Weight Loss Survey
By Anne Collins, Thu Dec 8th

b>Weight Loss Survey: Why Dieters Fail To Lose Weight - by AnneCollins

Current levels of overweight and obesity, together withweight-related disease, have made weight control a major healthpriority throughout America. Yet statistics indicate thataverage weight reduction on conventional diets adds up to a mere5-8 pounds per year. So why do we find so difficult?According to a new survey(1), the answer seems to be: because wemake 3 crucial mistakes. We don't have a good enough incentive;we allow ourselves to go hungry; and we can't cope with "baddays".

The weight loss survey conducted by annecollins.com askeddieters to select the three biggest problems they faced whendieting. The most common problems reported were: "Inadequateincentive to lose weight" (76%); "Hunger" (72%); and "Bad days"(70%). Although these results will come as no surprise to mostdieters, they highlight the importance of motivation in thedieting process. We examine how these problems occur, and whatsteps can be taken to overcome them.

Why Do We Need an Incentive?

We gain weight because we take in more energy than we use.Either because we eat too many calories, or burn too few, orboth. So if we want to reduce weight, we need to improve oureating and exercise habits. And this is not easy, because let'sface it - old habits are not easily discarded, especially ifthey involve cutting out our favorite treats. We need a powerfulincentive to help us change. Specifically, we need an answer tothe question: "How exactly will I benefit from losing weight?"

When faced with this question, many dieters have no answer.Those who do, typically reply: "I'll feel better" or "my healthwill improve". Others explain they are trying to lose weight toplease their doctor, or their partner, or simply because theyare "overweight". Unfortunately, none of these reasons arestrong enough to help us succeed. So when temptation strikes, weare unable to resist.

What Type of Incentive is Best?

Our motivation to lose weight must be based on a selfish,specific benefit. A good example might be an upcoming beachholiday, or a family occasion, or the achievement of a specificmobility or fitness goal. It must be as specific as possible(general benefits are useless) and ideally related to a fixeddate. In addition, it must be selfish. Losing weight to pleaseothers rarely works. The advice I give to my clients is verysimple. Do not bother unless you have a good incentive.Because no matter how good the diet, no matter how valuable theexercise plan, unless you have a powerful reason to change yourhabits you won't succeed.

Hunger Kills Diets

Most dieters are still convinced that calories are their enemy.So the less they eat, the faster they are likely to lose weight.This is not true. In reality, the less we eat, the more hungrywe get and the easier it is to fall into temptation. The humanbody is trained to eat when hungry and no amount of willpowerwill neutralize this basic urge. This is why binge eating issuch a common response to low calorie diets.

How to Avoid Hunger

No rocket science here. Avoiding hunger simply means eatingregularly throughout the day, and keeping your calorie intakeabove 1000-1200 per day. This prevents hunger, thus reducing theurge to overeat, and in addition helps to maintain a regularhigh level of calorie-burning.

Eat

Too Much Rather Than Too Little

We all have days when we feel extra hungry, even when we aredieting. This is no problem - simply eat more! It is alwaysbetter to eat a little too much than not enough. Might thisdelay your weight loss? Yes. But so what? Taking a few extradays to achieve your goal is not a problem. The real danger isnot eating enough and ending up hungry and depressed. This is arecipe for a binge.

Bad Days and The Problem of Perfection

No dieter is perfect. The truth is, all dieters experience "baddays" or fall into occasional temptation. Sadly, most dietersinsist on "being perfect". They cannot tolerate these lapses. Soif (say) they visit a friend and end up eating 2 containers ofice cream and a box of cookies, they go to pieces. "I'museless!" they cry. "I'm a failure!" Overwhelmed by guilt at notbeing perfect, they then quit their diet in disgust.

It's the Guilt That Does the Damage

In this situation, the actual binge is typically fairlyharmless. I mean, we need to eat a huge quantity of food (3500+calories) to gain even one pound of weight. The real damage iscaused by the ensuing guilt. And this is what we need to address.

Guilt Comes From Trying to Be Perfect

All dieters make mistakes and this is perfectly normal. Havingan occasional binge is no cause for alarm, far less guilt. Evenmy most successful clients - those who have lost 100+ pounds -had regular lapses. The difference is, they didn't seethemselves as "perfect" individuals. So they felt "entitled" tomake occasional mistakes, and so should you. Once you acceptthis, you will find a whole lot easier.

We Need Support to Make These Changes

In order to overcome the 3 problems described above, anessential first step is to find proper support. This is just asimportant as choosing the right diet plan, because no matter howgood the diet, it can't motivate you to stay on track - onlypeople can do this. is ten times easier when you receiveencouragement from others. So when choosing an online weightloss program, choose one with an active forum. Because at theend of the day, it's all about people. When we are alone andisolated, the smallest obstacle can seem like a mountain. Butwhen we have people behind us, anything is possible.

Notes:

1. Weight Loss Survey (Oct 2005) by annecollins.com. A total of17,403 subjects replied to the survey. They were asked to choose3 from a list of 10 diet-problems. The results were as follows:(1) Inadequate Incentive (76%).

(2) Hunger (72%).

(3) Bad Days (70%). (4) Boredom (69%).

(5) Stress (60%).

(6) Interference From Others (51%).

(7) Too Much Eating Out (32%).

(8) Eating on The Run (28%). (9) Ill-health (5%).

(10) Lack of Sleep (1%).

Copyright Anne Collins 2005.

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About the author:Anne Collins, 54, is a qualified nutritionist and full timeweight management consultant with over 23 years experience. Herclients range from top celebrities to ordinary people of everyage and shape. Her website, www.annecollins.com attracts 9million unique visitors per annum,and her weight loss forum isone of the most active support centers on the Internet.