No matter whether you only need to lose a few pounds or you are fighting a lifelong battle with your weight it is indeed a topic that is uppermost in many people's minds.
Bookstore shelves are overflowing with diet books and we are constantly being assaulted by the offer of 'magic pills' that can help us lose weight when we open our email.
These quick fix methods though rarely work, and after each weight loss attempt that fails we are left with a sense of failure when they do not produce the expected results.
Playing around with 'diets' and other weight loss products unfortunately can cause a person to end up on a merry-go-round of yo-yo dieting that can negatively alter hormonal function and mess up the metabolism (the bodies engine).
This has the affect of making further weight loss attempts more difficult because the metabolic rate which is the rate the body burns fuel (calories) is running at a slower rate.
The actual secret to losing weight is a very simple one, although implementing it is always a challenge as it involves making changes to one's lifestyle.
But just a few changes to your schedule will make it so much easier to lose those extra pounds which will make you look and feel so much better.
We have all heard how exercise can help you lose weight as the energy output of our body and metabolism is increased to supply the extra energy needed.
It has to be the right type of exercise which is strength training exercise as when the muscles are directly worked you end up with a greater burn both during the session and afterwards as well.
The really big bonus that comes with strength training exercise is that when you re-tone and rebuild your muscle tissue it will result in an increase in the number of calories being used at rest also.
This means that when you are sleeping or resting you will be burning more calories than you were before you started your proper exercise program and a good portion of those increased calories will be coming from your body fat stores.
This is such a much easier and more effective way to lose that extra excess fat weight than going through the misery of dieting.
Instead of less - less food, less strength, less energy and less fat loss this way will give you more.
More food, more strength, more energy and a better result long-term.
The best idea is to exercise the fat off not try and starve it off.
As time goes by and when you are performing your strength training program 2-3 times each week you will benefit from the positive hormonal changes that it will produce for you.
The body's hormones when brought under control by healthy eating and proper exercise mean your insulin levels will be lower and food cravings and appetite controlled.
The longer you keep doing it the more it will become a way of life and the stronger, fitter and leaner you will become.
This is a much better weight loss method than dieting which few people can tolerate for long.
It all adds up to not only becoming a slimmer person but a more vital, happier healthier person as well.