Here at FIT, we believe that knowledge is power, and we would like to share the information we have learned about something that most people struggle with at some point in their lives- weight management. First, let’s talk about what doesn’t work: fad diets and magic supplements.

We are constantly bombarded with advertisements for products and diet fads that promise to shave inches off our bellies and to help us lose weight fast, all without much effort on our part, and they all want us to part ways with our hard-earned money to do so. From weight loss pills to radical and restricting diets, there is always a company out there eager to make money off our insecurities surrounding weight management.

While some fad diets can help with short term weight loss, 95% of dieters gain it all back within three years (80% only took one year to gain it all back!), and most of these people will end up gaining MORE weight in the years that follow than they did before they started a “diet”. This leads a lot of dieters into a vicious cycle- start a diet, lose ten pounds, stop the diet because it is not a maintainable life-style (or in the case of pills, side effects can be disruptive and harmful), gain that ten pounds back, feel hopeless because they put the weight back on so they give up entirely, then when hit with the harsh reality that they have gained more weight than what they started with, the cycle repeats. This is not only a terrible way to approach weight loss management, but it can be harmful overall to both your physical and mental health.

So how can you avoid this cycle? Stop buying products that promise to help you lose weight fast. Stop starting diets that are not sustainable long term (I mean really, who has the willpower to only eat one food group for the rest of their lives? Or avoid certain foods forever?). Instead, focus on maintaining a balanced diet of healthy foods and change your mentality!

Most importantly, remember, this is not a diet you are starting, this is a lifestyle change! Your mental and physical health will improve with every good choice you make, and that improvement will be sustainable, and it helps greatly to keep that as your goal. It won’t happen fast, and you will have to put in some work, but you CAN keep the weight off, and you CAN improve your health, no matter where you are starting from. And with that comes confidence, not only because you may feel like you look better, but confidence from knowing that you are capable of making positive changes in your life! And nothing looks or feels better than confidence in yourself.

Check back soon for more information about successful long term weight management!