Are You Ready to Lose Weight?

August 2004

The diet industry is a multi-billion dollar a year industry.  Nearly 75% of the population say they are dieting.  Most have tried a number of different eating plans, often with the same result:  some weight loss with equal or more weight gain once the diet is over. This type of yo-yo weight management is dangerous and can lead to serious health problems.

Instead, consider the psychological aspects of your overeating:

• When do you eat?
• Where do you eat?
• What triggers you to eat?

For many, food is the ultimate anxiety reliever.  It's comforting.  Yet, this poor coping mechanism just leads to more anxiety and discomfort, which leads to more eating, etc., etc.  The trick is to identify your negative eating patterns, and make life-style choices that are more productive and healthy, thus short-circuiting the connection between your psychological state and your food intake.

If you are serious about losing weight, you must be ready to make permanent life-style changes.  Get over the idea of dieting and martyrdom.  If you severely restrict your food intake or choice of foods, you will eventually return to your normal eating patterns, hence the weight return.  To lose weight and keep it off, your new eating patterns must reflect moderation.  You must avoid the extremes.

Start by keeping a food journal:  what and how much you eat, when and how you are feeling.  Look for connections between food and mood.  Watch the quantity of food you eat.  "Portion control"  is what most of us struggle with.  Keep it simple and eat in moderation.  Slow and steady is the healthy way to lose and maintain your weight loss.  If you are looking for a more structured method of weight loss, I strongly recommend Weight Watchers.  You can even join on-line.