The Breakroom

     We are bombarded every day with advertisements for weigh tloss products promising to curb your hunger and increase your energy.  Most of these are proven later to either not work or they are recalled after the side effects become too well known or possibly that someone has died.

After giving birth to two children I began to put on the pounds.  I tried every diet I could think of to lose the weight.  You may have heard of them:  the Adkins diet, the vegetable diet, the citrus diet, the low fat diet, the no sugar diet and combinations of all oft hem.  They never worked and my energy decreased as the weight increased.

Finally, after my weight rose to a whopping 317 pounds I got serious about finding the answer.  I began watching documentaries and studying online.  I didn’t just want to know how people were losing weight, but how people who wanted to GAIN weight (such as Sumo wrestlers) were putting it on.  With this information I found the truth.

Have you been  skipping breakfast and eating only one meal a day to lose weight?  BAAAD idea.  It is very important to start your day with a full stomach.  Eating your larger meals earlier in the day and something light at the end will increase your ability to burn calories and  will give you energy.

Should you watch what you eat?  Yes and no. Eat whatever you want, but instead of focusing on what you can’t eat, focus on what you can add to your diet that’s healthy. 

What am I talking about? If you want a piece of pie, go ahead and enjoy.  Just try to eat a lot of vegetables and grains as well.  Also, instead of drinking a sugary soda pop drink a glass of tea or a diet soda. In otherwards, try not to drink your calories.  Did you know that a small glass of orange juice has over 150 calories? You could eat an orange instead and it would be better for you.  Stay as close to the natural state of the food as possible and you can't go wrong.

That’s another thing. How much water do you drink in a day? Doctors suggest that we drink at 8 glasses a day, but very few people actually do that.  We take water for granted, but it’s what our bodies are mainly made of and we need to replenish our bodies daily.  It will also make you feel fuller.

Speaking of feeling full, how much should you eat?  We’re talking the dreaded portion sizes here.  The rules are confusing at best.  Remember the deck of cards analogy?  I’ll make it easy for you.  A normal stomach is the size of a fist.  Ball your fist up and you will see that it’s equal to about a cup.  That should be the only portion size you think about.

When we go out for dinner they bring these huge plates filled with food and we feel obliged to eat it. (Remember your mother telling you about the starving kids?) We feel guilty if we leave food on the plate.  DON’T.  It does less damage on the plate than on your hips.  Anyway, you can get a doggy bag and eat it later.

What I started doing is asking for a saucer on the side and whatever would fit on the saucer is what I would eat.  It didn’t matter what it was, but there was a limit to the amount.

Whoa there!  You’re starting to think that you won’t be full and you will starve to death.  That’s where all of this research makes a difference.  This isn’t your one meal of the day or even your one of three.  You are allowed to eat every 3 hours (every 2 hrs when you first begin).  This keeps up your metabolism, keeps you from getting so hungry that you crave unhealthy food and you will feel satisfied.  Just remember to always eat only a saucer full of food. (Not piled 6 inches high….LOL)

This is how people lose weight on programs like Jenny Craig and Nutrasystem.  They are prepackaged foods that control your portion sizes. They also control calories and other things, and you can do that if you wish, but this is simpler and is FREE. Lapband surgery does the same thing. It forces you to eat smaller portions. The problem with that is the side effects and they will never go away. 

Should you exercise? It’s good to exercise, but if you are severely obese you may not feel comfortable going to a gym and working out in front of the blonde Barbies.  I’ll give you an alternative.  Get a dog.

My daughter in law gave me a little Chihuahua and I walk her every day so that I don’t feel self conscious. At first I could only go for about a block before getting winded, but now we walk for at least a mile every day. She loves getting the exercise and I enjoy seeing her happy.  The only thing people are staring at is how cute she is in her little outfits.  Burning calories is just a wonderful side effect. So are the endorphins that help make you feel happier.

If you’re not into dog walking, you can also make small changes to your life.  Park further from the door at the store.  Take the stairs instead of the elevator in buildings. When you’re watching a show on TV get up during the commercials and walk a circle around the room or walk to another room in the house and back. Just move!

And this will shock you, but it’s scientifically proven.  If you want to lose weight you must get enough sleep.  No joke!  People who get enough sleep burn more calories than those who don’t.  Not only that, but you will do a better job at work, have a better attitude and will have more energy.  It’s a no-brainer.

After awhile when the pounds begin to come off and you are feeling better about it you can begin a workout routine.  Remember to modify the movements and stretch first or you will end up in pain and give up. It’s better to start off slow and stay with it than to go in full steam ahead and give up.

And that’s the whole idea behind this “diet”.  It’s a lifestyle change and now I don’t even think about it.  I’m not hungry and I’ve lost 32 pounds so far without pills, weighing food, counting calories or restricting what I eat.  It’s so simple that I wish that I’d known about this 20 years ago.  Now you do, so try it out and then pass it on.

Sources:

http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/guide/lose-weight-while-sleeping

http://www.peertrainer.com/diet/what_a_portion_size_really_is.aspx

http://www.caloriesperhour.com/news_051130.php

http://health.msn.com/fitness/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100124160

http://www.shapeupshop.com/weightloss/water-weight-loss.html