by Sig Wynne-Evans

Created on: February 17, 2010

I would venture to say that those who are trim or never had a weight problem find that losing weight is easy. I would also say that those who have excessive weight would claim that losing weight is not easy. The issue is firmly divided with the scale in-between both sides. This should not be surprising to anyone.

The CONCEPT of losing weight is simple. Eat less than the calories you burn. Yet, this does not always seem to hold true. After dieting and working out for 18 months, I had slow dismal progress. Twenty pounds less during the year and a half was my reward. This is after 18 months of coffee and yogurt for breakfast, cottage cheese and a handful of grapes for lunch, and a "sensible" dinner. My time at the gym was 1.5 hours on the eliptical machine 5-6 days per week. Twenty pounds from a 250 pound body was in my opinion, a failure.

Losing weight is work. It is not easy. Calories must be counted, and physical activity must be increased.  These are elements that must be learned. Retraining the mind to change a lifestyle is never easy, for anyone, but in order to be successful over the long term, it must be done.

One must learn to eat properly, one must choose the right types of foods, and understand portion control. Relying on packaged foods will not teach anyone how to do this. Packaged foods might be fine for the lunch at work. While they are much better than they were years ago, they still leave much to be desired. The bulk that is required to have a "full" feeling is often lacking. 

Exercise is an absolute must in order to lose weight. To squeeze in an hour during a hectic day is often difficult. We are working more these days to make up for what income our spouses have lost, and the loss of our buying power. With less and less time to exercise, this does not help in the weight loss attempts.

There are many gimmicks, and many plans that promise an easy successful weight loss. I think the only easy weight loss these promises offer is due to the cash they have extracted from your pocket, rather than fat from your belly. Don't kid yourself. Know that it is hard work, and good things do come from hard work.

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