Three Diet Mistakes That Prevent Weight Loss

How many times will the diet and weight loss gurus keep claiming that they now have the latest and greatest system for losing weight? There are even television commercials that advertise pills that will help a person lose weight. These marketing people actually claim that losing weight is as simple as taking a pill. Really.

One has to wonder how some of these marketing folks actually sleep at night making all those ridiculous claims. Well, don't watch another diet program ad or listen to another weight loss claim that may or may not be true. It's time to take a sensible approach to this dieting and weight loss thing. Here are some common mistakes folks make when trying to lose weight.

Weight Loss Does Not Start at a Drive-thru Window – Period

Restaurants have made getting food so easy that folks don't even have to leave the comfort of a vehicle. Think of that for a minute – folks can now get any fattening, greasy, salt-laden foods they wish without having to stand up and walk into a restaurant. Sure, healthy foods can also be ordered at a drive-thru, but it's hard to resist all that other food.

It's not the fault of the drive-thru or the restaurant or even that cute, friendly person taking the order. The problem here is that fast food is generally unhealthy and making it easier to get unhealthy food is a bad thing. According to WebMD.com, a recent long-term study showed that folks who ate fast food more than twice a week gained 10 more pounds than those who had it less than once a week.

Weight Loss Success Begins with Realistic Goals

Anyone can find a web site or TV ad that makes big promises for losing weight. They all make it sound so easy and reasonable. the facts show that most of those promises of losing huge amounts of weight are simply false. There are many people out there whose lives are built on these broken promises and false claims of weight loss.

Setting a goal of losing 20 pounds in the first week is simply a recipe for failure and frustration. Some people actually set an unattainable goal as a reason for never starting a weight loss plan. Talk to a dietitian or nutritionist, get educated on what's going to work and what's not. Make a long-term plan and get started on it today. Set goals that are realistic and attainable like one to two pounds per week. Over the course of a year, two pounds lost each week is over 100 pounds.

Weight Loss Means Exercising

There's just no way around this one. Exercise is going to rev up the metabolism, which in turn is going to burn more calories faster. Guess what happens next. The pounds start coming off and successful weight loss is achieved. Make a decision today to get out there and become more active, whatever it takes.

Putting all the hopes of losing weight on diet alone is going to be tough. Most folks would rather exercise and still eat the things they like, only in smaller amounts. Exercise has other benefits as well. Endorphins are released in the brain during exercise and promote an overall good feeling. The key to exercise is finding something that is enjoyable.

Stop listening to all those ads and people saying how much weight they lost on some new weight loss plan. It's time to be accountable and take the necessary action to start losing weight. The process is simple – eat less and exercise more. Make a decision to lose weight today and do what is needed to get started.