Weight Loss Reality Check
From Jennifer R. Scott,
Your Guide to Weight Loss.

Weight loss is really hard. Anybody who tells you it's not is probably trying to sell you a fad diet or some sort of "magic" pill. That said, it's important that we remain realistic about both our goals and the journey itself as we strive to lose weight. Unrealistic expectations will often set us up for disappointment. If you find yourself wondering about any of the five points in this article, then it's time to do a weight loss reality check. The good news is that these challenges are often far less significant than we think. Let's take a look at some of the most common experiences and concerns we share on our weight loss journey…
1. "I am working out regularly, but the scale hasn't gone down at all!"

If you are maintaining your reduced calorie eating plan, yet you're not losing weight at the moment, it is very likely that you are developing muscle by exercising.

After all, muscle weighs more than fat, as it is quite heavy and dense. If you are working out consistently, it can be confusing to see that you have maintained or even gained weight… but the weight is comprised of muscle, so it's actually a good thing. Look at it as a "good gain" instead of failure at losing weight. And guess what? Muscle burns fat more efficiently, so in the end your body will be a better calorie burner with your newfound muscle.
2. "I'm only losing a pound a week! This is horrible!"

It's hard to take things slowly, especially when you want something very badly. If you are making lifestyle changes rather than dieting, chances are you will only lose one to two pounds a week… but don't be discouraged, because that's just right. Diet and health experts agree that a consistent weight loss of one to two pounds per week is healthier and far more likely to be permanent than more rapid loss. People who lose a great amount of weight very quickly may be endangering their health by decreasing their calorie intake too much, following a fad diet, or over-training. The sad part about this situation is that the weight is very likely to come back just as quickly when they add calories to their meals, go off their diet or slack off of exercising because of fatigue. Take it slow and have patience, and in the end you will have the permanent results we all desire.

3. "What happens when I go back to eating 'normally'?"

If you are on a diet, chances are you probably wonder about that often. The key here is to take the principles you learn while dieting and apply them to your lifestyle thereafter. For example, we recently covered The Zone diet, but it is not for everyone. Plenty of folks have told me they couldn't stay on it for very long. However, one of The Zone's core principles is portion control. Chances are, if you keep using the "eyeballing" portion control methods Dr. Sears recommends in The Zone, you will continue to lose some weight even if you are not following the 40/30/30 plan.

Better still, following a reduced fat diet can easily lend itself to being a permanent lifestyle change. Why not look into lowering the fat and calories in your meals rather than going on a diet? You can use the Food Guide Pyramid as your basis and keep a food diary to monitor what you are eating, how much and how often. If you in turn begin to think of your eating plan as the pursuit of better nutrition rather than a diet, you will form good habits that will benefit you well in the future.

4. "I'm so tempted to try a weight loss pill. Should I?"
I don't recommend that you do. In my opinion, there aren't any OTC weight loss pills that we can be sure are both safe and effective. Most of these pills don't bring the results they claim to, and if they do result in weight loss, there can be very unfavorable side effects or major health risks. The marketers who peddle these supplements want us to believe they have found the magic pill, but there really is no such thing and there probably never will be.

For example, a reader recently sent me a question about something called The Skinny Pill. Just the name "the skinny pill" sends off bells in my head. It reminds me of a few years ago when I saw "exercise in a bottle" advertised and I laughed saying, "Who knew they could bottle the stuff?" I noticed that the skinny pill's Web site has a disclaimer that says your results depend on a healthy diet and exercise...

but hey, that's the key to weight loss anyway!
You may also be persuaded to try a pill because you haven't heard about any adverse effects arising from taking it. But what if scientists simply haven't found the health risk yet? For example, PPA was in weight loss aids for 20 years before the [a href="aa120500a.htm"]FDA found they caused a particular kind of stroke[/a]. Sure, it's very rare that you would suffer a stroke as a result of consuming PPA, but what if you just happened to be that one person who did? The results would very likely be fatal. Are you really willing to take the risk?

I probably sound biased about this topic, and that's because I am. I personally feel quite victimized by all the marketers who try to sell me these pills, and I'm sure you've probably felt the same at times. I have a statement on the FAQs at this site that says: "There is no magic pill that brings safe, effective weight management. If there were such pill, believe you me, I'd have a lifetime supply on tap ;-)" -- that's really the truth! I've been dealing with my weight problem for years now. Sometimes I want to just stop struggling and try to find an easy way out. But it's never going to happen.

All this said, if in the end you do decide to take a weight loss supplement of any kind, please take it to your doctor first and let him read the ingredients and advise you about taking it.

5. "It's so hard to stay motivated."

Unfortunately, I can't dispel this one. It's the truth and there's really no easy answer. Motivation (or a lack thereof) is something that everyone who is trying to lose weight has to deal with every single day. Whether you've lost your first five pounds or you're well on your way to your goal, it's a struggle to stay dedicated every bite, every step, every moment.

You simply must find your own true goal. For some people it's improved to health; for others it's getting to a certain number on the scale; for some it's to return to a certain clothing size. Whatever your end goal is, you need to resolve to dedicate yourself to it entirely. This is especially difficult to do when you have a significant amount of weight to lose like 75 to 100 or more pounds. You have a very long road ahead of you and it's so easy to get sidetracked. And we all do get sidetracked at times, no matter how dedicated we may be. The important thing is to not give up when you get sidetracked. One lost battle doesn't mean you've lost the war, right?

Stay focused. The key is figuring out that you are worth the effort. If you can harness that feeling of self-worth and keep it with you at all times, you'll be much less likely to falter. I only wish Death By Chocolate didn't so easily put me out of focus. ;-)

Important to remember..

1. We are on a new life style we want to create that we can live with forever.
2. We're eating for nutrition not for self gratification.
3. Our new eating style should be blessing to God and our actions should glorify God, and even draw other people to God who is enabling us to do this.
4. Like most good things, this will take care to create and adapt to.

Remember you are more than worth it!

Awesome share ms editor.. love it.

Huggy, your insight today is awesome! And I love your new graphic. :hal: :glory: