You will still be the same person after you lose weight.

http://www.theage.com.au/lifestyle/wellbeing/the-downside-to-downsizing-20101210-18sj1.html

I love her comment:

"Best tip for maintaining motivation

Stay calm and believe that you really can do this. Once I stripped the emotion away from weight loss and looked at it as the mechanical process that it is, it suddenly seemed doable." (emphasis from me)

Remember, overweight is not a sin, being slim does not make you a more worthwhile person.  So approach it like any other life problem - develop a plan...make a commitment.....expect good (not perfect) from yourself.....acknowledge your achievements.

No one is immune!

Check out this article written by a physician who was obese and he talks about how he was mocked and derided and sidelined in his profession because of his weight.

http://www.theage.com.au/lifestyle/lifematters/doctors-not-immune-from-fatbashing-20101209-18qv6.html 

As a species this seems to be the last bastion of prejudice - excess weight.  And of course we all internalize the concept that its a character flaw or personality defect.  In reality overeating is "A COPING MECHANISM FOR DEALING WITH EMOTIONAL ISSUES THAT IS INEFFECTIVE IN THE LONG TERM" just as smoking, drinking, retail therapy, cannabis and other recreational drugs are.  

Think about challenging your own prejudices about excess weight and stand out from the crowd (or should I say herd).  Remember no one can make you feel inferior without your consent (good old Eleanor Roosevelt).

Obesity as Metaphor

Sadly I can't take credit for that phrase.  But I love the eloquent way Jennette Fulda writes about the concept of obesity as a character flaw in her blog PastaQueen.

Here's the link

http://pastaqueen.com/blog/2010/11/obesity-as-an-illness-of-metaphor/  

In fact I've been telling my clients this for years.  Now I just have some better words to use in the summary of this flawed argument.

If I find more, interesting blogs or sites that are balanced, appropriate and, hopefully, humorous I'll let you know.

And if you're surprised that I've blogged twice in one day....so am I!

In the "Lap" of the gods

When all else fails.....there's always a lapband.  Is it the perfect solution that is the easy way out?  No.  Is it a great help for people who have life threatening obesity-related diseases/conditions?  Yes.

For a balanced view of this and similar weight loss tools, check these articles out.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40498098/  this one talks about reducing the BMI level for lapband surgery so that people with lower levels of obesity can become eligible.  The article warns, however, that "experts stress that the Lap-Band cannot stop deeply ingrained behavior that drives people to overeat. "  And   "There are certainly people who've had gastric bypass surgery and managed to turn themselves back into their original size by sipping on milkshakes all day."   

What does this mean?  A lapband is no substitute for dealing with the use of food to control mood.  Otherwise, people WILL find a way to continue to cope by eating, in some form or another.  Or they will find another unhealthy behaviour to use as a coping mechanism (e.g. drinking, spending etc.)

For some people the combination of lapband and emotional eating counselling may be the best option - but my advice is get the counselling first, before you spend $15,000 dollars on a "fingers crossed" procedure because you've "tried every diet under the sun and failed".  Of course that was a failure, but YOU didn't fail the diet, the DIET failed you.  And the failed diet plus the guilt and shame it engenders may well be the reason you are overweight/obese. 

And this article talks about an interesting phenomenon for people who have lost weight through bariatric surgery.  Guess what...you're still the same person, you're just 50kg lighter.  This busts the myth that when you become slim...life will be perfect.  Damn, this really bugs me.  I, too, am guilty of putting things off and expecting miraculous change when I lose the last 15 - 20 kg that persists.  I think after all the years of dieting (I have probably lost 200kg over the years - and gained 220kg) I deserve to have life offer me health, wealth, happiness, love, confidence etc. etc. etc.  The truth is that this is something that you have to go and get for yourself, no matter what your weight is.  

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36784702/ns/health-behavior/  read it and weep...or resolve to be your best self no matter what your weight is.

So get your hand out of the cookie jar right now and go for a walk!

Why The Road To Health Is Paved With, Often Unrealised, Good Intentions

I'm heartened to continue to find support for the approach that I've been taking with clients for the past eight years.  An article recently published (the condensed version of which is below) talks about how to close the gap between good intentions and healthy eating behaviour.  Success is achieved by using planning, coping/control and monitoring strategies.  

Translated this means:

• set goals and plan ahead, 
• actively work to change the use of food to control mood and 
• keep an eye on how your weigh-normalising journey is going.  Progress creates enthusiasm for continued effort.  

"We regularly hear how the best of intentions do not translate into action. This is nowhere more apparent than in the case of healthy eating, where many fall through the gap between intention and action. 


