If you're like most of us, you've probably tried at least half a dozen diets, only to lose a few pounds and then put them right back on. The sad fact is that the majority of these diets are not only unhelpful, but some can even be harmful. The secret to permanent weight loss is to find a diet and exercise program that both burns calories while increasing your metabolism. Let's discuss why.



Let's talk about what happens when most people try to lose weight. They'll start on the program, and they'll lose some pounds. But eventually the novelty wears off, and they go back to their old eating patterns. As they do, the old pounds and sometimes more return. But why does this happen?

Traditional dieting works by basically starving yourself in an attempt to force your body to use its stores of fat to survive. This is probably the single most counterproductive thing you can do when attempting to lose weight. Dieting like this actually causes your body to prefer to burn muscle over fat, and causes some temporary weight loss in the form of water loss.

Consequently, in short order, the weight returns, and usually brings a few more pounds with it, as the person goes back to eating again. Many dieters feel a tremendous sense of failure at this point. Don't! It's not your fault! It's the diet: It's simply cannot keep pounds off because of what it does to the body.

The way we solve this is by going beyond simple calorie burning. We must find a diet program that does this and helps to increase your rate of metabolism. Combining these two elements will train your body to consume fat rather than muscle. In this way, you will lose weight, yet without losing muscle tissue that causes harm to your body.

As you are designing your weight loss program, remember to incorporate three elements. Your diet will tell you what you should eat and how much, an exercise program that will help to burn calories, and developing new habits that will keep you from going back to the old unhealthy ways.

Patience is also key in effective weight loss. Yes, it's true that noticeable loss can occur often faster than you might think, don't expect too much too quickly. We're talking major changes to your body and your life, and it will take time.

So don't get in too much of a hurry. Be kind to yourself and to your body. Don't make yourself over-exercise or under-eat. In the long run, this will just harm the weight-loss process and probably even make the process take longer than it would have otherwise.

When it's all said and done, you will determine how successful you are in weight-loss. A good diet is good; a good diet combined with exercise is even better; but a good diet with exercise and a totally committed mindset is best, and the most likely to achieve long-lasting results.