Apr 13 2007
My Top Ten Weight Loss Tips, Part 3
Well, it’s taken a while for me to get back to this list of weight loss tips, but I have an excuse. I spent a week visiting my daughter, who is expecting her first child in 6 1/2 weeks (but who’s counting?)
Weight loss tip #9: Keep a journal. I know you’ve heard this one before, and you may have already tried it and then given up. Many people get tired of writing things down all the time, even though it does help you lose weight (it makes you more conscious of what you eat, and less anxious to eat something fattening if you have to admit to it on paper).
But you may want to give it one more try, with a twist. Write down what you eat, and then give each item a score. Don’t base it on calories alone, but give each item a score from 1 to 10 based on it’s nutritional quality. If it has nothing but empty calories (like chocolate cake or potatoe chips), it gets a 1. If it is loaded with vitamins and minerals, (like broccoli), give it a 10 without worrying about the calories.
If it’s mixed (healthy green salad smothered in high-calorie dressing made of hydroginated oil, for instance), it gets a 5. You may even want to add up your scores at the end of the day and divide by the number of items or servings on the list (so you don’t get a high score by eating lots of poor-quality food…) and keep a chart for a few weeks. Even better - compete with your spouse or kids to see who gets the highest score. You all win by unclogging your arteries and losing weight - what contest could be better?
Weight loss tip #10: OK, I finally made it to the end of this list. And this one may surprise you. Weight loss tip #10 is to give up dieting completely. Do not change your eating habits in order to lose weight. Studies have shown time after time that you will lose weight initially, but then gain all of it back. You may even end up heavier than you started, as the majority of people do.
Does this mean you should resign yourself to being fat? Not at all. It simply means that weight loss is not a strong enough goal to keep people committed for life. You definitely should change your eating habits, but discover a better reason for it. Like prolonging your life, making your heart healthy, living without knee pain, having enough energy to garden, or play with your grandkids.
Extra fat is a symptom of disease. If you weight more than you should, as most of us do, you may be starving yourself. If you compulsively eat high-fattening foods, you may be addicted to the stuff, and may need to commit yourself to giving up the habit. (If you aren’t sure, take this food addiction quiz). Get so excited about the idea of health that you become obsessed with eating veggies, read books on healthy nutrition, make an appointment with a naturopathic physician who specializes in nutrition, join an organic gardening club, or search out other people who are just as committed to living a long and healthy life. You’ll lose weight as you body becomes healthier and more active. And you’ll feel better and happier, too.
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