(if there is such a thing)
okay, i had to think about this one for a while to make sure i wasn't giving the "right" answer but the honest answer.
yes, weight watchers did help a bit, but most of the work was done with myself just searching the net, reading article and talking to everyone i could about what causes weight loss.
from that i was able to formulate a simple plan. and this plan is what has worked for me. it might not work for everyone. but hopefully something will help you along the way.
watch everything i eat - first track everything you put in your mouth for at least a couple of weeks before you start your weight loss. try to find out the fat, calories, protein, fiber, and carbs for each of these items and add the daily totals up to see how much you're actually eating every day. though everyone's body is different, if you're consuming more than 2,000 calories a day and more than 30-40 grams of fat, you're probably not going to lose an ounce. in fact you might just be a stead increase in pounds or at the very least keeping your weight the same, year after year.
drink more water - i've read several medical experts who say that you should be drinking half your weight (in ounces) of water each day. So if you're 200 pounds, you should be drinking 100 ounces of water each day. that's about 6 bottles (16.9 oz) of water. that's alot! but it's the only way to flush the excess fat out of your body. i can't drink water, so i have to put crystal light or some sort of flavored mix-in to my water. so long as it's sugar free and decaffeinated.
exercise regularly - i still only walk every day. i walk for an hour 6 days a week. that's all my exercise is right now. it's working for me. just find out what works for you. it might be aerobics, biking, jogging, calisthenics, or hard core weight lifting. whatever it is, just do it consistently. that's what your body needs is consistent movement.
watch what you eat - try low fat solutions. if you're eating out, only eat half of what they serve you. if you get hungry between meals, have a tablespoon of peanut butter or something really high in protein and fiber that will stick to your bones and tie you over. drinking lots of water will tie you over, too.
stop thinking about food so much - this one is the hardest. especially if you're alone most of the time. and especially if you've spent every waking moment of your life thinking about what you're going to eat next. and i still haven't tackled it. but find a hobby. find two. take up reading more. find favorite shows on the tv. walk your dogs more. take up genealogy. you'll be surprised at how much you can become addicted to something like that.
find a network of friends to rely on - this one is the most important for me. once i decided to lose weight, i didn't want to tell anyone. i thought if i didn't tell anyone then no one would look bad upon me if i didn't stick with it. but i found that if i told someone, it made me accountable to that person. i didn't want to look like a loser or someone who isn't strong enough to lose weight or someone who just doesn't care about their health. so i started telling more people. pretty soon i was telling everyone i spoke to. the more people who knew, the more i had to stay on it.
now all of these are just my opinion and from my perspective. they might not all help you. but i figure i can put out there what helped me and hopefully it'll help someone else.
i wish i'd found someone like me when i first started losing weight. a real person, with a real weight problem talking about what helped them.
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