People who plan ahead are more likely to successfully carry out their good intentions compared to those who do not form plans. "Furthermore, individuals need to appraise and monitor their goal striving activities in order to realise their good intentions. This has a feedback mechanism with behaviour. Control and coping mechanisms are essential to maintain effort and good behaviour when faced with obstacles and temptation. These observations reinforce the view that maintaining healthy weight in an obesogenic environment requires more than instinct, it also requires a conscious effort," says Dr McCarthy. " 


The findings from this research are in keeping with evidence presented within the research literature and one can conclude that planning, monitoring activities, and coping/self-control are three important features in the transitional space between behavioural intention and behavioural action. A deep understanding of these concepts is undoubtedly important when attempting to facilitate health behaviour change efforts."


(Extracted from TResearch, Winter 2010, Vol 5, No. 4 p.18-19.  www.teagasc.ie)




  

Words of Wisdom

I just came across something I sent to a client a long time ago.  I hope these thoughts/statements are of use.
Mind

• I accept that my eating and weight concerns are creating emotional distress, discomfort, and suffering in my life.
• I choose to accept my body and weight as they are at this moment.
  Committing to accept myself is a choice only I can make.

Body

• I accept that my genetic inheritance strongly influences my body shape and weight.
• I accept how important it is for me to eat mindfully in order to live a healthy life.

Thoughts

• To accept my body and weight does not mean that I am judging them to be perfect
• Acceptance only comes from within myself. I don’t seek it from the outside.

Feelings

• I accept that my worth is not reflected by my weight and shape, but, rather, my worth is determined by who I am as a whole person.
• Acceptance includes rejecting the cultural and social messages I receive about weight.

  I hope your Sunday allows you some time for reflection and planning.

The World's Healthiest Foods

I've just stumbled upon an interesting website.  Its created by a not-for-profit organisation and they have measured the nutritional density of foods and rated those that are the most dense.  The main criteria used for inclusion is that a food is:

Nutritionally Dense,

Whole, not Processed,

Familiar,

Readily Available,

Affordable,

and

Taste Good.

When you click on an item of food, it will take you to the nutritional breakdown that they have tested for.  There are also plenty of recipes that are accessible and show the nutritional breakdown of the whole dish, which I haven't seen elsewhere.

This site and its information struck me as interesting, informative, reliable and a source of ideas.  

And here's the address:  http://www.whfoods.com/foodstoc.php

Think about what a sparkle we'd have in our eye, and a spring in our step, if we ate mainly from this list.

So go sparkle and spring!

And if you needed any more encouragement...

Vegetables Reduce Breast Cancer Risk

Women consuming more vegetables have a decreased risk of breast cancer, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. Researchers followed the diets of 51,928 participants in the Black Women’s Health Study. Participants who ate two or more servings of vegetables per day had a 43 percent decreased breast cancer risk, compared with those who ate less than four servings per week. Cruciferous vegetables (e.g., broccoli, cauliflower, and kale) and carrots had the largest impact on breast cancer risk. 

So get chopping, slicing, dicing and chewing!

The Definitive Serve

We all know (I hope) that lots of fruit and vegetables in the diet are not only good for energy but help with maintaining a healthy weight, good concentration and even quality sleep.  The standard recommendation is two serves of fruit and five serves of vegetables per day.  And most Australians eat only half of that recommendation.

But I've never really been clear on what a "serve" means.  I've always just guessed as to what a serve of fruit or vegetables is.  Well the Australian Government has a definitive answer to this.  And I thought it was worth posting, just in case you worried that five serves a day was five cabbages or five pumpkins!  You can get some clarity right now!

What is a serve?

One serve of fruit is 150g of fresh fruit, e.g.

  1 medium sized piece of fruit (e.g. apple)

  2 smaller pieces (e.g. apricots)

  1 cup canned or chopped fruit

  1 1/2 tablespoons dried fruit (e.g. sultanas)

  4 dried apricot halves

One serve of vegetables is 75 grams, e.g.

  1/2 cup cooked vegetables

  1 cup salad vegetables

  1/2 cup cooked legumes (dried beans, peas or lentils)

So there you have it - the true size of a serve.  Now go straight to the fridge and serve yourself a serve!

Is McDonalds the Devil?

I.M.H.O. no.  Nor do I believe that The Sunshine and Light Health Cafe is God.

Go and look at this interesting research by Brian Wansink who is the uber-guru of food psychology.  When they put the same food in either a Subway or McDonald's wrapper, people estimated it had 21% less calories when it was in the Subway wrapper.  

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/204136.php 

CONSCIOUS eating is the new black.  Knowledge is power.  Don't assume. Read labels.  

