You may have read this one: eating ice cream actually causes weight loss. The so-called theory is that since ice cream is cold, and it takes energy (measured in calories) to warm it up, your body is consuming energy while eating.

Your body does certainly require energy to warm up ice cream, and even to digest it. Any action the body takes requires energy, that’s basic physics applied to physiology. But the devil is in the details. Eating ice cream, usually high in fat and sugar, takes in far more calories than are used to warm and digest it. Sorry, you still need to go easy on the dessert.

Sometimes ice water is substituted in the myth. True it has no calories, so you’re much better off. But the energy needed to warm it to body temperature is negligible in terms of the weight loss effect. However, sometimes you feel hungry when in fact the body is just slightly dehydrated. Drinking water can cause you to feel less hungry, and it’s much lower in calories than regular soda or even orange juice.

Or, you might have heard this one: adding a pound of muscle makes the body burn an extra 50 calories. Not only not true, but meaningless. ‘Burns 50 calories’ over how long? Just sitting consumes about 70 calories per hour. The body is consuming energy to maintain internal temperature, repair cells, pump blood, etc.

A pound of new muscle will burn at most a dozen calories per hour. Still, adding muscle is a good idea, since to do so requires high effort – either through running, weight training or other vigorous exercise. Mild exercise, such as walking, is good but tones more than builds muscle. The average man will burn about 350 calories in an hour long workout.

Vigorous exercise also raises the metabolic rate for a day, burning about 250 calories more than if one hadn’t exercised. A brisk walk will do so also, but at a much lower level. It’s still a good idea to workout every other day and walk on the non-workout days. It keeps the muscles toned, stretched and helps prevent the lactic acid buildup that causes sore muscles.

The reality is that if you take in more calories than your body uses the remaining energy is stored, generally in the form of chemical bonds in fatty tissues. When the body requires more energy that you’ve supplied, it will turn to those fat stores in order to get some needed energy. That leads to lower fat in the body and weight loss. That reality is best achieved by the old-fashioned combination of proper diet and adequate regular exercise.

Attitude alone won’t change the rate at which your body burns calories, nor will it magically cause you to eat less or exercise more. But sustaining a weight loss program over the long run needed to achieve permanent results can only be done by (in part) a change of attitude.

But what attitude? What is meant by attitude, here, anyway?

‘Attitude’ is used here to sum up all those views about what to eat and whether to exercise, and how. Some, even those who desire a more natural weight loss program, simply go on doing more or less the same things day in and day out. But no change in behavior will result in no change in effect. To change behavior, it’s necessary to adjust the attitude.

How?

That’s the 64 thousand dollar question and the answer, it will come as no surprise, will vary from person to person.

Some individuals will reach a crisis point in their lives. They are tired of looking in the mirror and seeing a body image they despise. Or, they are tired of feeling tired all the time. They are strongly motivated at the outset to adjust eating habits, change their diet and commit to a healthy exercise program.

Others have to dig a little deeper, to find the inner strength to change, to look farther down the road. Starting a diet ‘after the holidays’ or ‘after changing jobs’ or any of the thousand other reasons we devise to start later means one thing: not starting now. But now is the time to start, if you want to start achieving results now. That means changing attitude now.

Easier said, than done, it goes without saying. But not so very hard if you look to any of the many available sources for helping you. Friends who have successfully started or gone a long way on a natural weight loss program can be an inspiration. Let the positive pull of their success motivate you, more than the negative guilt of where you are today.

Read about the large variety of diets available. No one of them is perfect for every individual. Finding one that fits your natural inclination will help get you started. Some people find it easy to devote to tracking calories. Others only want to focus on healthy foods, but keep portions modest. Still others want to follow a diet that has been successfully used by those they know or trust. Anyone will want a natural weight loss program that optimizes their overall health. Here, the only correct answer to ‘Which is best?’ is the one that gets you started and produces results for you.

Starting that research is the first step to helping you alter your attitude, a shift that will result in the change you are really after in the first place: losing weight.

Whenever you take in more calories than you use, the remaining energy is stored in chemical bonds between adipose tissue (fatty deposits). In adult men those fat deposits are preferentially stored around the waist and abdomen, in women around the hips, thighs and abdomen.

