Misguided approach to weight loss.

Looking for the magic pill that will help you lose weight is a misguided approach.  What do I mean by misguided? When you think about losing weight and the numbers on the scale as your only goal and not the process or the 'why of it all', you may succeed short term but you most likely will fail in the long run.

For long term success, the purpose behind your goal needs to be more important than just weight loss.  Ask yourself the what, when, why, where and how so you can accomplish that goal.  

• What is your plan?  Instead of just saying 'I want to lose weight', think about what has stopped you in the past, what are you going to do differently to achieve your goal this time and what are some things you can do, when the plan doesn't play out like it should.  Sit down in a quiet place with no interruptions and think about your past accomplishments and even more importantly your past failures (if you have tried in the past), so you can plan out your process with alternatives. 
• When do you want to start and when do you want to reach your goal?  Pick a doable time frame to lose the weight.  Realistically, you want to lose 1-2 pounds per week of healthy weight loss.  Is it a good time in your life to make changes?  Will your family support you?
• Why do you want to lose weight?  Do you need to lose the weight?  Are you doing it to feel better or just to look better?  Are you doing it for health reasons?  What happens if you have a bad day or unexpected things come up to throw you off?  As you develop your course of action, the 'why' becomes one of the most important aspects in your weight loss journey.
• Where do you want to be in 3-6 months or a year from now?  Lifestyle changes can be easy or hard depending on how you feel about what you are doing and your approach.  Living a healthy lifestyle is much more satisfying than just losing weight. 
• How are you going to approach your goals?  How do you think you will feel if you give up and go back to your old habits?  How can you create a plan that is going to work for you?  How will you deal with friends and family that may unknowingly try to sabotage your success?

These are all questions and issues you have to take a look at in order to succeed.  When you take the time to plan it out, including cheat days, or when life gets in the way days, you will succeed in your weight loss journey and won’t have to search for that magic pill.