We perceive a period of 'dieting' as a time of misery and self denial which for the majority will result in nothing but failure and a return to former habits....... a vicious circle of self loathing and yo-yoing ensues and we end up putting those excess pounds back on and then some!
Every 'new year' we are bombarded with ads for this slimming club, that new weight management programme, gym memberships discounts here and 'boot camps' there, and of course the television is riddled with plenty of 'famous' people who can tell us where it all went wrong....but don't ask them about the liposuction, the tummy tuck or butt lift they had, or the personal chef, trainer and nutritionist who makes sure they never even have to think about their next meal never mind shop for it or cook it!......and don't forget to buy the book or the workout dvd....of course!.....but never mind, by the time Easter and the annual festival of chocolate worship comes around all will be forgotten, but according to media sources, by the 17th of January most people will have lost the will to continue anyway as normal life takes over once more and we revert to 'business as usual'.
The food messages that are continually thrown at us are confusing and disheartening. Fat is bad! fat is good, carbs are bad! carbs are good! protein is good but meat is bad! dairy is bad, gluten is bad! and next on the band wagon is....SUGAR!......Even as I write this, the British government is playing with the idea of a tax on sugary fizzy drinks......if they think this will solve the obesity epidemic that apparently threatens the future of the nation they are sadly mistaken......I think it simply a poor attempt to distract the tax payer who may protest when their taxes are increased! Poor Mr tax payer is told that the hike in taxes is necessary to foot the bill for a health service that is apparently deluged by the overweight populous in need of bariatric surgery.....a minuscule minority let me tell you in comparison to those numbers whose health is affected by the use of legally prescribed medications, alcohol, tobacco, pollution, legal additives and other chemicals in our food and water.......but we won't mention those statistics now will we! let's blame it all on the 'fatties', they're an easy target, let's just turn a blind eye to the real cause....the food manufacturers and fast food outlets who make it their business to provide us with their deliciously 'addictive' products! where is their 'fat' tax?
I am in total agreement that carrying unnecessary weight is not good for our overall health and well being, and can result in an increase to our susceptibility to a range of easily avoidable health issues. but being overweight or 'obese' in this society is apparently the worst thing a human can be, much worse than being a smoker, or an alcoholic, or a thief, a serial killer or just a downright malicious b******, and I for one would really like to know why? It's not as if the overweight person is harming anyone except themselves and like those who may suffer from anorexia or bulimia, there's usually a whole other underlying reason for that persons eating habits, it's never just about the food, and it's seldom about greed!
There are a few different factors involved when it comes to being overweight....
1. emotional or stress related eating.....eating nice things can be a comfort and make us feel good and better about ourselves, for example, the effects of chocolate work like a drug in the brain, it makes us feel good so bring on the chocolate! the 'bad' fats and additives in highly processed and refined foods also affect our brain but in a negative way and simply leave us craving more. Eating can also be a way of combating boredom, my advice is to go read a good book if you can't peel yourself off the sofa to go for a walk!
2. lack of education......the day they discontinued compulsory home economics in schools was a sad day, and now many of this, and the next generation, have little or no idea about basic nutrition or what it means to eat healthily or normally! If you yourself know nothing of the composition and the effects of what you are putting in your mouth and onto the plates of your children then how can you supply the building blocks of knowledge for a lifetime of sensible eating and positive food attitudes?
3. lack of finance......this is a strange one and an issue I have mentioned before on this blog and it also includes access to and availability of choice.
The more disposable income you have the better and fresher your diet will be, it's a statistical fact!......and if you can afford to travel you have more shopping options open to you, you can access more sources of wholesome fresh foods.
If you have little access to or cannot afford transport you are restricted to whichever supermarket or shop that is within your reach, and it's amazing how many fast food outlets or shops selling processed foods set up in areas where the populous are low on finances and have restricted transport!.......the less disposable income you have, the more likely you are to eat processed foods high in unhealthy fats, sugars, chemicals and additives, and, the less likely your are to be a healthy weight! sad but true. We have all seen the 'benefits' programmes on TV where the cupboards and fridges on display are predominantly filled with processed foods......bought extremely cheaply of course! but if that's all you can afford?
