Is It Possible And Realistic To Lose Weight Fast, Or How Long Should I Diet?

This is often one of the first questions people ask when they start looking at weight loss programs: “How long should I diet?”

We get bombarded with advertisements, in magazines, on TV, internet… everywhere you look! As we look at these, we get all excited by these great looking models in the pictures! “Wow, can that be me in 90 days?!”

Hey, let’s get real! I don’t want to demotivate you! Quite the opposite! I just want us to stay realistic.

To start off with, what does it mean to “go on a diet”? What if I told you that you currently are on a diet already! Your diet is basically made up by the food you eat – your eating habits. The problem is you either follow a good diet or a bad diet. Do you eat regular meals? Or do you skip a meal because you are rushing? Or maybe you feel guilty about eating too much, and start cutting out on meals. Big mistake!! We should listen to our bodies! Rather eat more regular, but smaller meals. Eat when you are hungry, but take your time, and enjoy your meal. By doing this, you will easily feel when your body is satisfied, then stop!

When you want to follow a specific diet program, which promises fast weight loss, long lasting results, etc., the fact is you will have to change your eating habits. Many diet programs, especially when they promise quick results, will require strong willpower.

Oops!! There’s that ugly word…willpower. Then you also have to deal with the fact that the moment you stop the diet, the cravings are so bad, and you easily gain more weight than what you have lost because you over- indulge!

So the big question: “How long should I diet?”

In short, your diet should become a lifelong habit. To develop healthy eating habits are mainly what it is all about. How long it will take you, will be different for every person. It all depends on your metabolism, and how your body responds to different foods. Exercise is also a bonus in developing a healthy lifestyle, and will have an effect on the time before you see results. But don’t rush in and overdo it. If you are experiencing any health issues, consult your doctor before going on any exercise program. Then start slowly, and gently build the intensity of your exercise program to prevent excess muscle stiffness or injuries. You want to enjoy it. Don’t punish yourself. Then it will not last for long.

Important: Whatever you do, it must be because you WANT to do it, and not because you HAVE to. Maybe you need to develop a healthy diet for health reasons, and you need to lose some weight. Or maybe you have cholesterol problems. Maybe you just want to lose weight to gain self-confidence. But you have to get to the point of WANTING to do it. You are in for a battle if you do it because you HAVE to, or because someone else convinced you to do it. Then it becomes a burden.

If you can do it because you want to, it becomes fun! Then you can easily develop lifelong habits, and it is enjoyable! You wouldn’t experience all those mood swings either! And soon friends and family will start commenting on your looks! It doesn’t have to take that long either!