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Our Losing Weight Experts

Dr. Mark Hyman

Dr. Mark Hyman

Physician, author and co-founder of Canyon Ranch Resort and...

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Joy Bauer

Joy Bauer

Registered dietician and best-selling author

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Dr. Arthur Agatston

Dr. Arthur Agatston

Author of The South Beach Diet

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Losing Weight for Good

Snack on Self-Esteem

Your mental approach to losing weight is just as important as your diet and exercise plan: If you believe you can succeed, you will. “Attitude is everything,” says Cindy Allison,* a 45-year-old mother of two who was able to lose more than 100 pounds.

Research supports the role of a positive attitude in weight loss. A 1996 University of Maryland study compared “believers” (who thought they could lose weight) with “disbelievers” (who did not believe they could). After nine months, believers lost 30% more weight.

“During your first 30 days, don’t judge yourself,” explains Joujon-Roche. You can build a better attitude by turning the negative statements into positive ones. Instead of saying “I can’t lose weight because it’s too hard,” try “I’m worth the effort and I will reach my goal.”

Weight Loss Shortcuts?

According to the University of Connecticut in Storrs, 65% of diet pill users think that a pill can help them lose weight. But don’t believe the hype; most diet pills are not regulated by the government, and they often have unpleasant side effects (like jitteriness or oily stools). With diet pills and other shortcut strategies, people inevitably regain weight unless they make significant lifestyle changes.

For men and women needing to lose at least 80 pounds (particularly if other serious weight-related health issues like type 2 diabetes or heart disease are present) weight loss surgery may be a viable option. Margaret Furtado, R.D., of the Massachusetts General Weight Center, a medical and surgical weight loss center in Boston, notes that surgery becomes an option only when other strategies have failed multiple times. You can learn more about these procedures through the National Institutes of Health.

Staying Motivated

It’s a great accomplishment to start losing weight, but this may only be the beginning. The most elusive aspect of weight loss is maintaining that motivation.

“Having people listen to you, not sabotage you but give you positive reinforcement when you’re making lifestyle changes can help rev you up and help you win at weight loss,” said Zied.

Personal motivation can also be inspiring. Jason Tirotta, a 28-year-old in Cleveland, lost nearly 100 pounds after watching his father’s health deteriorate. The memory of his dad continues to encourage him. “I wrote his initials on my shoes when I completed a big marathon, and I touched them every time I felt myself start to drag,” he says.

Joujon-Roche says that people need to remember that they’re losing weight to improve their overall health. “I see lots of people who are perfect when they’re filming, but after filming wraps, they fall off the wagon,” he says, referring to star clients.

Dieters often experience ups and downs. But with real commitment to a weight loss lifestyle, the next 30 days can be the beginning of achieving a slimmer, healthier you for life!

*name(s) changed.

Posted: 11/6/07
NewBeginning29

The Diet Solution Program helped me lose weight for good! I lost 50 pounds and I feel like a new woman! Here's the link if you would like to try it too.
Link

yoopermama

Ok. Here I go again. I can't tell you how many times I "began" a new diet. They don't seem to last longer than 10 minutes. I need help. I'm 5'4". 225 lbs. 57 yrs old. I'm a compulsive snacker. I've never been this big in my life. I feel very unhealthy, no stamina, weakened immune system, not to mention what this is doing to my feet and knees. I'm a nurse aide in a nursing home so I'm on my feet a lot and getting slower...
I'm hoping I will be able to "do it" this time.
This web site seems SO good!
Thank You for Being Here!

LwALLEY

My max weight was 220 by the age of 21, I managed to get back down to 145 at age 25. Since we moved back to Mississippi I have gained my weight back, I am sitting at 180 right now at age 28 and I am so unhappy. I don't like going out because I have nothing to wear, I am so worried about my weight, I hate how I look, I don't like ppl taking pictures of me now, but I can not find the motivation to lose the weight. At 145lbs I felt so free, now I feel like a prisoner in my own body ...once again!!! I have three daughters and my husband to cook for, the girls have snacks in the house, for me to diet is difficult, I can not afford to cook two separate meals... I just don't know...

  • By LwALLEY
  • on 3/27/09 9:35 AM EST
Bikiniskigirl

My weight has gone up and down through the years. When it reaches a certain (up) point, I have an epiphany that says "You are fat!"" and "Holy cow, you weigh as much as your DAD". Then I get depressed which starts the next part of the cycle: starvation.

I always used an "anorexic" method when it came to losing weight. I am so impatient and lazy that I would not eat, or eat very little, just to see the scale change number. I often didn't exercise. Sometimes I'd use diet pills. Not eating was a form of punishment for getting fat. Sure, I'd get headaches, dizziness, crankiness, fatigue. It worked for a while, but it was not a sustainable way of life.

This time I'm doing it differently. I started yoga practice. I cut out alcohol (something I never thought I'd do!). I've made a commitment to being active and eating healthily and regularly. I stopped weighing myself multiple times a day. I walk my dog every day. I eat a piece of fruit 3 times daily. I have a bite of something decadent now and then. I eat breakfast.

I'm hoping that being kind and forgiving to myself is something I can make a habit of.

outdoorwv

learn to waste food. Not all the children in china will go hungry if you don't clean your plate.