OFF THE SCALE
‘You die on a diet’ — Try a lifestyle shift for healthy weight loss
After dusting off their skinny jeans, swimsuits and shorts, most people decide how much weight they need to lose for summer by looking at two things – the bathroom scale and the mirror. Once they set a goal, they choose a gimmick diet and turn into a gym rat. “Eat right and exercise,” they’ve been told all their lives. That’s the magic formula. The problem is, weight loss isn’t that simple. This unscientific approach is why people go through an endless cycle of losing and gaining weight. It’s an unhealthy cycle that’s physically, psychologically and emotionally stressful.
Healthy, permanent weight loss – not radical, temporary weight loss that throws your body out of whack – doesn’t happen by adopting a “Biggest Loser” mindset. Healthy weight loss is nothing but a happy by-product of a wellness lifestyle.
Eat right
The phrase “eat right and exercise” is as useless as it is overused. There no single approach to weight loss that works for everyone.
“Eat less and exercise more” might be even
worse. In fact, eating less and exercising more can cause you to gain weight.
When you don’t give your body the nutrition it needs, the body stores what few calories you have by lowering your metabolic rate. You need to increase your metabolic rate if you expect to lose weight. Some people will try a low-fat or low-carb diet. If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times: You die on a diet.
The human body needs fats and carbohydrates. You need healthy fats, like the fats you find in organic avocados and wild-caught salmon, and healthy carbs, like the carbs you
find in leafy, green vegetables and natural whole grains. You might need supplements to make up for what your body is missing.
Exercise
When it comes to exercise, the people giving advice at local gyms usually aren’t qualified trainers. They spend a lot of time at the gym and look good in tank tops and leotards, so gym members listen to them.
Unfortunately, the wrong exercise program can increase the risk of injury, weaken the immune system, and make you feel more stressed. An effective exercise program isn’t designed to lose weight. It’s customized for the individual based on their goals, physical condition, body type, history, blood tests and other factors.
As a society, we need to get beyond clichés, bathroom scales and mirrors and understand the basic science behind healthy weight loss.
The goal
The goal is to lose fat mass, not muscle, bone, ligament or tendon mass.
The right doctor and the right testing can tell you the pounds of fat (fat mass) and pounds of everything else (fat-free mass) in your body, as well as your percentage of body fat (body mass index). With the right dietary protocols, you’ll know if you’re losing the right kind of weight the right way.
This is a healthy, scientific approach to weight loss. It might take longer than a crash diet, but if you make permanent lifestyle change, the weight loss will be permanent, too. And you’ll benefit for the rest of your life.
You’ll put less strain on your joints. You’ll reduce the risk of developing chronic illnesses such as type 2 diabetes, arthritis, heart disease and, yes, obesity.
Of course, the benefits aren’t just physical. Your hormones will be in balance, so your mood will be better. Your brain will be as fit as the rest of your body, so you’ll think more clearly and improve your memory. You’ll sleep better, so your body will have more time to heal.
Instead of saying, “I want to lose weight,” say, “I want to be healthier.” Establish the right goals, commit to lifestyle change, and seek help from a qualified healthcare provider who can provide you with the information and motivation you need to achieve your goals.