Weight Loss – The First Decision
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Decision number one is do I need to lose weight? Most people make that decision when they get a wake up call. They can not squeeze into their favorite clothes or they want to make a better impression in an interview, at a reunion or on a vacation. Health issues are not the top priority. In fact unless the wake up comes from a heart attack or cancer or their Doctor really has a serious talk with them, health rarely factors into the reasons most people want to lose weight. It also has the least motivating power. Really, we want to lose weight for the immediate benefit to us – we want to look better naked.
Some of us do it out of a very strong sense of duty. It is the right thing and we will do it! We discipline ourselves. We force the walking, trips to the gym, not over eating but it isn’t pleasure. It is routine and we make it part of our habit force that we do regularly. Habits once established, are hard to break. I encourage my patients to form habits that will sustain them when motivation is low. The habit can carry you once strongly established. After all, not exercising and overeating are habits also.
To know just how much you need to lose, consult a BMI chart or calculator. I have one on this blog in the middle column. It is listed under Wellness clients begin here. Just scroll down until you find the page, click on the page and then on the calculator title and it will appear as a pop-up that you can use. Find out your BMI. Is it over 30, over 25 or 24.9 or under. If you are 24.9 or under then you just need to concentrate on fitness. Losing a couple of pounds won’t hurt you. Just focus on aerobic and muscle building activity and fueling your body with enough high quality food.
If you are over a BMI of 25 or especially over 30 you need to make some other decisions. The first decision you need to make is what diet will I follow? Let me give you a few tips on choosing a diet. It should not be less than 1500 calories unless you are under direct supervision of an MD qualified to supervise you on such a low cal diet. The doctors who do that are certified and belong to National Organizations like the ASN or American Society for Nutrition or American Society for Bariatric Physicians.
Recently, a large study that was published in the New England Journal of Medicine 2008, showed that diets lower in carbohydrates and higher in protein were better for most men. People with diabetes and women did better on the Mediterranean diet. Low fat diets are OK and any diet that consistently lowers calories will work but you will be less hungry on one of these other diets and won’t feel the pressure to eat as badly.
Because so many people are familiar with the Weight Watchers plan, I encourage them to follow it. For my preference, I think if you only shop on the outside ring of the grocery store i.e. produce, dairy, meat, grains and don’t venture down many isles yo can eat well and eat more because it is fresh. Getaway from processed foods altogether. That is where I really fault Weight Watchers.
I like the site MyPryamid.gov but there is a learning curve to use the site. If you will persist, it will help you plan menus and track your diet. It gets old and people drop it. Not the diet but the tracking part. You have to track your eating. It is vital to your long term progress. Expect to take some time getting there. You are changing habits and you want to be changing for good.( Changing for Good: A Revolutionary Six-Stage Program for Overcoming Bad Habits and Moving Your Life Positively Forward
Another diet program I recommend is from Isabel De Los Rios. She is a nutritionist and has a program called the Diet Program Solution. (disclosure: I get a rebate if you buy it) I bought this program myself. I think it is good because it emphasizes the right kinds of foods and she gives lots of email tips and suggestions. It isn’t expensive and uses the grocery store as the place to buy your food. Isabel does think you need a few hard to find food in regular groceries like organic sea salt and a few other things.
Back to keeping records, I encourage people to take a picture of their plate with their cell phone. Then there is a record with a time and date stamp that you can share with your doctor and/or your coach. You have to have a way to say this is why it is working or why not. No fooling yourself! Do not even start if you won’t be honest. Work on your reasons why you want to lose fat and then when you want to, not have to, do it and be honest with yourself. If you only focus on deprivation, it will seem like taking a beating everyday.
Read what Mary has to say in the testimonial category. Look at what motivated her to start, how she got started and what she was doing when she wrote her testimonial. We began a program back in July and she is still going strong and is down way over 30 pounds. I would like to help you too.
Why do you want to lose excess fat? Looking better naked is one valid reason. Write me your other 9 in the comments section below. You need what I have heard called “MultiMotives”. More than one reason so you will be sustained when life finally interferes with your plans and it will – you will be tested. Nature gives you what you have to have, not what you want. You also need motivation which I have heard called your “Motive Action” by adding the e and c to motivation. Get your motive for action and come back to read step two on Wednesday.
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