Losing weight is a very common goal in todays world. Diseases caused by overweight and obesity are at epidemic levels all around the English-speaking world and countries in the developing world are catching rapidly with the obesity phenomenon.
There are so many diet plans and fads out there. It is so confusing now if you want to get sound advice as to how to go about effective weight loss. And to make matters worse, everyone wants it to be quick and easy. Sound familiar ?
As a consultant exercise physiologist, I get contacted so often about the latest fads, even I get confused sometimes. However, the basics still apply when it comes to fat loss as it should more accurately be called rather than just weight loss.
The formula is that energy output needs to be greater than energy input. Simple ? Well, yes it is but with one qualification. The hardest thing for most people is motivation; having a big enough reason to get started and how to then develop good, ongoing habits for life.
The rest is your choice or preference. There are many machines, gyms, diets plans and so on, but these are all less effective if you have no powerful reason or reasons to start a healthy lifestyle. I have consulted with many people who wanted to make lifestyle changes but were not committed to doing whatever it took to develop habits that would last a lifetime.
Most of lifestyle and health behaviour is about change; out with the old bad habits and in with the new healthy routine
So, how to make the change? First you need to have a long, hard look at where you are currently. Have you put on much weight over the years? Is there are family history of heart disease?
There could be indications that you should change before something drastic happens to you if there is family history of a negative nature.. Once you have identified a powerful enough reason, you are on the road to making the change you need to make. But if the reason is not truly yours, once the excitement of a new routine wears off, you may find you go a bit stale or even reach a plateau.
So make sure you start with a strong reason for change. It might be to be there for your childrens future but it needs to be significant to ensure you get off to a strong start and this will enable you to stay the course when times get tough.
The never say diet approach is about lifestyle changes. It is truly the only way to reliably beat the fads and the failure of the quick fix approach.
Before you take up another ridiculous fad diet make sure you thoroughly read the excellent free report on weight loss, and weight loss