As you take actions that place a demand for energy on your body that is greater than can be supplied by available glucose (its preferred source), it turns to fat to supply the deficit. Fat molecules are broken down and severing those chemical bonds releases the energy needed for maintaining internal temperature, muscle movement, etc.

But, here’s the kicker: you have no control over where the body takes that fat from. Cortisol may aid in releasing those fat deposits and breaking down those bonds, but it isn’t targeted. There is, currently, no technology that will remove local fat deposits from any part of the body except mechanical removal, such as in liposuction.

It’s true that doing abdominal exercises, though, helps reduce fat around the waist, and in two ways.

First, since abdominal exercises typically involve large-scale movement that requires high effort, it naturally requires lots of energy. Once the available free energy is consumed, the body turns to those fat deposits to get more. The result is less fat and weight loss.

But it does that in an overall way, with no narrow location getting most of the benefit. Most of the fat may indeed come from the waist, but that’s because that’s where most of it is, as a percentage. But the exercise doesn’t target that fat in any way.

Second, during a vigorous abdominal workout those muscles are being worked harder than others. That’s the whole point of abdominal exercises. As a result, those muscles (along with the back muscles, typically) are being strengthened. Toning and strengthening those muscles helps restore their youthful ability to hold in the internal organs, primarily the stomach.

At the same time there will be a (largely temporary) loss of fluid that contributes to both weight loss and slimming. The net effect is that the waist looks slimmer, the bulge is reduced. That’s definitely a good thing, both for general health and weight loss or fat reduction.

But it’s not the same thing as targeting specific fatty deposits, as the makers of cortisol pills (and other) ‘miracle cures’ would like to sell you. The only effective program for reducing fat deposits – around the waist, on the thighs and buttocks, or anywhere else – is the old-fashioned, high effort, high willpower one.

A program of adequate daily exercise and proper diet is the key to long-term health, safe weight loss and fat reduction. You’ll feel better and your health will be optimized. And, not coincidentally, you’ll reduce those unattractive fat deposits around the middle.

That physical result, too, should be more than just reducing a number. Your fundamental goals are to look attractive and optimize your health. Everything else is a means to those ends.

The first step to achieving those interlocking twin goals is to recognize that there are no short cuts, no easy and safe ‘miracle cures’. There are aids that modern nutritional and exercise science can supply. By all means, take advantage of them.

But along with proper nutritional supplements, appetite suppressants and the like, it’s still essential to have a proper diet and adequate daily exercise. Some appetite suppressants, when used under a reputable doctor’s guidance, can be a helpful short-term addition to the overall program.

But when you stop taking them, in the overwhelming majority of cases, the weight will quickly return unless they are only part of an overall strategy. That strategy has to include good nutrition and proper exercise.

There are hundreds of fad diets around. The ‘low carb, high protein’ diet is one of the latest. People following them often experience rapid weight loss, initially. But the long term benefits are few and the costs are high.

Carbohydrates are the primary source of energy for the body. When the body has a shortage of available carbohydrates (chiefly glucose) to use to produce energy, it turns to other sources. One result of that, though, is often muscle loss and not just fat consumption.

Low carbohydrate diets reduce the amount of glucose available in the muscles and liver. That leads to muscle fatigue and less tone. At the same time, that fatigue also makes exercise more difficult and less pleasant. It also leads to a lower basal metabolic rate, which means fewer calories will be consumed per hour than would otherwise be the case.

That’s an unhealthy trade off for a rapid, short-term weight loss.

What’s needed instead is a disciplined, long-term commitment to lifestyle change. That, admittedly, is much more difficult than simply changing a few things on the menu. It requires learning more about nutrition, and more care in the selection of things to eat. It may mean substituting whole grain brown rice for potatoes. It means substituting fruits for ice cream and candy as dessert.

At the same time a person is struggling to change eating habits, something very difficult to do when the body is urging a return to the old items, another hurdle needs to be overcome: beginning a regular exercise program. Regular exercise is the second factor essential to proper weight management.

It isn’t necessary to become a fitness fanatic, but a regular series of vigorous running or weight lifting or other form of age-appropriate exercise is critical. That requires great willpower, to be sure. Most people give up too soon, because they try too hard at first. That results in injury and abandoning the program.

Think long term, make changes slowly but permanently, and you’ll find that weight is the last thing you have to think about. Your general appearance and health will improve. Those are the ends to keep in mind.

