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Written by Innovative Medicine Health Staff
October, 2005
If you are overweight and unhealthy, then you would have to agree that something you are doing isn’t right. Something about your lifestyle is creating this problem for you. But before we get into how to fix this problem, we have to come to some realizations. No one pill, no one diet plan is going to do it for you. You have to make the choice to change yourself and your lifestyle to guarantee success. Not only do you have to make the decision, but you have to stick with the decision no matter how hard it gets or however many times you fall and slip up along the way. But I promise the end result will be worth your hard work and time.
The three most important things you need for success (other than eating right and exercising, which are discussed in further detail below) are 1) A deep desire to loose weight 2) Belief that you can and will achieve your goal and 3) Unbreakable persistence in reaching your goal. These three attributes are essential for success and without them you are almost guaranteed failure. With these 3 attributes failure cannot exist because any misstep along the way, such as a relapse into old habits (which is often interpreted as failure by many) is just another twist in the same road leading to your goal. In the following article you can read more about the things you can personally do to improve health and loose weight. Later on we will get into a more holistic way to lose weight and healthy diets.
EATING RIGHT
There is a big difference between dieting and changing ones eating habits. Dieting is a short term fix for weight loss. The whole mentality of dieting causes problems because people tend to gain weight as soon as they get off the diet. What you need for long life-lasting success is a permanent change in your eating habits. Don’t get scared by this statement. You can still adhere to this life long change while enjoying food. The skills you learn in successfully changing your eating habits will include moderation, discipline and balance.
Although there are as many diets out on the market as there are people looking to loose weight, some universal diet principles still apply to all of us. Each of these principals can be individually tailored to your specific goals and preferences.
1. | Eating less will help you loose weight. This doesn’t mean that you starve yourself or that you eat only lettuce for the rest of your life but it does mean watching portion size and the times a day we eat. Eating 6 smaller meals for example throughout the day instead of 3 huge meals will help increase your metabolism and in turn loose weight. Try eating on smaller plates which will help control portion size and make it appear as if you are eating normal amounts. Also, eating slowly will help you loose weight since it takes approximately half an hour for your brain to register that your stomach is full. Also, be sure to thoroughly chew your food. People like to swallow their food to quickly, forgetting that digestion begins in the mouth. Chewing your food thoroughly allows for less stress in digestion in the stomach, less chance of indigestion, and allows you to enjoy your food and know when you are full. |
2. | Eat more fruits and vegetables. In addition to satisfying our hunger, these foods give us the essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients we need to survive. Eating processed foods that have small to no amounts of essential vitamins and nutrients winds up making us hungrier in the long run because our bodies do not have what they need. Eating one organic apple or plum rich with vitamins and minerals will leave you satisfied, while a serving of French fries devoid of most nutrients will leave you hungrier because your body still needs those nutrients. |
3. | Avoid processed and artificial foods. These foods are filled with toxins (artificial color, preservatives, additives, chemicals, antibiotics, hormones, etc) that make us sick and cause all kinds of health problems. These toxins enter the bloodstream and from there, the most likely place for these toxins that wreak havoc on our bodies is fat cells. These foods are also filled with unhealthy processed sugars. Foods filled with sugar such as candy and chips may give us the a quick energy boost, but leave us empty and hungry for the essential nutrients and vitamins we need to survive. All fast foods are heavily processed and it is best to avoid them at all costs. If you need any more reason not to eat fast food then go to your local blockbuster and pick up the documentary “Super Size Me” about a healthy mans 30 day diet consisting strictly of McDonalds. The results may shock you. |
4. | Drink lots and lots of water. Water is essential to our survival but it also can help you loose weight. Water not only fills your stomach full but it helps flush out toxins that build up in our bodies and fat cells. Flushing out these toxins increases our overall health and metabolism, which helps us to loose weight and remain slim. And please don’t substitute Diet Coke for water. They are on other ends of the spectrum, and even though the first ingredient on a Diet Coke may be carbonated water, the rest make it a nightmare for doctors and the health conscious. |
Great Healthy Snacks |
• | Raw vegetables like: carrots, zucchini, green beans, mushrooms and cauliflower make great snack foods. Sweet vegetables like red, yellow and orange peppers make great sweet treats for kids. |
• | Fresh fruit in season, cut in slices or halves, such as apples, oranges, bananas, peaches, grapefruit, grapes, melons, pears, plums or strawberries. Dried fruits like raisons and cranberries mixed with almonds, peanuts, pumpkin seeds or fresh granola make great trail mix snacks. |
• | Real organic yogurt with fresh, frozen or canned fruit. Low fat quick breads and muffins, such as pumpkin, zucchini, banana or bran are also great in moderation. |
EXERCISE
Exercising in order to loose weight is of utmost importance. Your body burns fat when you exercise and the lean muscle you build through exercise uses fat as a form of energy even when you are at rest. It’s almost certain that you will not achieve lasting success in loosing weight if you do not make a firm commitment to exercise. Exercise is also a natural anti-depressant. The release of endorphins that occurs during exercise helps with mental functioning and combat mental stress.
If you don’t exercise or haven’t in a long time, the best way to begin is to start walking**. Walking is one of the best forms of exercise we can do, as it is easy to do and it helps burn off a lot of calories and fat. Our bodies were essentially designed for walking so it is one of the best forms of exercise we can do given the design of our bodies. Once you are used to some physical activity in the form of walking you can slowly ease yourself up to more rigorous activities such as jogging, swimming and other sports (such basketball, tennis, etc). Joining a gym can be a great way to get out of the house and exercise in a friendly, social environment. It can also be motivating and inspirational to be around people who are all also working on improving their health and appearance.
When starting to exercise it’s important to realize that your are embarking on a life long endeavor to improve your health and appearance and not something that you should consider doing for only a designated time period. If you think of it as a part of who your now are, than it is far more likely that you will stick with it and succeed. Try finding a partner who shares similar goals and ideas to exercise with. You both can help motivate each other and it will really improve the results you see down the line.
**Before you start any program of increased physical activity, it's important to discuss it with your physician**
SETTING REALISTIC GOALS
This one’s important. Too many times people make unrealistic goals, and when those unrealistic goals aren’t reached, they give up and turn to the couch with a liter of rocky road ice cream. When planning on loosing weight, it’s important to set goals and time lines for yourself. As we said earlier, healthy eating and exercise habits are a life long pursuit. This doesn’t mean however that we shouldn’t set attainable, short term goals for ourselves. Goals such as loosing 10 pounds in 2-3 months are goals that are easily within your reach. Remember to make your goals realistic. 10 pounds in 2 months is realistic, 30 pounds in 2 weeks is not. Each person is different, so it’s important that you consult a physician or health care practitioner to determine what is realistic and healthy for you. Here are a few tips for setting realistic goals:
1. | Start Small and Specific – Don’t go all out with your goals. Start with something in a short time range that can be achieved with some hard work. Then thinking about setting another goal.
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2. | Write Down Your Goals – Don’t just tell yourself you’ll do it, write it down and leave it somewhere you will see it on a daily basis like your nightstand or in your office at work.
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3. | Keep a Journal – Tracking your success will provide inspiration and let you look back on how much you have accomplished. This can also be very helpful when losing weight, as you can journal what you eat and follow your workouts.
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4. | Set Your Priorities – When dealing with many goals simultaneously or with a busy schedule, make sure your have your priorities straight. Arrange them on paper and make sure they are all in order of importance.
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By making a firm life long commitment to ourselves and our overall health, we can easily achieve the goal for loosing any amount of weight. A healthy diet, consistent exercise and a positive attitude will ensure your success.
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