Before You Lose 50 Pounds, You Need to Lose 1
"Please help...
I can't lose weight and I'm afraid to eat"- an anonymous voice cried out in a diet support forum I came across the other day.
The woman, only 26 years old, was desperate to lose the 50 pounds she had gained during her pregnancy.
She felt alone, unattractive, tired, unmotivated and didn't even know where to start: how much (or little) to eat, what kind of exercise program to embark on.
This desperation had turned food into a frightening enemy: food equals calories which equal extra pounds.
"Is there any hope for me?"- the young woman was asking; and she is not alone.
It's a surprising question, I think, in light of all the diet and exercise information available to us these days and of all the jaw-dropping success stories staring back at us from the pages of virtually every fitness magazine or from mega-hit TV shows.
I replied to the woman's post and tried to give her some encouragement.
I can understand how overwhelmed someone can be by the abundance of diets and workout programs and "As Seen On TV" miracle ab training devices and weight loss pills and Alli and fat/carb/calorie blockers...
ad nauseam.
I can understand how helpless one can feel when she barely has the mental or physical energy to get through the day yet sees "The Biggest Loser" contestants work out for 3-6 hours every single day.
And when a supersize fast-food meal costs $4 is ready in 5 minutes, tastes heavenly and fills you up- I can understand how it easily wins over spending $15 on vegetables, lean meats, whole grains and fruit and taking 30 minutes to prepare a healthy meal for lunch or dinner.
But to answer the desperate dieter's question: yes, there is hope! You can get off that couch.
You can eat healthfully even on a budget.
You can get the energy back so you can keep up with your kids.
It all starts with a decision.
Life-changing decisions are often made at the low points- when everything seems helpless, overwhelming and helpless.
It sure sounded as if this young woman was there.
I affectionately call myself a "former fatty": at 34 years old I can say that I was obese for half my life; it wasn't until I was 17 years old that I finally decided to lose the 55 pounds which made me the most ridiculed girl in my high school.
I did lose the weight but by unhealthy, extreme dieting; as a result, keeping it off was a struggle at first and that is how I became interested in fitness then later on became a personal trainer.
Below are some strategies I learned from going through that experience: 1.
Take it one step at a time.
One healthy meal instead of fast-food at a time.
Once 10 minute walk at a time.
One glass of water instead of sugary soda at a time.
One pound or inch at a time.
Focus on the incremental progress, on each hurdle you overcome rather than on the mountain you need to climb (be it 10, 30, 50+ pounds).
Every single person who has successfully lost a significant amount of weight started by losing the very first pound; then 2; then 3.
Before they became a size 4 they went from size 12 to 10; then 8; then 6.
You need to be patient with yourself because alas, most of us don't have 6 hours a day to work out and most of us can't lose 10 pounds in one week (not that that's healthy anyway).
2.
Accept the fact that you will screw up.
It's not a matter of 'if' but of 'when' and 'how badly'.
Succumbing to a temptation and cheating on your diet don't make you a failure.
They just mean you're human.
3.
Isolate your setbacks.
Don't turn a cookie into a whole day of binging on sweets.
Don't turn a missed walk or workout into a week of laziness.
One single cookie will not make a difference in your weight loss efforts; consuming 2,000 calories of junk food in one day will.
Missing the opportunity to burn 200 calories during a workout won't have an impact either; but the 1,200 calories you could have burned during a whole week of exercising daily could.
4.
Choose a diet and exercise program you enjoy.
Yes, I did say "enjoy".
It is possible to enjoy life while dieting.
It is possible to cook healthy food that tastes appetizing and it is possible to find fun ways to expend calories while working out.
(Maybe not as appetizing and fun as eating a tub of ice cream while watching TV- but enjoyable nonetheless).
Losing weight the healthy way takes time and if you don't find a program you enjoy your chances of success are greatly diminished.
Not too many people can endure tasteless meals and workouts that feel like a punishment for too long.
5.
Don't just quietly celebrate, but loudly reward your successes! Try to set rewards for healthy behaviors rather than abstract numerical accomplishments.
The scale is the most frustrating torture device ever invented: although you look thinner and your clothes fit better, the scale may be stuck for a week or two or four.
Maybe you're gaining muscle, maybe you're dealing with PMS-related water weight gain.
So don't fixate on the numbers; instead, reward yourself for sticking to the diet daily and not missing workouts.
One note: please don't day-dream of food as a reward; it's obviously counter-productive as it reinforces cravings.
Pick rewards that support your new, healthy lifestyle: a relaxing bubble bath; leafing through your favorite magazine while enjoying the fresh air in the back yard; taking the time to go to the beach and walk barefoot in the sand; getting a pedicure (or taking the fun chance of letting your 5 year old daughter paint your nails!).
Anything that makes you smile and appreciate the little things in life while taking your mind off of food qualifies as an appropriate reward.
6.
Set fitness goals that are meaningful to you.
I know you've heard it a thousand times but you need to have a game plan.
How much weight do you want to lose? How many inches or dress sizes? Which too-tight pair of awesome jeans do you want to fit into again? And- very important- by when? Give yourself a deadline but be realistic: 1/2 pound to 1 1/2 pounds per week is a healthy weight loss range; more than 2 pounds per week is likely too much to attempt.
Do you have a special event coming up that you would love to look your best for (rather than try to get away from anyone with a camera)? Pull that dress/skirt/swimsuit out and hang it on the closet door.
It may just motivate many workouts and get your mind away from many intended cheats.
As of today, the reply I sent to the young woman a few weeks ago is still waiting for a response.
I hope and pray that she can find within herself the courage to take that first step.
Because the 50 pounds she needs to lose, although a potentially long journey, can start with just one healthy meal.
