THE SECRET TO LOSING WEIGHT

Prior to working for the Kidney Group I was in charge of a large hospital's exercise and rehab program. Desire to lose weight was a common theme, as it is with many kidney patients and the population at large(no pun intended). I find a frequent mindset is the search for the perfect diet..perfect pill..perfect surgery..that will produce fast,safe and long lasting weight loss. Many patients spend years of frustration and excuses searching for these answers...convinced that if only they knew this secret then..finally..they could achieve the weight they covet and have postponed so much joy in looking fruitlessly for it. Many times patients have implored me..begged me..to teach them this secret.(I have maintained my same weight since age 16 and while I do not consider that the big deal some do let me assure you that absolutely I work at it. Every single day. Anyone past a certain age(with rare exception)who is at their ideal body weight(BMI)works at it. Some harder than others.. sure. But folks if I drop you off today on a deserted island and come back in a year(while you live off the land)I guarantee not a one of you would fail to lose every extra ounce. Stop with the "I can't" and the thyroid story(again RARE) and my special favorite excuse"my metabolism".
I have thought this over very carefully..revealing this secret. However, this secret is so upsetting and unnerving to many patients they refused to believe it.Once you are told the secret..you will will know it is true because it is very obvious..so obvious that most of us overlook it.
Ready? The secret to losing weight effectively is that there is no secret. IT'S ALL HARD WORK.
Think about it for a minute. In the United States alone people spend 34 billion dollars a year searching for this answer. Do most of them find it? Well sit on a bench at say Disney World and watch people walk by-do you think they found the secret?
People who accept the premise that it will be hard work-those are the 10% who get somewhere-who achieve their weight goal(see last week's blog)and keep it off.
Okay-say you expect hard work and agree to give it a try. What do you do first?
Well, if there is a diet plan,pill,gimmick or surgery that exists that I haven't seen tried(really)then I'd sure like to know what weird thing that might be. I am familiar with every low fat,sugar free, low carb,buy-the-food,pill taking and stomach shrinking surgeries big new thing plan. Do they work? Yes(many are expensive) they can all work to varying degrees but as to keeping it off I give alot of them an F(even the last ditch gastric bypass..not unless big lifestyle changes follow). . Why? A diet must be REAL LIFE and forever. FOREVER. Now you will eat more once on maintenance..but eat the way you do now? You cannot.
I am going to fly in the face of conventional wisdom. I am not subscribing to the radical low carb diet. Do I think we need to avoid processed foods and foods made with white flour. YES!! But am I signing on to never eat fresh warm bread again? No pancakes ever? No birthday cake at a party? A beer at the ballpark? Well, how absurd. I want to be able to do those things. Occasionally everything should be allowed. There should be no "nevers" or you will crave it all the more. When I started in this business I discovered Weight Watchers(with whom I have NO affiliation)and brought them into the program I ran. I watched people learn how to eat anything they want..anywhere. How to handle the occasional splurge(that happen to us all). Many had dramatic weight loss success stories. The people who teach at the meetings were once overweight themselves. They just learned the secret and want to teach it to you. Today I still prefer it. Do I think low carb can jump start the diet-yes. Do I think a reduction in carbs is warranted? Yes. Do I think we can radically cut our carbs long term. ABSOLUTELY NOT.... NOT THE VAST MAJORITY OF US!! Our desire for carbohydrates will win out and you backslide and give up in disgust and then begin your search anew.
Weight Watchers teaches that all foods have a point value. Carbs and such cost more points so we are "penalized"for eating alot of them and you will learn if you don't watch such indulgences and you do stick to the program you will be hungry. It teaches you to make smart choices to promote satiety(feeling full). It works..it works even if you have a 100 plus pounds to lose. It can be used anywhere even in a fast food restaurant(hey you stop to eat on the turnpike-what do you do?) Real life. It has handy point counters and guides to all foods,brands and restaurants. No more"I didn't know."..and you can buy many of their brands and other brands that list the point value on the box(you will also learn to figure out the point value of any food.)So you're not sulking at a restaurant or carrying your own food. REAL LIFE.
Now I do have more specific food recommendations.(more on that later..what I like to call "clean eating") I like the website "Hungry girl" which features many low calorie and delicious food suggestions/substitutions as well as point conversions (IE what do I order at Starbucks that's not black or plain tea??) Real life.
Of course as you lose weight, food will become less of a focus-a little more routine. More about sustenance that pleasure. That's the only way to do it. Never enjoy food again? Of course not. But live to eat? You can't. Sorry but that's the secret.
One of my favorite quotes is by Thomas Edison.."Most people miss opportunity because it usually comes dressed in overalls and looks like hard work".
This is your opportunity. Why not start RIGHT NOW?
Next time we will talk about the exercise component.