Diets & Exercise – What’s Your Personal Style?

The diet and exercise industries are booming.

Experts say about 75 Million American adults are dieting at any given time and will “try” an average of 4 diets per year.

The diet industry rakes in about $61 Billion a year.

So why are there reports all over the news that we Americans are fatter, more obese, and more unhealthy than ever before in our history and, in some categories, worse off than any other modern, civilized country?

One Size Fits All Marketing

Naturally, there are many reasons for our declining health and increasing waistlines.

There is no single, simple answer.

But one factor is marketing.

You can’t watch TV for more than a few minutes, it seems, without seeing an ad for a miracle diet program or a miraculous, revolutionary piece of exercise equipment.

All of those things can, actually, do you some good. In fact, in some cases, a lot of good.

But a diet can only help you if you get on the diet, follow it, and stick with it.

And a hot piece of exercise equipment will only work if you use it…on a regular and ongoing basis. It does you no good under the bed or in the closet.

The big problem is that the way the marketing machines present these to us often makes it seem like they’re magic, take no effort at all, and are fun, fast, and easy.

And, to compound those misconceptions, they make it seem like “one size fits all.” Like everyone can diet the same way and exercise the same way.

One Size Does Not Fit All

It sure would be easy if we could all lose weight and get fit the same way and if it really were fast and easy.

Of course, you know that’s not the truth.

You probably have some friends or relatives who seem to eat anything and never gain a pound. Or who just love to jump out of bed in the morning and go on a nice 5-mile run…and they do it religiously.

And you may also have friends who want to diet and exercise more but never seem to work up the energy or find the time to do it.

Maybe you’re the type of person who starts lots of diets and exercise programs but gets bored quickly and quits one after the other while your cousin gets on a diet and exercise program and just patiently works and works and works at it until his/her goals are met.

We’re all different.

It’s About Your Own Natural, Innate Traits & Characteristics

The more consistently you do things in general in ways that are consistent with your own, natural, innate, inborn traits, characteristics, strengths, likes, dislikes, and preferences, the easier and more natural those things are for you and the more successful you are at them.

You (and everyone else) are born with preferred ways of behavior. Some are faster, some slower. You may prefer dealing with people or dealing with things and tasks. Perhaps you react strongly to emotions or maybe you’re better with facts and figures.

We’re all different and have a unique combination of these various traits and characteristics.

They influence, impact, dictate, and determine your behavioral style in all aspects of your life…how you act, react, and interact in all circumstances, with all people you encounter, and with your emotions and feelings, too.

Therefore, it’s obvious that they will also determine how you should approach dieting in general and how to use and implement a particular diet.

In fact, most people fail at dieting and sticking with exercise plans because they try to do them in ways they are contrary to their own natural preferences, traits, characteristics, and behavioral style.

So the way they diet literally becomes a fight. It’s akin to a war…you against your own nature and you against your diet.

Go about dieting and exercising like that and you’ll lose the diet and exercise wars.

Based on your natural traits and characteristics, you’ll fall into one of four broad “how-to” diet categories:

• Slow & Easy
• Fun & Flexible
• Disciplined & Patient
• Fast & Furious

Which of those sounds most like you?

Just by looking at their names, you should be able to get a feeling for which you are and also see how radically different they are.

When it comes to easy and successful weight loss, one size definitely does NOT fit all.

The solution is to pay close attention to the ins and outs of your natural traits and characteristics.

Use those strengths to modify how you diet – regardless of what legitimate diet program you’re on – and you’ll find that you’ll automatically lose weight easier and more successfully than you ever have before.

©2011 – Dexter Godbey – All Rights Reserved (Originally publised in EzineArticles.com)