There are huge numbers of weight loss methods and products
on the market. Weight loss continues to be a popular goal,
yet one that is rarely achieved in our society. While there
are certainly extreme measures like surgery and drugs that
can promote weight loss, these methods come with
significant risks and drawbacks, which is why many people
continually seek out and try more natural weight loss
approaches.
Ultimately, natural weight loss comes down to some
combination of diet and exercise. Although many approaches
favor one or the other, the reality is that both diet and
exercise are equally important and weight loss occurs much
more rapidly with a combined approach. Although there are
some weight loss aids that can assist with weight loss and
potentially enhance the effects of diet and exercise, there
really is not a substitute for diet and exercise.
There is much debate as to what works and what doesn't. On
the diet front, some will proclaim Atkin's and other low or
no carbohydrate approaches to be the only effective diet
strategy. Others may insist that calorie restriction is
the way to go. Still others may insist on the low-fat
approach. The fact of the matter is that all of these diet
systems work at least some of the time.
As with diet, there is considerable debate as to what
exercise approach works best for weight loss. Some say you
have to do high intensity "interval training". Some favor
the long-time, low- intensity aerobic approach. Still
others say any increase in any kind of physical activity
works just fine. Again, all of these appoaches work at
least for some people.
Various recent research studies into the vast array of
weight loss approaches has come to a rather interesting
conclusion: All weight loss approaches that are based on
physiologically-sound principles seem to have about the
same statistical success rate. What research has found to
be the most critical factor in whether or not a weight loss
approach is effective is... whether or not the person
sticks to the program long-term.
It has been my experience in clinical practice that very
few people stick to ANY weight loss plan (at least natural
weight loss plans - not some type of weight loss drug) for
more than about two weeks straight. Yes, some may stay on
a weight loss plan for several months, but most are not
consistent over that period of time. Most people start a
diet and/or exercise program and will go for a few days,
then get off-track for a few days, then go back on and off
the program repeatedly. The times when they are off the
program largely negate whatever progress they make while
they are on the program.
Based on my experience with people trying to lose weight,
the biggest factor in losing weight is not the diet or
exercise the person is doing, it's the person's consistency
with whatever he or she is doing. The ability to be
consistent with a natural weight loss program comes down to
motivation and will-power. In other words, if you're going
to lose weight and keep it off, you MUST get control of
your mind so that you can have sufficient motivation and
will-power to stick to the weight loss plan.
Developing motivation and will-power requires more than
just deciding to lose weight. You must be able to handle
all sorts of temptations and resist them. Unfortunately,
most human beings are not born with the natural ability to
resist temptations, and without proper preparation, it is
far to easy for temptation to overcome one's motivation and
will-power to lose weight. For this reason, I recommend
using a variety of mental conditioning techniques BEFORE
one begins a natural weight loss plan. By preparing the
mind in advance, one is far more able to resist temptation
and stay sufficiently motivated to stick to the plan.
Among the most useful techniques I have found for this
purpose include Neuro-Linguistic Progamming,
Neuro-Associative Conditioning (developed by Anthony
Robbins), various forms of self-hypnosis, the Sedona
Method, Emotional Freedom Technique, and simply taking the
time to clearly identify one's reasons for wanting to lose
weight in the first place. By using any or all of these
methods, temptation can be largely eliminated and one is
able to stick with his or her diet and/or exercise program
long-term, which allows for consistent weight loss and
maintenance of one's weight once the goal is achieved.
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Dr. George Best is the author of the E-Books, "Training
Your Brain For Weight Loss" and "The Total Solution For The
Weight Loss Impaired". For more information, please visit
http://www.trainyourbrain4weightloss.com .
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