Friend to Friend: The Hard Facts About Weight Loss
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I regularly get asked by friends, family members, and random people I meet, the secret to losing weight.
I suppose they are looking for the “insider” info on how to drastically drop those pounds, and pronto!
And, I’m willing to help a friend whenever I can. But, it seems to me that many people are only interested in a miracle quick fix. As if there’s a wonder pill or diet food to magically make the fat disappear.
Believe me, if I knew what it was, I’d be a rich women by now! 
Anyway, the conversation usually involves questions about some weight loss pill or fad diet, which promises to melt away body fat — everyone from celebs, to the women next door is doing it… apparently!
Unfortunately, no-one wants to hear the cold, hard facts… that there really is no quick fix solution to blast that fat.
Let’s say you have 30 pounds to lose, and it takes you a year or two to lose that weight, so what? In the grand scheme of things two years is a relatively short period of time, don’t you think?
And, if losing it over a longer time frame means you get to keep it off (as studies suggest), isn’t it worthwhile?
If that seems like a long time to you, remember you didn’t gain your weight overnight. It took its time creeping on there. So, it’s not unimaginable to think it will take some time coming off again, too.
Here are a few questions you need to consider:
- How many quick fix diet solutions have you tried in the past?
- How successful where they?
- Are you ready to try the long-haul, but potentially more successful route this time?
Weight Loss Facts
I know I’ve said this so many times here before, but perhaps you need to hear it again… friend to friend… the hard facts about weight loss.
To be successful long-term in losing weight, you need to make permanent changes to your everyday eating and lifestyle habits. Slowly, but surely, letting the weight come off, and stay off for LIFE.
So, how do you go about putting this well-known, but often ignored, weight loss fact into practise?
Well, let’s take carbs as our example.
Many people think they need to completely cut carbs from their diet to lose weight. While I don’t agree with that completely, I do agree most people depend way too much on carbohydrate foods at mealtimes, and that they eat all the wrong types.
But, the problem with cutting whole food groups from your diet is, that when you go back to eating “normally” again, you no longer know what normal is for you. Also, there’s a tendency to overeat what you’ve deprived yourself of.
So, what happens? You end up back at square one again.
The way I see it, you’d be better learning how to control what you eat.
Rather than cutting carbs completely from you diet, it would be better to begin by modifying your choices, and also to cut back on your frequency of intake.
Instead, go for small amounts of whole carbohydrates, such as brown rice, and oats, rather than white bread, and sugary breakfast cereals.
Making small changes like this can have a huge impact.
Then, when you get to grips with that change, move on to something else, for example your soda addiction, or your afternoon snacking habit.
I know, this is merely scratching the surface in terms of losing weight, but it’s a start, and a good one at that!
Lifestyle Makeover Guide
If you need more help in making small, lasting changes in your eating and lifestyle, download a free copy of my Lifestyle Makeover Guide, or reread it, if you’ve already got your copy.
So, have you ever had to give a friend some advice on dieting? What weight loss facts did you have to get serious about? Perhaps you were the friend needing to hear those harsh truths — how did you respond?
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4 Comments
Jeremy
10.21.2010
hey glad I found this post..it seems like the carb confusion has been on many a folks mind..we’ll hear one thing from one expert and another thing from someone else.. I think you said it best “Unfortunately, no-one wants to hear the cold, hard facts… that there really is no quick fix solution to blast that fat.”
Have a phenom day!
Melanie
10.22.2010
Hey Jeremy,
Thanks for your comment. The whole carb issue bugs the life out of me… grrrr!
Anita
10.22.2010
You’re absolutely right Melanie – for some reason with all this info available to us, people still keep hoping for a quick fix. It’s interesting that we wouldn’t expect the same to be true for any other area of our lives. Everyone expects to put in the years of studying to get an academc degree. Or to put in years of effort to bring up a child. Everyone knows that building a house can’t be rushed….
But when it comes to learning to lose the weight and keep it off – people just want to open a diet booklet, and follow the instructions and drop the weight within minutes…
I guess that’s why we’re here to help. You said it very well though – if it tooc the weight years to creep on, expect to spend a long time taking it off.
In all fairness though, I have a few friends and family who actually take interest in the ‘long’ solution – which always makes me so grateful.
Thanks for a great post.
Melanie
10.22.2010
I love your comment, Anita! You are absolutely right about study, child rearing or building a house… what great examples! Thanks for sharing your thoughts — I think it really helps put things in perspective for people
Single Best Way to Achieve your Fitness Goals |
11.08.2010
[...] I read some great fitness articles recently that you might want to consider reading. “The 1000 calorie workout” (includes video) by Ryan Murdock over at body weight coach. He has a great product that I have used and studied.“Bodyweight Exercise Revolution” consists of many great bodyweight exercises that you can perform anywhere without needing weights or a gym. Other great articles “The Ultimate Lowerbody Exercise”, “Wake and Shake (Start Your Day Right)”, and “Friend to Friend: The Hard Facts about Weight Loss.” [...]
Single Best Way to Achieve your Fitness Goals | Ken Bernock
12.23.2010
[...] I read some great fitness articles recently that you might want to consider reading. “The 1000 calorie workout” (includes video) by Ryan Murdock over at body weight coach. He has a great product that I have used and studied.“Bodyweight Exercise Revolution” consists of many great bodyweight exercises that you can perform anywhere without needing weights or a gym. Other great articles “The Ultimate Lowerbody Exercise”, “Wake and Shake (Start Your Day Right)”, and “Friend to Friend: The Hard Facts about Weight Loss.” [...]
» Single Best Way to Achieve your Fitness Goals Ken Bernock Blog
01.26.2011
[...] I read some great fitness articles recently that you might want to consider reading. “The 1000 calorie workout” (includes video) by Ryan Murdock over at body weight coach. He has a great product that I have used and studied.“Bodyweight Exercise Revolution” consists of many great bodyweight exercises that you can perform anywhere without needing weights or a gym. Other great articles “The Ultimate Lowerbody Exercise”,“Wake and Shake (Start Your Day Right)”, and “Friend to Friend: The Hard Facts about Weight Loss.” [...]
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