Life's a Sport

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You've been trying to lose weight and you’re frustrated.

Maybe you bought a diet and exercise book that promises significant weight loss right away, but it's complicated and you gave up on it.

Maybe you insist that your skinny friends eat more than you do, but they don’t gain weight. They have a "faster metabolism" than you. You think that it's as if the air you breathe turns to fat around your middle every time you inhale.

You’re right about at least one thing. Your skinny friends might be burning their calories more efficiently than you. How much you eat does not by itself determine weight loss or weight gain.

QUIZ: Do you "Eat Pretty?"

And studies do in fact confirm that most overweight people do not eat more than their normal weight acquaintances. That means that weight is determined by something other than just how much food you eat.

I've mapped out a long-term weight loss program for you right here in this very column.