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!