Most weight loss tips don’t work.

It’s not because they’re wrong.  It’s just because they haven’t resonated with you in a meaningful, sustainable fashion.  In order to be effective, a weight loss effort can’t be a program, diet, phase, or regimen.

To lose weight and keep it off, whatever program you embark on has to be a permanent lifestyle adjustment.

You have to enjoy what you’re eating, you have to enjoy the exercise you get, and you have to enjoy the results you’re seeing.  If any one of those three things isn’t going for you, you’ll never last.  You’ll quit long before you reach your goals, or – much worse – you’ll quit after you meet your goals, and return to your slovenly, pudgy ways in just a few short months.  And at the end of that little evolution, you’ll likely feel much worse about yourself than you did to begin with.

Most unsuccessful weight loss tips don’t work not because they won’t help you remove weight.  You can eat any of a number of silly combinations of things, or fast for any prescribed length of time, that will help you lose weight.  Most weight loss tips don’t work because they’re miserable, and you won’t stick with them.

Three years ago, I lost 42 pounds and over 70 cholesterol points.

I’ll give you a few weight loss tips that DO work.

1. Love what you do for exercise. I do functional fitness (Crossfit and Military Athlete).  You don’t have to.  But you do have to enjoy the exercise you get.  If it’s pure torture, you’ll never stick with it.
2. Love what you eat. When I decided to quit being a fat slob, I was afraid I’d hate the stuff I forced down my gullet. I discovered that healthy food (read our post on clean eating and fat burning foods for more) was absolutely delicious.  I didn’t even have to doctor it up.  It just tastes really good.  I think you’ll find the same thing once you start eating clean.
3. Understand that you’re changing things for the rest of your life. You’re not going on a diet, or starting a little exercise thing that you’ll endure for a few months and then “graduate” back to your normal existence.  You’re embarking on a journey that will change the way you live for all time.  Sound scary?  Ask yourself this:  is the way you have been living really all that great?  If you are fat, lazy, and out of shape, wouldn’t a change do you some good?  If you’re like two thirds of Americans, you could stand to get off  your rump, eat right, and live a much healthier life.

If you’re getting on the wellness bandwagon, do so with the intent to stay there.  Most people grossly overestimate what they can do in a month, and grossly underestimate what they can do in a year.  Commit to the process, honor yourself with exercise and nutrition every day, and you’ll be amazed at what happens to your body.