Bikinis and bulges

There's a survey attached to an article in todays Age online.

http://www.theage.com.au/lifestyle/beauty/blogs/beauty-beat/comfortably-tummied/20100928-15um7.html#poll  Should overweight people wear bikinis or keep their fleshy bits covered up?  

There are two sides to this "coin", I think.

Firstly, fat acceptance is important.  People are discriminated against due to their weight and the more people allow themselves to make their own clothing choices based on their preference and not society's, the better.

On the other hand, people are discriminated against due to their weight and when an overweight person feels extremely self conscious they may want to soothe those feelings with food - causing more of a problem weight-wise.  So it may be better to wear something flattering and concealing, than let it all hang out. 

Here's one posted comment "Fat is not something you should inflict on others"

and another "People should wear whatever they feel comfortable in and never be concerned about the rampant wankery of those obsessed with "style" and "trends"."

What do you think?  (By the way, the survey was 66% against bikinis on overweight people, 34% for)

They must have read my mind!

An article in The Age Saturday 25/9 is entitled "Bulging US takes heavyweight title" (read it here http://www.theage.com.au/world/bulging-us-takes-heavyweight-title-20100924-15qkg.html ).  Britain and Australia as well as the US have the fastest obesity growth rates in the world.  It details the side effects of obesity such as the risk of heart disease, diabetes, several types of cancer and other diseases. Not to mention lowered mood and a downward spiral of guilt and misery.

As they say (and I've always believed) "Obesity must be tackled by a multi-pronged approach" such as lifestyle counselling, health-promotion campaigns and compulsory food labelling.  And it recognises that we can't wait for big business to self-regulate the ingredients in their high fat/sugar/salt foods.  Government intervention is needed.

In essence, Eat THINK and Be Merry is customised lifestyle counselling and a personal health promotion campaign.  Whilst I'm not involved in food labelling, I'm heavily in favour of the de-labelling of obese people as stupid and lacking self-control!  Humans soothe themselves in a variety of ways (smoking, drinking, spending, eating):  eating is just a more obvious solution and not a character flaw or personality defect.  Change that attitude and you've won half the obesity battle.  The other half - how about driving straight past Macca's and going  home, making your own burgers and sitting down to eat with the family.

I'm off for a walk around the Botanical Gardens with my health coach - au revoir!

The Diabetes Tsunami?

What an interesting concept - that Type II Diabetes is washing over Australia like a tidal wave.  Perhaps it is.  Another interesting article in the good old Age today.  And some good comments below about what happens when you threaten people will massive ill health - the stress makes them eat more!

So what is the way forward? Education and helpful strategies.  Not just threats and dire warnings. Doctors take heed, Government departments sit up and pay attention.

http://www.theage.com.au/lifestyle/wellbeing/blogs/chew-on-this/the-diabetes-tsunami--why-arent-we-panicking/20100913-157sp.html

Controversy!

I've just seen a controversial new television ad from the USA.  It is taking a swipe at McDonalds and I would imagine the lawyers are already warming up their litigation machines.  Perhaps that is the point of it - publicity through lawsuits.

But the point is that there is truth in what is said.  The typical Western diet contains excess fat, sugar and salt.  McDonald's food contains excess fat, sugar and salt.  However, so does KFC, Burger King, Hungry Jacks and most cafe food as well.  

The message is clear.  You can modify your health by modifying what you eat.  Tell me what you think.
http://www.theage.com.au/lifestyle/wellbeing/mcdonalds-outrage-at-health-ad-20100915-15biv.html?autostart=1

Change

I'm still here in Singapore and, whilst in regular contact with friends via Facebook and email, I am without a mobile phone.  It feels a little odd and this made me think about change in general, and change related to health and weight loss in particular.

Change is something we as humans are programmed to avoid.  We seek stasis, equilibrium.  Change may involve risk, and risk-avoidance is a survival tactic.  So change feels uncomfortable, and we seek to avoid that discomfort, too.

This applies to both positive and negative change.  For example, on the Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale divorce rates 73 units and marriage rates 50 units.  Now one of those is a very positive, happy event and one sad and traumatic (you choose which is which!).

Especially in relation to weight and health, change is essential.  One has to modify food intake and seek non-food ways to soothe and deal with emotions.  So how do people cope? And effect change despite it feeling uncomfortable?

Firstly, by expecting discomfort.  That "high" we get when starting a new diet fades quickly especially when an emotion rears its ugly head (tired, stressed, angry, bored etc.).  If you are prepared for and expecting to feel uncomfortable then you've jumped a major hurdle.  Remember, change may be uncomfortable, but it will not be unbearable.  And the discomfort reduces over a relatively short period of time. People often don't know this because they've never tried.

