by Janet Wahlquist

Created on: August 03, 2007

One myth about dieting is that there is a magic pill out there somewhere that will make you lose weight. Wouldn't that make losing weight so much easier! So you watch the ads, and this one sounds really good! You just know it is going to be the thing that finally helps you succeed!

Eager to get started, you open up your new product and read through all the directions. There, in the tiny print, you see the same type of comment you have seen on the last 7 products you tried: "Results not typical", and, "This product works best when combined with a healthy diet and regular exercise." A thought worms its way into your mind, that maybe you should pay attention to that, but you are anxious to see the new svelte you, and push the thought away. Several weeks later, a few pounds thinner but nowhere near where you had hoped, you decide that this one was just not the right one for you.

The fact is, the best way to lose weight is through eating a healthy diet, and exercising regularly. There are many different ideas on what exactly constitutes a healthy diet, and it would be easy to get bogged down in a discussion. Let's leave that to others, and look at exercise.

Our bodies were made to move. All those tasks that our ancestors performed in order to survive involved movement. Hunting, gathering food, providing shelter, and traveling from place to place all required that they use their bodies and move constantly. Today we can walk from our front door to our car, from our car to the office, and from our desk to the water cooler, and back again, but is it enough? Modern conveniences make it very easy to become a non-mover. Becoming a non-mover makes it very easy to gain weight.

A simple solution is to start moving on a regular basis. Walk or bike to work, or at least park at the far edge of the parking lot. Instead of watching TV as a family, get out and do something physical - take a walk, go for a swim, or play a game of Frisbee.

So is there a magic formula for losing weight? Yes! Putting regular and consistent movement back into our lives.

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