Don't you just hate it when you see someone who seems to be able to eat anything they like and stay as lean as a garden rake? Some people have naturally high metabolic rates, which allows them to burn off calories at much higher rates than the rest of us. Most of us weren't born with this fat burning gift however and some of us find it very hard to keep our weight down. Yes it's not easy but it certainly isn't impossible either. If you think that diets don't work for you then read on.

Just as there are some people with naturally high metabolic rates there are people who have very low metabolic rates who find it very difficult to control their weight. Most of us fall somewhere in the middle and have to at least watch what we eat to avoid weight gain in the form of unsightly fat. Everyone can lose weight and control it no matter what you metabolism throws at you. You can lose weight but there is no such thing as a free lunch, you will need to work at it.

Why diet don't work

This is a bit of a fallacy I think. Diets do work if they're used properly but they may not give you the results that you expect. You might find for instance that you lose weight initially but then you 'plateau' and find it very difficult to lose more. Most popular diets don't work to encourage permanent weight loss either. Most people will put the weight straight back on after the diet has finished.

Another reason why diets don't work is because people don't understand, or don't want to understand how to use them. I can't tell you how many overweight people I've spoken to that have said, "Why can't I lose weight" when the reason is blatantly obvious. They go on diets and use meal replacements and slimming foods but they seem to think that they can still eat what they usually eat in addition to the slimming food.

If this is what you think then I'm sorry but to lose weight you must burn more calories than you consume and eating more not less is not the answer. There is more information on why diet supplements don't work in the article The Best Diet Supplement or The Best Diet That Works

You can lose weight

Yes you can, it's a fact, you can lose weight. You might have to work at it more than some but it is possible. How do I know this? Ask yourself what would happen if you ate nothing at all for a week or two. You will probably damage your body if you did this so please don't try it. In addition to becoming ill you would lose weight, there is no doubt about that at all. So how do you lose weight safely?

Losing weight and fat is a matter of balancing your lifestyle. You will lose weight if you burn more calories in exercise than you consume in your food. So the answer is good nutrition and exercise. Educate yourself about good nutrition and reduce the amount of calories that you consume each day. At the same time take up some exercise that you can do on a regular basis. Jogging, walking, cycling etc. Many say that you should train with weights too but you can leave that until you feel ready. It's much more important to find something that you can do regularly at least 3 times a week and keep it going. Some of the healthiest people I know walk their dogs twice a day.

The most important thing to realise is that you are responsible for your body and all it's fat and that you can control it by making some permanent changes to your lifestyle. If you do this you will see positive changes in your life. You'll look great, feel better and live longer.