"Sound the alarms! I need an emergency weight loss plan!"

Two weeks before her wedding, my sister yelled, "The heck with your healthy diets...I need to lose weight and lose it now."

Unfortunately, we have become accustomed to immediate gratification and demand it at all times. With weight loss, it just can't happen immediately. Yes, I can show my sister how to lose weight fast, but I can't guarantee she'll keep it off.

And isn't that what it's all about? Keeping weight off and not needing to diet in the first place--this is your goal.

Quick weight loss is not a solution; instead, it is the problem. Trying to lose weight fast causes physiological changes that promote weight gain, the exact opposite of keeping weight off.