Copyright © Joel Kaye, MA

Everyone knows that diet is a four-letter word. It is something vulgar and unappealing, right? Diet is actually one word that is so often misunderstood to mean a torturous regime you put yourself through in order to lose weight and look good. In reality diet is the way you eat and what you eat – no matter what it does to the numbers on the scales. It is more about creating good health and feeling better. Looking better is just one positive side effect.

People who are successful at losing weight know the true meaning of the word diet. They understand that dieting is about making good food choices in the proper amounts in an effort to be healthy and feel well. If you are overweight, understanding this one point can set you up for success. When you make balanced food choices of the right serving size, you will naturally consume the right amount of calories to promote weight loss. You will also begin to feel more energetic and alive as you avoid the ups and downs of blood sugar levels that come with poor food choices.

Here are the three other secrets of successful, long term weight loss that those who still struggle haven’t yet grasped.

1. Dieting to lose weight is as much about what you DO eat as what you DON’T eat. You may think cutting out simple carbohydrates and fat will help you lose weight, and usually it will. But there are foods that can actually help decrease the appetite and increase metabolism. Adding them to your diet will help you lose weight with less effort.
   
   
2. Different people process foods differently. This depends largely on your genetic make up and ancestry. People from different regions of the world are accustomed to certain foods and that ability to properly process and utilize the nutrients from those foods depends on how your great grandparents may have eaten. That is why some people can tolerate a diet high in carbohydrates or fat better than others.
   
   
3. Fad diets will only bring short-term results. Any diet making grandiose claims will make you fatter in the long-run – and not just in terms of the number on the scale. A safe weight loss that is lasting should not drop your weight more than 1% per week on average. So if you are 250 pounds, you should lose no more than an average of 2.5 pounds per week over the long term. That rate of weight loss will decrease as you get closer to your goal. Keeping the weight loss to this speed will ensure you are losing fat and not just water or more importantly, that you are losing fat instead of muscle.

Joel Kaye holds a Masters Degree in Physical Health Education and he is currently teaching classes at the prestigious New York University's Coles Sports Center On Weight Management, Nutrition And Exercise And Cancer Wellness. Find out how to achieve optimal health at: www.rightbraindiet.com