I had asked my doctor "Why can't I lose weight?". The only sound in the room was the subtle crinkling of the paper on the exam table as he rummaged through the drawers and handed me a pamphlet that basically said 'eat less'.
I still recall that doctor visit. I was in my early twenties and found myself in the 'large' stage of one of my life-long yo-yo weight gain cycles
\"easy Diet\"
I had been working for a couple of years in a job that required a lot of walking, so much in fact that I literally wore through the soles of several pairs of shoes during those two years. Walking is a great way to stay trim.
When that gig ended I found myself standing behind a printing press for the better part of two shifts each day. I had also married by this time and found that I was ballooning in size. I didn't think I was eating too much. In fact, I was not eating much at all outside of a massive Sunday dinner with my Italian in-laws each week. I was just too busy and too embarrassed by my weight gain.
And that, as it turns out, was part of my problem (not the Italian food...my eating habits). I was committing one of the 'Big Three' mistakes that prevent people from losing weight. If you are trying to figure out how to shake loose some extra pounds then this is something you should know.
If you can't lose weight and doubt that you are eating too much then take a look at how often you are eating. Not eating often enough, or not eating enough, it may be the very reason you can't lose weight.
Seems strange, right?
The way our metabolism works, the way our body uses calories, is the explanation.
Whether you consider it genius design or proof that God has a sense of humor the fact is that reducing caloric intake also reduces metabolism, or the rate that your body burns calories. More ironic is that when you don't eat, or go really long periods between meals, your metabolism slows dramatically and your body starts conserving the one thing you really want to get rid of: Fat. In every case the weight loss accomplished by starvation diets is not the stuff you want to lose, like lean muscle and bone density.
Fat is the long-term fuel of choice for the body and when things get tough, like in the case of famine, the body holds on to fat for as long as it can. Any calories you consume that aren't immediately used for fuel are converted to fat and the body guards that fat like a junk-yard dog. When we skip meals or eat irregularly the body assumes it needs to conserve and slows the metabolic rate.
And you end up on the couch, or the kitchen chair, on a doctor's exam table or weeping quietly on the edge of your bed asking yourself 'Why can't I lose weight?'
A Counter-Intuitive Solution
One of my favorite comedy bits as a kid was Bill Cosby talking about learning to drive and how to handle it when your car started to slide in the snow. He humorously related that he was taught to 'turn into the slide' which made as much sense to him as a boxer leaning into a right hook. The truth about losing weight is like that.
The body needs a baseline of calories each day for best performance. According to Dr. David Heber, Director of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition at the University of California, Los Angeles, it's about 1200 calories for women, and about 1500 for men. This will vary depending on your size and activity level but it's a good place to start.
Next, you need to keep your body convinced that it isn't going to starve. You do this by feeding it early and often. That first bite of food you take in the morning is the signal to your body that it's a day of plenty. Eating every couple of hours will convince it to keep the metabolic furnace on high.
In other words, starving yourself will slow or even prevent weight loss. Weird, but true.
These are the basics.
- Eat within the first hour of waking up in the morning
- Eat often throughout the day
Of course it matters what you eat. A healthy diet high in proteins, rich in fiber and healthy carbohydrates and fats is the key to healthy and lasting weight loss.
Why Can't I Lose Weight: If You Break This Rule It May Be Why You Can't Lose Weight
Tom Bradley lives in Provo, Utah and came to wellness and weight loss out of necessity but has hung around from passion. Tom's straight-ahead approach to wellness and nutrition to promote weight management and healthy aging is the simple solution for the trend of growing world obesity and chronic illness.
Wondering 'Why can't I lose weight?' [http://easydietcoach.withtombradley.com] Tom offers simple, common sense tips in his Easy Diet Coach Newsletter.
The foundation for successful wellness and weight management is support, defined goals and accountability. Subscribe to Tom's Easy Diet Coach Newsletter and get a personal help for a successful launch of your last "diet" at EasyDietCoach.com [http://easydietcoach.withtombradley.com]