Sorting the Wheat From the Chaff in Weight Loss Information

With the holidays upon us, there are millions of people looking to skinny down before loading up on all the goodies to be had at this time of year. You tell yourself if you can lose ten pounds, you can appear more suave or sexy as you make the rounds of parties and holiday events. There are more weight loss programs, pills and advice available than you could possibly try in a lifetime. When you go looking for weight loss information, how do you know what is hype and what works? Weight loss forums get real busy this time of year. After the holidays, you are back to bemoan the fact that the weight is back and now what? Everybody has their two cents to contribute.

Some of the more institution websites that deal with weight loss information are a bit stodgy and dry. This information, while for the most part credible, is plenteous, to the point where you begin to feel like digesting it all might take months. You will also find caveats galore.Unless you can and want to spend a few months figuring out your own custom weight loss program, this type of weight loss information may not be news you can use right now. Credible, but maybe TMI for your immediate needs.

There is no shortage of weight loss information books, from chic and trendy programs to scholastic tomes. The academic books, written by people with degrees in nutrition, contain accurate information. There are scams out there as well. Therein lies the rub. What if you are not one of those people? You might even have tried one of these in the past and found it did not work, even though your neighbor lost 20 pounds with that method. This type of weight loss information carries its own caveat, that being that it might not work, although the theory and science is credible.

Then there are the so called miracle diets and pills. Some are plain snake oil remedies, which do not work for anyone. Others employ herbs like ephedra or hoodia, which, while they work, can be super dangerous to your health, used improperly. Ephedra is a powerful stimulant and is best avoided, except in very narrow circumstances and under strict medical supervision. Hoodia is a plant native to the Australian outback. The aboriginal tribes make use of it when making long treks through the desert, in search of food. It suppresses the appetite, for sure, but is not a recommended lifestyle. Any qualified herbalist will tell you that both herbs should be used with caution, if at all.

So, where do you find practical, accurate weight loss information?

What is not often mentioned in any of these venues is that losing weight has a largely psychological component. This is why your neighbor lost 20 pounds on the X diet, while you gave it up after a month of fruitless effort. The psychological factor is key to your success. The bottom line is your motivation and counting calories. That is all there is to it.

So here is my two cents. Allow a week to prep up for the effort. Just like quitting smoking, you have got to mentally prepare yourself. List every reason you can think of that motivates you to lose weight. Nothing is too silly. Stick your list on the fridge or hide it in your purse. During this week, make a food diary which details every bit of food you ingest. No cheating. Add up the calories for each day and divide by seven. That is your average current caloric intake. If your weight loss goal is one pound per week, deduct 500 calories from your average and plan your menus accordingly. Weigh yourself on the morning of day one. Exercise will naturally enhance reaching your objective. Be hard on yourself and stick with the program. Fewer calories equals weight loss. This is the common sense approach to weight loss information that works for you.

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