Many weight-loss advertisements try to sell so many different things, all targeted at getting people desperate to lose weight quickly and willing to spend money rather than time and effort on it. The bad news is, they probably don't work. Anything quick and easy may work rapidly in the short-term, but is unlikely to last, and may not be good for your health either. Many who lose weight quickly through crash-dieting have found their weight just piles back on again when they stop. Sometimes, it is worse than ever. It has commonly been described as being like a yo-yo.



The advertisements don't give you the full truth. They either use models who have never been fat in their lives, or often, they use post-partum women ( those who have just delivered their babies). That doesn't work as most women naturally tend to lose some of the weight, if not all, gained during pregnancy anyway, especially if they were thin before. To take a picture one month after delivery, and 6 months later, hardly reflects the true picture. And you will notice there's always the fine print at the bottom of every product: To be used together with a sensible diet and exercise plan.

And that's the answer!! It's the sensible diet and exercise plan that works!! The funny thing is, often people aren't willing to get started by themselves, while it is free. They have to pay thousands of dollars to get someone to help them. I'm not sure whether it is because those who are willing to pay thousands of dollars are more motivated, or whether they have already paid out thousands of dollars and hence are more motivated! And the beauty industry is ever-willing to make a quick buck.

The basic facts are: If more calories go in than they are used up, the person gets fatter. If they are the same, the person remains the same weight. And if more calories are burned up than taken in, the person loses weight. That's all.

So let's look at the intake first. That would be the food and drinks we consume. The amount and type of food has a direct impact on our weight. Most people are eating way too much today. The food portions are just too big, and maybe in a misguided attempt to not be wasteful, we stuff our faces with more than we can take, just to finish our food. Eat only till you are 80% full. Buy a smaller plate if you have to. Then you would put less food on it each time. Order a smaller portion. Share with a friend. With the days of hunting for food way behind us, there really is no need to stuff ourselves in the fear that maybe tomorrow there will be no food.

Calorie counting may be too tedious for most so the most sensible way would be simply to reduce food intake. But not drastically as the body tends to go into starvation mode when food intake is suddenly and drastically reduced, causing it to more efficiently retain whatever calories are taken in, and reducing one's metabolic rate, which is not the desired outcome. The 80% rule would be quite safe.

The type of food obviously makes a big difference. Choose food that gives you good nutrition. Chocolates and sweets do not fall into that category. There is no need to waste your calorie count on a sweet drink when water will do the job of quenching your thirst better. Stop buying processed foods and snacks. Have a fruit instead after dinner. Cut down on meats. Vegetables are healthier and cheaper. Don't fry. Grill or bake. With a little imagination, healthy food doesn't have to be boring or taste terrible. The Scandinavians eat plenty of salads and grilled meats and are all perfectly happy.

You don't have to completely change your diet. Think of yourself as having a "calorie budget". If you are going to use up some extra calories, you might as well make sure you enjoy a good meal. Don't waste it on a cheap chocolate bar just because you couldn't resist it. Save it up for the end of the week and have a nice restaurant meal.

Don't snack in front of the TV. It becomes a habit and one then tends to associate watching TV with eating. You may also be concentrating more on the program than your food, so not realizing when you are full , causing you to eat more than you should.

The trick though is to do everything gradually. A sudden withdrawal of all your favorite food and trying to switch over may cause you to crave for the foods you miss. This may lead to binge eating and a lot of guilt later. But don't delay. The commonest reason for failure in anything is procrastination. Anyone who says "I will start tomorrow", or "I will start after Christmas" probably would not start at all. Start small. But start today !

The same applies to exercise - the calorie "Out" part of the equation. I said before, do not eat in front of the TV. But by all means, exercise in front of the TV! Some people find jogging along on the road too boring. Put a treadmill or exercise bicycle in front of your TV. Target to stay on it at a moderate pace all through your TV program. Or get an exercise video and follow along. No time to exercise but have time to catch your favorite comedy? Then this would be the answer. I saw an exercise bicycle once that was linked to a TV. The cycling action of the rider generated the power to keep the TV on. It was a lot of hard work, but guaranteed to keep the cyclist exercising, especially through an exciting football match.

Any form of activity is good. What you need is sustained moderate activity, rather than short bursts of intense activity. So a brisk 30 minute walk is better than a quick 10 minute dash. Build activity into your lifestyle. The aim is to try to achieve 10,000 steps a day.

It need not be done in one go. If it becomes part of your lifestyle, you need not set aside special time for exercise, so increasing your chances of actually getting some work-out. For example, take the stairs instead of the elevator. Stop one bus-stop away and walk. Park the car further away. Start doing more housework. Take up a hobby you enjoy. Not everyone likes swimming or jogging. Try dancing then! Or yoga. Whatever you like. You are more likely to stick at it if you enjoy it. Get a friend to come along.

There are no hard and fast rules to what type of exercise or what kind of food you must eat. The idea is you need to start implementing lifestyle changes. Today. Small but sustained changes are the way to go. And don't weigh yourself too often either. Any immediate weight loss is fluid loss and false reassurance. Slowly, you will start to feel better about yourself and be healthier too. When you feel good, you will look good.

So start small and slow. But start! And keep at it. Push yourself to new limits each time you achieve a new goal. Lose fat, and keep it off!