Want a slim and healthy body?
...here you go again!
Okey dokey, so where to begin?
Perhaps I could talk about dropping a jean size….or a bikini body diet programme? Maybe I could prescribe a diet empty of any nutritional value and so low in calorific content that you’ll initially lose a ridiculous amount of weight whilst risking your health to the point where your body starts eating its own internal organs and other tissue? Maybe I could start by saying, let us apply some common sense here.
We’re constantly being bombarded with new science or discoveries for weight loss but deep down we already know the answers. We don’t necessarily ‘like’ the answer but do know it. We want to hear how drinking some magic potion with promises written all over it will answer our prayers. We read about it all day long in magazines praying for a painless way of re-gaining our teenage physiques back. We spend a fortune on gizmos offering the latest way to reshape our flagging bodies, hoping in some way that this one will deliver our dreams.BUT….
We all know what to do to lose weight don’t we? Really?
Com’on, we know there’s only one way of losing our unwanted weight, having the slender body we want, feeling great, having loads of energy, health and vitality and more importantly than anything else….KEEPING IT! You don’t want to admit it and you wish it wasn’t true and you secretly still hold out hope for some miraculous discovery, invention or breakthrough but you already know the answer don’t you!
Do you really need me to spell it out for you?
Okay, so here goes. In order to have the slim body and the heath we long for, we must eat like a slim and healthy person, move like a slim and healthy person and be like a slim and healthy person.
INTERESTING FACTS
When looking into the different lifestyles and behaviours of slim and overweight people, many lifestyle differences can be found. How some of these differences might show themselves is listed below
1) When chatting in the office, the slim person will generally be the one who stands at the overweight persons desk whist the overweight person sat. Calorific difference: 11 vs 13 per 10 minutes
2) Slim people walk more per day. Calorific difference: 138 per 30 minutes
3) Slim people were more inclined to use the stairs if just going up or down a few floors. Calorific difference: 74 per 10 minutes
4) Slim people would have smaller portions and leave what they didn’t need/want. Calorific difference: 500 (based on the slim person eating just 25% of what an overweight person does eating 2500)
5) Slim people exercise more than overweight people. Calorific difference 260 (based on 30 minutes jogging)
*figures are based on a 10 stone (64kg/140lb) person. The numbers will be greater for heavier individuals and the difference much increased if compared to someone eating 3000 or more calories per day.
Just these differences alone could comfortably add up to a difference of 870 cals or more per day. That’s the equivalent of eating 3 mars bars per day more then the slim person. This doesn’t take into consideration that overweight people generally eat faster and less nutritionally well than slim people. Overweight people tend to consume greater quantities of processed sugar, processed carbs and salt.If you ate an extra 3 mars bars a day or equivalent what resultant body shape /weight would you expect?
Does any of this surprise you? Of course it doesn’t. The numbers might shock you (and they’re quite moderate) but the principle is just common sense.
So, if making some simple changes to align ourselves with our slimmer counterparts could give us the ‘miracle’ answers we’re looking for, why do we ‘struggle’ so much?
Unfortunately, the answer is not as simple as the solution to our problem. In short, the habitually overweight have learnt to be that way. It may be the lifestyle that’s been learnt and taken on as an identity or it may be the size, body shape or weight that has been taken on. Either way, it’s important to understand that once we have accepted an identity for ourselves we WILL continue to BE that identity until we choose to change it. You learnt these behaviours and identities unconsciously. It’s what the mind does and does so very efficiently. It’s not your fault. BUT, once you know this and that anything learnt can be unlearnt, it is your responsibility.
The magic solution for your weight issue is YOU. You CAN choose to be different. You can BE different. It doesn’t have to be this way and you and only you can make the permanent changes you’ve been seeking. Stop looking for the miracle product. Stop jumping from one ‘special’ diet to the next. Stop stop-starting your ’health kicks’.The answer is so simple yet we block it, reject it and continue to live in the pain of being unhappy with who we are.
The answer is so simple, yet you will not like it. The answer to your prayer is to CONSISTANTLY eat healthy, in the right amounts and move and live in a way that becomes a slim person FOREVER. “Woah, woah, Woooooah!” I hear you say. You might associate this living with pain - the pain of hunger or going without. Yet, the slim people you might aspire to be like generally don’t live in that pain.
COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS
1) Diet’s work.
No they don’t and this has always been the case. 90-95% of people put all the weight back on and more. Everyone knows this really, yet they continue to throw billions of pounds at it.
2) ‘This diet works where others don’t.
No it won’t. They never do.
3) To lose weight effectively I need to eat very low calories
Te truth is quite the opposite actually. Eating too few calories will slow your metabolism making it increasingly harder to lose weight and massively increasing the likelihood of putting all the weight back on post-diet. Very low calorie diets can be incredibly harmful to your health.
4) Eating less calories will make me hungry.
