If You Believe You Can’t Lose Weight.  

When weight loss isn’t going well, it’s natural to wonder, “Is something keeping me from losing weight that’s beyond my control?”  Consider the facts below:

C	Age  Many people gain weight with age.  But it’s not because of age itself.  Two things are involved.  First, body metabolism slows down somewhat with age.  Second, people are often less active as they age.  So in general, older people burn fewer calories.  But no matter what your age, you can offset this by eating less and being more active.

C	Menopause, hormones, or menstrual bloating  Weight gain during menopause is related to aging (see above), not to menopause itself.  This is probably because many women are less active as they age.  Women who take hormone pills gain no more weight than other women.  And water retention comes and goes with the menstrual cycle.  Again, none of these things can keep you from losing weight--if you eat less and are more active.

C	Family History of Obesity  People with overweight parents are more likely to be overweight adults.  So are those who were overweight as children.  But many people with a family history of obesity succeed at weight loss.  Their secret?  Eating less and being more active.  

C	Metabolism  Some people have a slower metabolism.  They burn fewer calories at rest than other people.  But no matter how slow your metabolism, you can lose weight.  The keys (you guessed it) are to eat less and be more active.

C	Medications  A few medications affect body metabolism.  Some cause water retention.  However, no medication can keep you from losing weight if you eat less and are more active.

C	Weight Training  People who begin weight training may gain a pound or so at first.  But then the muscles that are being built begin to replace body fat.  And muscles use more energy than body fat.  So building muscle helps you lose weight in the long run.

C	

Psychological Factors  Some people say, “I’m just not the type of person who can succeed at weight loss,” or “my life is too stressful to do what I need to do to lose weight.”  The truth is that thinking this way does get in the way of losing 
weight.  But it’s not a fact.  If you work on countering these thoughts, you
 can eat less and be more active.  

  	The bottom line is tried and true:
			To lose weight, eat less and be more active.  Believe that you can.