7 Secrets of Healthy Weight Management
All of us carry around an image of ourselves in
our head. We have our personal view of our body, our personality and the way that we believe
others see and relate to us. Body image
is usually formed in childhood and tends to stick with us throughout our adult
life. If you were a skinny kid, you probably
still think of yourself as skinny even though you may be significantly overweight. If you were
overweight as a child (or somebody else made you believe that you were)
you may continue to think of yourself as overweight even though you are normal or underweight. Body image looms large in
today's electronic and print media.
One gets the impression that looks are more important than personality, character traits or social skills. And
woe unto anyone without the ever present
"sex appeal" so widely touted in commercials. You can't turn anywhere without seeing advertisements for diet plans and
programs. They promise quick and easy weight loss with hardly any effort on your part - except handing over your hard
earned cash. Likewise the "exercise
industry" promises to mold and sculpt your body with their latest exercise technique or equipment - no dieting
required - just cash please. While obesity is at epidemic proportions, there's a lot of misinformation and wishful
thinking about healthy weight
management. Here is the view of a couple of health professionals who have
had their own ups and downs with weight control:
1.
Whatever the amount of food and drink you are taking in is exactly the
right amount to weigh what you weigh. Many overweight people say to
themselves and
others, "I don't eat that much." The body is essentially an energy
machine. It takes in energy (calories) and uses what it needs for
daily "housekeeping"
chores such as breathing, building new cells, digesting food, etc. It
also uses energy to supply
your muscles with the energy you use in physical activity. That
includes everything from just
getting up off the couch to running a marathon. Any energy that you
take in
that is in excess of what your body needs for physical functioning is
stored as fat. Once
you have a acquired a fat cell, it is yours for life. They don't ever
go away;
they just shrink.
2.
In order to maintain your health
throughout your lifetime, you need a well balanced diet. That means you
need to take in nutrients that have the
proper
balance of proteins,
carbohydrates and fats and that include a mix of meat, dry beans and
dairy products, grains
(cereal, bread, rice, etc.), nuts, and fruits and vegetables. Although
vegetarians
don't eat meat and have a bit more of a challenge to get the required
protein and iron content in
their diet, they can definitely
eat a well balanced diet. And yes, vegetarians can be overweight too.
Although there is always
going to be some disagreement among nutritionists about proper balance
a good guideline is The
Food Pyramid seen on nutrition
education material and various websites. Visit sites such as those
listed below to educate yourself about how to achieve balance in
your diet.:
·
Weight Loss Resource
·
The Food Pyramid
(also has a section for kids)
3. Your calorie needs
are based on your height, your level of physical activity and, to a certain extent, your age. In order to
determine your weight loss and weight
maintenance goals you can turn to a basic book on nutrition. All the major book stores and book store websites have a
multitude to choose from, or visit
websites that can help you come up with a realistic plan. Examples include:
·
Nutrition Data
·
Calorie King
·
Food & Nutrition Information Center
·
Diet Facts
(restaurant and fast food information)
A young, physically active person
and a 50 year old sedentary person who weigh the same will have different needs. Whatever path
you choose to follow for
weight loss, you need some knowledge of how much you're currently taking in and then decide on how
you are going to reduce that amount. Set goals and monitor yourself. While your ultimate weight
goal may seem overwhelming,
think of getting there in small steps. If someone asks you how much you plan to
lose, tell them "two pounds", then when you lose those two pounds, you can lose another two.
4. Overeating is a
complex mix of cravings, desires, habits and addictive behaviors. There is nothing more
deeply satisfying than eating food we enjoy. People may disappoint but good food rarely does.
Changing our eating habits is like changing our relationship with a dear friend. Successful and
lasting weight loss requires behavior
modification. We
know a lot more about habituation and addiction than we used to and there is a
lot of good information
available about how to extinguish harmful behaviors and develop new beneficial behaviors. Some websites to visit
include:
·
Shape Fit·
Falling Awake
5.
You didn't become overweight overnight and for the sake of your health,
you shouldn't try to
lose it all overnight. Excessive and/or rapid weight loss over time can damage your heart, your
bones and your body chemistry. You need to develop for yourself or become part of a systematic
plan of weight loss and maintenance. Because of the habitual and
addictive components of overeating, more people succeed over a longer period of time if they join
a support group. A support group of one (yourself) is very difficult
to keep going after the initial enthusiasm for your miracle diet wears off.
6.
You need to be accountable for your weight loss and maintenance. You will not succeed over time if you just
have the intention and desire to lose weight and maintain your weight loss. Whether that means designing your own
set of goals with a timetable and then
holding yourself to it, or becoming part of a support system that requires establishment of weight goals and WEIGH IN you
will tend to revert back to your old ways.
7. Exercise! Uugh. How
much is enough? Well, as already mentioned, you need to know the minimal amount of energy
(calories) needed to run your basic functions such as breathing, digesting food, making new blood
cells, etc. This is
your BMR (basic metabolic rate). Some websites to visit to help you figure this out:
·
BMI Calculator
·
Discovery Health
·
Calories Per Hour Tutorial
When the calories per hour burned
exceeds the caloric intake, a negative energy balance is created. To target the amount of
caloric reduction needed to lose weight weekly, know that an average negative
balance of 500 calories a day will produce a weekly weight loss of approximately 1 pound (3500 calories a week). The daily
deficit should not exceed 1000 calories a day. More is not necessarily better and can cause
health complications. The most effective way to produce this deficit is to use a combination of calorie
restriction and exercise. A good exercise
program should include:
Cardiovascular conditioning (walking,
swimming, biking): 3 days a week Stretching: 5 to 7 days a week
Strengthening:
4
to 5 days a week
Summary
1. Energy In = Energy Out + Stored Fat
2.
A well balanced diet is essential for good health.
3.
Your goal weight is based on height and lifestyle
factors.
4. Extinguish
harmful habits and create beneficial ones.
5.
Develop or join a support system. You'll be more
successful.
6.
Become
accountable. Wishes, wants and desires don't
melt fat.
7. Exercise enough.
