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~~TIPS TO CONSIDER WHEN SETTING REALISTIC WEIGHT-LOSS GOALS~~(PART 2)Dec 04 '01 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line For optimum health benefits as the ultimate long term goal, simply choose to make wiser food choices and incorporate more physical activity into your day among other things.
**DISCLAIMER: This is "part two" of my two part editorial on choosing a weight-loss plan. Because of excess length, I felt it was much kinder to my readers to do this instead of placing the entire contents into one piece. If you have not read "part one" yet, you may find it at the following link: http://www.epinions.com/content_2389614724 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As I stated in "part one" of my weight-loss editorial published recently, setting small yet achievable realistic weight-loss goals is crucial if we are to receive optimum health benefits from our actions. No expensive "lose weight quick" scheme is going to provide the long term success most of us are desperately in search of. Sure, we might drop a few pounds in the beginning. But if we do not learn how to change our lifestyles and incorporate moderate exercise and healthier food choices into each and every day for a lifetime, most of us are surely doomed to fail and regain all that lost weight sooner or later. And since "yo-yo" diets seem to be more harmful than remaining overweight to start with, this practice with it's potential negative side effects is now more dangerous to our well being than previously believed. So while we make our commitment to a healthier lifestyle a major priority, there are a few things we should keep in mind along the way. And even though most of us already KNOW what we should be doing to lose the excess weight we are carrying around, sometimes the motivation to do something about it just is not there. Creating small yet attainable and REALISTIC goals is the best place to start. Slow and sure wins the race. Of course there will be setbacks, but to ultimately succeed, we must learn from our mistakes and not be too afraid or discouraged to try again. Now it is time to put one foot in front of the other. ~~~The Dangers of Diet Pills~~~ Over the years in my quest to become a thinner new me, I've tried many of the "over-the-counter" diet aids that millions of others have purchased as well, including Dexatrim and the now popular Metabolife 356. Containing caffeine and other (herbal) stimulants that boost the metabolism while suppressing the appetite, these products CAN actually be helpful to those seeking to lose weight. But at what cost? First of all, a potentially dangerous side effect of most of these drugs often result in a faster heart rate and a rise in blood pressure. If the user has any underlying cardiac problems that have not been diagnosed, consuming diet pills such as the ones listed above and many others too numerous to count can be tragically detrimental to one's physical health state. For some, the benefits outweigh the risks, but caution must be used when choosing such diet aids when seeking to lose weight. Chances are, most physicians will not recommend this practice at all either. And secondly, suppose you DO lose weight using diet pills and reach your personal goals. What an achievement! But how are you going to maintain the new you? For you certainly cannot keep taking diet pills all of your life. Learning how to eat properly and incorporate regular physical activity into each day unfortunately does not come in pill form. Relying on these artificial crutches only delay the inevitable if the necessary lifestyle changes do not happen along the way that must occur to keep those old habits from returning. And they WILL without a conscious effort to make that change. It will be just a matter of time. ~~~Assessing Your Body Mass Index (BMI)~~~ Instead of relying solely on a regular bathroom scale to monitor any weight loss progress, following your body mass index (BMI) will give you a truer picture of your current health status and in what direction you need to go. Consisting of a ratio of height and weight in metric form (kilograms and centimeters), the calculation of your BMI can easily be done by plugging in a few numbers at many online sites, including this one: http://www.weightwatchers.com/mywwprogram/a9_my_as_bmi.asp A BMI of 20 to 25 is considered by most experts to be a healthy weight range. Anything less than 20 is considered underweight while a BMI of 25 to 30 would classify someone as being overweight. A measurement of 30 or above is where true obesity begins. While being only slightly overweight comes with moderate health risks, those classified as obese have a much increased risk of developing a number of serious diseases, including diabetes and cardiac problems just to name a few. For example, if a 5'4" woman weighing 150 pounds plugs her stats into the above online BMI calculator, she will discover that her BMI is 26, which means that she is slightly overweight and at risk for developing health problems. Achieving a weight loss of just 10 pounds decreasing body weight to 140 pounds would reduce her BMI to 24 and place her within the healthier and more desirable range. While this proportion of height and weight does not measure the loss of true body fat, it gives one a better picture of his or her overall health status instead of relying on numbers on the scale alone as a guide. ~~~The Importance of Hydration~~~ How many of us truly drink the recommended minimum 8 glasses of water every day? I will be the first to admit that this is something that I rarely accomplish, although I am making a conscious effort to alter my habits. Without proper hydration, most people feel tired and sluggish while wondering why they also have a headache all the time. And what many people are unaware of is that thirst is often disguised as hunger. So instead of grabbing a much needed glass of water, we reach for a snack instead. Thirst in itself is a very poor mechanism for keeping the body hydrated, for by