Eat Less, Lose More?

The idea that the less you eat, the more weight you’ll lose has been around a long time. So has the opposing starvation mode theory. In the early 2000s we in the weight loss industry used to talk a lot about starvation mode, the idea that eating too little slows down the metabolism, because the body feels starved by the calorie restriction. The theory was that less weight, not more, would be lost.

According to Weightwatchers.com, the latest research suggests that with severe calorie restriction, weight loss is slowed, but not halted. While we may expect eating 500 fewer calories a day to result in a one pound weight loss per week, we cannot assume that a 1500 daily calorie reduction will mean three pounds lost. Researchers believe that the greater calorie restriction causes the body to become more metabolically efficient, needing fewer calories to perform basic body functions. So while weight loss continues, the rate is not as high. The good news is that they also find that this slower metabolic level is not permanent, once weight has stabilized.

It’s not necessary or even advisable to restrict calories to the point of chronic hunger in order to lose weight. Dramatic dietary restrictions are difficult to maintain and are typically associated with bouts of overeating, hampering weight loss efforts. To lose weight, strive for cutting 500 calories/day, and combine this with exercise most days of the week. There are lots of ways to accomplish this; the key thing is to make dietary and exercise choices you can live with for the long haul. Think of adopting a healthy lifestyle, not dieting.

False Ideas about Fat

There are many misconceptions about obesity, such as most people can’t lose weight.  The problem most Americans have is not losing weight, it’s keeping it off.  However, just because most people aren’t successful maintaining a healthy weight doesn’t mean it can’t be done. 

Just as the alcoholic in recovery knows it will take a daily effort for the rest of his life, so too must the overweight commit to daily weight management.   Think changing your lifestyle, not going on a diet.  Examine the choices you make, both in terms of what and how you eat.  Too many healthy calories will still cause weight gain.  Start today making healthy choices.  As you do, start to see yourself as someone who makes healthy choices (even if you’re not actually experiencing good health yet).  Congratulate yourself every time you make a healthy choice that you wouldn’t have made in the past.  When I was a Weight Watchers leader, one of my favorite things to celebrate was when we chose to pass up food: the bowl of candy in the office, the banana bread a co-worker brought in, or our toddler’s half-eaten ice cream cone.

 

As you make healthy choices and change your thinking, your health will improve, most likely along with your mood and self-esteem. Then you can start to see yourself as a healthy person.  With that identity, making healthy choices just becomes what you do naturally, because that’s who you are.

In Wellness Terms, the “F” Word is “Fat”

In my world of wellness consulting, “fat” is the bad word no one wants to hear.  We don’t want be fat, eat fat, or have our fat measured.  We’d rather not look at it on our plates or in the mirror.  And perhaps most of all, we don’t want to be called “fat.”  So health experts use the word “obese” instead. 

Whether the term is fat or obese, we occasionally need to talk about it, so let’s begin with a definition.  When most people learn that they’re considered obese, they’re surprised.  “Obese” sounds exceptionally big.  With 60% of the American population weighing above their healthy weight limit, we’re used to seeing big people.  To be obese, a person must have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more.  For someone 5’5” (male or female), that would mean weighing over 179 pounds and over 202 pounds for someone 5’9”.  It’s about 30 pounds above the upper end of their healthy weight range.  According to the University of Rochester Medical Center, “An individual is considered morbidly obese if he or she is 100 pounds over his/her ideal body weight, has a BMI of 40 or more, or 35 or more and experiencing obesity-related health conditions, such as high blood pressure or diabetes.”

There are many other false ideas about overweight and obesity that I’ll cover in the next few weeks.  Let me offer you one related new finding to keep you with me:  obese people are much more likely experience pain than thinner people.  A survey in the journal Obesity attributes this to arthritis, back and other musculoskeletal ailments, inflammation, and depression, all painful conditions.  Join me next time: the news does get better!

Closer to the Goal

I recently heard a variation of the adage, “practice makes perfect.”  It went “practice makes progress.”  This new version appeals to me because perfect sounds very intimidating and something we may never achieve (or sustain anyway), whereas progress can be experienced daily.  I also relate to practice and progress because they are what creating new habits is all about: practicing a new behavior until it’s effective and part of our routine.  
  
While it helps to focus on progress rather than perfection, it’s still not easy to stay on track in our practice.  One technique I like to use is this: when I’m considering a choice, I ask myself if the action will bring me closer to my goal.  Choosing fruit rather than a cookie brings me closer to my weight and cholesterol management goals, while skipping my exercise session would not.  I’d like to point out that sometimes the answer is neutral; the choice wouldn’t move me in either direction.  In that case, if it’s something I really want to do, I ease up and do it.  
   
An important aspect of my wellness coaching is helping people make these choices and learn to be flexible and compassionate with themselves while making progress. That’s why I call my business Nurture You. If the thought of being nurtured is attractive to you, give me a call!