And secondly, keeping focus on the long-term is crucial.  The momentary discomfort of not having that Tim Tam (or packet thereof!) will be seriously outweighed by the long-term health benefits.  Sure, you can be grumpy about not having the Tim Tams (you're not expected to smile and be cheerful).  Just remind yourself that you're experiencing short-term pain for long-term gain.  And to those of you who don't know what a Tim Tam is...use your imagination!

What a contrast!

Melbourne is pretty cold at the moment (by Australian standards anyway) and spring seems a distant possibility. Singapore is, as ever, hot and humid.  The contrast is startling.

As too, is the contrast between the "fat" Singaporeans and the slender ones.  Yesterday I did my obligatory march down Orchard Road to shop (duty calls!) and saw strong evidence of the high body fat percentage in many Singaporeans - male and female.  Whilst the women may still fit into a size 10 pair of jeans, their wobble is evident.  In contrast, there are many other women who have the typical Asian small frame carrying just the right amount of weight.  Nothing skeletal, no protruding bones (a la runway models), just  a whole lot of normal.

What's the difference?  In my in-depth scientific survey (one afternoon's shopping expedition!)  I believe the overweight Singaporeans have embraced the bounty of Western fast food on offer.  After seeing all the cakes, sweetened drinks, ice creams, chocolate on offer, I'm not surprised.  It doesn't seem that the composition of traditional Singaporean foods has changed.  There are just so many "extras" on offer.  If shopping is a national sport, then so too is snacking.  

Perhaps the slender Singaporeans are eschewing the "I'm in a cafe....I'll have a cake" mentality and listening to their bodies more closely.  Sadly, the chubby Singaporeans may already be in the grip of the Western devils (fat and sugar) but there's some good news on the horizon.  The government is aware of the issue and is taking steps to educate and motivate the population.  

I'm off now to have some beautiful tropical fruit with my breakfast. Today is a public holiday in Singapore marking the end of Ramadan.  Eid mubarak!

Singapore, here I come

Departing tomorrow for a well-earned break with no set agenda.  One of the great attractions of Singapore is the shopping (but I'm becoming more of a minimalist, so not too much of that happening).  Another is the food - a cosmopolitan array of Asian cuisines and some hybrids too (like Nonya and Perankan).

I went online to check the obesity statistics for Singapore to see if it is "keeping up" with the rest of the world.  They definitely lag behind a lot of developed countries in the percentage of inhabitants who are overweight or obese.  Good on them.  

However, there was a footnote to these statistics.  Whilst their BMI (Body Mass Index) may be too low for obesity, it appears that quite a few Singaporeans are carrying too much body fat.  Confused?  BMI is useful for people with an average frame and musculature.  People with lots of muscle, for example will have a higher BMI and a table could rate them as overweight/obese, as muscle is heavy.  The opposite is also true.  Asians tend to have smaller, lighter frames than Caucasians and may be packing a load of body fat even if their weight and, therefore, BMI is not so high.

The message:  

BMI is not the "B" all and end all.  Its important to take body composition into consideration, too.

  

 

Stress and Obesity

As if we didn't know already, there's now proof that social stress (e.g. job pressures, relationship issues, dealing with this increasingly fast-paced life that we feel is essential) leads to obesity.  What do we do when we're under pressure - soothe with food!   


"A recent study conducted by the Departments of Psychiatry and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, examined the effects of stress on the meal patterns and food intake of animals exposed to the equivalent of everyday stress on humans. The results suggest that, not only does stress have an impact on us in the short term, it can cause metabolic changes in the longer term that contribute to obesity."*  Once again, a moment on the lips....a lifetime on the hips.  So how can we deal with this?  First, step away from the corn chips/chocolate and sit down!  


But seriously, we need to launch ourselves out of this vicious circle.  I haven't worked out how to draw a circle on this blog so here is a list instead.


A.  We feel stress (for whatever "modern lifestyle" reason).
B.  We soothe that feeling with the readily available, high calorie food in our environment.  
C.  We feel guilty and ashamed about our poor self control** and the extra weight we gain.
D.  So now we have another source of stress. (Have you noticed...Step D is Step A wearing a disguise) 


And what do we do when we feel a stressor?  Repeat Step B, C, D, B, C, D and so on.


The key thing to remember is that food is not the only soother available to us.  At the "micro" level we can choose to 
1.  Do something about the stressor/emotion
2.  Find a distraction
3.  Do nothing and simply sit with the feeling, knowing that it will diminish over time.


At the "macro" level, we can consider what our 24/7 lifestyles are doing to us and question if we're actually on the right path for a rich and fulfilling life?  What do you think?


