Eat Less, Move More is the Worst Advice Ever

When California resident Raul Robles pulled on a pair of pants, stepped on a scale, or looked in the mirror, he knew he had a problem. And a visit to the doctor proved it. At 344 pounds, he was obese. He had diabetes and high blood pressure. And he was unhappy.

So he did what most people do when they recognize they need to lose weight. He jumped from one diet to another, massively restricting calories or avoiding certain foods. Sometimes he'd lose a few pounds, but most of the time he didn't lose any weight, and would go back to his usual ways. When he finally met with a doctor to develop an action plan to lose weight, he realized that simply eating less and moving more didn't work and wasn't the solution.

He needed to learn how to make healthy meal choices, manage calories, exercise regularly, make smart lifestyle choices, and develop habits that would be sustainable for the long-term. He joined a support group. He took nutrition classes. He changed his diet. He started running. And he's lost over 140 pounds. He's even run a half marathon. And he enjoys inspiring other people to manage their weight by focusing more on developing healthy lifestyle habits than just counting calories.

If you need to lose weight, restricting your diet or looking for a quick fix in the form of a diet pill, supplement, or even surgery might seem like a good idea. And while all of these weight-loss methods have the potential to help you lose weight, they don't help you develop sustainable habits that will help you keep the weight off. 'Eat less and move more' is simply bad advice, that often contributes to the yo-yo-style of weight loss and weight gain. There are countless other factors at play in obesity problems, both psychological and physical, and it's much more complex than a simple calories-in, calories-out formula.

But it doesn't have to be that way. Start by getting a handle on your diet. Learn to cook healthier meals at home, or check out the selection of Portion Control meals to help you keep calories in check without going hungry or sacrificing taste and flavor. Then put other healthy practices in to place (like daily exercise, hiring a health coach or personal trainer, working with your doctor, and joining a local or online support group). Stick with it and you'll tip the scale in the right direction and establish habits that will help you maintain a healthy weight for life.