AFTER nine years, I?ve identified common weight-loss beliefs which sabotage one?s effort to lose and maintain weight long-term. Through research and observations on successful weight losers, I was able to come up with effective responses to such beliefs.

If you want to lose weight, then ?to lose weight? should not be your goal.

Weight loss should be a lifestyle change which is the foundation of long-term weight control.
Being motivated is not enough to succeed in your weight-loss attempts. You should be ready to modify some aspects of your life. Even if you can lose weight at the start by exercising more and eating less, but you still go out late at night to drink with your friends, you will have a hard time losing weight consistently and maintaining your weight due to lack of sleep and extra calories from drinking and extra foods at night.

Why do a lot of dieters believe that weight management has an end? May be because they are tired of thinking and doing something about their weight all their lives and they want to put in mind that once they reach their goals, their problems will just come to an end.

Gina Kolata, author of the book ?Rethinking Thin,? concludes in her book, which is about a two-year weight-loss study, that no matter what the diet is and how much effort is exerted for weight loss, most people will not be able to lose their desired weight.

The book implies that losing weight is a lifelong effort and the most important things to consider during the weight-loss process should not only be weight changes, but lessons learned like food control, feeling good about oneself and lifestyle change.

More than burning calories

Effective weight loss is more than knowing how to burn and how to count calories.

I?ve known lots of people who have memorized calorie counts of foods and have bought all the necessary exercise gadgets to monitor calories and exercise performance, but still find it hard to maintain weight.

If you still have unresolved personal issues which might trigger overeating, then there?s a greater chance that you can break your diet plans or discontinue your exercise program because you are not prepared for such circumstances.

Identify the triggers for over-eating or lack of exercise. Write a journal of your food intake, physical activities and even sleep. At the end of the day or week, analyze why you did not follow your food plan. It might be due to stress from work, conflict with your husband or low self-esteem.

The best weight-loss strategy is usually the cheapest one.

Resorting to surgery, liposuction and diet pills can surely make you lose weight, but the real issue is maintaining your weight-loss results long term.

Try not to attribute real weight-loss success to unnatural strategies because the worst thing that can happen is you will be dependent on those.

You are the best person to end your weight loss problems. If you believe that you can lose weight through attitude and behavior change, then you?ve already taken the initial step to long-term weight management.

E-mail the author at mitchfelipe@ gmail.com