A few weeks ago, my sister and I were talking about weight loss and she said, "When I was in my 20s, I worked out two hours a day and I was in the best shape. I should really get back to that - it really worked!" But, would that workout regime really work for her now? Not only does she have 2 kids, she's looking for a job. On top of that, two hours of exercise would probably be too much for most people - for the body, the mind and the schedule. Sure she could try exercising for two hours a day, but how long would she be able to maintain that kind of schedule? Not very long, she concluded.
That got me thinking - does something really work if you can only follow it for a short period of time?
If you follow a diet that takes you from, say, 2,200 calories to 1400 calories a day, there's no doubt you'll lose weight. And when you do, you may associate that success with the diet you're following, perhaps thinking - "Finally, something that works!"
However, we know that any diet will work and, for that matter, any exercise program works, provided you're burning more calories than you're eating. That means you could stand in the diet section of the bookstore, pick a diet book (eeny-meeny-miney-mo might be one method) and you'll probably find one that "works."
The question we ask ourselves when it comes to diets or exercise programs is often: Will this help me lose weight? Chances are, whatever it is, it will. The question we may want to ask ourselves is this: Can I follow this for the long-term?
That's one reason that making lifestyle changes is one way people find long-term success. You're working in changes for the life you already have rather than letting someone else dictate changes that may not fit, at least not for more than a few days or weeks.
What about you? Have you ever found yourself trying to go back to an exercise program or diet that worked for you before? If it worked, why weren't you able to stick with it? Is it time to let it go and find something you can do for the long-term? Leave a comment and tell us what you think about weight loss programs that work.
More About Successful Weight Loss
GREAT PERSONAL MOVATIONAL STORY: I retired from my 30 year job and at the same time my brother died. I woke in the morning with no challenge in my life and depressed. I ate and did little. I finally thought to myself, “I will not continue LIFE like this”. I remembered that I always felt better when I was in shape so I became a personal fitness trainer and told myself if I did nothing else during the day – I WOULD get my exercise workout and control my eating each day. I purchased a dieters diary and logged my calories and exercise each day. I lost 35 pounds and think much more positively now about life. I had my up and down spikes but got back in there when I faltered. YOU TOO CAN DO IT!!
I agree with this entire article. I gained a stupid amount of weight when I had my daughter (11 years ago). Off and on, during the first 5-6 years after that I tried numerous diets. I would lose some and then gain more back. Finally I got tired and just decided to be fat. That did not last. I was miserable. So I did the extreme. I went on a liquid diet. I lost 75 pounds, but as you can guess, it did not last. I did not gain all of the weight back but I have gone up and down 25 pounds since then. I have recently decided that I am worth the effort. I bought a journal and I write down everything I eat. I keep track of my calories and I try to excercise 5 times a week. So far I have lost 15 pounds and, the best part is, I am not struggling. I seems to be working well. Time will tell but this seems to be the way to go. It is not easy, nothing about losing weight is easy. But the results feel great!
Way to go Tommy. We as a Nation need to follow your lead. Young and old. Keep up the good work.
Nice article. FYI on diets/weight loss: the FTC recently put more teeth (baby teeth, but it’s a start) into these diet/weight loss pills/programs’ advertising. The proper way to get lifetime results is through lifestyle transformations done via K.I.S.S. and D.I.G.S. (Do It Gradually Stupid). Keep it up!, DrDavidRobinson4Health
Increase your workout time until you start to loose weight and then adjust the routine to keep the weight off. I watch my calories (eat ice cream occassionally), but find that getting exercise in the form of tennis, biking, cardio and weights, keeps the weight off and into a size that I was 40 years ago…I’m 63 now.
I am so happy to find someone that understands this industry and the real problem. The solution to weight management is a life style change. Most people resist this because they think they will have to give up everything they like or make dramatic changes tomorrow. Many people are not too far off, they may just have a timing problem for their last meal of the day. Some may need to revamp their entire life style, but this can occur over time with small baby steps. What is needed is a commitment. Thank you and keep up the good work.
I have to agree it’s a lifestyle change, just like everything. A good example is my newest change; trying to walk again. I had this mindset for so many years that I could walk a little here and there and eventually my legs would get stronger and I would be able to walk unassisted (stupid, I know), until finally I woke up from my fog and realized that in order to walk again someday I needed to try EVERY SINGLE DAY. That meant changing my whole life around to include walking in my every day schedule. This required me to move chores around (not much I can do while walking besides focus on walking), and decide how I was going to fit it in, but with something as important as this I HAD to make these changes. I changed my whole lifestyle to accomplish a very important goal. This is true of any goal. The changes must be from the heart and permanent, not just as a fleeting moment in time.
I am living proof that a lifestyle change is the only way to truly get healthy and keep the weight off for good. I lost 90 pounds on weight watchers and have kept it off for 3 years now. I made myself learn to love exercise it is the only true way to keep weight off. When you exercise you feel better about yourself and you don’t want to eat bad. I am still a food addict and i always will be, but i learned to say NO.
