Losing Weight in 2010: Part I
Lauren Muhlheim, Psy.D. is an American psychologist who has worked in the field of eating and weight disorders since 1991. She sees clients at Parkway Health and the Community Center and is President of the Shanghai International Mental Health Association.
With 2009 behind us, many of us will be thinking about our resolutions for 2010. Not surprisingly, one of the most common promises people make to themselves is to lose weight. Unfortunately, there is no magical formula to avoid the physiological law that body fat is determined by calories in and calories out. In the first part of our two-part series, Dr. Lauren Muhlheim explains the planning process for making the behavioral changes necessary to be successful in weight loss.
Appeared in Shanghai Courier, February 2010.
Act as if you already have your ideal body: Live your life
Many overweight people put off pursuing their goals or put aspects of their lives on hold until they have reached their ideal weight. “I’ll go on a date”, “I’ll buy a bikini”, “I’ll pursue the new job”, and so on, “when I lose that 20 pounds.” This is a mistake because you run the risk of life passing you by while you wait to get started. It takes courage to put yourself out there, but you need to realize that the circumstances may never be perfect and that weight loss goal may never be fully achieved. You will be far happier if you think about what things you would do if you got to your goal weight, and then start doing them on your way there.
Consult a healthcare provider
If you are very overweight, have any medical issues, have not been exercising, or have not seen a medical doctor recently, it is a good idea to have a check-up and discuss your goals for weight loss with a doctor. He or she can provide guidance and monitor any medical issues. ParkwayHealth’s Medical Weight Loss Program can help you to lose the unwanted pounds safely and effectively.
Assess your motivation and readiness
When beginning a weight loss program, it is helpful to make a list of the reasons you want to lose weight. This will provide motivation for you to stick to your diet and exercise program. That wedding in several months can often be a good motivator to start making changes, but remember that more successful weight loss involves making gradual changes over time and maintaining them.
Take a few moments to answer the following question: Why DO you want to lose weight? Try to list as many answers as possible. Write these on an index card and carry them with you. Review it daily to increase your resolve. In addition, when faced with a situation that threatens to sabotage your diet, pull out the card and review the reasons.
Assess whether the factors you have listed are adequate motivation in light of other issues in your life you have to focus on. For instance, if you’re in the middle of a job crunch this may not be a good time to embark on a lifestyle change.
Set realistic expectations and plan
You most likely didn’t gain the excess weight in a short time, so it’s unrealistic and unhealthy to expect to lose it quickly or without effort. Weight loss takes time, effort, and willpower. Generally, one should aim to lose ½ to 1 pound per week, perhaps slightly more if you have a lot to lose. It takes effort to eat healthier. Set a realistic weight loss goal as well. Choose a weight within a healthy range (BMI of 20 to 25) versus trying to look like an air-brushed super model.
Eating for weight loss requires putting considerable time and effort into meal planning and preparation. Preparing healthy meals requires more advance preparation than stopping at the local McDonald’s or dumpling stand. Making a salad takes time. Similarly, you also need to think ahead and plan for that dinner out with colleagues or family holiday meal. When dining out or at a party it helps a lot to have a “road map” of what you’re going to eat before you arrive.
It is easy to grab a bag of potato chips or a cookie. Keeping healthy food such as fruits and vegetables ready and available means taking the time to plan and shop and wash and cut it up so it’s ready when you want it. This makes it a reasonable alternative to junk food.
Enlist support
Social support has been demonstrated to correlate directly with weight loss and maintenance. When embarking on a weight loss program it is very important to have some emotional support. This could be in the form of a spouse, friend, relative, therapist, or other dieter. This is one reason Weight Watchers is so successful. It’s important to have someone you can call when you have a bad day or need help planning for a difficult situation. It’s helpful to line up that help ahead of when you need it. So pick at least one friend or colleague and tell them what your goals are and how they can help support you.
Choose a healthy eating plan
It is best to choose an eating plan that you can follow long-term and that will not lead you to feel deprived. Very low calorie diets often backfire because after a short time, dieters end up feeling deprived and begin binge eating. It is better to get past the idea of dieting period and instead focus on healthy eating for life. Weight Watchers is a good program, because it offers flexibility and the focus is on making lifestyle changes.
Commit to an exercise plan
Pick an exercise program that starts gradually and builds as you get stronger. You can choose an activity you like or try something new. Vary the types of physical activity to keep up your interest level and benefit from the cross-training. Exercise does not have to be an elaborate or expensive venture. Simply going for a brisk walk around the neighborhood is a great moderate intensity exercise.
These are all great ways to start putting your plan in action. Check back with us next month in the February newsletter for more tips on how to successfully carry out your weight loss plan!
Resources:
Parkway Health is now partnering with Weight Watchers for our new Medical Weight Loss Program. Led by our American Board Certified Physician, Dr. Hina Pandya, this program takes a holistic approach to weight loss with a focus on both the cosmetic and medical benefits of a healthy body weight. In addition, Lauren Muhlheim, American Clinical Psychologist can provide emotional support and cognitive behavioral strategies to facilitate weight loss.
Email enquiry@parkwayhealth.cn or call 6445-5999 for more information.
Weight Watchers has meetings for expatriates in both Pudong and Puxi (www.weightwatchers.com)
The Beck Diet Solution: Train Your Brain to Think like a Thin Person by Judith Beck, Ph.D.(www.beckdietsolution.com )