AND NOW THAT YOU’VE LOST SOME OR ALL OF THE WEIGHT…?

This post is 1322 words providing an outline to achieve SUCCESSFUL LONG TERM WEIGHT LOSS. FOR THOSE IN NEED, I RECOMMEND TAKING THE TIME TO READ IT.

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“I lost 100 pounds.” “I only have 35 pounds to go.” “I’m having trouble getting those last 10 pounds off.”

These were such typical phrases I heard spoken by patients over many years in practice. Their focus and mission was completing the “weight loss” portion of healthy weight management. It was pursued through various types of weight loss programs and diet plans and

FAILED 95+% OF THE TIME IN THE LONG TERM!

This fact, however, doesn’t dissuade the average consumer from repeating the same or similar dietary or weight loss program only to FAIL OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

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CALL ME ARROGANT, BUT I BELIEVE I HAVE A REALISTIC ANSWER TO LONG TERM SUCCESSFUL WEIGHT LOSS AND WEIGHT  MANAGEMENT FOR THE AVERAGE PERSON.

The problem is, most people don’t want to BELIEVE IT! They are more comfortable following conventional plans that repeatedly produce (at best) short term changes, than following a plan that makes GOOD SENSE addressing BOTH physical and emotional components.

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WHY DON’T PEOPLE LIKE MY PLAN?

• It doesn’t deliver prepackaged foods to their door.

• It doesn’t provide an incentive for quick weight loss.

• It doesn’t tell you what to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

• It doesn’t provide “points” associated with each food item consumed.

• Books haven’t been written documenting this plan.

and the big reason people don’t like my plan is:

IT WORKS, BUT DOESN’T CREATE HAPPINESS (in and of itself!)

Not the most positive statement, but none the less, an accurate one people don’t want to face. As people lose weight and recognize their lives haven’t dramatically changed as a result, continued desire for weight loss loses “steam.” Why continue to work so HARD to lose weight if the goal isn’t creating a HAPPIER LIFE? At least unhealthy food SATISFIED an emotional need accompanied by a happy palate!

I’ll bet many of you have experienced this thought process! It is at this point that many overweight people return to previous destructive patterns of behavior and sabotage their own attempts.

If my points are striking a nerve, maybe you should consider my plan and my approach to successful LONG TERM weight loss AND weight management!

To participate, there are some rules you must agree to follow. If you deviate or determine that you no longer need to follow the plan (in its ENTIRETY) because THIS TIME “will be different,” I PROMISE YOU, you will FAIL this plan as well.

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DISCLAIMER: Check with a licensed professional health care provider you deem qualified to determine if this program suits your physical and emotional needs PRIOR TO IMPLEMENTING ANY COMPONENT!

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So here are the RULES:

1. Your goal CAN’T be weight loss.

   a) I don’t simply mean you can’t focus on weight; I mean you must CREATE a MEANINGFUL REASON to follow this HEALTH PLAN that attaches an emotional commitment to keep you motivated and focused. (For example: You will follow this plan because you want to physically participate in your child’s or grandchild’s life over the next 15+ years in a meaningful way.) Wishing to look good in pictures for a class reunion or a child’s wedding DOES NOT qualify. The MEANINGFUL REASON must have ongoing PURPOSE with a STRONG EMOTIONAL COMPONENT (ex. I want to get off and stay off medications.)

2. You must find or create POSITIVE CHANNELS for stress relief BEFORE beginning this program.

   a) These channels are EXTREMELY IMPORTANT! They will become your substitute for food and other unhealthy choices. They become your “crutch” to get through stressful episodes even if these episodes are recurring ones. (ex. job stresses, family stresses, marital stresses, etc….) Examples of stress relief channels might include: (a) listening to or playing music, (b) exercising to “burn off anger in a physical manner through positive actions, (c) gardening to grow fruits and vegetables or plants to create beautiful colors and smells. These may NOT be good channels for you. You must look within yourself to find MEANINGFUL POSITIVE CHANNELS to fill the stressful VOIDS to prevent returning to older destructive patterns of behavior.

3. You can’t begin this program if your mindset is only at an emotional level of “WILLING TO TRY.” You must mentally be prepared to make mistakes without letting them impede your progress. SUCCESS is NOT achieved in a linear plane. You must be prepared to (figuratively) fall and get up over and over as you LEARN and DEVELOP your NEW PATH in life.
   

   a) This program is HARD! There is no one watching over you to make sure you don’t “cheat” or lie. The only accountable person is YOU.

4. You must be willing to log your foods in a computer program (of your choice.)

   a) This is NOT A PUNISHMENT. Most people do not know good meal combinations from bad meal combinations. This helps track your foods so you can LEARN your habits and LEARN what changes need to be adapted. POINTS (in weight watchers) doesn’t TEACH you about what you’re eating. How can you make good choices if you don’t understand what you’re choosing from? Logging foods (in computer programs) helps you identify food categories (ex. proteins, carbs, fats) which helps you make better informed decisions when choosing meals. As people use food logs, they become more involved in the learning process which makes foods, in general, more interesting. (FYI- I am a healthy weight, use food logs DAILY, and have done so since 1995!)

5. You must be willing to walk (or do some form of exercise) 3-4 days/week for 20-30 minutes.

   a) If you’re not willing to commit the time to this necessary component, the other steps WILL NOT WORK! You can’t pick and choose to adapt the plan to your wants; YOU MUST ADAPT YOUR WANTS AND NEEDS TO THE PLAN!

6. You must go to bed at a reasonable hour to get between 6-9 hours of sleep per night.

   a) I know many people have difficulty sleeping. This plan will likely help improve this problem as well. Even if you can’t sleep for the duration, you must provide 6-9 hours of bedtime (even if part of this time is meditating or just resting with one’s eyes shut.)

THERE IT IS

• No secret costs

• No special purchases

• No books to read or diets to follow

It’s a plan that helps you re-position and reset your life in a manner that prioritizes YOU, reducing stress and giving you positive outlets to enjoy a better quality of life. Food is no longer relied on as the answer to stress. Food becomes utilized for its original purpose; providing nutritional and informational needs to the body. Those with a little creativity can also add gustatory pleasure using spices and healthy sauces to enhance flavor. Eating HEALTHY does NOT mean eating foods that taste like CARDBOARD!

SEEMS PRETTY STRAIGHT FORWARD, RIGHT? IT IS!

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For it to work, however, you must truly VALUE your LIFE and the LIVES of those who care about you and need you in their lives.

There will be mistakes along the way. I don’t mean cheating; I mean incorrect assumptions. LEARN FROM THEM so you don’t repeat them. Learning from them converts FAILURE into SUCCESS.

In 1322 words, I can’t go into great specifics, so here’s what I can do. IF YOU ARE TRULY READY,

AND HAVE BEEN CLEARED BY YOUR LICENSED HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL,

begin following the 6 steps above. If you have ANY difficulties or questions, you can contact me for assistance. I will NOT CHARGE ANY FEES, however, when you SUCCEED, you must promise to share your success with others lost searching for answers. The object isn’t for me to “FIX” the world; it’s for all of us to participate and help each other improve the quality of as many lives as possible.

ARE YOU READY TO BEGIN ENJOYING A NEW QUALITY OF LIFE WHILE LOSING EXCESS WEIGHT (FOREVER) IN THE PROCESS?

 

Tags: accountability, exercise, happiness, health, lifestyle, motivation, nutrition, purpose, solutions, stress, weight loss