Endurance

I titled this letter ‘endurance' mainly because the most successful clients are the ones who stick at lifestyle change no matter what barriers they encounter. It's never a smooth ride. No one ever loses week by week until they reach a goal weight then simply do whatever they want after that and expect to maintain their weight loss.

One individual who comes into our office felt she was a failure because it took her over 6 years to lose 60 pounds. Actually, if you look at statistics worldwide, she is a complete success because the vast majority of people never learn how to continue to eat small portions and exercise regularly. They slip back into old habits, such that even if they lose 100 pounds in 6 months they will regain most of it by 2 years. Also, as is the case with this woman, some people indeed have slow metabolisms. They lose weight slowly and this is terribly frustrating. All around us we are being given the illusion that everyone is created equal and with just a little effort, one can lose 2 pounds per week every week. Not the case at all.

So, back to my client. Week after week she stuck to her program as best she could. She would be sabotaged by family. Events in her work life at times were unbearable, and she turned to food as her solace. Initially, because of her weight, she did very little exercise due to pain, and the embarrassment of going to a gym. As the weight came off and her confidence grew, she found an aqua fit class that embraced her. They did not judge her because of her weight. She continues to go faithfully 3 times per week. She has gone weeks without the scale moving, and then suddenly it moves in the direction she wants and she is inspired. What I'm trying to say, is that she never gives up. By doing so, she now has adapted to a lifestyle of regular exercise and smaller portions. Her weight continues to (slowly) go down.

Does it really matter how long it takes, as long as you learn to change your lifestyle so that you don't have to face that dreaded weight regain? I think one of the worst things we can do to people is let them think of themselves as failures; when they go on a drastic calorically limited diet, lose weight, only to regain. They really feel a failure, yet it isn't their fault. Hormones are continually driving us to eat (brain and gut hormones). Advertisements, our friends and our family use food to soothe and comfort us, not realizing that they are sabotaging our efforts.

It is very difficult in our food driven society to say ‘no'. To go to a friend's for dinner and say no to large portions or a heavy dessert feels wrong, yet it is in your power and it is your right to say "no”. This is your health, your self-esteem we are talking about.

So, as you begin your journey, realize that it is a lifelong commitment you are making to daily, weekly and monthly good eating habits, regular exercise and learning ways to lower the stress in your life.

A healthy lifestyle takes work at first until it becomes habit. You need endurance. Don't short change yourself with ‘quick fix' diets or fads. They do not work. We have to change our thinking for life about how much food and how much exercise we must do on a daily basis, first to lose weight, then to maintain that weight loss for life.
It is not easy, but it is worth the effort.

You can do it. Just never give up.

Dr. Doug