How are YOU setting yourself up to fail?

Let's face it, it's New Years. Time to begin those three-week "attempts" at weight loss that don't work. :drinker:

We've all seen it. The person who logs hours and hours and hours on the treadmill/Bowflex/stair climber/elliptical/Curves/hula hoop/whatever, and "can't understand" why they didn't drop two dress sizes in a week. The person who "eats healthy/clean" and "can't understand" why they didn't drop the weight like a cheating boyfriend. The person who says they're totally counting calories, like for realz, but "can't understand" why the pounds aren't coming off.

Well, I'll tell you why it isn't working, and save you some time. It's actually all about calories. But you knew that already, didn't you?

But yes, it's true. All that Zumba or Poomba or Roomba or whatever won't make you lose weight. The hours of strenuous and exhausting exercise that you hate and plan to stop doing immediately after reaching your goal weight won't make you lose weight. "Counting calories" in your head won't make you lose weight. And eating "healthy" doesn't mean a thing when it comes to weight loss, because our weight regulating systems aren't really connoisseurs of healthy foods, they're operating mainly on the amount of food we're eating. Our tummies are gurgling cauldrons of hydrochloric acid, don't forget.

So yeah, if you actually do want to lose weight (rather than just make a three-week show of trying to lose weight so you can tell your friends that you "tried"), you'll have to count calories FOR REAL. Exercise if you want (I hear it has benefits of some kind), but don't think that exercise is the key to losing weight. It isn't. It's just one way of contributing to a calorie deficit (oh, and health benefits blahblahblah). But the calorie deficit is the magic bullet. And that means counting calories accurately—all foods, no exceptions, all caloric beverages, no exceptions. Yes, the calories in lettuce have to be counted, there are no "free foods". Yes the calories in orange juice count, beverages don't magically get an exemption just because they're liquids. And yes, you really have to do it every single day. You want to have a "cheat day"? Knock yourself out. Just know that your calorie deficit for the week is affected by these indulgences. Sometimes it's worth it to give yourself a little treat, but honestly, sometimes it isn't. And remember, the most sure-fire way to burn calories is to keep them out of your mouth in the first place. You should be eating the appropriate number of calories for weight loss, no more, no less. If you're dropping weight too quickly, you need to eat more, if you're not losing or losing too slowly, you need to eat less. It really is that simple. And yes, it can feel like deprivation, especially if you're used to overeating. But if you're smart with your food choices and you get enough protein, fat, and fiber, you shouldn't be hungry all that often. And if you keep an eye toward having a sufficient physical volume of food, you should be psychologically satisfied with the amount of food you're eating.

Of course if you really just want to make a big show of trying to lose weight, so you can fail and blame it on a "slow metabolism" or something, just do whatever it is you were going to do. But don't think you're fooling anyone. :huh: