Weight Loss Success: 7 Slim Down Secrets

If losing weight were merely a matter of calories in vs. calories out, then we'd have figured out the get-slim-quick formula long ago. You, for instance, may gain weight more easily and have a harder time dropping pounds than some of your friends. Why? Because your body stores calories more efficiently. Blame it on your ancestors; the very genes that helped them survive long periods of famine are a liability in today's world of plentiful, high-fat temptations and labor-saving devices.

Still, it is possible to win at the losing game. It takes a little experimentation and a lot of patience. Perhaps it will help you to think of losing weight as taking a long and winding journey just as you're learning how to read a map: You know your destination but you might have to go down a few blind alleys before you find the correct path.
Here we give you Fit by Friday's immutable weight-loss laws. They may not resemble the radical rules of most fad diets, but if you heed them, you've got a good chance of cracking the weight-loss code.

• Give both eating habits and exercise top billing. You cannot, repeat cannot, lose weight without watching what you eat and getting your butt in gear. Most people who achieve long-term weight-loss success do so with a combination of changed eating habits and increased exercise. The National Weight Control Registry, a database that tracks thousands of successful losers, reports that 80 percent of those who drop pounds and keep them off long-term make significant changes in both food intake and activity levels.

• Portion control is key. It's not what you eat but how much. Contrary to what some low-carb diet gurus will have you believe, it's not pasta that makes you fat, it's the fact that you eat enough of it at one sitting to feed a small village. By limiting portion sizes you can still indulge in the foods you love because you won't overindulge.

• Walking works. In spite of its wimpy reputation, walking is an excellent weight-loss workout because it's easy to do, requires little equipment and is kind to your body. You burn roughly 100 calories a mile. To ignite your calorie burn even more, walk up hills, move faster, or alternate walking with brief periods of running.

• Keep a journal. Most people underestimate how much they eat and overestimate how much they move. Writing it down in a daily journal keeps you honest and can be a real eye-opener as your health patterns emerge.

• Drink up. We're referring to water, nature's original diet drink. No calories, very filling, tastes great. Sipping H2O before and during meals helps take the edge off of hunger and fills you up faster. On the flip side, stay away from high-calorie colas, sugary drinks and alcohol. Liquid calories can add up faster than you can say, "Supersize my Slurpee please."

• Graze, don't gorge. Eating smaller, more frequent meals (four to six per day) keeps hunger under control and your blood sugar levels from dipping and spiking like a roller coaster ride. You're also less likely to pig out than when you eat three larger squares a day with long periods of time in between.

• Lose the quick-fix mentality. Accept the fact that fad diets don't work and that there are no short cuts to permanent weight loss. Losing weight, like any other goal that means something, takes dedication and hard work. Sure you'll have setbacks and encounter stumbling blocks along the way, but that doesn't mean you can't do it. The end result is worth it.