Losing Weight, But Not as New Year's Resolution

If you want to lose weight, do not make a New Year's Resolution to do so. Why, you might ask, would an eating disorder therapist, specializing in compulsive overeating, say such a thing? Well, I'll tell you why.

Making a New Year's Resolution to lose weight is like saying I'm going to go on a diet starting Monday. Let's say it is Friday when you make this decision. You might even tell people who are with you that you are planning to start a new diet on Monday. What you are really doing, and saying, is that you give yourself permission to eat as much as you want until Monday. If you make a New Year's Resolution to go on a diet, days or weeks before January 1st, you are really saying that you give yourself permission to pig out until then. This isn't a good strategy. It is actually a form of binging and purging.

For those of us who have tried this, and pigged out for days prior to the diet, we know that we aren't always successful at starting that diet on Monday, or January 1st. We may start off with good intentions, but often we get derailed sooner rather than later. Sometimes it's even sooner than it takes to undo the damage of pigging out for days. Something may come up that Monday that prevents you from starting that diet and January 1st is still a holiday, so, well, why not just start on January 2ond. This year, January 2ond falls on a Friday, so now it's the weekend and well, hell, I'll just start Monday. So you see, this is not a good strategy.

If you really want to lose weight, you need to start right now, this minute, and not later today, tomorrow, Monday, or next year. In order to lose weight you need to take in less calories than you burn. To do this you need to keep track of what you eat, how much and how many calories you are taking in. To be the weight you want to be, take that weight and multiply it by 10 for women, 12 for men. That is the number of calories you can eat, without exercise, to maintain that weight. You don't need to go on a diet, eat only protein, hire a personal chef, become a vegan, go on a cleanse, or anything of the kind. Simply take in less than you burn and you will lose weight.

That's if for now. Good luck and let me know how you're doing.

If you'd like to participate in the research for Irene's new book on the process of weight loss, please visit http://www.eatingdisordertherapist.com/ and take the survey.

Comments

[gfk]

This is right on. I have said I am going on a diet Monday so many times and put on a lot of weight as a result. I am now down 50 lbs. and don't plan on going on any more diets or any more diet vacations. Thank you Irene for telling the truth and calling people on their bs. Keep blogging.

[RosiePeters]

Excellent article. Too much procrastination and too little commitment prevents weight loss. If someone really wants to lose weight, they can find the time and the energy to do it - it is hard to commit, but nothing positive is going to happen without that self motivation. Readers may want to check out the advice and strategies at my blogsite http://www.getridoflovehandlesblogs.com

[Irene Rubaum-Keller - Huffpost Blogger]

RosiePeters thanks for your comment. Procrastination has caused many people to gain a lot of weight. Since tomorrow never comes and we only have right now to work with, now is when you have to start if you are serious. You obviously get it.

[staypositive]

Dear Irene,
You are so right. I plan to go on a very low, medically supervised, diet plan, and was advised by the doctor who runs the program to start after the "eating holidays." As I write this, we are on vacation until New Year's Day, and I am looking forward to eating at good restaurants because I had "permission" to do so. I was going to start my program on Jan 1, but we have a relative arriving from NY and are taking him to dinner on Jan 4. I have been thinking of delaying until Jan 5. This could go on forever! As everyone does, we always have things that come up in addition to planned events. I have to "ease into" this, and even though I am on vacation, I will be "present" and be careful with my calories. I MAY even write them down.

[Irene Rubaum-Keller - Huffpost Blogger]

Hi Staypositive. I know it is hard to believe but you might actually enjoy your vacation more if you know you are doing what you need to do to take care of your weight, while you are on it. We tend to think of vacation as an excuse to go on a food vacation but the body doesn't care if you are on vacation or not. It counts calories just the same as if you were at home. If you come home from vacation at the same weight or even lower than when you left, it is a total win. Have fun.

[Newrinkles]

It can be hard too just eat less, and there are ways to manage hunger. If you're interested read http://www.newrinkles.com/index.php/weight-loss/how-to-manage-hunger

[Irene Rubaum-Keller - Huffpost Blogger]

Hi Newrinkles. Yes you are right it can be hard but you don't have to be hungry. If you choose lower calorie foods you can actually eat a lot, be full, and still lose weight. Thank you for your comment.

[Newrinkles]

You're right that you can eat more if you eat lower calorie foods. However, what makes you feel full is fat, and what tends to happen when people eat low calorie foods is they eat less fat and eat more because they are not satiated. Eating more, even if it is low calorie, doesn't always lead to weight loss. When people eat low calorie foods, if they are not eating the right low calorie foods, they often consume more calories because they're hungry thinking they’ll lose weight because they're eating low calorie foods. Additionally, most people underestimate by 47% how many calories they eat each day.

To lose weight, people need to eat high volume foods (foods high in water and fiber). These include fruits, vegetables, legumes, and cooked grains. These foods allow you to have large portions and encourage a feeling of fullness, thereby decreasing hunger, so you can lose weight. For instance, 1/2 cup of raisins has 217 calories and 1/2 cup of grapes has 57. You could eat approximately 2 cups of grapes to every 1/2 cup of raisins based on calories. I think most people would agree 2 cups of grapes will make them feel fuller than 1/2 cup of raisins. So, it’s not just about eating low calorie foods or eating less food when it comes to weight loss. It’s about eating the right foods: Foods that fill you up and control blood sugar glucose so you don't feel hungry.