The Not So Shocking Truth Of Why Diets Fail

Any casual walk in public these days will make it it very apparent why there is such a huge demand for diets in America. Did you know that over 60% of Americans are over weight and over 30% are obese? With numbers like those, more and more people are looking for a viable and sustainable answer for weight loss.

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.

We are constantly demanding weight loss success in days, weeks at the longest. That's a pretty shortsighted perspective. If expected to lose it in weeks and it took months, you feel like a failure. If you expect months and it takes less time you feel like a success. So what would happen if you changed how long you expected it would take you to lose your weight?

Its not the diet that makes a difference, its the habits. Imagine yourself reaching for a piece of fruit instead of junk food, walking instead of watching TV. It probably sounds hard right now. But you can do it with ease and without thinking about it. The only way to get to that point is by changing habits, and replacing your bad habits with good ones.

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.

I didn't put the weight on over night or in a month or in 3 months. As a 5'10" male, 220lbs didn't feel too good, and when I was huffing and puffing at the top a flight of stairs, I knew it had to change. I also realized that my ideal weight of 170-175 was 45+ pounds lighter and a long way off from 220. And that was the key.

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.

In the end a diet program will help you slowly make the changes you need so that when you hit your goal you will realize that it wasn't the diet that did it, it was you. It was you that changed your habits, you that made better choices, and you that took control of your weight and your life.

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