If you have little access to or cannot afford transport you are restricted to whichever supermarket or shop that is within your reach, and it's amazing how many fast food outlets or shops selling processed foods set up in areas where the populous are low on finances and have restricted transport!.......the less disposable income you have, the more likely you are to eat processed foods high in unhealthy fats, sugars, chemicals and additives, and, the less likely your are to be a healthy weight! sad but true. We have all seen the 'benefits' programmes on TV where the cupboards and fridges on display are predominantly filled with processed foods......bought extremely cheaply of course! but if that's all you can afford?
I have long maintained that if you are labouring under the burden of limited income and you are faced with a choice of buying a dozen processed burgers for a fraction of the price of 500 g of lean fresh meat then it's not hard to guess what you will do, faced with the choice of buying what you can afford or possibly going hungry, any worries or concerns of what you are eating today and how it will affect your long-term health will definitely take a back seat!
The idea that something that has been processed to death and messed about with in a factory can possibly be cheaper than a portion of real unadulterated food is just ridiculous! I believe processed foods should be seen as the 'luxury' foods and should be priced accordingly, fresh food should always be the cheaper option.......in a utopian society maybe.
So what's a person who is carrying around some excess baggage to do? Unfortunately I don't have any miracle cures or answers.....nor do I have a book! I can only suggest that you throw the diet books out the window and sit down and really think about what you are eating and why are you eating it!
Compile a food diary for a week or two, eat whatever you want whenever you want and don't let any feelings of guilt intrude. Write down honestly what you are eating each day, maybe you could write how you are feeling at the time or what you are doing, are you rushed at work, are the kids driving you nuts, are you bored, lonely? whatever,.......don't look back over what you have written until the couple of weeks are up.
Now read what you have written, can you see any patterns? are you eating certain things at certain times of the day or under certain circumstances? when are you at your hungriest? when do you have your cravings? maybe these things are what should be addressed, can you change your mindset which in turn may change your eating habits?
Look at what you are eating......have you time to cook fresh food or are you always too tired and just want to throw something in the microwave or order a takeaway and collapse in front of the TV, how can you change this? can you think of a way to organise your time more effectively? would you have time maybe during the week or at the weekends that you could dedicate to doing some batch cooking of fresh meals you could freeze yourself? do you know what you should be eating? maybe you just hate shopping and having to even think about cooking! maybe you think you can't afford it!
Take a look at my supermarket tips and how to organise your meal times HERE! there may be some issues you could resolve. Fresher can be cheaper too, it just takes a little know how and a few sneaky tricks to make it work for you.
A few other tips........buy smaller plates! yip, works every time!......eat with friends or family, it's surprising how much less we eat when surrounded by love, family and friends......good stimulating conversation and lots of it slows down the rate at which the food goes into our mouths and we will feel full having eaten less food!
Eat slowly, savour each mouthful, you spent time cooking this delicious dish so relax and enjoy your efforts.
You need to realise that it may take months or years to actually loose excess weight. If it took ten years to add a few extra stone it may take 2 -3 years to loose it again, there are no quick fixes when it comes to loosing weight safely no matter what any book or any celebrity tries to tell you!
Eat slowly, savour each mouthful, you spent time cooking this delicious dish so relax and enjoy your efforts.
You need to realise that it may take months or years to actually loose excess weight. If it took ten years to add a few extra stone it may take 2 -3 years to loose it again, there are no quick fixes when it comes to loosing weight safely no matter what any book or any celebrity tries to tell you!
Don't read, watch TV or mess with technology while you are eating, this distracts the brain in a bad way and interferes with the brains signals telling you that you are full!
Exercise......and I don't mean sweating buckets in a gym, do something you will enjoy on a daily basis, take the kids for a walk in the park, take them swimming weekly, walk the dog on the beach, maybe take up a sport you loved when you were younger or even try a new one, either way get up and get moving even if it's gently to begin with.
As you feel better over time you can be more adventurous and increase your activity, even join a gym or do a walk or run for charity and increase your fitness levels....even go bowling or dancing.....but steer clear of the bar!
We want to develop habits that can last a lifetime not just for the time it takes us to loose whatever bit of excess weight we may be carrying around, we want these habits to be part of our 'normality' and if it's normal it will be successful!
If you require any nutritional advice you should get it straight from the horses mouth...ie..a qualified medical nutritionist! believe me it's the only way!
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