Summary. A holistic approach to weight loss is likely more effective than a highly focused approach.
Many factors influence how we eat, what we eat, and how active we are during the day.
Sleep is a big factor, not just in keeping our metabolism highly functional, but determining how energized and active we are throughout the day.
So, a diagram of successful weight loss looks more like a Rube Goldberg cartoon than a fitness center exercise log chart.
A recent news story by NPR states:
… If you’re among the two-thirds of Americans who are overweight, chances are you’ve had people tell you to just ease up on the eating and use a little self-control. It does, of course, boil down to “calories in, calories out.”
But there’s a lot more to it than that, according to obesity specialist Dr. Donna Ryan, associate director for clinical research at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, La.
It’s a popular misconception, she says, that losing weight is “strictly a matter of willpower.” It’s a gigantic task, [source]
Audio. The audio of the complete NPR story is below.