This is a simple equation, even if you struggled with arithmetic in school. To put on weight, your caloric intake must exceed your energy expenditure. Losing weight is as simple as burning more calories than you consume. The fact that we are fallible human beings is the crux of the matter.

Being human is so flawed, buddy!

Simply being human is not a problem. A few times a week, I even strike up a conversation with one. My kid could marry one of my human friends—I even have one who lives next door, if I'm not mistaken. The thing is, as Sister Mary Fides hammered into our adolescent brains, every person is special in their own way. I can show you the ideal weight loss regimen, and it will work like a charm for you. However, your next-door neighbor might struggle to follow the same program.

WHAT CAUSES SOME PEOPLE TO LOSE WEIGHT WHEN OTHERS DO NOT?

"The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves...!" Cassius says in Julius Caesar, as Shakespeare had him say.

While I don't necessarily mean that you're to blame, the fact that we're all so different makes it hard to create a magic bullet—not to mention the ideal weight reduction program.

There are genes that tend to cause certain people to be heavier than average. Some people would have been much smaller if they had grown up in a household that promoted a certain diet or way of life that made them heavier. Someone else goes through a lot of emotional highs and lows, which leads to unhealthy eating habits and eventually weight gain. Because of human interference with our natural environment, chemical changes that Mother Nature had intended for our bodies to fulfill specific functions are now hurting us. As if that weren't bad enough, the majority of overweight persons suffer from many problems, and some of these variables even amplify the impact of other factors!

Another thing that makes it hard to design a universal weight loss regimen is our variances. Weight training is your brother-in-law's favorite pastime, but it utterly bores you. Even though you believe your neighbor's Bowflex is fantastic, you can't seem to figure out how to transport one on your frequent travels. You tried a particular diet that your cousin successfully used to shed a lot of pounds, but because your metabolism is different, you saw no results at all. Actually, you gained weight while trying diet after diet! Gaining weight is a common side effect of trying too many diets, by the way. It's a little trickier to explain, but when you diet for a while and then stop, your body adapts to consuming less food. Now that you're back to your regular eating habits, it has more calories to put into fat. Do you recall the equations we used earlier?

The "lose 30 pounds in 30 days" claim also has a lot of believers. Their weight-related misery has gotten them to the point where they will believe anything, regardless of how ridiculous or harmful it may be to their health.

Do I really need to go on a calorie diet?

If we were to both reduce the number of calories we eat each day, we probably would feel better. But there's a tipping threshold beyond which our bodies may start putting on weight when they reset some internal mechanisms. Additionally, when we restrict our food intake, we deprive our bodies of essential nutrients.

Clearly, I can't go about my day exercising from sunrise to sunset.

It was the flip side of the coin, wasn't it? Yeah, you're totally right, and if you did, that would make me nervous. No need to take such drastic measures. You can find an answer.

What on earth? MY PERSONAL TRAINER? Are you serious?

Not at all! I'm not going to be the one to sign you up for personal training because I'm too lazy. That is, you can try out a few different things until you discover what works for you, and then commit to doing at least one of those things regularly—say, three or four times a week. There is an endless list of things you could do: garden, ride a bike, play with kids or grandkids, go on a stroll, do yoga, lift weights, etc. You are not obligated to perform each one daily; in fact, you are free to perform any one you prefer multiple times per week. As a general rule, it's best to start off slow with any program and work your way up once you're comfortable with the level you're currently at. Like some runners, I've seen champion bodybuilders who began by jogging to the mailbox and back, and I've also seen bodybuilders who began by lifting a barbell without any weights at all. I used to run six miles or more while I was in the army, but now I can only run a block before I had to stop and walk again.

You should also start making minor adjustments to your eating habits. Everything you consume, rather than a specific diet plan, is what I mean when I say "diet" here. Make taking a multivitamin a daily habit. You could notice that it gives you a little more pep in your step. Quit eating sugar. Artificial sweeteners are likely to be healthier than sugar, despite my dislike of them. Stevia is an alternative to artificial sweeteners that many people find appealing. It has been in our use for a while now, both my wife and I. I experienced less heartburn and fewer desires for carbohydrates after adjusting to it for a while.

Read up on healthy eating and regular exercise. No college course is required of you. For more information on health, fitness, and weight loss, you can visit webmd.com or mayoclinic.com/ if you are reading this online.

Before you put anything into your mouth, read the label. Reduce your portion sizes; most of us can see that certain meals might not be healthy for us, at least not when consumed in big amounts. Have no idea what a serving size is? Take a look at the label!

Do your research before buying prepared foods, junk food, or fast food, or at least eat less of it.

PLAN YOUR ACTIONS

Here is where I should advise you to resolve to shed X pounds in Y days, correct? That is incorrect. Here is where I suggest you begin to formulate some objectives for the way you intend to conduct your life. I say "try" because it's inevitable that you'll slip up every once in a while and give in to temptation and eat that Big Mac anyhow. Make the sacrifice and devour it if you must, but return to the wagon immediately. After you catch them cheating on you, don't stress over eating a Big Mac, a bowl of ice cream, or even going on a binge. A little nutritional slip-up now and again won't throw you back into fat hell, but it will if you allow it.

ENOUGH SAID....

Today and tomorrow, you will be able to lose weight by making different choices than you have in the past. This is more important than dwelling on the past when it comes to weight loss.

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