Count Calories - Calorie Restriction is Vital for Effective Diets

The simple fact of weight loss is we must count calories.

Why do we deny ourselves effective diets when the simple facts are staring us down and undressing our voluptuous Rubinesque bodies with their cold appraising eyes? I reckon it's because calorie restriction, both in what we eat and our portion sizes is somehow seen as a type of deprivation.

So many aspects of our lives in these modern times are so easy, so immediate. We have labor saving "this" and immediate gratification "that". Sadly our body design and function predate these modern conveniences.

The fact that we have to work hard to maintain a healthy body through nutritious diet and regular exercise goes against our "I want it, I'm going to have it right now" mentality.

Now, there are diet purveyors who claim you can lose fat fast without calorie restriction, without exercise, without hunger - no calorie count.

Actually these claims are simply without any base in fact and therefore without success. Don't waste your valuable time and hard won cash. You deserve to succeed and you will if you can just learn to live with the fact that you cannot have an effective diet without sensible calorie restriction.

It is simple and unfortunately indisputable logic.

To lose weight on any one of a number of effective diets, you must take in less energy than your body needs. Whether you want to count calories or points or units or grams, you have to accurately measure your food portions and balance them against your daily energy output. To make calorie restriction easier for you, you should treat your intended improvement in diet and exercise regime as a bit of a long term hobby.

Take away your "desperate to lose weight" scenario and replace it with a "determined to have permanent weight loss" mindset. Inform yourself by finding out as much as you can about correct nutrition and how to balance the essential elements of your diet. Get familiar with your body type and work out what combination of exercises are best for you.

Record your daily statistics; weight and fat. Chart your journey. Note setbacks and work out the reasons (not excuses) for them. They will happen again.

Devise strategies to cope with your setbacks, so that they don't do your head in and send you reeling for your emergency ration of cream donuts. When you embark on a weight loss diet you have to see it as a fresh start; it's not a free ride. And it is going to work for you if you are sensible and logical about it.

Rosie Peters gives common sense advice, encouragement and tips for weight loss, sensible diet and lifelong fitness. Visit Rosie at lose-fat-get-fit.com.

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