“Lose five pounds or
more in a week. Never count calories again. Eat these foods and drop pounds
without dieting. Eliminate these foods from your diet and drop pounds. Get rid
of inches with these exercises and don’t worry about the pounds.”
We have all heard the spills from ads for diet program
memberships, supplements and exercise programs, all promising great results,
while sparing us from the dreaded and detested calorie-counting.
I bought the memberships for weight-loss programs, fitness
center membership and for a while worked out with a personal trainer in a group
setting. For all the money and effort, the most I ever lost was 12 pounds, and
the longest I ever kept those pounds off was about six months. Within a few
weeks, I would reach a plateau, get discouraged and quit.
Counting calories was the last thing I wanted to do, but it
was also my last hope in reaching any kind of substantial weight loss and maintaining
it. I wanted something slow and sure. I didn't want to do this for a few months
and return to old habits. I wanted to establish new habits.
