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Ed Martin
Ed Martin is owner of Healthy Choices, Inc. of Wichita. Ed has been involved in the energy and health fields for over 30 years, focusing on pioneering new technologies and bringing cutting-edge products and services to the marketplace. You can reach Ed at; 316-207-7343, or by e-mail at healthychoices1@cox.net
Health & Wellness
2007-11-01 08:42:00
Lose weight and still enjoy food
I want to lose weight, but every diet I have ever tried gets so boring that I get tired of it and quit. I hate diets that limit me to just eating the same few things over and over, and the foods I really like are never on the diet. What do you suggest that I can do to lose weight and still enjoy eating?
Answer: I believe it is possible to lose weight while eating foods you enjoy, because I have done it myself. Let me share my experience with you. First of all, when considering my weight, I think of my body as a savings account much like my savings account at the credit union. When I put more money into my savings account than I take out, my balance gets bigger, and when I take more money out than I put in, my balance gets smaller. At the credit union, having a growing balance in my savings account is a good thing. My body is a savings account for energy. I consume food for nutrition (vitamins and minerals) and for energy (calories). Any calories that I do not burn up for energy are saved by my body in the form of fat If I take in more calories than I burn up, I gain fat, and if I burn up more calories than I take in, I lose fat. With my body, I want to keep my balance of stored energy (fat) as small as possible. In my opinion, a diet is just an organized way to get you to take in fewer calories than you burn up. Since most of the foods we crave are high in fats and sugar, they are high in calories, which is not good. That’s why diet gurus tell you to follow some routine such as not eating carbs, or eating lots of grapefruit, or some other ritual designed to lower your calorie intake. Whoever comes up with the latest diet writes a book about it and gets rich while desperate people who want to lose weight spend their money on another dose of hope that will leave them hungry and frustrated. Many years ago, I was a smoker. I knew I should quit smoking, and I even said that I wanted to quit, but it was never the “right time”. In fact, I never quit until I made a commitment to quit and set my mind to being successful. Then it was actually pretty easy. I look at weight loss the same way. Even though I have tried diets off and on over the years, I never stuck with any diet because I always had to give up eating what I liked. The diets were too hard to live with, so I would quit, and I watched my weight gradually grow to 220. In late May of this year, my wife, who has maintained her figure beautifully, said that she wanted to shed a few pounds for the summer. I said that I would support her by doing the same. At that point, I made a commitment to her, and I was not going to let her down. The key word in both quitting smoking and in losing weight is the same; …COMMITMENT. Without a commitment, nothing will work. OK, so much for all the philosophy. What does this have to do with how I lost weight while still eating the foods I enjoy? Very simple. I cut back on quantities, and I started to eat smarter. I ate more fruits, vegetables and nuts, which I like, and I ate less of the high fat and sugar content foods that I also like. Notice that I did not say I quit eating the high fat and sugar content foods, because that would only cause me to crave them more. Instead, I went to smaller portions and gradually ate them less and less often. Sometimes I only had a couple of bites. However, I never totally outlawed anything that I like to eat. At lunch time, I usually grab a fast food burger with a diet drink. To lose weight, I did not change my burger habit, but I committed to eating burgers at a local chain that only puts lettuce, tomato, and onion on its burgers, along with a little ketchup and mustard, but without adding mayo or special sauces. They also offer sugar-free jello as an alternative to french fries. Now, I still get a fast food lunch that I like, but it has helped lower my calorie intake. I can give you additional examples of ways I altered my eating habits to lower my calorie intake without giving up foods I enjoy, but you are probably getting the idea. I also started riding my bicycle 2 or 3 times a week in the evening to help burn some calories. I was taking in fewer calories while I was burning up more, and my fat “savings account” dropped 15 pounds in about 2 months. However, my weight loss leveled off and I was stuck at 205 for several weeks. I started to lose weight again in August when I was introduced to the appetite control patch that I have discussed in previous editions of Q&A Times. This drug-free patch helped me reduce my desire for food without any side effects. I actually went for my fast food burger like before, but I was not hungry enough to eat the whole thing, so I cut it in half and threw one part away. At my favorite Mexican restaurant, I replaced my normal plate of food with a couple of tacos. Cutting back became easier than ever, and over the past 2 months, I have lost almost another 15 pounds. Based on my personal experience, I feel very comfortable telling you that you can lose weight while still eating the foods you enjoy. Just cut back on portions, eat smart, and exercise a little when you can. If you need additional help, you may want to do what I did and try the patch to help control your appetite. Let me know how you do.
 
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