If you are overweight, try to lose weight slowly. Lose about 1/2 to 1 pound a week until you reach a healthy weight. Keep track of your progress. To help you lose weight, ask for help from your doctor or a dietitian. Be wary of misleading programs and ads that offer quick weight loss.

1. "Lose 30 Pounds in Just 30 Days" and "Lose Weight Fast..." Fast weight loss could harm your health. Unless your doctor advises it, don't look for programs that promise quick weight loss. Most overweight people should lose weight gradually. For safe and healthy weight loss, try not to exceed a rate of two pounds per week. The faster you lose weight, the more likely you are to gain it back. Sometimes, people with serious health problems associated with obesity may have legitimate reasons for losing weight rapidly. If so, a physician's supervision is required.

2. "Lose Weight While You Sleep." Two common reasons for being overweight are eating too much and not being active enough. To be successful at losing weight, you need to change your lifestyle and not just go on a diet. This requires cutting back on the number of calories you eat by eating smaller amounts of foods and choosing foods lower in calories. It also means being more physically active. Claims for diet products and programs that promise weight loss without effort are often phony.

3. "Lose Weight and Keep It Off for Good." Be suspicious about products promising long-term or permanent weight loss. To lose weight and keep it off, you must change how you eat and how much you exercise.

4. "Ultimate Weight Loss Secrets...Breakthrough" There are no 'secrets' or miracle weight-loss programs. To lose weight, you have to reduce your intake of calories and increase your physical activity. There is no magic pill for obesity or weight loss.

5. "Jane Lost 90 Pounds in 5 Weeks." Just because someone achieved good results with a particular weight loss program doesn't mean that you'll get the same results too. Even if the claims are true, someone else's success may have little relation to your own chances of success.

6. "Lose Weight... Eat what you like" To be successful at losing weight, you may need to change what you eat and your eating habits. This may require cutting back on the number of calories you eat by eating smaller amounts of foods and choosing foods lower in calories. You may need to avoid certain types of foods.

7. "Lose Weight Without Exercising..." To lose weight and to maintain a healthy weight after weight loss, many adults will likely need to do more than 30 minutes of moderate to intensive physical activity daily. Physical activity decreases the risk of dying from coronary heart disease and reduces the risk of developing diabetes, hypertension, and certain cancers. Research shows that daily physical activity may help a person lose weight by partially lessening the slow-down in metabolism that occurs during weight loss.

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Copyright 2005, Chileshe Mwape. Find out more about choosing and using Sports and Exercise Equipment to lose weight at: http://www.sports-equipment-uk.org.uk/