Losing Weight - Before You Jump on a Band Wagon

It’s always surprising to me that – with everything that’s being published on the subject of weight loss, diets, and nutrition – I still run into deep ignorance on the subject.  Very often on the part of people otherwise smart and intelligent.  I’ve had numerous conversations about drastic diets, miracle cures, surgical solutions to weight problem…  It’s not the intent of this article to offend anybody, but please, take a read.

It’s Sunday after a great week-end with friends, good food, and plenty of wine.  But somehow, instead of being socially satisfied and generally happy, we plunge into the doom and gloom of absolute guilt.  How many glasses of wine last night?  Was going back to the cheeses tray – multiple times – absolutely necessary?  And the desserts….

Have been there?  Done it?  I have. (Well, maybe except the dessert - but plus some delicious salty/greasy treats.)

So MONDAY is our D-Day.  Drumroll….

This is the day when we will change our life.  The beginning of the new age: without breads, without sugar, without bad fats – just pure diet bliss.  We will become thin, light on our feet, and we will look like we imagine we should – all within next couple of weeks.

By Thursday we are tired, irritated, and disappointed.  We’ve given it our all – and it’s not working.

WHY?

Let’s start with the obvious:   there is no magic pill.

Our body (except for those with some specific health issues) is a well-oiled machine that burns the fuel (food) we put in, and stores the surplus that it’s not able to burn.

In other words: if we’ve been eating for a long time more than we can burn through daily movement, work, and exercise, we need equivalent amount of time to reverse the process.  We will have to eat less than our body will burn for quite a while.

So, many people are tempted to bypass the system and try quicker solutions.

There are frighteningly many dangerous and pure wacky diets on the market that are easily accessible in print and on line.  Film and art world celebrities lead the conga line.  Here is a short list of the strangest diets I read about:

Air Diet (Madonna) – you go through the motions of eating without actually taking a bite;

Master Cleanse (Beyoncé) – no solid foods, just liquids and laxatives;

Facial Body Analysis Diet (Kate Winslet; and I thought she was so smart) – people with different shapes of face need different diets;

Vinegar shots (Fergie) – three times a day before eating…

Besides those totally crazy regimens, there are a lot of other diets that have actually wide following – despite being quite damaging to our bodies.  At the risk of being personal: Atkins diet is one of them, a diet that encourages eating lots of proteins and limiting carbohydrates.  You may see the weight loss results quickly on this diet, but you may experience side effects of memory loss and shakiness as well.

No matter how tempting fitting into our favorite LBD, there are some things that we should never do:

 Fasting, super-low calorie diets or starvation.  Most people lose not just weight, but most of all important muscle mass, and end-up re-gaining all the weight (sometimes  more) when they resume regular eating.

Supplements and Diet Pills that promise unreasonable results.  They are not regulated the same way the pharmaceutical drugs are, and may not be safe.  Most diet pills consist of a combination of caffeine and diuretics that not only will not provide permanent weight loss, but may cause dehydration and electrolyte imbalance.

Cleanses and Detox Plans.  You only need to cleanse your GI system before undergoing a colonoscopy. Otherwise, your system cleanses itself, and all these regimens do is cause the loss of water and stool weight.  It’s so much better to cleanse by drinking plenty of water.

Purging. Inducing vomiting and taking laxatives.  Yuck.  All it will do is ruin your esophagus, mouth, and teeth from stomach acids.

Obsessive Exercising.  This is so sad for someone committed to healthy fitness routine.  But, just like with anything else:  too much is just too much.  And you still won’t be able to burn all those calories if you don’t eat right.  (Ex.: I can burn max. 500 Kcal in an hour of running.  It means I would have to run for 3-4 hours to burn a decent size hamburger with fries.  That just won’t happen.)

This is not a time or place to propose a diet regimen that’s right for everybody.  But here is just a handful of advice that I find helpful in my own life-long efforts to stay lean and healthy.

Start by assessing your situation.  Consult a professional: a physician, a nutritionist, a personal trainer all have great tools to help you get started.

Determine your goals – realistic goals.  With my 5’2” frame, I will never look like Nicole Kidman.  Too bad.  But there are several petite role models, if you want to have that type of motivation.  Sally Fields?

Chose the program that’s right for you, and that will appeal to your tastes.  You don’t want to really suffer through your diet.

Find a buddy, if you can.  It helps to compare notes, and occasionally vent to somebody who understands.

Moderation is the key.  The progress will be slower but steady.

Track the progress – without obsessing about it.  Weigh yourself not more often than once a week.  Try that skinny pair of jeans after a month – you will not get frustrated.

Note and celebrate the weekly or monthly successes.  And reward yourself – you will not fall of the wagon if you have a small piece of your favorite food – just not a whole plate.

Good Luck!

Stay strong, lean, and healthy.  Fit for the rest of your life.

Elisabeth

Partner, Strand Fitness

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