Look around next time you are outside and you will see why dieting and diets have become such a huge interest the American people. With over 60% of Americans overweight, we are increasingly looking for answers to lose the weight and keep it off for good.
Here's the sobering news. Most diets fail. Regardless of the program, and regardless of how serious you are, your next attempt will likely end up like all the rest. But here's the happy part. You can do something that will dramatically shift the odds in your favor.
What's the difference between glass being half full or half empty? Perspective, right? With diets though its not an issue of positive thinking, its an issue of time expectation. When we are lead to diets that promise "overnight" success we are setting ourselves up for failure. So what would happen if you changed your time expectation?
The people who truly succeed with a diet long term decide to make a change in habits, to put forth a little more effort, consume better foods, and develop healthy exercise habits. A habit is something you do subconsciously, without thinking. And the only way to get rid of a bad habit, is to replace it with a good one.
I wish the answer was more magical. Its always more fun that way. A magical solution that solves all our weight issues. We like things easy, and losing weight is no different. But having searched for that magic pill before, I can tell you that when you realize one important thing is when you realize dieting success.
You see when I realized that I didn't get fat in days or weeks, I was able to accurately see a realistic time frame. I allowed myself, as a 5'10" male, to reach 220 lbs. Mmmm, nice and chunky. However, I knew it was time to change when I couldn't make it up a flight of stairs without huffing and puffing. The key to my eventual success was that I realized 45 pounds was not going to disappear in a month or two.
Just do the math. An aggressive 10 pounds a month would take almost five months to lose. You may not know it, but 1 pound of fat has 3500 calories. And to burn extra fat you need to expend 500 calories above you normal metabolic needs. 7 Days of burning an extra 500 calories is only 1 pound a week. 10 pounds a month would take 1250 calories a day!! So start your diet off right with a realistic expectation.
If you haven't had an emotional breakdown yet, then you will reach all your weight loss goals. But if you start with a really long time to reach your goals, and you can accept that as the worst case scenario and move on then it just gets easier and easier. Start small with one pound a week. When you achieve that then you will start to feel good and it will perpetuate itself. The actual numbers each month don't matter how you feel and how your cloths fit does.
By now you know that you are the ultimate factor in your diet's success. That doesn't mean a diet plan isn't helpful. It is because it helps you get going in the right direction and gives you some structure to start getting results. However, when you reach your goal, it won't be the diet that you are happy about, it will be yourself for sticking with it and reaching your goals through better choices and better habits.
If you are searching for a healthful, long-term diet solution that really works, check out Herbalife. With over 27 years of accomplishment behind them Herbal Life has become a leading worldwide nutrition and diet company.
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