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Is it easy to lose weight? Yes. Losing weight is easy. I see it everyday. Patients of mine come into the office as happy as can be because they lost 15 pounds on the newest easy weight loss plan.

It's easy but can you keep it off?

My patients may feel great but none of them keep the weight off. Just as quickly as they lost weight, my patients following easy weight loss plans, gain it back...fast!

Gaining weight, specifically re-gaining weight lost while dieting, should be the focus of weight loss programs. Other things, like easy weight loss, are distracting and costly for all of us. Every year thousands of obese and overweight people do not lose weight because of easy weight loss distractions.

Why are fast and easy diet plans so attractive? Well, what could be better than losing weight and looking good fast? How about lasting healthy weight loss?

Why do you think diet plans focus solely on losing weight and say very little about keeping it off? Because it's easy to lose weight and it's next to impossible to prevent weight re-gain.

Diet plans take the easy road and provide dieters a quick short lived solution.

From Atkins to the Zone, weight loss diets have perfected colorful ways to disguise one simple easy weight loss principle. All diets can lead to easy weight loss by following this one easy principle.

Low carbohydrate diets, low fat diets, negative calorie diets, low energy density diets--all apply this one principle. And this one principle leads to easy weight loss. Do you know what it is?

To experience easy weight loss...eat fewer calories.

Holding other things constant, like exercise, simply eat fewer calories and you will lose weight easily. Whether or not you keep the weight off depends on how easily you lost it.

The Easy Weight Loss Steps

1. Week One -- Cut calories by 100

2. Week Two -- Cut additional 150 calories (total=250)

3. Week Three -- Cut another 150 calories (total=400)

4. Week Four -- Final cut 100 calories (total=500)

First month weight loss total = 2-4 pounds
500 calories cut = 1-2 pounds/week of weight loss
End of second month weight loss total = 6-12 pounds

The chance of keeping the weight off = 5%

To accelerate weight loss and weight re-gain, just cut more calories...fast. Or you can hold off on the weight loss plan above and learn more about weight re-gain and how to prevent it. Stay tuned for Weight Re-gain Prevention.

Until then, healthy living!

Michael Smith, MD

Chief Medical Consultant

Diet Basics Website