There are several aspects to be considered and implemented
when one is trying to achieve natural weight loss. While
many people search for some magic pill or supplement, or
try to find the perfect diet or look to the latest exercise
fad, the reality is that a combination approach is usually
necessary to actually get good, lasting results.
There are numerous natural weight loss products on the
market, and more seem to pop up every day. Each promises
to be nearly miraculous in it's effects and people buy the
latest and greatest weight loss aid with eager
anticipation, hoping that it will finally be the answer to
their weight problems. They want to believe that a pill,
or a patch, or a tea, etc.. will be all they need to lose
weight and that diet and exercise won't be necessary
(because dieting and exercising are difficult). Even
though deep down they probably know that the latest weight
loss miracle being hyped is no better than all the things
they've tried before, they want to believe it will work,
and so they buy it, only to be disappointed again.
Now this is not to say that natural weight loss aids are
all completely worthless. In fact, many do exactly what
they are supposed to do. For example, hoodia gordonii (at
least the real stuff) does seem to be a very effective
appetite suppressant. So, if the main reason that you have
trouble losing weight is because you have out of control
hunger that makes you eat excssively, hoodia may be a big
help. The thing is, the vast majority of people do not
overeat, or eat too much of the wrong things, because they
are hungry. They may eat out of boredom, out of habit, out
of a need to satisfy a craving, or out of a need to soothe
some emotional issue they are dealing with, but they don't
eat out of hunger. Hoodia is not going to help you if you
aren't eating out of hunger.
Other natural weight loss aids may work by increasing the
metabolic effects of diet and exercise. Well, if you
aren't doing any kind of consistent diet and exercise
program, the benefits of such products will be minimal at
best.
Some natural weight loss aids block the absorption of fat
by the digestive tract and thereby lower the calories you
absorb from each meal. While this does tend to help with
weight loss, unless you stop eating everything except fat
(which is not a good idea), you still are taking in other
calories that, in excess, will be converted to fat AFTER
they are absorbed from the digestive tract. Here again a
consistent diet and exercise program is needed to get
maximum effects.
By now, you have probably figured out that one of the main
points of this article is that if you want to achieve
natural weight loss, at least long-term, you MUST
incorporate a healthy diet and exercise program. No weight
loss aid, natural or otherwise will by itself make you lose
weight and keep it off. In fact, the ads for weight loss
aids will usually state this very thing, even though it is
in microscopic print at the bottom of the ad.
So, the foundations of natural weight loss are diet and
exercise. With a good diet and exercise program in place,
you may get additional benefits from using one or more of
the natural weight loss products on the market. But do
your research to find a product that serves your particular
needs. In other words, if you're not overeating out of
hunger, don't buy an appetite suppressant. If you're
already minimizing your fat intake, don't waste your money
on a fat blocker.
Now, once you have your weight loss plan in place with your
diet, exercise program, and whatever natural weight loss
aids you choose to use, there's one little thing that needs
to happen for you to successfully lose weight. You have to
stick to the program! If there's one thing that renders
the vast majority of natural weight loss efforts
ineffective, it's a lack of follow-through.
It has been my experience that very few people stick to a
natural weight loss program consistently for more than two
weeks at a time. Sure, some of them may "try to lose
weight" for months at a time, but they cheat so often and
they are so inconsistent with their efforts, they fail to
make any real progress.
Recent research comparing different natural weight loss
approaches found something very interesting. The overall
success rates of most of the currently popular diet
programs were about the same. The success or failure of
any given diet had little to do with what the approach was.
In other words, low carb, low fat, calorie restriction,
eating for blood type, etc., really didn't matter. What
mattered was whether or not the individual stuck to the
program! To sum it up, it doesn't matter so much what you
do to lose weight (within reason), as much as it matters
that you do it consistenty long-term!
To follow-through with your natural weight loss plan, you
MUST get control of your mind. There are many ways to do
this and many different techniques that work to varying
degrees for different people. You can get a lot of help in
this area with products from Anthony Robbins, Dr. Phil, and
others, as well as through technologies like hypnosis, the
Sedona Method and Emotional Freedom Technique. You may
need to try several methods to find what works well for you.
Whatever method you use, the real secret to natural weight
loss success has little to do with the latest weight loss
product or the newest diet or exercise fad. The real
secret is to choose a reasonable approach that includes
diet, exercise (choose an exercise you are physically
capable of doing - starting with advanced kickboxing if
you've been a couch potato your whole life is not going to
work!), and possibly one or more weight loss aids and then
make that program a part of your daily life forever. And
the way to make that happen is to take control of your mind
and get your brain working with you rather than against
you. Good luck!
----------------------------------------------------
Dr. George Best has been in private practice as a holistic
healthcare provider in San Antonio, Texas since 1992. For
more information, to obtain a free natural weight loss
guide, and/or to access his E-Book, "Training Your Brain
For Weight Loss", please visit
http://www.TrainYourBrain4WeightLoss.com .
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