Whether you've got 10, 20 or 100 lbs to shed, weight loss is hard. Taking Off Ten is about the journey to lose 10 lbs -- there's more to it than you think!

As you might have guessed already, I'm going at this weight-loss thing alone. Well, not totally alone -- I have you, dear readers, and my friends and family, but I'm not signing up for Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig or any of those programs. I'm considering buying or borrowing some books (recommendations, anyone?) but other than that, I don't intend on spending any more money on this journey than I normally spend on fitness and food.

Why? I guess you could say I'm cheap. Well, not really, but I don't have a ton of disposable income, and I can think of better ways to spend it (like a wicked vacation.) Plus, I think it's totally backwards--You're eating less when you're losing weight, so shouldn't you be saving money rather than giving it away? That's not to say that I think signing up for a weight-loss program is a waste of money; It's just not for me. Besides, being a healthy living writer and all, I tend to think I already have the tools necessary to make last changes in my lifestyle--now I just have to put them into effect.
There's more to it than that, though -- I've only known a couple of people who've had success with weight-loss programs, even though I know lots who've signed up for them. In every case, the results were promising at first but ultimately fleeting. When it came right down to it, they were willing to make temporary changes for the sake of taking off a few pounds, but they weren't willing to commit to life-long lifestyle changes.

The exception, of course, is my friend Fran, who made major lifestyle changes with the help of Weight Watchers and is now slim and svelte. She realized that true weight loss wasn't about temporary deprivation but rather a complete habit and life overhaul.
So my point here is not to bash weight-loss programs--because Fran is proof that they can work--but rather to point out that:

1. You have to do what works for you. For me, it's changing my habits on my own agenda, and not spending too much money in the process.
   
2. You have to acknowledge that losing weight is ultimately a lifestyle change. For life. People need to acknowledge this fact and only make changes that they can keep up.
   

Your thoughts?