When seeking out that weight loss program there are a number of important questions the second type will want answered.

The most essential, and therefore the first question is: What are the facts about diet, exercise and weight loss? There are dozens of fad diets, special exercise regimens and all manner of junk science surrounding the subject.

It won’t be easy for those not trained in science to sort the wheat from the chaff, to sort fact from fiction. But anyone with common sense and some persistence can fairly quickly find one or more sources of reliable information. Scientific studies don’t stand in isolation, they either support or contradict others. When you find a number, from serious sources, that agree there’s good reason to give them some credence.

Similarly, it will be important to find knowledgeable and experienced people at the gym and nutritionist that help you along. Most people can distinguish between people who are trying to give wise counsel and those who just want to sell you something that may or may not have any value. People deserve to be paid for their services, but offering something worthwhile is fundamental.

Once you find a gym and/or nutritionist that can offer you good guidance and moral support, you’ll get added benefits. Such people can help remind you, when the going gets tough, why you chose to make the effort in the first place. It’s difficult to adhere to a long term program when the progress is slow.

Any wise diet and exercise program needs be oriented toward lifestyle changes that will help you lose the weight and keep it off, and keep you healthy and fit. Counseling provided by fitness and nutrition professionals can help you do that. They can help you unlearn bad habits and learn better ones, and encourage you to stick with them.

You’ll need to monitor your progress, so you need to ask where and what are the tests and tools to do that. You’ll need food charts for measuring calories and types of nutrients. You’ll need a BMI calculator and other tools.

Some of those tools are as simple and inexpensive as a scale, a flexible tape measure and a mirror. Others may be a heart rate or pulse monitor, a device that measures body fat percentage and other things that often accompany a treadmill.

You’ll want to judge any program by how many people have actually found success using it, of course. But beware the hype. A few unsolicited opinions from people you don’t know won’t tell the whole story. Find out how many finished, and how much they lost, and whether there were any downsides or side effects.

It’s your health. That’s worth doing some homework to find the right weight loss program for you.

In order to do that safely and in a way that produces beneficial long-term results, take it slow and steady. Weight reduction and regaining muscle tone after birth takes time.

Hype in the media about rapid weight loss after pregnancy is common. Articles are written on celebrity moms that show them making miraculous changes after birth to regain those million dollar figures.

But such individuals usually have better than average metabolic systems in the first place. That’s part of what gives them an edge in that profession.

They also have very expensive consultants, trainers and money to burn on equipment. The average women could forego a lot of needless guilt by not trying to emulate their results. Instead, focus on what’s normal and average for most new moms.

It generally takes up to 6 months for a woman’s body to return to ‘normal’ after giving birth. Normal, here, just means the average metabolic rate and hormonal amounts that were experienced before conception. In some areas, and to some degree, those norms may never return. Motherhood often produces some permanent changes.

Calorie reduction should not be an overriding concern during a period of breast feeding. Apart from the still-required (though somewhat less) additional amount of energy, the added stress of worrying about weight is not something new mothers need. Night feeding and continual round-the-clock care for a year or more is difficult enough without unnecessary, self-imposed psychological burdens.

For the first few months, the focus should be very much on eating a healthy diet. A 2000 calorie diet that includes 50% carbohydrates, 30% proteins, 10% fat with adequate fiber is a good common sense starting point.

Notice the numbers don’t add up to 100%. Every diet should leave some leeway for enjoyment, increase or decrease of the other factors, etc. Going to extremes is the most common mistake most make when considering nutrition.

Moderate exercise is good, but here again the keyword is ‘moderate’. New mothers are busy enough without having to worry about whether they are getting that 5-mile run in every morning. The focus should be on gradually increasing stamina, tone and overall fitness. The goals should be mood-elevation and general health, not looking like a movie star.

After a few months, the program can be stepped up to desired levels in a graded way. The average gain during pregnancy is between 25-35 lbs and during birth about 12-14 of this is lost immediately. The other 12-21 pounds can be shed over 6-8 months without risk. Take it slow and steady and your results will persist over the long term.

Particularly with the onset of middle age, diet becomes a greater concern for men. Calorie needs are typically highest in the mid-20s and taper off about 2-4% with every passing decade. For an average-sized male (say, 5 ft 9 inches and 170 lbs), the average number of appropriate calories per day, 2500, reduces to 2200-2350.

