Most people have two choices this time of year, they either throw in the towel, or they go on some crazy schedule to lose as much weight as is humanely possible in the next 5 weeks to get into that special dress or suit! Neither are great examples of health being at the top of the list and here’s why;
If you say “that’s it, i’ll start back after xmas, no point going for it now”, then that’s fine, but the facts are that you are wasting 5 weeks of your life, and are going to be miserable going into christmas, and even more miserable after christmas, when not only will you be feeling rubbish, your immune system will be down due to all the bad food and likely alcohol consumption, and you will be prone to all sorts of colds and viruses. Have you ever noticed why cold and flu remedies are advertised in force after christmas? Simple advertising because statistically they know the country is in it’s worst shape in early january!
If you go on the very restrictive route, you will typically go on a very low calorie controlled diet. If you go under 1200 calories per day diet, you are classed as being malnourished, if you go into any doctor’s surgery or hospital and ask if that is true, you will find it is.
The best way to go about any eating reduction is to bring it down gradually, 250-500 calories per day being the maximum amount. This has been proven to have a longer lasting effect on weight loss, and it will be better for your sanity too! The best way to do this is, like i always suggest, to “clean up” your eating habits and shopping lists.
Doesn’t it make common sense to use lean white meats, fish, whole grains, fruit and vegetables as the foundation for good health, instead of worrying about every single last calorie you are consuming? This way, food doesn’t become your only thought all day, and you are able to relax more and get on with the more important things in life.
Doesn’t it make sense to eat these good foods to look after your insides, and protect yourself more against serious disease? It must be common sense to eat well, drink more water, workout more and get some fresh oxygen into your system every day? You will find your body will react by getting into great shape, and truly being energised by the good care you are taking of your body! Keep your portions small, measure your carb and protein portions by the size of your fist, pile on the veg, snack on fruit and nuts and your skin will look amazing too, it really is the way to go and there’s no other way around it.
The quick fixes of this world will encourage you to go on calorie reduced diets of sometimes 3 digits, they are a sure-fire way to fail, and the weight always comes back on, plus 5% on average according to studies.
Members of this blog have posted privately and publicly about how, after a while, your body rejects the sugary/fatty food, because your taste buds will have changed for the better, and those high calorie snacks will taste “sickly” to you now. It’s a process that’s tough for the first couple of weeks, but once you have gone through it, you will appreciate how good it feels to feel energetic, and how it feels for your body to be getting tighter and leaner.
Summing up, if you take a longer term approach based on science and common sense, it may take longer to get there but you won’t have so many of those roadblocks in the road to come, there will be no more yo-yo dieting, and you will be sure your insides will be firing as well as possible. Don’t become obsessed with weight, look at the overall picture and aim to get that waist down to under half your height in inches, that will be a far more realistic measurement of progress and overall health.
Keri
No point in panicking, 5 weeks 10lbs, that’s it like it or not. But I think what you r saying is spot on. Even tho i intend to stay on track now, there is no hope 4 me by christmas. Prob will be miserable, nothing will fit, but why make it worst. If I dont stay on track now and up to christmas, can u imagine what I will feel like in the New Year.
Have set myself a target, 2 b 9st 3lbs by June 18th 2010. So no, I wont panic, 10lbs is better than nothing thank you very much, already dropped 6 so that will b 16lbs, wont complain. But I can tell u this, when I lose it this time, I will not b goin back 2 what I am now, its 2 hard 2 keep doin this. I could never do Graig Hill now, dont think I’ll ever b that mad again, fun at the time. So dont think I will b out over the festive season, cant b seen in public. Hope u christmas is brill.
PS
would tell u my waist size, but it would b out there 4ever
Don’t put yourself down, you have to get that self-confidence up again, or you will be easily battered down again at the slightest slip. It’s good to make your intentions public, and don’t be stupid, lots of people far bigger than you don’t care how they look.
If you don’t want to post your waist size fair enough, just keep telling us how much you lose!
Not knocking yourself every day or so can be destructive, try talking about the good things all the time, and things will remain positive and get better. What you give your thoughts to every day will shape who you are and what you think.
Do me a favour and post something positive in your life or happens each day or so, no negatives and see if it becomes a habit?? Nice little experiment!
OK Proffesor, will do ur experiment. will tell you something positive 4 2mo. am goin 4 a run, in my oil skins if I have to, 20 mins will do me. As 4 indoor workouts, I can do press ups, dips, sit ups, hypers. Dont know about squat thrusts or step, I bought a reebok step, Jasmine loves it, she dances on it 2 MTV. Have Jasmine at 9.15am 4 Lou 2 go to salon. So wont do it after that time, will have her till 6.
Thanx Ke
One day I hope to have ur enthusiasum. I read ur blog and I think, he just loves what he does, helping people. Good on u