It completely depends on what and how you eat in your new lifestyle. The amount of hunger you experience is dependent on a whole host of factors. Just eating less of the same foods will obviously make you hungry and most will experience this as painful. But replacing a nutritionally low diet for one with high nutritional value will limit the hunger experienced. Also, any hunger experienced and cravings pass quickly.
5) It’s all about reducing calories.
Calories are only part of the picture. It’s far more important HOW the calories are consumed and WHAT they are made up of than just the number present. 100 calories of processed sugar will have a very different effect on your body than 100 calories of lettuce, eggs or meat.
6) Losing weight is painful.
This is totally within your control. Weight loss can be and should be, extremely pleasurable and rewarding. It may require some adjustment or perspective but it is possible to fully enjoy the experience.
7) I can’t lose weight.
This is very unlikely to be the case. Although I appreciate that it might feel like that.
8) Losing weight is all about what I eat.
The truth is that exercise, yes I know it’s a bummer, is every bit as important as food intake. An effective exercise lifestyle will make you healthier, slimmer, more toned and give you greater energy. It’s essential.
9) 30 minute brisk walking a day will get me fit and make me lose weight.
Any increase in movement will contribute to your weight loss and fitness goals and is definitely encouraged but the truth is that we should be frequently exercising at a much higher intensity than that. Once you develop a good habit of quality exercise you’ll never live without it. Research suggests that if you maintain regular exercise (4-6 times a week) for 6-12 months that you will most likely keep exercise as a part of your daily life forever.
THE WAY FORWARD
Be aware of all your beliefs around who you are and what your body is in relation to your weight issues. Who you believe you are will dictate ‘what’ you are. The aim is to become who you need to become in order to have what it is you wish to have. In this case a slim, healthy body.
Know your outcome. What is it you want to achieve? Clearly defined outcomes with compelling reasons why they are important is a strong base to start your weight loss from.
Raise your standards. Set yourself new standards in who you are and what you are willing to accept and then stick to them.
When looking at your diet and exercise lifestyle, think in terms of sustainability. Could you live like ‘this’ for a year or two or even forever? If the answer is no, there’s a real risk that you will not stick to it and another great opportunity could have just passed you by again.
Know that nothing will beat persistence and consistence. Being on/off a diet programme or exercise lifestyle won’t deliver the result you’re looking for. Equally a 2 or 3 month ‘fad’ cannot resolve an issue that’s been around for years or decades. Be aware that your body will respond in it’s own way. You might lose a lot of weight early on and then have a period with little loss followed by an increase in loss again. You might find you lose little up front but then weight loss gathers momentum.
Be ‘IN’ or ‘OUT’. The greatest pain in weight loss is being on the edge of it, the ‘trying to lose weight’ place. Decide to either lose weight or chose to be how you are. The halfway house seems appealing in some ways but ultimately it is tiring, disappointing and a struggle.
Live each day in the joy of becoming who you dream of. Reward yourself for your efforts rather than looking negatively of how far you still have to go.
Measure. This is a mixed bag. Sometimes we might get disillusioned if the scales aren’t saying the ‘right thing ‘ for us or if our bodies aren’t responding the way we’d hoped. The truth is that if we aren’t monitoring we can’t tell if what we’re doing is working. Like any goal and plan their must be a way of measuring it’s success so we can stick to it or adjust it accordingly. If it’s too scary to look at the scales then try weighing yourself in kilos and not stone or lbs instead of kilos or stones. This works brilliantly for people who can’t relate to a certain weight measurement whilst reassuring them of their weight loss. Body measurements and body fat ratios are a good way of measuring your results if you’re not into scales or for that matter, too into scales.
Know what you’re eating. We often consume much more than we think we are. For example, are you really aware of how many calories are in your favourite speciality coffee or that ‘skinny’ muffin? Do you ignore the mayo when adding up your intake? It is often very helpful and enlightening to keep a comprehensive food diary of everything that passes your lips. There are some great apps now to make this easier for you. You must know what you’re consuming. You should be measuring calories, fat, sugar, carbs and protein. If you think salt could be an issue for you, then monitor this also.
Be willing and ready to accept the new you and take full responsibility for all the changes that it may bring including possibly some perceived negative changes. I’ve had people concerned that they will need to buy new clothes but can’t afford them or fear how their ‘larger friends’ will view their changes.
Know that if you persistently continue to hold your desires in you mind whilst you consistently do the ‘right’ things, that the outcome you desire is inevitable.
Get support. The answers ARE simple but applying them can be difficult. If you struggle to exercise, get a disciplined training partner that will hold you accountable. Maybe consider hiring a personal trainer you gel with and who understands your personal circumstances and goals. If you’re struggling with what to eat, hire a nutritionist or dietician. If you are struggling with self-belief, self-esteem, self-control, discipline or fear of change or failure then hire a personal coach (life coach) who truly understands the psychology of weight loss.
Good luck,
George x
NB: Nothing in this post should be constrewed as specific advice. Anyone embarking upon a weight loss programme or excercise regime should first seek appropriate medical advice.
