We all know what to do to lose weight; it's no secret. Just consume fewer calories than you expend on a daily basis, day after day. Create a 3,500-calorie deficit and you lose a pound. Then do it again. And again. And again.
The tough part about weight loss is finding a way to make it happen so you don't feel deprived, hungry and miserable. Anyone can diet for a week or two, but figuring out how to stick with it month after month and actually feel good while doing so is the real challenge.
In this, our second annual Weight-Loss Special, we examine the science of weight loss. By that, I don't mean the kind of "science" that you hear about in infomercials for diet supplements; I'm talking about the genuine facts and research that can help you reach your weight goals in the most intelligent, least painful way.
For example, we probably all wish for just a little more willpower; who among us hasn't succumbed to some tasty temptation at the very same moment our conscious mind was telling us, "Don't eat that creme brulee/box of chocolate truffles/bag of pork rinds!"? In "Absolute Willpower in Just 3 Steps" (page 146), writer Angela Hynes delves into what psychologists really know about willpower (aka "self-control strength") and what you can do, step by step, to develop and build more of your own.
And what of goal setting and tracking your progress? As the saying goes, if you don't know where you're going, how will you know when you get there? For one thing, there's a new, more accurate way to figure out how many calories you should be eating in order to lose weight. When you draw your road map to success, there's nothing more essential than that number. Make a mistake in setting your daily calorie intake and the scale simply isn't going to budge. To discover that formula, plus four other equally important ones, turn to "5 Crucial Stats for Weight Loss" on page 86.
You can do it; our monthly Success Stories (like this issue's Ashley Adams, who lost 30 pounds, and Giulia Pirelli, who dropped an impressive 75) prove it! And with 33 pages of weight-loss content to help you, we know you're on your way to being in your best shape ever.
Anne M. Russell, Editor in Chief
Anne@Shape.com
COPYRIGHT 2005 Weider Publications
COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group
