What Will It Take…?
My neighbour retired four years ago and each time I saw him he seemed to be getting heavier and heavier. Recently, I saw him outside and I was quite surprised at how fit he looked. When I questioned him he stated that he had "the diabetes” and his doctor said that if he didn't lose weight he would have to go on medication. This was enough for him to make changes in his eating habits. He has now lost 30 pounds and his blood sugars are back to normal. As we spoke, he told me he'd learned that his desire for chips while watching TV or his need of a muffin at Tim's was "not here,” (as he pointed to his stomach), "…but up here,” (as he pointed to his head). He also realized that experiencing real hunger is not an emergency to be satisfied immediately by grabbing unhealthy foods. He made time to stop and think about healthy options.
That same day, I was out shopping and met a former client of ours. She was a lady who initially lost a considerable amount of weight. She regained some weight and re-started a couple of times with our program but was never able to achieve her lowest weight. The day I saw her she looked fantastic. When I questioned her about her success she stated that she had developed some abnormalities in her blood work as a result of a "fatty” liver. Her doctor told her that if she could lose weight her blood would improve. If she didn't, she would become quite ill.
I also visited a friend that weekend who had tried several times to lose weight but always seemed to regain. Her most recent weight loss she had maintained for two years. When I asked her what was different this time she said she became very frightened when her younger brother died of a heart attack. She decided it was time to take control of her weight so she wouldn't meet the same fate. She stated that it is just as easy to have healthy foods available as it is to have unhealthy choices.
We are all aware that being overweight puts us at risk for many health problems including Type II diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, strokes, kidney disease, dementia and sleep apnea. In addition, extra weight causes an increase in joint and muscle pain and added wear and tear on those joints. Recently, a very credible study conducted in several countries over a period of years and with thousands of participants indicated that obesity can be linked to several cancers including breast and bowel. Other studies demonstrated that if an overweight person loses even 10% of their weight there are significant benefits to their health and their risk for diabetes is greatly reduced.
In the book "Thin for Life,” people who have lost weight and kept it off for a minimum of five years all stated that something happened to spur them on and make them "take in the reigns.” They had an attitude shift which reflected a sense of self-responsibility and determination. They accepted the fact that they had to make some changes in their choices of food and that they could not go back to their old eating habits.
The two people that I met that Saturday along with my friend's success made me stop and think; fear of serious health problems were enough to spur each of them on to make changes. I ask each of you to stop and think…what will it take for you to decide to lose weight and keep it off? Whatever it might be, write it down on a piece of paper and keep it handy. When you are feeling unmotivated, take it out and review it. The time for action is now before it's too late.
Remember, whatever happens, don't ever, ever stop trying. Eventually, you will get in the mindset that this will last and the weight will stay off.
Dr. Doug