One of the reasons for the change is an average reduction in muscle mass. It takes a lot of calories to continue to feed blood to muscles, to perform cellular repair and maintain internal body temperature among other physiological tasks. As men age, they tend to have less muscle mass, thus requiring fewer calories.

But the other major reason is a shift in basal metabolism. That’s the ‘base’ or ‘natural’ rate at which your body burns calories for all its functions, even at rest. That amounts to about 70 calories per hour for most men, and constitutes about 65% of the daily calories needed. Hormonal and other natural changes with age reduce that basal rate.

The thyroid, which participates in regulation, and other glands tends to be less active and less efficient as we age. The adrenal gland is another example. Glandular reduction is one of the internal factors that actually defines biological aging, in fact.

As a result, taking in the same number of calories in mid-life that were consumed during earlier decades will result in the excess being stored in adipose tissue, in other words you’ll gain body fat. For most men, that body fat is considered unsightly, and beyond a certain level has definite health risks.

Though it’s not the only number you should look at, a BMI (Body Mass Index = weight/height squared) > 30 should be a concern for nearly anyone. A BMI over 40 is generally considered obese. Waist circumference – over 35 inches – for the average male is an indicator, with over 40 inches considered obese for most.

Whatever you eat – while it does matter for nutritional and general health reasons – taking in more calories than are consumed leads to the excess being stored as fat. That leads to weight gain. Reducing the daily intake by as little as 50-100 calories per day for every decade past age 29 can go a long way toward eliminating that problem.

Alternatively, and a good thing for other reasons, burning an extra 50-100 calories will help reduce solve that problem and lead to better overall health. An extra mile per day walking is enough to accomplish that.

Reduce calories, stay active and you can look and feel fit for a lifetime.

Women, for example, naturally have a higher percentage of body fat than men, 27% on average compared to 15% for a fit individual. That single number alone is helpful information if one of your weight loss or exercise goals is fat reduction. Any woman trying to reduce her percentage should take into account this natural difference, since it can help avoid guilt and provide a realistic goal.

Women experience hormonal changes that differ considerably from that of men as they age. Even young women can have irregularities in menstrual cycle and other physiological changes as a result. This can be seen more clearly by looking at some extreme cases, for example.

Women in concentration camps in WWII frequently discontinued having regular menstrual cycles, as a result of the effects of starvation. Highly trained female athletes also often experience similar changes, as a result of ultra-low body fat and other causes.

The ill effects of PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome) can be reduced by stabilizing blood sugar levels, regulating fat intake and other dietary changes. For example, mood swings can be smoothed out to a degree by higher amounts of soluble fiber, which helps produce a slower rise in blood sugar. Apples, oats and beans are good sources.

Combining fat with protein and carbohydrate intake in a balanced way will help slow the rise in blood sugar from the carbohydrate consumption. Ice cream may be a comfort food but the effect is short-lived and doesn’t provide the balance needed. Instead, increase consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables. Bananas are a good choice, along with walnuts.

Women are more prone to arthritis, fibromyalgia and other conditions. Certain previously unsuspected food allergies can worsen the symptoms. Testing is essential, but at the same time a healthy diet will help. Rice beverages can be substituted for those sensitive to cows milk, there are wheat-free breads on the market that are still whole grain and peanuts may need to be avoided for some.

For example some women who suffer from rheumatic symptoms will find they are allergic to wheat. A gluten-free diet will help lessen that problem. This includes finding substitutes for ordinary cereal, standard bread, pasta and other foods made from wheat flour.

During the years of menopause, as cycles become less regular and large hormonal changes are occurring, diet can help lessen the severity of any discomfort. Lowering sodium intake is helpful. Substitutes include herbs, garlic or lemon juice for flavoring. Each individual is different, though, and you should consult a physician for proper amounts.

Menopausal women are likely to benefit from reducing saturated fats, beyond that of younger women or males. Since estrogen levels are declining, HDL cholesterol (the beneficial type) will tend to fall and LDL cholesterol (the potentially harmful type) will rise.

One result is that, though men in general have a higher risk of heart attack as they age, during this time a woman’s risk is equal to those of men of similar age. Reducing saturated and trans fat can help reduce those risks.

