Weight Loss Finale: Bob Greene's Best Advice

Photo: George Burns/Harpo Studios

To many Oprah Show viewers, Bob Greene is synonymous with living a healthy lifestyle. Over the course of his 50 appearances on The Oprah Show, he has issued intense weight loss challenges, battled obesity in Mississippi, helped women across the country look and feel 20 years younger and essentially revolutionized the way many think about health.

Look back at Bob's past Oprah Show appearances

But to Oprah, Bob is more than just a trainer and fitness guru. "You've been a great friend to me, really," Oprah says. "This guy has changed my life—affected my life—more than any other person on the planet."

Now, in his final Oprah Show appearance, Bob is back to change more lives with his expert advice, simple weight loss strategies and signature no-nonsense style.

Three questions everyone should ask themselves before trying to lose weight

For Bob, dieting has never been the be-all, end-all quick fix to eliminating weight loss problems and keeping the weight off in the long run. "Weight is a symptom of something that needs to change," he said on The Oprah Show in 2003. "It's usually not simply about food."

As a part of making a commitment to lose weight, Bob says you should ask yourself three important questions to start off on the right track:

1. Why are you overweight?
The real answer to this question is not simply: I like food—it goes much deeper, he says. "Are you in a toxic relationship? Do you hate what you do for a living? What is it about your life you would change?" Bob asks. "That answer is different for everyone. Get in touch with that."

2. Why do you want to lose weight?
The answer to this question will help you determine if you're beginning your weight loss journey with the right mindset, Bob says. "So many people [say], 'Oh, I have my reunion coming up,' or 'I get pressure from people at the workplace or my friends.' Those might get you going, but they'll never be long-term solutions," he explains. "The [best] answer to this question is, 'I want a better life for myself.'"

3. Why haven't you been successful to date?
If you have tried to lose weight in the past, Bob says it is important to explore the obstacles that have stood in your way to maintaining your goal weight. "It's about identifying what is going to trip you up, because the same things will trip you up if you haven't resolved the heart of the issue," he says.

If you can answer those questions honestly, Bob says, you are truly ready to begin.

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Published 05/10/2011