Now that is what we like to hear, right?! It's not our fault! We knew it secretly, anyway, right?
Would that it were that simple. Hmmm. Today I saw something on The Today Show that spoke to my way of thinking about diet: It is more important to find a way of eating, or even diet, that fits you, than you fit it.
They are doing a survey of different diets, and today profiled Jenny Craig. Surprise, surprise, the woman who knew she was going to be on The Today Show, lost the weight she wanted to.
No biggie to me. I think in fact that most people are experts at losing weight. Name me one overweight person who hasn 't lost weight. That is never the issue.
The issue is always KEEPING IT OFF.
Not so easy. This is where the piece about figuring out what works for you, is what is going to help you stick with the new behaviors, or eating habits, that help you lose weight.
Some tips:
1) Don't lose too much muscle mass. Build muscle mass and you create metabolism.
Big key for losing weight and keeping it off post child bearing and past your 30's for women as we lose alot of muscle mass in our upper bodies, but maintain it in our lower bodies as we heft those kids around. You could spend alot of time spinning, running and not create metabolism or help maintain weight loss. We already have alot of muscle mass in our lower bodies. Go for the upper body muscle mass and you will be able to eat the same amount and lose weight!
Do your push ups!
2) Think of what your lifestyle is like. You will stick with anything short term to lose weight, but if you can't maintain that semblance of eating, you will gain back what you lost and then some. Which is why most people land up weighing more than they did when they started off their diets. It is the laws of metabolism; fast and famine and all that evolution stuff.
Our bodies, unfortunately, don't forget.
3) To jump start yourself, unfortunately you may have to be a bit hungry. You have to retrain yourself to eat smaller portions. No one likes this part. But it really is a great trick and can hold long term. The key however, is to make sure you don't overly deprive yourself, and set yourself up physically and psychologically to shovel it all in when you go 'off' the diet.
Just a couple of tips. Alot of people do need the structure of a diet system and program to jump start the weight loss. But if none of these things ever work, do one small thing.
Little bits add up. Less can be more. Consistency will pay off over time. Make your diet fit you, not you fit it. Take 20% off your plate that you would ordinarily eat. Don't skip dessert. Just have 20% less. Do maybe 10 - 20% more physical activity.
Think when you eat. Don't go all unconscious and put calories in that you think don't count. And yes, even if you are standing at the fridge eating, the calories count, as they do when you take them off someone else's plate!
Small changes stick. It doesn't have to be fancy. Then it lasts.
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