Lifestyle change is the way to go, once I decided that I needed to not be on “a diet” and make eating healthy and exercising every day in some form or another a part of my life my weight got under control and I feel great about myself. I even got certified in teaching aerobics and through that I am trying to help others to change their lives in this way as well….
Try wearing wearable weights like “Body Togs” scientifically based weighted sleeves worn on your arms & legs under your clothing that increases calorie burn, muscle tone & bone density. Weighted vests work great too!
I found a weight loss plan that worked after trying to lose on my own for years and years. I lost 30 pounds and feel great. I am really afraid that I am going to start gaining it back again and am now on the hunt for a do-able exercise program. I get tired of walking in my neighborhood as it is all concrete and cars. I love reading about what other people have discovered… Love the blog!
I used to ramp up the exercise in my 20’s when I felt the lbs creeping up. Now I am 43, 3 kids and that just doesn’t work anymore. I have rhuematoid arthritis and everytime I try to jump into tons of exercise I end up exhausted, hurt and frustrated. I am trying really hard to start more slowly. I was walking a lot and now have some hip problems so I am trying to swim and not overdo it. It is so frustrating but lifestyle change is really the way. I keep telling myself slow and steady but it is hard.
Let’s face it…if you have weight to lose, you didn’t gain that weight overnight, so it’s only common sense to know that it will take some time for that weight to come off. The important thing is to make an overall healthy lifestyle change by addressing 4 main components: nutrition, exercise, stress management, and sleep. For more information, see my book, “How To Eat Fried Chicken and Be Thin Too” on Amazon or at strategicbookpublishing.com
I do believe that you have to put fitness and eating right into your life as a priority or it won’t happen. I’m 40 years old, have a small daughter and work full-time. I don’t have much time for myself and I don’t want to spend ALL my free time at the GYM. So, I think it is important to really be aware of what you eat and how that effects your energy and your weight. Weight Watchers online has been great for me and some friends have been very successful with it too. As you get older, your body needs many less calories to function. It’s important to guage what you should really be eating and HOW much! Also, I make sure I do some kind of excercise every day…even when I’m busy. Even if that only means walking up and down the nine flights of stairs in my office a few times a day and some sit ups/push ups at home.
The weight loss secret for me was simply:NO starchs of any kind except one slice of brown bread, toasted and topped with a poached egg,daily. No candy or pop or chips. ! cup of coffee only per day. lots of salads and fruit and 8 cups of water. Meat was minimal – 4 oz of steak on a Friday and fish on a Sunday. This worked for me and within four months a 45 pounds loss. The problem afterwards was finding the body set point
There were no strenuous exercises – my life remained the same, except – the food intake was drastically altered – healthly!
Like Dr Robinson says, I think gradual change is the best. I have lost 30 pounds, with 78 more to go. I get impatient but try to remember what the I Ching says: large correction, large error; small correction, small error. Having yo yoed in the past,I have lived those large corrections and large errors.
What works for me: having two dogs that I must walk twice daily (30-45 mins in the am & 30-60 mins in the pm). These twice daily walks along with watching my calorie intake (about 1800 per day) has helped me to keep off weight and continue to lose. The weight removal has been a little slow, but very steady. In the year that I’ve had my rescue dogs, I’ve increased both the duration and the speed of our walks (it was only 20 mins 2 x per day to start). And on the weekends we go for longer walks. Rain or shine, my dogs need me to walk them and it’s great motivation. They love the walks, too!
After 12 years as a non-compliant diabetic with CHF and CABGx4 followed by 5 stents, my doc advised/implored, etc. for me to get into the 10,000 steps a day program. At the same time, my wife decided to do Weight Watchers again. It is truly a lifestyle decision. I dropped 25 pounds over a period of six months (D.I.G.S.) and she dropped 50. That was two years ago and we have kept it off – by eating healthy and consistent exercise. Now, I hardly ever need daytime insulin, and only a small amount of Lantus each evening, and my ticker is fine (hbA1c = 6.3). It is possible, but it has to be a conscious decision followed by diligence.
I lost 20 libs in 4 months when I followed my dietitian’s advise. She told me to try and maintain it for a few months and come back if I needed help. I find that even though I know what to eat I still do not do it most of the time. The 4 months under supervision, I knew I had to be answerable to someone.
So I have started logging what I eat from yesterday and hope to keep making good choices.
I am 35 yrs old and I’ve finally learned after years of yo-yo dieting that YOU DON’T LOSE FAT W/ CARDIO! You have to strength train and watch your diet (food diary). Cardio helps you lose weight, sure, but if you don’t build muscle you will not lose FAT and you will gain the weight back when you stop. I have started strength training 3 times per week in addition to my cardio for endurance and heart health and have seen amazing changes to my body in a short time. Equally as important is water intake. MULTIPLY YOUR BODY WEIGHT BY .66 TO FIND THE RIGHT AMOUNT FOR YOU!