Moderate wine consumption is beneficial. It provides anti-oxidants and other helpful compounds and is generally lower in calories than many alternatives. Lowering caffeine can help reduce loss of calcium, which is more needed as women age.

What constitutes a proper diet varies somewhat by gender and age, so investigate what is right for your particular circumstances. Knowledge is the key to health.

But if you look at it from an evolutionary aspect, the ability to store excess calories in the form of fat cells is a very life-serving ability. When a person consumes more calories than the body uses for muscle movement, internal temperature maintenance and cellular repair the remainder is stored in the chemical bonds of fat cells. Technically, it’s stored in something called ‘adipose tissue’.

Energy – which calories measure – isn’t a substance, so it’s not the same as fat. But that energy becomes available for use when those fat molecules break down into simpler products. That happens when a person increases movement or otherwise triggers a need for more energy.

Carbohydrates are one major source of that energy. Sugars (chiefly glucose) and starches are the two main forms and they participate in something called the Krebs Cycle. Also known in scientific circles as the tricarboxylic acid cycle, but don’t bother trying to pronounce it. Sugars come in, get broken down into something called ATP, then into ADP releasing energy in the process.

When the body runs out of glucose to use in the cycle, it turns to stored body fat as a substitute. Breaking down those fat molecules is, in essence, what causes a person to decrease the percentage of body fat. Sometimes increased muscle mass results, so the final result isn’t always a net weight loss.

But in biology, as in life, everything is best in moderation. When more calories are consumed than used over a long period of time, body fat increases to the point that the health risks can outweigh the benefits of a ready supply of energy. The result is an increase in the odds of heart difficulties, diabetes and other real medical problems. The social consequences are equally well known.

Knowing this, many will strive to maintain their weight and percentage of body fat within a certain range. That range differs from person to person (people have different body types), season to season (winter fat can actually be healthy) and according to their individual BMI (Body Mass Index).

So, in order to decide whether you are obese, only moderately over the preferred weight range, or just lack muscle tone, you need to consider those factors. Doing so requires knowing your specific body type, the ability to calculate BMI (very simple, actually) and recognizing that there is no exact, static, ideal weight for you.

Every month there’s a new claim, often given a coating of respectability by quoting the latest ’study’. But if trained scientists have difficulty deciding what the truth is, you can bet the average laymen doesn’t know for sure.

So what’s a person who just wants to lose weight to do? Not everyone is a scientist, and very few have the time or inclination to read a dozen scientific studies. Well, there’s no perfect solution to that dilemma, but there are a few common sense guidelines that can go a long way toward avoiding common mistakes.

Greet with a skeptical eye any outsized claims. ‘Outsized’, here, means those that make rock certain claims to know what’s best in nutrition – especially when they contradict long-standing and obvious guidelines.

Studies may differ on details, but they all agree that a balanced diet of the basic essentials – carbohydrates, protein, etc – is best. All agree that moderate, regular age-appropriate exercise is an important factor in health.

Be wary of anyone making promises for safe, easy, quick results. It’s possible to achieve any one of these three, but never all three together. A wise weight loss program will definitely consider safety first. It will rarely be easy – technology has advanced, but not THAT much. And, it is almost never quick. Reducing excess body fat, losing weight and getting fit require a long-term commitment.

Treat with caution any program that tries the other side of the coin: to scare you into adopting it. Many will tout claims of the dangers of meat, for example. While consuming excess animal fat can increase health risks, what is ‘excess’ is still being examined.

Any claim that eating meat in moderation is harmful is based only on junk science. Adopting a strictly vegetarian diet for ethical reasons or matters of taste is a valid choice, but not one required by science.

In other words, avoid extremes.

There are 3-day diets that recommend eating nothing but fruit for three days, then other foods the rest of the week. Bad idea. Such a diet is necessarily unbalanced and will cause rollercoaster effects on the body.

There are diets recommending almost all protein and very few carbohydrates. Bad idea. The body needs a variety of materials from which to extract and synthesize what it needs. That means it benefits from a balance of protein (to produce amino acids), carbohydrates (for energy), fiber and other essential elements.

Anyone selling a miracle cure, effortless or instant results, while claiming to have a safe and reliable program is selling you air. Don’t buy.