Many companies and individuals want you to believe that natural weight loss is difficult to achieve but it's just a case of not eating as much, and having enough regular exercise; most people choose to ignore this advice. You would think this simple set of instructions should be easy to follow; a third of overweight Americans and millions globally, would disagree with this advice. There are many reasons why you would want to lose weight once you have put it on, but what reason is strong enough to actually encourage you to do it, good health or looks?

But the fact is it is a whole lot easier to prevent putting on pounds than to try losing them later on. Subconsciously we all know that if we do not maintain a healthy food program for ourselves, we will start to add extra pounds.

Health experts say that most people who are into losing weight usually stray and tend to go back to their old eating and non-exercising habits even after they learn to enjoy low-fat eating. Natural weight loss is possible though and it can be done before you get stared at in the street or cause others problems because of your weight.

There is a large number of health conditions associated with weight gain and the greater the increase in body weight the more that problems occur. Losing weight by natural means isn't a big secret and deep down most of us understand the principles behind it.

The correct approach for natural weight loss is to eat the right quantity of foodstuffs such as complex carbohydrates, plus foods high in carbohydrates, some protein and a low fat content. A typical meal like this would be a jacket potato with vegetables and some lean meat, which would be healthy and give the balance you require.

Dietitians also say that the body has a capacity to retain dietary fat more than calories for regular foods so weight gain is more likely. Food manufacturers have been quick to react and have provided a huge range of low or no fat foods but despite this the American people are getting larger, the simple reason for this may surprise you!

What people fail to understand is that it isn't just fat in their food that is making them put on weight, it's the quantity of food they consume and the calorific content of it. The term fat-free can be a trap if you start to believe that you can eat any amount of fat-free food when it is far better to respond to hunger with healthy snacks.

Schools of thought differ on this subject but many nutritionists agree that eating smaller meals with a snack every 3 to four hours or between meals could be beneficial providing main meals are not missed. Natural weight loss and body maintenance is a way of living, something we all did rather successfully not that long ago; it is not a craze that can be forgotten about when the next one comes along.