On January 20, 2009 I stood in 26 degree weather for 8 hours with the hope of getting a glimpse of President Obama as he made his final walk to take his place for the Presidential parade. When standing in the cold for 8 hours you notice a lot of things.  One thing I noticed is that most Americans are overweight.  Not unlike the financial crisis, the obesity crisis has enveloped our great nation.  As a fitness professional I often find myself watching people.  I watch eating habits, I watch social habits and I also watch activity (exercise) habits.  My constant observation brings many questions to mind.  One that I have been giving a lot of thought lately is, "why diets fail?"

Over the years I have personally counseled over a thousand individuals on fitness, weight loss and weight management.  Despite differences in race, age, and  social-economic standing, they all have one thing in common.  They want to be fit and healthy.  And to be fit and healthy the process usually involves some type of diet.  People often ask me which diet program they should use to shed unwanted pounds.  My simple answer is, "the one that works."  I know this sounds silly so let me explain.

The diet that will work for you is the one that meets the following three criteria: it must be permanent, it must be balanced and it must be livable.   

PERMANENT

The first step is to move away from the term "diet" and start using the term "lifestyle."  Diets are usually temporary and temporary conditions mean temporary results.  Thus the yo-yo effect of losing/gaining, losing/gaining over and over again.  A lifestyle is more permanent and permanent conditions give lasting results.  Remember that weight loss/weight management is a marathon and not a sprint.  It is like trench warfare.  You must dig in and be prepared for a long campaign.

The second criteria is balance.

BALANCE 

Crash diets have a very low successful rate.  Studies have shown that diet without exercise has a single digit success rate.  But when one combines diet with moderate exercise the success rate skyrockets to over 75%.  The term "exercise" turns off a lot of people because most Americans hate to workout. But exercise comes in many forms.  All day long you are presented with short and simple opportunities to increase your activity level and achieve balance. Here are a few:

1) Take the elevator up and take the stairs down.

2) Stop circling the parking lot, take the first available spot and walk.

3) Pack your own lunch every day.

4) Earn your indulgences before you have them.

LIVABLE 

My third criteria is that you use a system that is livable.  A plan is only as good as your ability and willingness to stick to it.  Be honest with yourself and find a system that fits your lifestyle.  This may mean that you try several different approaches before you find the right one.  It is like buying a pair of shoes.  Rarely does the first pair fit just right but when you find the right one you will know.

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