There is an obesity epidemic. It is at its worst in the US, but Western Europe is close behind. The overweight epidemic is even worse. Obesity is the top end of the overweight scale. The massive quantity of excess weight, along with the social pressure to be slim, is spawning a rash of ‘celebrity’ diets, ‘fat clubs’, surgery, magic herbal – and magic pharmaceutical – tablets. However, there is an easy and often overlooked solution to the weight loss problem.
But the biggest part of the problem is the lack of willingness to take personal responsibility for how we treat our bodies. This is evidenced by the fact that we want ‘magical’ solutions in much the same way that we turn on the tv and are provided with instant mind-numbing ‘entertainment’.
Working towards a goal and experiencing a wonderful sense of achievement for having accomplished something quite challenging no longer seems important.
I’m not suggesting for a minute that it is easy to take personal responsibility. I’m not suggesting for a minute that life hasn’t conspired to train you into bad habits with food. Neither am I suggesting that you shouldn’t watch tv if you enjoy it. What I am suggesting is that taking responsibility doesn’t mean that losing weight has to be difficult. It does mean getting real and stopping looking for magical solutions that do you more harm than the excess food you eat.
Losing weight is simple. Eat less… exercise more…
That’s all you have to do.
Notice that I’m not suggesting you eat very little and spend all day on the treadmill.
You eat a little less and you exercise a little more and you weigh yourself once a week.
At some point you’ll notice that your weight stabilises. When that happens you’ve found the balance between the fuel you eat and the energy you use up during the day. From this point if you eat a little less and exercise a little more you will start to lose weight. When you cut down food intake and increase exercise a little bit at a time it’s no big deal and you quickly get used to eating less and being more active. Once you’re used to that you can eat a little less and exercise a little more again and it will be no more difficult than the first time.
When you make small changes and wait until you get used to that change – that is the change becomes normal for you, then no change you make is ever harder than the first small change you make. It is only when you contemplate the total shift you need to make (all those small changes added together) that it becomes overwhelming and self-sabotage sets in because the task seems too big.
Now pretty much all the exercise I get is walking at a pace that’s comfortable for me and gets my heart rate up a little. I manage to walk between 5 and 10 miles a week, sometimes a little more. When I keep up the exercise my weight drops slowly, and my fitness increases. When I allow life, or the weather, get in the way of my exercise routine my weight increases and my fitness drops.
Loretta Moore dropped 69lbs in 24 months by walking and making some changes to her eating patterns. She also no longer has a blood pressure problem for which she was receiving medication.
Jodi Davies lost 162lbs in 16 months. She walked for exercise and made some changes to her eating habits.
I know that the bigger the weight problem the harder it is to exercise. But exercising is something that gets a little easier every time you do it. The biggest problem is overcoming the resistance to getting up out of the chair. This is why it’s really important to get into a routine. When you do something at the same time each day, even walking the same route, it becomes a habit and once it becomes a habit it’s easier to do than not do.
So make that commitment to yourself now that you will eat a little less and exercise a little more. In fact why not get up now and take a few steps.
It’s a start.
My thanks to:
The Detroit Free Press for the examples.
MIchael