A Combined Approach Is Needed For Effective Natural Weight Loss

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.

Many natural weight loss aids are available, and there appears to be no end of new ones coming on the market. Everyone of them is promoted as a breakthrough and many who are desperate to lose weight will eagerly purchase the latest and greatest weight loss product hoping it will solve their problem. People really want to think that there is some easy way to lose weight and hope for a way to avoid difficult diet and exercise programs. Although at some level, most realize that the current weight loss wonder being promoted probably won't work any better than the the ones that have come before, many will purchase the new hope and wind up frustrated once again with the lack of results.

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 excessively, 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.

Although diet and exercise are undoubtedly the fundamental requirements for natural weight loss, you may find certain weight loss aids helpful. The main thing is to choose such products on the basis of how well the reported effects of such products suit your needs. For instance, if you're already eating a diet low in fat, it doesn't make much sense to purchase a fat-blocking supplement.

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.

In several years of working with people on weight loss, I have observed that the vast majority of people will be able to stick to their natural weight loss plan for more than a few weeks in a row. Now, many people work on losing weight for many months or even years, but because their efforts are not consistent, most are unsuccessful at losing weight and keeping it off.

Current research indicates that most diet plans have about the same success rate. In other words, low fat works as well as low carb, which works as well as eating for your blood type, etc.. Researchers found that the primary factor that determined whether or not a diet was successful was whether or not the individual actually followed the program!

Since sticking with a natural weight loss plan is the key to success, it would likely be beneficial to investigate various methods for getting control of your mind and emotions. I include several of the most effective of these techniques in my E-Book, "Training Your Brain For Weight Loss". Other resources include Anthony Robbins, Dr. Phil McGraw, Emotional Freedom Technique, Neurolinguistic Programming, and self-hypnosis.

Ultimately, the key to succeeding with a natural weight loss plan is to take a combination approach that includes diet, exercise, any weight loss products that meet your specific needs, and make your program a part of your daily lifestyle. The way to be make your program something you consistently stick with long-term is to take control of your mind and emotions so that your brain works with rather than against your weight loss efforts.

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