Adapt a new philosophy on weight loss and you shall succeed.
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Unfortunately it is harder to lose weight than it is to gain it, as I certainly can personally attest to. You would think that if you put in months and months of hard work and manage to lose a few kilos that you should somehow be rewarded for your efforts. The problem is that most people after losing significant amount of weight, gain it all back again and may even get more back than they had before. How can you prevent this from happening? No one knows an answer to this, but I will here provide you with a viewpoint that you can consider and that may be of benefit to your efforts in getting sustainable weight loss.
Losing weight is difficult; it requires dedication and hard work. The benefits in self-esteem and health are priceless though once success is reached. Even modest weight loss carries major health benefits. When approaching weight loss you have to get yourself in a mindset that will allow you to lose and maintain the weight loss.
Weight loss should be look on as a life-style change. The few people that have been successful in losing weight have not done it by a fad diet or some strange new exercise, nor have the majority of them taken medications. The key to their success has been a change in the way that they live. Weight loss must be looked upon as involving all aspects of your life. From how many calories you take in to how much exercise you do. It is important to adopt a holistic view of weight loss no single element in a weight loss plan is more important than any other.
Food o glorious food, what shall we do without it. It has certainly been shown in several studies in scientific magazines that reducing your calories below what the body requires is the mainstay of weight loss. When starting your weight loss plan, it is the reduced caloric intake that makes you lose weight. At this early stage exercise has little influence on how much weight you lose. It is important when considering the food aspect to work with what you like. Trying to modify your normal diet rather than change it to a radically new diet is important. This is because maintaining a diet that does not agree with your taste buds is extremely hard, and can be a source of failure in the future. It is also best to aim the food intake so that you lose 0.5 to 1 kg a week as this amount of weight loss can easily be accommodated without feeling too deprived.
Exercise darn exercise why me. Even if you have been losing weight by decreasing your caloric intake this will not be sustainable unless you start regular exercise. It is well known that exercise is a major part of any weight loss plan. Exercise is vital in the long-term success of you weight loss goals.
Taking a long-term approach is important. Your aim should be to reduce the weight gradually and maintain it permanently. Making sure that you have social support and a mind set that contributes to this is very important.
Medical treatment may also provide a base on which to help with your weight loss goals. Many medications available today are of only limited effect. Recent evidence has also suggested that if medications are used than these need to be continued for a very long time to maintain the weight loss. This raises concerns about the safety of the medications long term.
In conclusion you should adopt a holistic approach to your weight loss no single aspect is more important than any other. If you concentrate on one aspect you will fail. Lifestyle change, calories, exercise, family, social support, work, medications all play some role in successfully losing weight for life.
Dr. Bernard Beldholm
