Here we are over ½ way through the year; I hope everyone has been having a good year. I hope everyone got to spend time with their children over the summer and do some fun things. Now that school is back in session (or very close), maybe it’s time to renew the commitment to lose those extra pounds, or maybe just tone the muscles and get back in shape.
Better late than never, I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome back any old members that might have strayed away, and for those just joining, welcome to the community; we look forward to getting to know you and hope we can all be successful in our weight loss journey.
I don't know about everyone else, but this past year has been a challenge for me, both physically and emotionally. I'm quite sure that I've gained and lost the same 5 lbs, at least weekly for the past couple years. Sometimes, frustration runs high, other times I look at lab results or my notes on how I felt at a given time and decide to "forgive" myself. Yes, we do have to learn to do that, because how we feel about ourselves is a very important step in weight loss. Don’t be any harder on yourself than you would be on a good friend who has trouble staying on track.
One thing I’ve learned the hard way is that prior to embarking on weight loss efforts, we should check with our doctors to make sure we don’t have underlying medical issues that can cause us to gain weight or be unable to lose it. There are several conditions that will make weight loss, seemingly, impossible, or nearly so. Any sudden gain, or inability to lose, should warrant a visit to the doctor to get some simple blood tests. Common conditions that can cause this are hypothyroidism, insulin resistance, PCOS (for women) and stress. For me, hypothyroidism and stress have been major factors for the past several years.
These medical issues (and others) can be an important part of many weight loss woes, but are relatively easily treated, if tested adequately. Additionally, carrying extra weight can cause a multitude of health issues, each of which, in turn, can make losing that much more difficult. Some medications can also cause weight gain. You should always read the insert that comes with any prescription medication and if weight gain is a side effect, you might want to talk to your doctor to see if there’s an alternative; if not, be sure to take this into consideration when beginning your weight loss program. Failure to address medical issues, prior to embarking on a weight loss journey, can leave you very disappointed and frustrated. This is the road I've been down and I'd do almost anything to keep others from following in my footsteps. Removing obstacles can make the journey much smoother.
All of that said, the best/safest way to lose weight is to adopt lifestyle changes we can stick with over the long haul. We don’t want our weight loss to be temporary, so we mustn’t use temporary means to achieve it.
I'm not really an advocate of "dieting", per se. I believe our "diet" is merely what we eat; it may be good, bad or indifferent, it's still what we eat - just like cows eat corn, horses eat oats/hay, koala bears eat eucalyptus leaves, etc - that's their "diet". I believe that we need to develop a healthy attitude toward diet and exercise. Extreme measures rarely work for any length of time.
All food groups are necessary to be healthy. Cutting out entire food groups (i.e carbs or fats) may help for a time, but what happens when you add those back in? Most likely, you will gain back any lost weight, often adding even more than you lost. And don’t forget that some carbs and fats are essential for maintaining good health. Some drugs and/or weight loss aids might also help, but, again, what happens when you stop them? The weight comes back.
It all has to be done in moderation; food must be consumed in appropriate portions (a small piece of cake, instead of the whole cake). There are an abundance of websites that will help you learn what size a "portion" is.
The same goes for exercise. You can throw yourself into exercise for weeks and weeks and maybe will be a bit successful, but what happens if you miss one day or one week of that intense exercise?
Like eating, exercise must be done in moderation - don't believe the old saying "no pain, no gain". If you exercise and feel actual pain, you are probably doing too much. Yes, it's normal to have some sore muscles when you first start exercising, but, you should recover with a few hours rest. If you work out to the point that it takes several days to recover, you haven't gained anything because, most likely, you aren't going to exercise again until the pain is gone........... best to work up slowly; "feel" the exercise, but stop before it's painful. You will be much more likely to exercise daily.
I wish for each and every one, old friends and newcomers, alike, the best of everything for remainder of the year.
I invite you to join us on the weight loss journey. We are here to help provide ideas, suggestions, support, or motivation.
Wishing everyone health and happiness.
WELCOME TO WEIGHT LOSS AND DIETING................. 2012