I'm always sad around Father's Day as mine has been gone for seven of them.  But to all of you who have one who's alive and kicking, I hope you (and he) enjoy tomorrow.  C




*  Quoted from Medical News Today 4/9/10 article 


** It always makes me laugh that an overweight person can believe they have poor self control.  This is someone who probably spent six months on Ultraslim or the Cambridge diet.  Now that takes an ENORMOUS amount of self control!

Weight loss - simple or complex?

Most people believe "energy in - energy out" is the only principle that needs to be applied in weight gain and loss.  But there are a wide variety of other influences that make it a far less simple process.  

Genetics play a role in determining whether you have a predisposition to weight gain, but this is not a life sentence.  Depression and anxiety are often linked to weight gain.  Is this due to (a)  a change in eating behaviour or (b) a chemical process in the body?  I am not qualified to say, but I would guess the answer is (c) all of the above.

Eating behaviour is closely linked to weight gain.  By using food as a means of dealing with emotions, stressors, mood and thoughts/feelings, weight keep increasing, leading to health issues and negative body image, even self-loathing and guilt.  And why do we eat when we're happy, sad, stressed, tired, bored, ____________ (fill in the blank)?  Because it works!  (In fact, it is thought that 75% of overeating is emotional in nature.) But....and there's a big but, it is short term gain, for long term pain.  The short term gain is some sense of soothing or being able to block out the problem.  The long term pain is the guilt and shame, weight gain and a negative impact on health.  

The development of strong coping skills is a predictor of lasting weight loss.  Active participation in a weight management program can quickly reduce the negative mood contributors to excess weight.  In a study done in Canada, both men and women showed significant improvements in episodes of overeating, response to physical stress, feelings of depression and perfectionist behaviours after five weeks.  And not a diet in sight!

What does this mean?  Simple. Focus on the "why" of eating, to help you manage the "what".  

(some information in this blog adapted from www.nine.msn.com.au/dietandnutrition  article "Your Mood and Weight Loss".  Not a bad site, if you ignore the diets and meal replacement ads.)

Gastric Banding - yes or no? Maybe......

There's  no doubt that gastric banding can save lives.  When people are morbidly obese (or beyond) and have medical conditions that can be life threatening, urgent action is required.  But it is not a "get out of jail free" procedure.  Conditions such as diabetes may improve significantly, and arthritis can be stopped in its tracks.  When you're not carrying that extra 60, 100kg or more your knees will certainly be a lot happier.  But if the emotional issues are not dealt with, a person can still use food to control mood - they just need to be a little more clever about it.

Some people will continue to do battle with their emotions and stress responses but no longer be able to soothe them with food.  What happens then?  They may not be able to binge on Big Macs anymore but there's still ice cream, chocolate, milk shakes, Baileys and where there's a will, there's a way.

What's my point?  Gastric banding is not the easy way out.  Check out this article about failure to lose weight after gastric banding  http://www.brighthub.com/science/medical/articles/66523.aspx Isn't it sad that this can be seen by obese individuals as failing at their last resort.  Giving up could be a death sentence.  However, adequate long-term support to change the "why" of eating is a vital component to lifelong weight change.  Add this component to the mix and whether you have a gastric band or not, the prospect of success is so much greater.

This is the article that prompted my blog today.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/199162.php

And this is the blog of someone who had gastric banding. http://wlsgastricbanding.blogspot.com  She is not a very happy bunny, and appears to have unrealistic goals (BMI of 18.5 is her gold standard) and panics and loathes herself every time she puts on a pound.  Perhaps on the healthy, well adjusted, well supported people should have a lapband - but they can probably improve their weight and health without one.  Oh the paradox!

Ladies and Gentlemen,  Welcome to the new Eat, THINK and Be Merry ("ETBM") blog.  This is the first blog I've ever created.  And I hadn't even explored blogs until this year.  But I really wanted a way of connecting with friends, clients and the general public to pass on useful information about dieting (i.e. don't do it), emotional eating, stress and eating, obesity and overweight.  Each day I learn something new or find a new tip, hint or strategy that looks like it could be valuable.  I rip articles out of magazines, bookmark website addresses and file stuff away, only to have it not see the light of day ever again.  This blog is a way for me to share that information.  There will also be more useful stuff added to my websites www.christinaderbyshire.com.au and www.eatTHINKandbemerry.com.au from time to time.  But this blog will be the place where my storehouse of info becomes available and my musings and comments about all sorts of things will be posted.  Things like the latest diet fad (AARGH), insights from clients, success stories and so on.  I welcome comments and look forward to connecting with you all.