What Would You Give Up to Lose Weight?

The main obstacle most of us face when it comes to losing weight is that we don't want to give up things we love. We don't want to skip our afternoon snack of cheese and crackers, and we don't want to forgo that scoop of ice cream after dinner. And our post-work glass of wine? Just try taking that away.

However, a recent survey by Nutrisystem, Inc. shows that people are actually willing to give up quite a bit in order to lose weight -- just not the right things. The survey found that more than half of American women and a quarter of American men would give up a summer of sex in order to avoid gaining 10 pounds. It also showed that more Americans would prefer to lose 10 to 20 pounds this summer than get a job promotion -- that's a big statement in this economy.

While this all sounds rather revealing, keep in mind that it's entirely hypothetical. Hypothetically, we'd be willing to give up pizza (or shopping or movies or whatever other favorite thing) for life if it meant we'd have our dream body, but it doesn't work that way. Weight loss isn't simply a reward for giving up a couple of things you love. An ideal body weight is the result of making healthy lifestyle changes which, yes, does involve cutting back on unhealthy foods and incorporating more calorie-burning actions into your daily activities.

We'd prefer to shine a different light on the desire the study highlighted. If you're willing to give up sex or money in order to lose weight, we imagine you'd be willing to do something different in order to achieve not only weight loss but a healthier lifestyle that will give you more energy, more confidence and, in the long run, possibly more time with your family.

Think about it. You don't have to give up a raise at work, but you can start cooking healthful meals at home instead of reaching for the take-out menu. You don't have to give up an hour between the sheets with your partner, but you can spend an hour after dinner walking with him or playing basketball in the driveway with your kids.

Maybe if we shift the focus away from what great things we'd be willing to give up and instead look at the more positive aspects of weight loss, we'd have a little more luck. With so many quick and easy weight loss foods out there, we shouldn't have any problem finding nutritious, diet-friendly meals!