Author: Maya Bartlett

America is getting fatter and judging by the popularity of diet
books, diet supplements and the dizzying array of diet programs
available, America is determined to do something about it. But
what's the right answer? If you're one of the millions who are
looking to lose weight, or maybe just opt for a healthier
lifestyle, how do you make sense of the diet and weight loss
industry chaos? How do you find the system that's right for you,
that's going to be a sustainable lifestyle?

Take a look around and you'll be inundated with diet
"systems"—South Beach, Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, Slim Fast
and others come immediately to mind. We're in a battle of the
bulge, and we're losing, but not the way we want—the weight's
staying on, and our waistlines are expanding. We're losing the
battle.

We all know the simple math—in order to lose weight, you have
to burn more calories than you consume. Increasing exercise
while decreasing caloric intake is the classic way to weight
loss. Most diet plans fail in that they provide a temporary
solution to a life-long problem. They offer severely restricted,
short-term eating plans to produce dramatic and fast weight
loss. Where they fail is in addressing long-term lifestyle
needs. They don't teach someone how to eat properly, how to make
better choices and how to live, eat and exercise for health and
wellness. Add to that the constant flip-flopping of studies, one
week carbs are your friend and the next they're the enemy a la
the popular Atkins Diet and you're got a recipe for failure.

Your body = Your machine

Our bodies require more than just basic fuel (food) to thrive.
We need a complex combination of proteins, fats, vitamins,
minerals, essential fatty acids and thousands of other
nutrients. The most important thing is that our bodies are
trainable. We "like" what we're exposed to. Most people find
that slowly introducing healthier food choices, while at the
same time slowly reducing the unhealthy choices, results in a
desire for more of the healthy stuff. We can reprogram our
bodies to crave the good stuff; it's just going to take practice
and patience.

Meanwhile, how can we be sure we're getting a balanced diet? As
calorie count goes down, so too do the nutrients we're taking
in. This is where savvy use of meal replacements and supplements
comes in. We can also ensure our bodies are getting the vital
nutrients we need by taking additional vitamins and minerals.

What about exercise? There's no doubt that exercise is vital to
a healthy lifestyle, but you can't count on it as the only way
to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Remember that basic
math? A pound of fat represents roughly 3,500 calories. OK,
sounds basic. To lose a pound, you need to "burn" 3,500 calories
more than you take in. For the average person, a "moderate" walk
of about three miles per hour will burn about 300 calories an
hour. Wow. I hope you like walking! For each pound you want to
lose, you'd have to walk not quite 12 hours—36 miles. Take about
21 trips across the Golden Gate Bridge. Or walk around the
island of Manhattan—one and a half times. Seems like a lot of
work for one pound, doesn't it?

Looking to the long-term

Exercise is a great thing, increasing your cardiovascular
health and boosting your metabolism, which increases your
ability to burn fat efficiently. But it's not the only answer.

A diet that reduces how much you actually put into your systems
is the first step. Increasing your activity is an important
second step. But along the way, you might also consider
introducing additional fiber, as well as supplements designed to
help boost metabolism and reduce fat absorption. In addition to
helping with weight loss, and promoting a healthier body
overall, supplements can also provide joint support to help ease
the aching of tired, stiff joints. Getting rid of joint aches
and pains will encourage more exercise. It's all a circular
relationship— exercise helps build stronger muscles, offering
better joint support, and boosts your metabolism, encouraging
weight loss. The weight loss, better metabolism and pain-free
joints encourage you to exercise more.

Reaching a healthy, sustainable weight is not a quick or easy
task, but it's one that's well worth doing right as the benefits
are a lifetime of health and wellness, more energy, and oh,
yeah, looking and feeling better overall. And that combination
is a heady motivator!

About The Author: Written by Maya Bartlett for
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