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Weight loss science suggests that weight is lost by consuming fewer calories than one burns in a day. Conversely, weight gain occurs by eating more calories than one burns in a day. The accumulation of days suggests the trend of gain or loss. This concept seems so simple that anyone should be able to lose weight without expending much effort. The truth is that this is simply not the case. People of all kinds struggle with dieting to lose weight. We believe this is because people choose a diet with far too little information. This means they often select a plan that does not suit their makeup. When this is the case, diets are doomed to failure. Many proponents of miracle diets make claims as if they were snake oil salesmen traveling the country in a horse-drawn wagon. My own opinion is the more the claims made by a diet plan, the more likely it is to be unsustainable in the long run. This is, however, a general rule that is often proven by contrary evidence. Not that all the claims are false, but that the diet may be rather effective in taking unwanted pounds off and maintaining a healthy weight in the future. My own ideas begin with the calorie in/calorie out principle. In spite of the many claims that some calories are better than others, in fact, a calorie is a calorie; no more no less. If you consume 100 calories from a piece of prime steak and 100 calories from a spoonful of sugar, the body makes no distinction. Either way, you consumed 100 calories. In designing a diet plan, the source of calories is important. One wants the greatest benefit from the fewest calories. Calories come from protein, carbohydrates, and fats. The balance of these three calorie contributors is important as you think about how to distribute those calories. Some diets lean heavily to protein and fats, generally limiting or totally eschewing carbohydrates. Other diets suggest the complete elimination of fats or sugar or grains or meats and so on. I'll talk a lot about the consequences of different diet plans along the way. For now, however, I wish to emphasize the following foundational truth: The only way to diet successfully is to consume fewer calories than you burn over a long period of time. The diet you select, however, will fail if you don't choose wisely. This is just plain Weight loss science at work. The number one cause of failure is not enough variety in the plan. The second main cause of failure is that diet foods often taste poorly (I am trying to be kind here). Another cause for failure is that diets often so drastically change your eating habits that you can't wait to put down that protein shake and return to 'regular' eating. These are other ideas that I will discuss in future articles. For now, all I am concerned with is that you begin to think critically about these ideas as you come to a decision to finally lose those unwanted pounds for good. ------------------- Sara Dawson is the owner of The Science of Permanent Weight Loss. She currently helps private clients to manage individualized weight loss programs. She also writes a BLOG focusing on planning and executing a healthy and sustainable weight loss plan. Her company is one of The Fischel Group of Companies a design firm specializing in internet marketing.
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