Weight Loss

Do you need to drop a few pounds?

Weight loss is the number one New Year’s resolution in the United States, but only a small percentage actually achieve their goal. All too often, people will chose the wrong type of diet, follow a flawed plan, and even if they are initially successful, many end up gaining the weight back quickly. This is why the first step in weight loss has to be a commitment on your part to research and chose a diet plan that fits with your needs, schedule, and goals.

For most of human history, the need for dieting wasn’t an issue. Prior to the last 150 years, people generally grew, raised, or hunted for their own food. Your body was trained to store fat as energy reserves, to get you through unforeseen droughts and famines. Back then, fat could be a good thing, since you didn’t always know where your next meal was coming from. Now, with the growth of modern grocery stores and restaurants chains, we’re taking in more calories and food processing agents than ever before, and eating more often than ever before, but our bodies are still storing as much fat as possible. These days, we need to watch how much we eat, what types of foods we eat, and work with our bodies natural tendencies to induce weight loss.

There are all sorts of diet plans out there to assist with weight loss, including liquid diets, crash diets, low carbohydrate diets, low fat diets, and even “cookie diets”. With the weight loss industry’s annual sales at around $85 billion dollars per year, many diets plans are based more on the marketing and income potential of the diet to its creator, than on actual medical research. That’s why it’s important to chose a diet that your researched thoroughly, from a source with reliable information, and even opinions from others.

A diet plan may be as simple as limiting your daily intake of calories or carbs, or as structured as working with a dietician and eating prepared meals that are delivered to your home. Many diets encourage you to keep track of the meals you eat, so that you can stay on target and review your progress. Thanks to the internet, you’re able to discuss your diet with others in weight loss forums and discussion groups, where you can learn and benefit from the experience of others.

Regardless of which diet you chose, there are some key elements shared by all plans. The first is commitment. If you don’t stick to the plan, you shouldn’t expect good results. If you find yourself wavering in your commitment, review your plan and goals, modify them if necessary, but don’t give up. Weight loss takes time, but you can do it. Another key element is exercise. Sure, you could lose weight by simply eating less or better foods, but exercise improves your stamina, burns calories, builds muscle, and releases endorphins that give you a positive and reinforcing feeling of progress. You don’t need to work out at a gym. Even just walking around the block a few times after dinner can help dramatically over time. Most plans, however, recommend at least 20 to 30 minutes of exercise three times a week.

Losing weight comes easy for some, but for others, it can be a life long struggle. If it’s a struggle for you,  remember the health benefits, such as lower cholesterol, more energy, a better appearance, and reduced health risks. Don’t wait till New Years to think about dieting, get started now.