Our country as a whole has become driven by immediate gratification. This can be most easily seen by looking at our national debt and the percentage of the general public in debt. It can also be seen by looking at the girth of the general public. Over 1/3 (35.7%) of Americans are obese. I would go out on a limb and say most of the obesity is caused by poor eating habits. These poor eating habits occur because we want food now that taste good so we eat whatever junk food is available at the time.
The instant gratification then leads us to want to drop the weight as fast, or faster, than we put it on with minimal effort. This has lead to the multi-million dollar industry of fad diets. It seems every year there is a new diet that everyone is trying. It seems to work well at first, then you plateau, then you get off of it and gain your weight back.
I’m not against particular diets, I’m against the idea of dieting.
So you want to lose weight and keep it off? CHANGE YOUR LIFESTYLE.
Doing the Atkins or South Beach diet might help you shed some pounds over 8 weeks, but these results are hardly ever maintained. Instead, commit to eating healthy and exercise on a regular basis. This isn’t easy or sexy, and you won’t drop 10 lbs in a week, but it will greatly improve your overall health and help you lose unwanted weight.
Now to define “eating healthy”. The simplest way to think about it is eat like your grandparents. This means real food (not processed), self prepared, complete meals (meat, vegetable, starch). I would also add stay away from high glycemic foods except for immediately before or after a workout.
If you really want to improve your health, jump in 100%. Be patient and stay committed. Being healthy is pretty important.
Barrett Stover 