the time you feel thirsty, mild dehydration is already setting in. As much as I hate to admit it, caffeinated drinks (even the DIET ones I love so much!) only make this problem worse. For caffeine is a diuretic, leading to even MORE water loss in the end. So now for each glass of diet soda that I consume, I drink a large glass of water to help offset the dehydrating effects that my caffeine fix results in. And over the past few weeks since I have began doing this, I've noticed that my daily afternoon headaches are not as severe or are no longer present at all. A very simple guide to monitoring your hydration status is to check out the color of your urine the next time you have the urge to go. Now let's get really personal. Is it dark yellow in appearance? Not good. This means that the urine is concentrated in an attempt to conserve precious body water. Urine with a pale yellow color should be your ultimate goal, for you are more likely to be properly hydrated when this sign is present. ~~~Nutrition and Portion Control~~~ Most people are familiar with the concept that there are three basic types of food: proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. In general, to meet balanced nutritional needs, the breakdown of daily intake from each food type should look something like this: no more than 25-30% of total calories from fat, 50-55% of total calories from carbohydrates, and 15-20% of total calories from protein. Because it takes longer for fats and proteins to be broken down in the stomach, it is a good idea to have a little of each at each meal so that those feelings of fullness and satisfaction will last longer than if only carbohydrates are consumed alone. For optimum nutrition and for its disease prevention properties, around 35 grams of dietary fiber should be included in the daily diet as well. Check out a book on nutrition at your local library if any of this sounds unfamiliar or confusing as doing so will help you immensely to make healthier food choices in the future. And as you begin to fuel your body with more nutritious foods, begin paying attention to portions as most Americans tend to fill their plates with heaps of food and not think a thing about it. NO food should be off limits if it is something you really want. Deprivation has no place here as part of new lifestyle choices. As with many other things in life, moderation is the key. For I have learned that the first two or three bites maximum of those delicious high calorie foods most of us enjoy in excess usually taste the best and often satisfy any cravings that I might have. Each successive bite becomes less and less important, so why continue just to clean your plate or empty that bag of potato chips before they go stale? Learning the difference between feeling comfortably full and being miserably stuffed is crucial. Something so simple as eating only when you are hungry and stopping when you are full can be surprisingly beneficial to weight control in the long run. ~~~The Importance of Self Awareness~~~ When the decision is made to change your life by making more healthier food choices and incorporating more physical activity into your day to improve or preserve health, it must occur because you want it as the ultimate gift to YOURSELF. Attempting to lose weight by making long term lifestyle changes for countless other reasons including the desire to please your mate or to impress your classmates at your 10 year high school reunion just are not good enough to motivate you to continue on with your efforts indefinitely. This is something that takes an incredible amount of thought and preparation, for many changes much take place for you to be successful as you reach each of your goals. Trying to do too much in the beginning may actually be detrimental as you most likely are unknowingly setting yourself up for failure right from the start. Small and gradual changes made each day as realistic goals are made should prove to be more beneficial in the long run. Of course there will always be setbacks, but then this happens in many other areas of our lives too, so it is to be expected as just a normal part of life. But instead of giving in to old habits, get back up, dust yourself off, and keep going. Life is a journey, not a destination. It is doubtful that you will wake up one day and realize that you have perfected all of your weight loss goals. For long term maintenance of healthier lifestyle habits is the ultimate measure of success. And while most of us probably will not completely measure up, we will reap the benefits of being more energetic as we attempt to enjoy life to the fullest. And in the end, all any of us truly have is our health. This precious gift should be cherished and protected as much as possible. Each one of us deserve at least that much. To sum up, I hope that some of these suggestions are helpful in your quest to reach all of your realistic weight-loss goals. While the majority of us will never be super thin, which is not very healthy to begin with anyway, we CAN make the most what we do have right now. Deciding that dedication to exercise and making wiser food choices will be a top priority is an important first step in getting started. Before our bodies can benefit from the fitness we are in search of, we must first re-train our minds with a whole new outlook on how to attempt and reach our goals. No more deprivation diets. No more skipping meals and popping diet pills. No more allowing the numbers on the scale to decide if we are going to have a good day or not. And especially, no more unrealistic expectations that lead to ultimate failure. For that 150 pound woman mentioned above is me. However long it takes to lose this extra weight is okay, whether it is a pound a week or even a pound a month. What it takes to change this aspect of my life is finally clicking within me, so for the first time in my life, I am in no hurry for it all to be gone. So perhaps THIS time, I will take it off and then KEEP it off. Only time will tell.  |
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