Copyright (c) 2008 Phyllis Ekleberry

Weight loss supplements and weight loss programs are designed and retailed on a daily basis to help those who need to lose that weight. Researchers world wide have developed weight loss patches, supplements and pills to help the over weight individual. Add to this, all the people who have designed their own weight loss programs

Wow, with this many diet programs on the market, what are you as a concerned dieter suppose to do? You need to know up front that even though you may purchase these diet programs or plans or take weight loss supplements, you will also have to change your lifestyle.

You are going to have to change the way you eat and exercise more. There is no way around it; if you are wanting to loss the weight, burn the fat, develop those ever so appealing six packs, then you must change the calorie intake as well as the calorie usage. Long story short- if you don’t burn more calories than you eat – you are NOT going to lose weight!

Have you ever bought the newest ebook, program or article touting weight loss or fat burning? I bet you have bought an exercise video to get you jump-started or bought countless supplements that are suppose to promote weight-loss or fat burning? Have you sat glued to the television as some “fitness” expert touts his/ her way as the ONLY way? How about your computer, have you surfed for the latest and greatest diet, diet supplement or weight loss plan?

If you have done any of these things, you have probably been lied to. I know, they have countless testimonials and great pictures so why can’t you be just like those individuals and lose all your fat. You could lose the weight like they did- couldn’t you?

Weight loss ebooks, books, tapes, videos, programs, supplements and advice are a dime a dozen. Some of these weight loss supplements have conducted clinical trial while some have had no testing – other than to test you to see how fast you could let go of the money. With all of this uncollaborated information flying at you from all corners of the world, how can you protect yourself from just throwing your money away? I realize that you want to lose weight, but come on- let’s do it the right way!

How can you protect yourself from getting wrapped up into a diet that is not safe, ineffective or unrealistic?

You protect yourself by looking at the research behind it, the clinical studies – was it double-blind tested, read all the claims (good and bad), if there is an email address next to a testimonial, write them, and of course the ingredients (if it a supplement, patch, or prescription meds).

Protect yourself by making sure that everything in the supplement is natural and safe. There should be no additional chemicals or ingredients added in for good measure, because you only want natural, organic ingredients in your diet supplement or diet patch. Even in small portions, hazardous or dangerous chemicals are still not good for you.

Please make sure that you have addressed the BIG question Why you are over-weight?

Do you eat because you are hungry,because you think you will get a surge of energy or because you are depressed or stressed? Are you bored so you just eat or do you enjoy eating (the chewing factor)?

Some people think they are eating just a tad because they have made it a habit to grab just a little bite as you pass by the food! You know that if you just take a small bit, then take another small bite, you are never sure how much you have actually eaten. But you look down and low and behold – it’s gone – all of it!

By all means please protect your health and your life !Before starting any diet, go to your family doctor and have him/ her examine you to make sure that there are no under lying issues to your weight gain. Ask your family doctor if you are healthy enough to lose weight. Then choose an appropriate weight loss program.

After all, your weight loss is the primary mission. It is one of the hardest things to do next to lowering your debt. Why? Because a good diet program takes will power, consistency and determination. You have to approach it the same way you approach work. On a daily basis. You must change the way you view food and respond to food.

Approach the weight loss program knowing you have to increase your output and decrease your input. Get some support while you are losing weight. It does not have to be a support group of over weight individuals, although sometimes those are great. Consider asking someone from your church or gym to help you. Be accountable to someone other than yourself. A diet buddy can help motivate you and keep you focused on your weight loss goal.

Most experts in the field of health and nutrition would agree that the last 20 years have been one of the worst times in the history of health and well being because more and more people suffer from world’s largest ‘epidemic’ obesity.

Studies also show that the risk factors of obesity also include heart disease, sleep apnea and other breathing problems, diabetes, hypertension, stroke, gallbladder diseases, and various forms of cancer. Since there are so many health risks involved, people who are obese or morbidly obese are finding solutions that can help them lose weight easily.

A GUIDE TO EFFECTIVE AND SAFE WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM

Obesity has indeed become a chronic condition through the years. Although it can be a “temporary problem” which can be solved and treated for a couple of months or years with a rigid diet, losing excessive weight gain is not always possible and easy.

For most obese people, it can be a frustrating and life-long effort if not addressed properly. In order to promote safe and effective weight loss, various weight loss programs have been created to provide long-term approach in controlling obesity. If you are determined to lose weight by enrolling into a specific weight loss program, here are some of the tips you can use to find that responsible and safe weight loss program for you.

-Make sure the diet is safe. You can do this by double-checking if the diet offered by the weight loss program includes the vitamins, minerals, and proteins required in the Recommended Daily Allowances (RDAs).

-Check if the weigh loss diet offers low calories. Since too much calorie intake is one of the primary reasons of obesity, make sure that the diet provided by the weight loss program you are planning to enroll is low in calories and not in essential and essential contents.

-A responsible weight loss program should be directed towards a slow and steady weight loss. Since weight loss cannot be achieved overnight, make sure that the weight loss program promotes slow but sure weight loss strategies. Most experts agree that the safest weight loss is about a pound a week after the first 2 weeks. It is expected that since many weight loss programs based losing weight with calorie-restricted diets, you will experience rapid weight loss during the 2 weeks. Don’t worry because this loss is mainly fluid and can be regained quickly when you go back to a normal-calorie diet. Unless your physician thinks that losing weight rapidly is best for your health condition would benefit, stick to gradual weight loss.

