Friday, October 31, 2008

Diets Don’t Work

I work for Weight Watchers and this is our slogan. It really is true. If we want to lose weight and become fit and healthy we need to stop believing that just by depriving ourselves of what is intended to keep us alive will make us thin.
  • Diets don’t work! I know I said it once, but I figured it was worth stating again. If they did, we would all be thin because don’t we all start one every Monday morning?
  • If you are hungry, truly hungry, then I say eat. In fact, studies have shown that people who eat small frequent meals/snacks during the day are less likely to be overweight. Why? If you are eating every few hours your body will never become hungry. When I started this practice, it was so foreign to me that I set an alarm clock at 6am, 9am, 12pm, 3pm, 6pm,and 9pm. Yes, I eat at 6am and even right before I go to bed!
  • NOTHING is off limits. Stop right there and take a breath, because you heard me right. Some foods are better choices than others but if we deprive ourselves of something that we really want then we tend to binge. I say, work it into your week’s meals, plan for it, eat it and enjoy it.
  • If you aren’t hungry, don’t eat. This is a tough one as each of us have triggers that lead us to believe that somehow those Ho-Hos in the cupboard will satisfy the feeling of anger over your child’s current report card. Trust me it won’t.
  • This brings me to the issue of our emotions. Learn to respect them. Learn what emotion you are attempting to satisfy with food and learn to find other ways to comfort or distract yourself from that emotion. Maybe, your child’s poor grades make you feel that you are not in control of him or her. Find something that you can control. Like what you put in your mouth. You will feel better and will learn to work with your children on positive ways to overcome their issues.
  • Respect yourself both on the inside and on the outside. Who you are on the inside is more important than what you look like on the outside. I’m always talking with my Weight Watchers members about “fixing what is on the inside and then our bodies have no choice but to follow”. Each of us is a wonderful being made in God’s image and has talents and gifts that can be shared with our families and friends. Identify your gifts and start using them.
  • As you begin to value your health you will want to become more active. Find something that you are good at or that you enjoy, perhaps a walking group in your community, a softball league or riding bikes with your family. All of these are great activities that get you moving and feeling better about yourself.

Remember all of these things don’t have to be done in one week. Choose one and work on it for the next 21 days. We know it takes 21 days to make something a habit and in a matter of a few months you will be on your way to a healthier and more fit you!

2 comments:

dawn said...

I agree, diets don't work. That is why, this past Halloween night, I calculated the points values of my favorite candies (I bought 13 bags of "fun-sized" candy to give out), and made a list. I decided to use 10 weekly points for my "trick or treat" and after the doorbell stopped ringing I made myself a nice 10-point pile and enjoyed some candy.

Kathleen said...

Dawn,
It is important for us to enjoy some of the "finer" things in life and the fact that you planned the candy is the key to your success. Taking that candy and spreading out over the next few weeks is also another option for you too.
Great job and keep up the good work.