How To Lose Weight

I've lost weight a number of times throughout my life.  Sometimes I get fat.  Unlike some other people who can really carry it, fat is not a good look on me.  So every so often... hopefully not SO often, I get a look at myself and go "I'm fat."  Usually a couple of months after that, I do something about it.  I'm at the lowest average weight of my life right now and holding.  Let me tell you my secret.

Don't eat so much.  That really is it.  Just ONE thing; eat less food.  It works EVERY time.

Exercise?  No, not really.  Plus, that would be TWO things and I said you only need to do ONE.  Yes, I get out and stay mobile, but I don't do things like treadmills or jogs, cardio, etc.  All any of that nonsense does is make me very, very hungry.  It kind of guarantees that I will eat more food.  Yes, you have to stay active, but to me a workout routine has a way of being a means to its own end.  You really only need to be in marathon shape in order to run a marathon, and you don't need to run a marathon to not be fat.  You just need to consume fewer calories.  Pick a total allowance for the day and stick to it.

There you go.  That's my secret.  Sadly, this one simple thing turns out to be extremely difficult.  The problem is in the phrasing.  Allow me to rephrase.  Want to lose weight?  You just need to do ONE thing; change your entire lifestyle.

You need to eat EVERY day, and you can't outsmart that one.  Something you do every single day almost sounds like a habit.  An EATING habit you might call it.  One time I heard a cigarette smoker tell me that habits are really hard to break.  As an added bonus feature, habits are also really easy to get into.  One time I also heard a scientist say that us humans are even creatures of them.

So to lose weight, all you need to do is break all of your eating habits.  When you eat, where you eat, why you eat, how much you eat, and the worst one - what you eat.  These things are an integral part of your day-to-day, and if you need to change them because they are making you gain weight, that's a lifestyle change.  Those don't come easy, and the problem can feel overwhelming, insurmountable, even impossible.

But don’t get yourself lost in the woods.  Just remember, all you need to do is one thing; eat less food.