Obesity has become a growing problem in the United States of America, with frightening percentages of both children and adults either overweight or obese. With so many different options out there for weight loss, from dieting plans to retreats for fitness in Los Angeles, CA, how is it that so many people still struggle with weight problems?

The fact of the matter is that there are some common pitfalls that people tend to fall into when working on losing weight, slowing or stalling their efforts. However, knowing what these pitfalls are can help you sidestep them, even without the help of fitness retreat experts.

First of all, make sure that you’re actually paying attention to what you’re eating. You may think that little snack or that little can of soda doesn’t matter, but when you lose track of these things, the calories can really add up. Make sure to keep a food diary so you know what you’re consuming.  This is a popular camp technique.

 Don’t skip breakfast!  You need the most important meal of the day to kick your metabolism into gear and give you fuel to prevent overeating.

Make time for an effective exercise routine! This one always seems to be the hardest for people to follow. Ask your family and friends to help you stay on track. Support can be the key.

The economy has been in dire straits for a while now, which has left many Americans working hard to trim the fat in their budgets. Perhaps that means they won’t be able to attend that fitness boot camp in LA that they’ve been considering or purchase that big screen plasma TV that they’ve been eyeing in their local electronics store. But tough times often require us to tighten our belts, whether we want to or not.

Wait, trim the fat? Tighten our belts? It almost sounds more like we’re talking about losing weight than saving money. The truth is that looking at your diet in the same manner that you plan your finances is a good way to take control of your health, especially if you can’t afford that boot camp for girls or adults that you were counting on to "whip you into shape", as it were.  Instead of budgeting your dollars, budget your calories. As with your finances, you will still be able to treat yourself every once in a while — as long as you "spend" carefully. Blow too much at once and you’ll find you won’t have enough for the rest of the week. While weight loss camps for teens and adults can help instill the discipline you need, you can also find a good mentality for your diet at home.

Whether it’s a boot camp touting a tried-and-true LA weight loss system or a fad diet that may or may not work, the weight loss industry is booming.  And why is that? Obesity is on the rise. Even years after it has been established that many Americans have a serious problem when it comes to being overweight or obese, matters don’t really seem to have improved. In 2009, it was shown that there were 23 states in which the percentage of the population that was obese increased. There were no states in which that rate dropped, showing that encouraging people to eat better and find a weight loss workout program that works for them hasn’t done a lot to help the problem.

The state with the highest rate of obesity was Mississippi, with an adult obesity rate of 32.5% and 44.4% of children from 10 to 17 either obese or overweight. There are three other states in the South with obesity rates over 30% — the South as a whole has more states that rank worst on the list for obesity rates than any other region in the country.  Perhaps it’s because rich foods are a tradition in the area? Colorado has the lowest rate of people who could benefit from improved diets and weight loss summer camps, with an adult obesity rate of 18.9%.

For anyone who has sought a method of weight loss that actually works to take off the pounds, you’ve probably seen countless fad diets out there.  They line the shelves of the stores we visit every day. They’re in countless ads that we see when browsing the internet.  We hear about them from family or friends, either as suggestions for ourselves or techniques that they’re trying out. Sometimes they’re even featured on the local news.

While a weight loss spa in California is a good way to try and lose a significant amount of weight in time for a big event, there are plenty of people who look for ways to shed those pounds that are easier and less expensive.  You’ve probably heard of some of the stranger dieting plans out there, such as the cabbage plan or even the cookie plan!  Why don’t people just sign up for boot camp classes and work the weight off? Because they have hope that there are easy fixes out there.

Unfortunately, most of the fad diets that you’ll find equate to nothing more than the person starving themselves. And while you may lose a few pounds now, you’re not doing anything for your future health. Enroll in a boot camp fitness program and lose weight the healthy way. Make the lifestyle changes to keep the weight off.