I'm sure all of us have well meaning (or not so well meaning) friends, family members, and co-workers, who keep stating the same myth (yes, I said myth) over and over and over again Diet's Don't Work

Well that is just grossly untrue. According to the National Weight Control Registry, we see the following:

"We have also started to learn about how the weight loss was accomplished: 45% of registry participants lost the weight on their own and the other 55% lost weight with the help of some type of program".

That's right folks - 55% - That would be more than half of those who have lost and maintained weight loss. So if you're ever feeling down about your diet choices, just remember that this can, will, and does work. Maintaining doesn't always work, but diet's do. Maintaining is up to you.

Don't let the naysayers get you down! lol

Had to post this because I just read an article with a lot of diet bashers. They are so ridiculous, and uneducated to boot.

O.K., I'm done venting.

I know how you feel. I know I've worn pant size 10's before, although it was like 5+ years ago (I'm 27, was a jr. size 11 senior year in high school, so whatever THAT turns out to be in "grown up" sizes) and I know as I approach a size 8 that I will start to freak out. Even thinking about it now makes me get a little bit anxious, which is weird. It's like, I am SO set in my mind that I CAN'T wear a size 8, that I'll never get there. I am my own worst enemy. And I saw that I had love handles even in 2006! Or rather, the dreaded "Muffin Top" and I was only 21 at that time.

If I could get smaller than that size and lose the muffin top I think my life would be a little bit surreal feeling.

You're right, diets DO work. The problem is what happens when the diet is "over". The real work is maintenance. Most people don't change their long term eating habits, they go back to what they were doing before they were "on a diet". Which why people say "diets DON'T work", because people gain back their weight.

However, if you change your mind set and realize that eating the way you did before is not the way you should be eating, you will be successful in maintenance. You need to PERMANENTLY change the way you view food and your daily diet. This is FOR LIFE. Not neccessarily P1, but watching what you eat, how much you eat, how many carbs you eat, etc... DOESN'T STOP because you hit goal. Like I said, that is truly when the hard work begins.

Because if you are anything like me, you will do WHATEVER IT TAKES to keep the weight off. Does that mean I still pass up pastries in the office? Or pass up Starbucks frappachino's? You bet it does. Those are for free days and free days only. If you accept that this is a lifestyle, you will truly be successful and manage to keep your weight off.