There is a big problem with obesity especially in the United States. This is great for those companies in the weight loss business. In fact, it is extremely great because they know that you probably won’t make it on your diet but you will have spent some money with them trying. Why is it that most people can’t lose weight? It has to do with behavior change. They don’t lose weight because they don’t change their behavior towards food intake and exercise. Not only is burning excess calories essential to weight loss but reducing food intake as well. Part of losing weight is being able to push yourself away from the table but many cannot do this. They typically don’t eat to be filled but stuff themselves. Depending on your situation, sometimes it is even okay to miss a meal.

It is interesting to note that Buddhist monks are committed to eating only two meals a day with the heaviest meal being at 11:00 A.M. each day. Why is this? Because the Buddha said that eating from noon until dawn the next day was unhealthy and would make the body too full for meditation. There is a lot of truth to this because when one eats a meal too late in the evening they will gain weight plus have a tough time sleeping. Yet we do this with our hurried lifestyles and late in the evening eating habits. The country of Brazil is recognizing a growing obesity problem within its ranks yet it is common for people there to eat very late in the evening around 9:00 P.M. or even 10:00 P.M.

Another reason why most people can’t lose weight is due to our attitudes about wanting something and wanting it now. When we set out to lose weight, we place unreasonably high standards on ourselves and set goals we know good and well cannot be achieved. Then, when we don’t lose 30 pounds in a month for example, we just give up our diet or our weight loss program because we can’t see the use. Your weight problem did not happen to you overnight. It took awhile for you to get into this condition and it will take a reasonable steady process to reverse it. Your body can safely lose one to two pounds per week so you do the math. You may not see noticeable results for months.

It is important to set goals that can be realistically reached. And you should have a forgiving spirit towards yourself. When you set out to change behavior you are going to without a doubt fail a few times. You have to be able to pick yourself back up and try again. People who attempt to quit smoking go through this cycle. They will start out well and then have a bad day and smoke. The ones who successfully quit smoking are the ones who start the quitting process right away after their fall.

And finally, a reason why most people can’t lose weight has to do with their attitude toward food and its use. Your body needs food to live. That’s it. While it can be an enjoyable experience, that experience should not be the goal when eating. In other words, we should not use food to lift us up when our mood is down nor use it as a reward when we have achieved something. Food should only be looked at as a substance necessary to sustain life. By changing our attitude in this way we are doing well towards our ultimate goal of losing weight.