Weigh USA

There's no single answer to the question posed by the title that is right for everyone, of course. There are a variety of natural body types, some very thin, others on the stocky side. Still, official sources state that people now consume about 22% more calories daily than they did a generation ago. In light of that, it shouldn't be surprising that society is tending toward obesity today and obesity is a growing problem in the USA.

A good exercise program is one of the twin pillars that can help reverse that trend. Along with the increased consumption has come a decrease in the amount of exercise the average person gets today. Americans spend more time at the computer and at sedentary jobs, and are less physically active than previous generations.

But the right diet is the other pillar that is a must if the goal is optimal weight and body fat percentage, an attractive appearance, self-esteem and general good health. It isn't mere vanity that prompts millions to seek that diet. They know, most having tried to diet at one time or another, that many real benefits follow.

Dieting is about more than just losing weight. It's just as much about achieving optimal nutrition. It's about creating the body image that you feel comfortable with. It's about achieving your unique optimal weight range.

Note that important phrase "weight range." No exact number represents your ideal weight - your ideal weight is what looks and feels good for your body type. Weight also will fluctuate slightly from week to week. Your ideal range is depends on your BMI (Body Mass Index), your waistline and where you store fat, your natural body type and other factors.

BMI is just your weight (in kilograms) divided by your height (in meters) squared, or BMI = Weight / (Height x Height). To find your weight in metric units, just divide by 2.2, to find your height in meters, multiply inches by 2.54 and divide by 100.

Easily calculate your BMI using the graph chart below, or go to the National Institute of Health calculator to automatically calculate your BMI and get more information.

A woman 5 feet 6 inches who weighs a 140 pounds may still feel the need to diet. It's not then strictly just a health issue. She may want to feel more attractive. She may legitimately believe that a slimmer physique or one with more muscle will give her more energy.

Or, she may not. That's where self-image plays a significant role. She may adjust her body, or her attitude, or both. Or, she may be perfectly satisfied with herself as she is.

Part of that outlook will (and should) depend on age and personal circumstances. If that same woman is 26 she may feel the need to shed a few pounds in order to achieve her personal goal. If she's 16, she likely has a few years of growth left and the whole situation will sort itself out with time. If she's 56, she might be very pleased that she is in a healthy range and not pay much heed to other factors, but still want to diet to achieve optimal nutrition.

Personal situations count heavily when deciding whether or not to diet.

There is a basic equation for losing weight: burn more calories than you consume. One of the easiest ways to do that, it is sometimes believed, is simply to eat more food with fewer calories and/or exercise more if you want to continue to enjoy eating more calories. And, it's true: that is fundamentally what all diets amount to. But how to do that to achieve natural weight loss requires a little more. In particular, it often requires a change in attitude.

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.

"Attitude" is a word we use here to sum up all those views about what to eat and whether to exercise, and how. 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. However, not changing behavior will result in no change in effect. To reiterate a famous quote: "The definition of insanity is continuing to do the same thing over and over and expecting a different result." To successfully lose weight, it's necessary to change behavior; to change behavior, it's necessary to adjust attitude.

How? That's the million-dollar question, isn't it?! The answer is - it 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. Some experience health issues that motivate them to improve their fitness and overall health to reduce risks.

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, of course! 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. Many diet programs have support groups meetings. You can purchase software that will help motivate you and keep track of progress.

Read about the large variety of diets available: not 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.