Obesity: An epidemic

We are a fat country, the USA, 70% of us are over weight. Here are some no-frills, balanced, truthful tips to trimming off some excess fat.

Take responsibility: Yes, we know about the corporate fast food industry. We know that fast food is cheaper than healthier options. You however need to own your part inthe whole mess. Until we take full responsibility of what goes into our mouths, we are not ready for change.

Know the type of relationship you have with food:  Do you eat as a hobby, continue eating long after you are full; or eat to comfort yourself? Study your eating patterns and habits and work hard to break the maladaptive ones. If you are a comfort eater substitute comfort foods for fruit and get help with stress management. If you are a binge eater you may need to see a medical professional, like a psychologist. If you consistently eat past your “full point”, you need to retrain yourself to  think about what you are eating while you are eating it.

Food: Eat less! It is a sad fact, but most of us the USA(myself included) need to eat less food, period. You are indeed what you eat! Portion control is key to weight loss in the short term, and keeping weight off in the long term. Your stomach needs to get used to eating less food. Food types are certainly important. Don’t waste your calories. You may eat 2 apples and be satisfied, but it will take over a box of cookies to make you full and you would have consumed a lot more calories. Your plate should contain 50% veg, 25% starch, 25% protein. A glass of water will complete the meal. Juice should be infrequent, soda extremely occasional.

Eating patterns: A lot of Americans do not eat breakfast. This is bad for a number of reasons. Your body goes into starvation mode and the next meal you get is not broken down or burnt off, it is stored as fat. Do not make habit of eating after 7pm either. You burn food less efficiently at night.

Burning it off: Speaking of burning things off, I have a dirty word for you. EXERCISE! Forget the burn-fat-while-you-sleep gimmicks. They are not true. Watch The Biggest Loser and you will find that eating right and exercise works. Even if you do a gastric bypass, you will still need to exercise and eat right. You need to do thirty minutes of exercise per day at least. Now if you have never exercised, you can start with 5 minutes and build on it. You can jog on the spot in your bedroom for thirty minutes, you do not have to buy fancy gym equipment to exercise. If you can, it is good, but you do not necessarily have to.

Stay consistent: People tell me all the time, “I am exercising and eating right but my weight is still the same” . Then I say, “For how long?” They say “Two weeks”. At this point I usually burst into laughter!  This is an lifelong battle! Even after you lose the weight, you will still need to continue some type of exercise regimen.

Associations: The people you make your closest allies on this journey will make or break you. Are you a size twenty but the smallest of your friends? Well, I am not saying ditch your friends, but you should probably make some new ones who are on the same journey as you or who have achieved what you are trying to achieve.

Divine help: Most people forget this part. Ask God for guidance, and wisdom for discipline. The Bible talks about the fruit of the spirit and this includes peace, patience and self control.

Medical help: Your doctor can help you decide if there are medical reasons for your obesity such as a thyroid problem. Your doctor may also help you decide if an appetite suppressant or weight loss surgery is right for you.

Know when to stop: There is such a thing as being too thin!