Why do most people find it difficult to lose weight? Losing weight is difficult as it is, but why is gaining it so much easier? These are just few of the many questions that diet watchers ask.
Achieving the desired weight only to gain it back after some months is the most common complaint of people on crash diets and even those who subscribed to a weight loss program.
What makes an individual maintain the weight he achieved? Here are the 5 essentials of losing and maintaining your desired weight:

1. Exercise is an essential part of losing and maintaining weight.
   Without exercise, any diet or weight loss program will be ineffective.
   The normal process of the body in losing weight is burning the stored fat and carbohydrates to utilize as energy for activities.
   Therefore, if there is no activity that will burn the excess fat stored in your body, you must look for an activity where you burn these fats.
   
2. Weight loss is different from weight training.
   Weight loss can be achieved in many ways.
   Weight training is one of them.
   Weight training is going to the gym, working out or running on a treadmill or jogging for two hours.
   Weight training is helping the muscles burn the calories and fats that is already stored in the body.
   When you train for weight, you are helping and boosting the body to use the stored calories in order to achieve weight loss.
   
3. Maintain a fit and healthy body, not a slim body.
   Many people who desire to lose weight have the misconception that slim is healthy.
   This is not the case.
   There are people who are born with big bones that to look slim will be quite an impossible task to achieve.
   It is better to focus on maintaining a fit and healthy body rather than look forward to be thin.
   
4. Take note of the reason why you over-eat.
   What do you usually feel when you eat a lot? Did you have a fight with your partner and suddenly had the urge to eat one gallon of chocolate ice cream? Or perhaps order two servings of personal pizza? Depression and anxiety are two of the most common emotions that trigger a person to eat the so-called comfort foods.
   These comfort foods are foods that are usually associated with a happy feeling like ice cream, cake and other party foods.
   Taking note of these foods will help you avoid them later on and focus on a much more constructive way to deal with your emotions.
   
5. An effective support group is essential to keep you on the right track of weight loss and maintenance.
   Deciding to consult and lose weight alone is a struggle, so it would be helpful if you could join any support group.
   They will be the company you keep when you jog in the morning or the people you can call to when you want to reach out for that chocolate cake in the fridge to drive away your sad feelings.
   

You can always lose weight with any medication or training program, but without these 5 essentials, any weight loss will be difficult to maintain.
It is vital that you have at least 5 of these factors to help you navigate and maintain your direction to the path of weight loss and maintenance.