So what is the secret to losing weight?

The simplest answer is to eat less and exercise more.

Ya, I know. It didn’t work for me either.

The problem in the weight loss industry, and the reason why it is a billion dollar industry despite the lack of real results, is that it is near impossible for a skinny person who has never struggled with weight loss problems to really understand the problems that people with BMIs over 40 truly struggle with.

They already have a balanced lifestyle. They already have surrounded themselves with a support network that encourages that lifestyle. They don’t necessarily have the same body chemistry. They don’t have same coping mechanisms for dealing with stress.

In 2012, I wrote an article on my Time Odyssey blog that talked about what I called the 7×7 body balance. In this article, I refer to 7 core habits you need to change in order to lose weight.

1. Sleep,
2. Water,
3. Nutrition,
4. Aerobic Exercise,
5. Anaerobic Exercise,
6. Recreation and Social Activity, and
7. Visualization

Everything else in the weight management world is a distraction

After 5 years I am still fully committed that this is the right formula for sustainable weight loss.

The main reason I’ve dropped 40 lbs since that time is because I have, within reason, gotten the first two of those seven habits under control.

Over the next several articles, I’m going to explore each one of these topics in as much detail as I can with my knowledge of each subject area. Keep in mind I am not a doctor or a specialist in any of these areas. I can only tell you what my experience has been. And hopefully, by trying to be transparent about what I’m going through, other people can find their own paths without forking out thousands of dollars per year on solutions that never work.