-The weight loss program can give you an idea how much weight you should and you could lose, can present to you the appropriate weight-loss program for your body’s condition, and can give you a rough estimate on how much weight you should lose in a specific period of time.

-Check if the weight loss program you are planning to enroll with offers weight maintenance plans after the weight loss phase. A safe weight loss program must ensure the safety and effectivity of the weight loss diet by monitoring its after effects. Inquire if the weight loss program offers weight maintenance because it is the most difficult part of controlling weight.

-Make sure that the weight program can help you permanently change your lifestyle towards healthy living. A responsible weight loss program should help the person change his/her dietary habits as well as the level of physical activity in order to avoid repeating the factors that led him/her to obesity before.

-Look for behavior modification help. The weight loss program should include education in healthy eating habits and long-term plans in dealing with weight problems. It should also include individually tailored exercise programs for the student.

-Keep an eye on financial transparency. Make sure that the weight loss program provides a detailed statement of fees and actual costs of additional items like dietary supplements in your bill.

Ever have a sister-in-law, co-worker, or friend who has dropped several pounds and eagerly tells you all about it? You buy into her enthusiasm, join the class, purchase the meals, and three weeks later you feel like an utter failure. You know what to do, you saw her do it—you just couldn’t do it yourself. You can’t figure out how to lose weight like she did.

In dieting, as in life, there is not a one-size-fits-all diet plan. To know how to lose weight, you must first identify your personality type and work from your own strengths.

Which personality type are you?

When my dear husband and I are planning a vacation, I like to dream about all the possibilities. We could see the mountains in the summer or have another winter ski vacation. Hmmm, come to think of it, wouldn’t skiing in the Alps be great? But swimming in the tropics might be better. You can see right away that my personality type is conducive to dreaming.

But to actually go on vacation, you have to start narrowing it down, and I do, but not without throwing in a couple more options and certainly not without some grief over all the places I’ve eliminated.

It makes me edgy to eliminate choices. When I order at a restaurant, I get anxious, fearing that I didn’t make the best choice and grieving over all the things I can’t have.

My husband is the complete opposite personality type. The more he can narrow the choice, the more comfortable he is. Likewise, he grooves on knowing exactly where everything in his life is. He likes to park on the same side in the garage every day. He likes setting his coffee cup in the same spot on the counter.

His mantra: “A place for everything and everything in it’s place.”

Apparently, I like knowing my keys are somewhere in the house, though I’m not always sure where.

I call myself creative. My mantra: “It’s hard to be me . . . but it’s worth it.”

So, how does all this address how to lose weight? First, answer these quick questions:

Do you . . .

a) Take the same route to work every day?

b) Like to take a different route to your usual destinations?

a) Think you would be happier if only you could make reservations a week in advance?

b) Prefer to make a choice about which restaurant to go to while you’re pulling out of the driveway?

If you answered “a,” then you’re a “straight-line” personality type; “b,” you’re of the “winding path” personality type.

Each personality type has it’s advantages and unique challenges, particularly when it comes to diet plans and how to lose weight. Neither is preferable to the other, although straight-liners would have you believe that their way is best. They may get the weight off more quickly on their diet plan, but as we know, losing weight fast is not any indication that it has left your hips for good. Learning how to lose weight while honoring your ingrained personality type is a much more surefire strategy for long-term success.

Personality Types that Call for a Straight-Line Diet Plan

How to lose weight in the most straightforward fashion: I’m looking for the shortest path between me and my goal.

Strengths:

You tend to be disciplined and so can follow a directed diet plan quite easily. You don’t complicate things, but instead find a method that works and stick with it.

Advantage:

Steady weight loss.

Challenge:

You may have a harder time sticking to your diet plan during temporary transitions such as change in schedules, seasons and vacations. What should be viewed as temporary setbacks may lead to an exaggerated sense of failure that becomes self-fulfilling. Transitioning from your diet plan to long-term weight maintenance can be more difficult.

Primary Strategy:

Work to eliminate all-or-nothing thinking with regard to your diet plan. Remember that getting to and maintaining a healthy weight is a series of decisions.

Choosing a Diet Plan:

There are many, many answers to the question of how to lose weight, but “Just tell me what I should eat!” is a common cry for the “straight line” personality type. If you are of this personality type, you’ll be more comfortable choosing (or devising) a meal-type diet plan where food choices are limited. The counting-type diet plans might feel overwhelming, with too many choices.

Personality Types that Call for a “Winding Road” Diet Plan

How to lose weight in the most pleasant fashion: There are myriad ways to get there, might as well enjoy the journey.

Strengths:

You tend to be creative with your diet plan and make it “your own,” which means you won’t get bored or feel deprived.

Advantage:

Easier adaptation from diet plan to maintenance plan because you are adjusting throughout the journey. 

Challenge:

You’ll probably lose more slowly and may feel like a failure because you can’t “follow” a diet plan.

Primary Strategy:

When considering how to lose weight, try looking at the many diet plans in existence and jumping from one to the next—choose a diet plan that interests you, but always be reading about and looking for new strategies.

Choosing a Diet Plan:

It’s best to have a counting-type diet plan, where any food is okay as long as it’s within a certain range. You may try “lifestyle change” dieting—simply rising to the challenge of eating with the intention of losing weight. Still, it is best to have the experience using a counting-type diet plan so that you have some structure to return to if you don’t see enough progress.

At www.reasonablediet.com/fivetips you can get a free download of my Dieting By Personality Type tip booklet.