One walk.
One pound lost.
I can't lose weight and I'm afraid to eat"- an anonymous voice cried out in a diet support forum I came across the other day.
The woman, only 26 years old, was desperate to lose the 50 pounds she had gained during her pregnancy.
She felt alone, unattractive, tired, unmotivated and didn't even know where to start: how much (or little) to eat, what kind of exercise program to embark on.
This desperation had turned food into a frightening enemy: food equals calories which equal extra pounds.
"Is there any hope for me?"- the young woman was asking; and she is not alone.
It's a surprising question, I think, in light of all the diet and exercise information available to us these days and of all the jaw-dropping success stories staring back at us from the pages of virtually every fitness magazine or from mega-hit TV shows.
I replied to the woman's post and tried to give her some encouragement.
I can understand how overwhelmed someone can be by the abundance of diets and workout programs and "As Seen On TV" miracle ab training devices and weight loss pills and Alli and fat/carb/calorie blockers...
ad nauseam.
I can understand how helpless one can feel when she barely has the mental or physical energy to get through the day yet sees "The Biggest Loser" contestants work out for 3-6 hours every single day.
And when a supersize fast-food meal costs $4 is ready in 5 minutes, tastes heavenly and fills you up- I can understand how it easily wins over spending $15 on vegetables, lean meats, whole grains and fruit and taking 30 minutes to prepare a healthy meal for lunch or dinner.
But to answer the desperate dieter's question: yes, there is hope! You can get off that couch.
You can eat healthfully even on a budget.
You can get the energy back so you can keep up with your kids.
It all starts with a decision.
Life-changing decisions are often made at the low points- when everything seems helpless, overwhelming and helpless.
It sure sounded as if this young woman was there.
I affectionately call myself a "former fatty": at 34 years old I can say that I was obese for half my life; it wasn't until I was 17 years old that I finally decided to lose the 55 pounds which made me the most ridiculed girl in my high school.
I did lose the weight but by unhealthy, extreme dieting; as a result, keeping it off was a struggle at first and that is how I became interested in fitness then later on became a personal trainer.
Below are some strategies I learned from going through that experience: 1.
Take it one step at a time.
One healthy meal instead of fast-food at a time.
Once 10 minute walk at a time.
One glass of water instead of sugary soda at a time.
One pound or inch at a time.
Focus on the incremental progress, on each hurdle you overcome rather than on the mountain you need to climb (be it 10, 30, 50+ pounds).
Every single person who has successfully lost a significant amount of weight started by losing the very first pound; then 2; then 3.
Before they became a size 4 they went from size 12 to 10; then 8; then 6.
You need to be patient with yourself because alas, most of us don't have 6 hours a day to work out and most of us can't lose 10 pounds in one week (not that that's healthy anyway).
2.
Accept the fact that you will screw up.
It's not a matter of 'if' but of 'when' and 'how badly'.
Succumbing to a temptation and cheating on your diet don't make you a failure.
They just mean you're human.
3.
Isolate your setbacks.
Don't turn a cookie into a whole day of binging on sweets.
Don't turn a missed walk or workout into a week of laziness.
One single cookie will not make a difference in your weight loss efforts; consuming 2,000 calories of junk food in one day will.
Missing the opportunity to burn 200 calories during a workout won't have an impact either; but the 1,200 calories you could have burned during a whole week of exercising daily could.
4.
Choose a diet and exercise program you enjoy.
Yes, I did say "enjoy".
It is possible to enjoy life while dieting.
It is possible to cook healthy food that tastes appetizing and it is possible to find fun ways to expend calories while working out.
(Maybe not as appetizing and fun as eating a tub of ice cream while watching TV- but enjoyable nonetheless).
Losing weight the healthy way takes time and if you don't find a program you enjoy your chances of success are greatly diminished.
Not too many people can endure tasteless meals and workouts that feel like a punishment for too long.
5.
Don't just quietly celebrate, but loudly reward your successes! Try to set rewards for healthy behaviors rather than abstract numerical accomplishments.
The scale is the most frustrating torture device ever invented: although you look thinner and your clothes fit better, the scale may be stuck for a week or two or four.
Maybe you're gaining muscle, maybe you're dealing with PMS-related water weight gain.
So don't fixate on the numbers; instead, reward yourself for sticking to the diet daily and not missing workouts.
One note: please don't day-dream of food as a reward; it's obviously counter-productive as it reinforces cravings.
Pick rewards that support your new, healthy lifestyle: a relaxing bubble bath; leafing through your favorite magazine while enjoying the fresh air in the back yard; taking the time to go to the beach and walk barefoot in the sand; getting a pedicure (or taking the fun chance of letting your 5 year old daughter paint your nails!).
Anything that makes you smile and appreciate the little things in life while taking your mind off of food qualifies as an appropriate reward.
6.
Set fitness goals that are meaningful to you.
I know you've heard it a thousand times but you need to have a game plan.
How much weight do you want to lose? How many inches or dress sizes? Which too-tight pair of awesome jeans do you want to fit into again? And- very important- by when? Give yourself a deadline but be realistic: 1/2 pound to 1 1/2 pounds per week is a healthy weight loss range; more than 2 pounds per week is likely too much to attempt.
Do you have a special event coming up that you would love to look your best for (rather than try to get away from anyone with a camera)? Pull that dress/skirt/swimsuit out and hang it on the closet door.
It may just motivate many workouts and get your mind away from many intended cheats.
As of today, the reply I sent to the young woman a few weeks ago is still waiting for a response.
I hope and pray that she can find within herself the courage to take that first step.
Because the 50 pounds she needs to lose, although a potentially long journey, can start with just one healthy meal.
One walk.
One pound lost.
Source...