There are few men (okay, maybe a few) and women who won’t admit that they need to shed a few pounds. Unfortunately, just as quickly as the desire to lose weight arises, life barrels in with birthday parties, gatherings, family meals, and dinners that involve steering your way through a curvy driveway and ordering “a home-cooked meal” through a microphone! Life leaves little room for the kind of diet and exercise regime necessary to shed the pounds that age and stress seem to place in the most undesirable spots. And this doesn’t even mention the weight that inches its way onto a woman with every pregnancy. Before you know it, you look in the mirror and realize, aghast, that you are definitely—by all modern standards—fat! As depressing as it feels to be the adult you swore you would never become, you have! The worst part is that this extra weight takes its toll emotionally and physically.
Approaching Weight Loss: The Right Way
There are several ways to approach losing weight. Many people try the quick fix first. This often means taking specialized pills, supplements, or even prescriptions that suppress appetite, causing you to unknowingly starve. While this leads to initial weight loss, it’s usually just water weight, and the muscle tissue atrophies, which looks worse than cellulite. The downside is that your body eventually builds resistance to these stimulants, and your appetite and fat return with a vengeance. If you’re after a quick fix, you’re not addressing the root cause of your weight issue, and you’ll end up right back where you started—with more health concerns from the medications.
The second approach is diving in headfirst, ignoring the depth of the water. You eat right, work out regularly (or at least whenever you get the chance), and spend so much energy counting calories, carbs, tweaking your diet, and running in place on a treadmill that little else fits into your life. Eventually, you get exhausted and realize that this all-or-nothing attitude doesn’t fit with real life either. When neither of these two approaches works, depression sets in, which is often “cured” with candy corn and chocolate iced donuts! It’s a vicious cycle.
Essentially, if you want to lose real weight and keep it off, you need to start slowly, set reasonable goals, have realistic expectations, and develop a routine that fits your life. This doesn’t mean you have to join a gym, order specially prepared food, or take endless pills. All you need is to relax, be mindful of portion sizes, and incorporate exercise into your life. Everyone will tell you that in order to lose weight, you must burn more calories than you consume. A simple fix is to start eating five times a day, with portion sizes no bigger than your clenched fist. Avoid soda, coffee, alcohol, or anything besides water for at least one month. Drink at least half your body weight in ounces of water. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, aim for 75 ounces of water per day! Water is the most accessible and effective weight loss tool, and the average overweight person can lose 5–8 pounds per week during the first month. You’ll soon realize that losing weight has never felt so good!
The next step is to replace old eating habits with healthier alternatives. If you’re used to eating Oreos and milk every night before bed, try brushing your teeth instead! The key is to change life habits related to eating. What comes next is often the hardest part: exercise. Exercise doesn’t have to involve intense workouts or special equipment. You can walk around your house, take the stairs, park farther away from the store entrance, or put more effort into housework. If your kids are in dance, softball, or any other activity, use that time for yourself. You don’t have to chat with friends; use that moment for exercise! After a few weeks, you’ll be eating better, finding new ways to exercise, and no doubt losing weight.
Losing weight is never easy, but it is possible. One of the challenges with being human is that when we don’t like something about ourselves or the world, we focus on it. When we’re overweight and want to lose weight, it consumes all our thoughts and makes us feel bad. When we diet, all we think about is food because we’re trying to avoid thinking about it! If you change your mindset, you can truly change your life. This is absolutely true when it comes to weight loss. Start thinking about how satisfied you’ll feel after eating and enjoy your improved state of health. STAY AWAY FROM THE SCALE (except maybe once every 10 days) and use your thoughts to guide you toward more exercise and healthier food choices. Think about your new body or about wearing those jeans you haven’t been able to fit into in years. Beware of “friends” who might be jealous and intentionally try to sabotage your diet. The same goes for spouses—keep your eyes open and recognize that if people are antagonizing your efforts, it likely means you’re making progress!
The decision to start losing weight is not difficult to make, but committing to it can be tough. Give yourself a break! You can go on a diet, lose weight, and change your body while still enjoying a cupcake every once in a while. The truth is: food is not the enemy when it comes to weight loss; we are our own enemies. The fat on our thighs, hips, stomachs, or elsewhere is really a reflection of our mindset. Whether you’re a man or a woman, you must change your mindset to lose weight permanently and experience true health—your ultimate goal.