You Have to Eat to Lose Weight

Twice this week I have been told by a friend or client that they are monitoring calories to a very low level.  Eating only 1000 calories or so a day.

That is not the way to lose weight long-term.  If you make your body think that food is scarce and psuedo-starve yourself, the result will be a depressed metabolism.  That means that your body is slowing down the motor in order not to starve.

Studies suggest that an adult should eat 1200 or 1500 calories daily, for adult women and men respectively.

Don't race to the finish line.  Getting there will be just as meaningful in the longterm, but with much better chances of staying there!

Diet Sodas...0 Calories, So What's the Problem?

I have heard people make fun of individuals who go get fast food and order a diet coke.  I guess their point is that if your already fat and ordering a fast food meal, then screw the diet coke.

Well on the basis of calories alone, it makes great sense to cut where you can.  If you eat 5 fast food meals a week and do drink a regular soda (let's say 32 oz.) then that would equate to around 400 calories per serving (without a refill).  Obviously multiplying that out would be 2000 calories per week.  Drinking that much soda a year would then be 104,000 calories or nearly 30 pounds of calories a year.  Not having those calories obviously does benefit weight management then.

But there is a darker side to soda.  Though there is an association with an increase in cancer in labs animals with saccharin and aspartame (only due to extremely high doses), the American Cancer Society suggests that both are fine to consume in normal amount.  There are other issues with diet soda.

Research suggests that diet soda's artificial sweeteners do such a good job that the brain registers the consumption of sweetness and begins to crave more.  The concern then would be having an uncontrolled sweet tooth that does you in later when cupcakes or cookies are available.

Secondly, soda (diet or regular) has a low pH or is acidic.  The body wants to control acidity and be more neutral.  One of the main ways that it does that is through minerals.  Using minerals in the body increases alkalinity and pH back to normal levels.  The issue is that the body uses minerals for bones and among other things to create hormones released from the thyroid that control metabolism or how fast your motor runs.  A slower metabolism equates to less calories burned throughout the day.

For Lent, I gave up diet sodas.  210.0

Stay the Course

I'll admit that the past week didn't go very well initially.  Busy and social lead to poorer eating choices. 

As it turned out, I was pretty active and didn't limit my calorie intake on other days and it turns out that my weight stayed pretty stable.  210.8

Its a Breeze...Sometimes

Sometimes losing weight feels so easy.  Why?  I want to package that and give it away...Ok, I want to sell it really.

Right now my life is relativity in balance.  I am happy.  I am healthy.  I feel loved.  I am comfortable financially.  If I am low stress overall, it probably means that I have a better chance at creating new habits or releasing old, less healthy habits.

Find ways to make life easier and to decrease stress.  It will help with a lot of different areas of your life and wellness.

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Social Troubles

So if there is a sweet young lady that I fancy, and we have been seeing each other for a couple of months, and we are in two different spots in life, then the relationship could become strained causing stress and anxiety for me.  Whether it is a significant other or friends or family, when your social health changes, there can be a strain on your physical health.  Especially if you don't have good coping mechanisms.

When stressed or sad, how will I react.  Double-fist pints of ice cream?  Luckily I don't drink or that might be a choice.  I hope to be diligent and stay on track, but under stress we tend to gravitate back to what makes us comfortable.  I don't want to gravitate.

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Defending Against Social Eating

Sadly enough, eating in a social environment has not been much of a challenge for me in recent years.  I work nights and weekends to make ends meet and that doesn't afford the normal perks of being social.  Reacently though, I have had that opportunity to hang out and do things.

The problem is that doing things turns into eating things, and those things aren't usually healthy.  I need to work on eating early in the evening as well.  Eating calorically dense food closer to bed time will not get me to my goals.

How's the Resolution?

Did you give up?  I hope not, but research suggests that most people have thrown away their goals. 

Most resolutions are labeled as "New Year's", yet we quit on ourselves after 1 month.  If you think about it, it really doesn't make sense.  Odds are that we have just come out of a full season of holiday eating, if not years of bad habits, and expect that we can turn it all around.

Then at the slightest sign of failure, we bail!

Don't give up.  Give yourself time to find the new normal.  The path will have many ups and downs, but it doesn't have to end.  You can do it, just as many others have.  You aren't weak...you're impatient. Stay with me here.  I need support on my trip!

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