Don't try to be perfect
Sometimes I forget how hard it is for people to change, even if the change is for the better. To become healthier and to lose weight, we must change some aspects of how we are living our lives right now. This should be exciting, because of the positive outcomes we can see such as having more energy, less discomfort, having to take fewer pills, having more self- confidence and more. However the change is daunting to many people. We may not even start because we think the task is too difficult, or more likely, we fear not being able to follow through.
One simple analogy is exercise. We might hire a personal trainer, and begin seeing them 3 or 4 times per week. The trainer doesn't think you will be able to lift the heaviest weights in the beginning. They know it's a process, where you begin with simple movements within your ability, knowing, ultimately that you will become stronger and generally more fit. Some people understand this, and know that you can't be the fittest or the strongest from the get go, it takes time. Many, however, stop going because they don't see the results fast enough, or had expectations greater than their personal physiology would allow.
Changing our eating habits may seem a scary, difficult proposition at first. Self-doubt creeps in, previous failures are remembered and we either don't start, or start and quickly fall back into old habits because we do not believe we can succeed.
Like anything in life, we cannot expect to be perfect all of the time. There will be set backs. Some people describe themselves as perfectionists; "all or nothing" type people. It's an expression I've never understood, simply because we can never be perfect 100% of the time. When it comes to losing weight, we will have good days and not so good days, simply because of the complicated busy lives we lead. This does not mean, however, that we should never start trying or give up when we see we aren't eating 'perfectly'.
Like exercise, becoming healthier or losing weight takes time. What is different about foods, however, is that many foods (especially sugars and their larger cousins, carbohydrates) are highly addictive and very difficult to wean off. Faced with our exposure to food almost 24 hours per day, I know, and my staff know, that changing habits is not easy. We know that everyone, at some point will get off track and it is our goal to help them get back on track again. This is very normal. Faced with stress in our jobs, travel, moving, financial worries or health issues, eating is very much a coping mechanism in many of these situations.
It is not easy and I realize that. I write these weekly e-mails for that very reason. If I thought everyone would meet me once, take away a 'diet' sheet and follow that diet for the rest of their lives, no matter what dilemmas they face in life, then I wouldn't need to continue to encourage them. Life is not like that however, and I know people will get upset when they are not losing, or find themselves snacking mindlessly in response to their emotions. Changing behaviours of eating takes time. It can be very frustrating.
Everyone can succeed though. I know that. It may take longer than they want, but they will succeed. The important thing is to never ever give up trying. You can do it.
Dr. Doug