I can’t control your weight but following this advice will make you healthier and you’ll probably lose weight too. Everywhere we look the focus is on unrealistic body images and the quick fix to lose weight. Gyms offering cash prizes for those who lose the most weight are a cash grab not necessarily in their clients’ best interest, because they promote the binge mentality.
The binge mentality looks for the quick fix, which is tempting because it seems easy, easier than the alternatives – which are admit defeat or take the long road to better health.
And the latter is seen as hard, because it requires real change and commitment, though it is not as hard as it seems once you commit.
The quick fix is profitable for the media (TV shows and ads, magazines, billboards, newspaper articles and social media) because there will be a new one next month and plenty of people willing to lose their money to it. By then your hopes from the pervious quick fix have been dashed, so you’re feeling miserable and fat, making you more vulnerable to the next quick fix they have to spruik.
Some work seemingly magically at the start, but the nature of weight loss is the human body initially loses a lot of weight in fluid (which it regains) when it is being deprived of calories.
So where you might think after 3 weeks of wonder programme that you have lost 5kg, it may only realistically be 2kg. A 2kg weight loss is still a great start, but the nature of the quick fixers is that when the gains start to rebound the quick fixers give up, look for excuses and keep an eye out for the next diet craze.
To make long-term health gains (which usually result in healthy weight loss for the over-weight) you have to commit to changing your approach to a lot of things, from diet, drinking, screen time and exercise to daily routines.
This is the opposite of the quick fix.
To get there you have to change your mindset first and that’s not easy but it’s not that hard either. Here’s some tips:
1 - Approach
Don’t go the “all or nothing” approach. Don’t empty the fridge and pantry, splurge on some wonder piece of exercise equipment and protein powders and set the alarm for 4am just yet. Aim for gradual but sustained improvement.
If you struggle to exercise regularly find a couple of times a week that are yours and are not negotiable – you will exercise at that time no matter what. If you train once or twice a week already, even just going for a walk, aim for three times a week. In a month make it four. Or try to add an extra kilometre a week running or walking, increase the intensity at which you exercise (walk faster) or add daily push ups and squats & planks to your regime – they need only take 10 minutes, but try to make it routine (don’t make excuses).
2 - Diet
Ideally you want to get rid of refined sugar and processed food as much as possible. I hear of so many people trying different diets, like low carb, no dairy, vegan, paleo or even more extreme, expecting it to change their life. But there is no point giving up healthy things (and yes, many carbs are healthy – the body’s main source of fuel and the brain’s only source of fuel come from carbohydrates) if you are not going to cut out booze, processed crap and refined sugar first.
Sugar gets turned to fat very quickly, (particularly if the process is not slowed down with the help of fibre - such as in wholemeal bread and fruit and vegetables). Along with processed food and booze, sugar inhibits your body’s ability to repair from physical exertion and lose weight due to cellular inflammation, along with leading to other health problems such as diabetes and immune deficiency.
But it tastes so good, I know. Which brings us back to the all or nothing approach. You don’t have to banish sugar from your life, just make it an occasional treat rather than a daily filler. Trust me, when you haven’t had any sugar in a week a small treat tastes amazing. 85%+ dark chocolate is another compromise that means you can be healthier without giving up chocolate completely.
Processed food. If it comes in a packet chances are it has ingredients, mainly sweeteners, colours and preservatives, that cause cellular inflammation.
It is easy to be conned into believing stuff like museli bars, fruit flavoured yoghurt, breakfast cereals, fruit juice and even brown bread from the supermarket are healthy options. And while they’re a step up nutritionally from chocolate or sweets, the amount of sugar and preservatives they carry can weigh you down, both literally and figuratively. With these in your system your body is constantly fighting against what it sees as perceived attacks. When it is in that mode it drains you physically and emotionally, makes it harder to lose fat through exercise and harder to motivate. Your body feels the need to hold onto fats to help it fight the preservatives you keep putting into your body via processed food.
But they’re so convenient. I know. You can chuck a museli bar in the glove box or the lunch box and know you’ve got an indestructible source of nutrition on hand any time. My alternatives are things like fruits, nuts, berries, bread - if you feel bloated after eating bread it may be more to do with what type of bread you’re eating. Try some real bread (I just wish there was a proper French bakery near me) – wholemeal, multigrain, rye, or sourdough, ideally made using fermented yeast – good for gut, better for digestion than factory loaves, no preservatives = no inflammation. If your gut is healthy, you will find it easier to motivate to exercise. You’ll feel better and be in a more positive frame.
Dairy is great. Don’t be afraid of milk and cheese. They’re awesome and provide vital nutrition, fats and protein. Full cream does not make you fat – sitting on your arse does.
When it comes to fruit it is time to put that real change over quick fix attitude to test. Don’t stick to the easy, convenient option of buying your fruit and veg at the supermarket. Go to the fruit store and chat to the person working there. Find out what is local (hasn’t spent days in a truck/boat/plane, etc), what is in season and what is on special. You will get fresher, healthier, tastier fruit and veg and you will support a local, rather than a multinational corporation. (Brad and his team at Greengrocers Pantry in Bellbowrie are the friendliest most helpful bunch you could ever hope to meet.)
It gets easier
If you can make some of these changes you will have taken some proper steps to changing the way you approach health – for the better. From here an exercise program won’t seem so daunting as you’ll feel more positive towards exercise.
From there most will lose weight.
There are no guarantees there however. I can tell you of the woman who ran marathons but actually gained a kilo or two from her pre-running days. The reason – it was her healthy weight. It is my wife.
More importantly you will be healthier, so you will look better, clothes will fit better and you will feel better in yourself, which beats the hell out of starving yourself on a regular basis.