A Common Struggle, A Lasting Solution
Knowing what you are going to eat and then setting yourself up for success is a key to weight loss. Through the years, with practice, these skills almost become automatic.
A lady called me the other day and said. “I weigh 320 pounds. That is in the range of what you weighed when you started your weight loss program.” She then went on to tell me that she had lost 90 pounds once, then gained it back and lost 50 again, which also came right back.
This story could be told over and over every day as people look for diets and quick fixes to lose weight.
The Dieting Dilemma
Following a diet is like holding up a glass of water in the air. Sooner or later you will have to put it down. Yes, a few people keep the weight off, but the percentages are low. To me losing weight is like taking piano lesson. It takes a lot of small steps plus time to practice and implement before the weight comes off and stays off.
The Importance of Small, Consistent Steps
When I hit 326 pounds I was eating with reckless abandonment. Pretty much any food that looked really good sooner or later crossed my lips. Jackie Keller became my health coach and gave me tasks each week to practice and master. For me to make consistent progress it took time and energy to implement what I was learning. The many small steps I took led to a 125-pound weight loss and a new life.
Many of the contestants on “The Biggest Loser” put the weight back on when they leave the ranch. In order to keep the weight off permanently it takes work and consistent effort.
By doing weight loss slowly, it allows for your body to make the many changes that will take place. A plastic surgeon once told me not to lose more that a pound a week. When you lose a great deal of weight, the body needs time to adjust the joints, bones, and skin.
For me setting up the food so that I could come into the kitchen and prepare a healthy meal in 15 minutes or less was a huge key. For that to happen it took planning, shopping and then prepping the food for the week.
Planning for Success
I first need to find out how many calories I should be eating. I am 5’8” and have a medium to big frame, so my guideline for calories was between 1,700 and 1,800 calories. For me eating that many calories of nutritionally dense food made it so that I was not hungry.
Individuals will have to figure out what the amount they will need to eat and the amount of exercise needed to lose weight. There are professional such as health coaches, dietitians, exercise experts and medical people that can assist you in this process so you can find the magic number for you that will help in weight loss.
As I have lost weight, my exercising had increased and my muscle mass has developed, which also help me to burn more calories. Here is how my calories break out. Breakfast is around 350 calories, morning snack 150, lunch 400, snack 150, dinner 450, and my night snack is 200.
Plan out what you will eat for the week. I did not always have a set menu, although Jackie suggested that is best. She also told me that for a meal or a snack to fuel my body they needed to have a protein, complex carbohydrates, and a little fat, which is usually found in the food that I eat.
When you plan, shop and set yourself up for success, it is easy to go into the kitchen and prepare a delicious meal in minutes. As one friend who stayed with me for a few day said, “You really enjoy what you eat.”
