Patience grasshopper. It takes time to lose weight. Years to put it on and years to properly take it off. Hate the way that sounds?

Here’s what Newsweek says, but it’s not the article that stuck out to me, it was the first comment:

Posted By: marshah @ 01/15/2009 3:03:32 PM

“I’d be really careful about daily weighing. Tends to get people obsessed, especially as it is normal for weight to fluctuate within a small range (but as high as 5 pounds).”

The focus of the article, “What Works”, is on keeping a personal food diary. I believe this would work but only as a learning tool. What do you eat or how much, rather than your daily caloric intake and weight. Barbara Kantrowitz and Pat Wingert at Newsweek talk about how each diet usually begins:

“Remember when you vowed that this would finally be the year you’d shed those extra 10 or 15 (or more) pounds before beach season? If you are like most dieters, your resolution lasted at least a few days, maybe even a week or two, and then … well, you know the rest of the story.”

The research in the article points to a common problem called “weekend weakness.” Usually occurring on Saturdays.

Here’s an idea, how about a reward system: when you workout on Saturday you get a special treat, a special dinner, massage or dessert.

MikeZ – “walking on Saturdays for weight loss”