The Positive Weight Loss Approach

Once you have made up your mind to lose weight, you should make that commitment and go into it with a positive attitude. We all know that losing weight can be quite a challenge. In fact, for some, it can be downright tough. It takes time, practice and support to change lifetime habits. But it’s a process you must learn in order to succeed. It is said that if you do something for 21 days it will become a habit. You and you alone are the one who has the power to lose unwanted pounds.

Every Size and Shape

Over the past 20 years and more, I’ve helped thousands of individuals who wanted to lose weight. My clients have ranged from super-obese patients with 300 pounds to lose, to young single women who dream of a totally flat stomach, and every conceivable size and shape in-between. I’ve helped celebrities as well as people with all types of difficulties, such as hypothyroidism, depression, PCOS, insulin resistance, diabetes, as well as women who suddenly gained weight in menopause, women recovering from prolonged use of diet pills, and anorexics who were 30 pounds underweight and still denied they had a weight problem. My weight loss program is recommended and used by doctors, nursing staff and thousands of ordinary dieters across America and the world.

Don’t skip meals Skipping meals is not recommended. In fact, if you skip meals, you may find you eat more when you do eat and this may lead to a larger stomach capacity. Studies show that stomach capacity can increase if large individual meals are eaten. This can then increase the amount of food you need at each meal before you feel ‘full’. This is not a reason to starve yourself if you’re trying to lose weight.Exercise is important to weight loss Exercise prevents muscle loss. So it is important to exercise when you are losing weight. Exercise will protect your muscles and keep your metabolic rate ticking over at a healthy level. The number of people who are overweight and obese is increasing every year. This is because we have become more sedentary (inactive). For most of us, physical activity is no longer a natural part of our lifestyle so it must be structured into our daily schedule. Get moving – it will give you energy Some people feel too busy or too tired to exercise regularly, but exercise will actually increase your energy levels and help you to feel less tired. Exercise does not have to be overly strenuous to do any good. Even moderate amounts of physical activity can speed up the metabolic rate and aid weight loss. The amount of energy you ‘burn up’ depends on your age, your gender and your activity level. Young people burn more energy than older people. Men burn more energy than women. More physically active people burn more energy than your average couch potato! A healthier approach to exercise The best approach to increasing the level of physical activity in your life is to take it slowly. You can increase your activity levels by simply increasing movement throughout the day. The human body is designed for movement and any physical activity brings benefits. Moderate intensity exercise – walking, gardening, cycling, even mowing the lawn – has been shown to help reduce body fat. Other suggestions for a more active lifestyle include:

• Play a sport that you enjoy.
• Walk instead of taking the car on short trips.
• Get off the train, bus or tram one stop early and walk the rest of the way.
• Play more outdoor games with your children.
• Walk the dog.
• Take stairs instead of lifts.
• Choose exercise activities that you think are fun, rather than those you think are ‘good’ for you.

 Type of help available

If you have been a chronic crash dieter for a number of years, you might need professional help to reintroduce you to a healthy way of eating. If you are overweight, over 40 years of age or haven’t exercised regularly for a long time, check with your doctor before you start any exercise campaign. For inspiration on healthier cooking, have a look at the recipes section of the Better Health Channel. A healthier approach to food You can lose body fat by making a few easy changes to your eating habits. It will help you lose body fat if you:

• Avoid yoyo diets.
• Eat a wide variety of food from all food groups. Check that you eat from the following food groups every day – bread and cereals, vegetables, fruit, milk and dairy, and meat, fish or legumes.
• Have six small, frequent meals and snacks rather than three large meals a day.
• Reduce your intake of foods that are high in fat, sugar and salt. Make soft drinks, lollies and snack foods an occasional ‘extra’. Most adults should eat no more than one or two ‘treats’ a day. If you are overweight or inactive, you may need to limit treats to less than one a day.
• Try to balance an ‘extra’ food with extra exercise. The more energy you burn, the more treats you can afford to have. Remember, you should only add extra foods after you have covered your nutrient needs with choices from the healthier food groups.
• Cut down on saturated dietary fats and alcohol.
• Try to eat more fresh foods and less processed foods.
• Avoid using food for comfort, such as when you are upset, angry or stressed. Explore other healthy ways to cope with these feelings.
• Try to stop eating once you’ve had enough. If you continue to eat, particularly foods high in saturated fat, the extra kilojoules will be stored as fat.

The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating includes information about how much and what types of food you need to eat to maintain a healthy weight.