Diet Free Weight Loss

Weight Loss Surgery

I wanted to write a post here just to state my position on WLS (Weight Loss Surgery) as I've had a few queries about this.

Let me say right from the start, I am positive that - if I had been in a position where I was morbidly obese, had tried and failed to get rid of my excess weight, and was suffering the medical consequences of my obesity, I would definitely have opted for WLS. Fortunately, I have never been in that position, but I have no problems with it whatsoever.

There are many different procedures for WLS these days, and all I would advise - if you are considering this option - is that you research as much as you possibly can. Find a top surgeon - one who has proved himself in this field, over and over. Choose the procedure that you feel will be the best for you and your lifestyle.

WLS is a serious undertaking. But it is a tool that, if used properly, can change your life. It is NOT the easy way out ! Its a long, hard road after WLS.

Step 5 - Substitutions

If you are still with me, and are now proceeding to Step 5 of our life-changing eating plan - well done to you !

We learned in Step 1 to change our attitude.

In Step 2 we started thinking about journalling our journey - if you have an online blog set up for this purpose, please let me know the address so that we can share our challenges.

Step 3 got us thinking about drinking water (or more water).

Step 4 encouraged us to get moving. Remember, baby steps...one at a time.

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  Step 5 - Substitutions

If we think about it, life is all about choices - bad choices, good choices, better choices and the best choices for us. Every choice we make has a consequence. There's no getting away from that fact. If I start out in life continually making bad choices of a criminal nature, never making any effort to change my ways, I could end up in jail or worse. There is a definite consequence to my choices.

It's the same in our Nutrition. We have a lot of choices we can make - good, bad and indifferent. And each of these choices involves a consequence - one that could harm our bodies, another that could do us good, and other choices that won't affect us either way. If we can learn to recognise when we are making a bad choice in our eating, we have a wonderful opportunity to make a substitution for that choice. In other words, choose something else. Something else that will be just as satisfying, but will be doing us more good than harm.

A lot of people don't know this. They have never been educated on nutrition. There is no shame in that. I started out eating the way my parents always ate - cooking the same way my mother and grandmother cooked - using ingredients I had seen in their kitchens year after year. Cooking and eating foods the way that they did is very comfortable for me (my comfort foods) - but its not always healthy. I know this now. I have the opportunity to choose better options - substitute - make better (for me) choices.

In Step 5 - we are going to make just a few substitutions...remember, baby steps. I'm not going to ask you to turn your world (or your kitchen) upside down. Just make a few better choices.

We are concentrating on Fats/Oils for the first of our substitutions.

• Fats contain more calories per gram than protein or carbohydrates (will cause us to gain weight)
• Focus on substituting foods high in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol, and select more foods made with unsaturated fats. We'll be going into these different fats in more detail soon.

These choices will affect our bodies - remember...consequences. We will start feeling better, and we will see weight reduction...Gains ! Victories!

	Substitute with
Full cream milk	Semi-skimmed milk
Semi-skimmed milk	Skimmed milk
Butter	Low Fat spread (Diet marge)
Vegetable Oils	Olive oil

That's it for Step 5. Not too bad ? You don't have to change everything all at once. maybe it took you years to get into the condition you are in now. Its not going to change overnight, but with each small Step we make, the changes will come.

Serotonin

What exactly is Serotonin, and what part does it play in our Nutrition ?

Wikipedia has a long thorough explanation here for those who want all the intricate details. But basically, serotonin is a neurotransmitter, or chemical messenger, that plays a vital role in regulating our daily rhythms - regulating anger, aggression, body temperature, mood, sleep, sexuality and appetite. For our purposes, we need to know the following vital facts -

• When brain serotonin levels are high - the desire to eat is lessened
• When brain serotonin levels are high - we are filled with "feel good" hormones

Anyone want to guess what chocolate contains ?? Yes...serotonin. That's why we feel good when we eat it.  Any foods that contain serotonin give us the "feel good" factor.

For most of us, our moods control what we put in our mouths. Feeling miserable - we usually reach for comfort foods - foods high in serotonin. We have learned, subconsciously, that these foods make us feel better. And they do.  Nothing wrong with that.

But we can make choices here. When we need a boost, we can continue to reach for high calorie foods such as chocolate to do the trick, or we can make more sensible choices, and get exactly the same effect. I know you're thinking "The same effect as chocolate ? No way." But it's true. Any foods that increase the brain serotonin levels will help to make us feel good.

So...what choices do we have ?

Foods rich in carbohydrate

• cereals
• wholewheat or rye breads
• pastas
• potatoes
• couscous

By eating these foods, we will boost our serotonin levels. Don't saturate them in oils or fats though. Keep them simple and "feel good" without the need for the cookie jar or a large slab of chocolate.

Life is all about choices - and so is good nutrition. YOU decide.

Step 4 - Start Moving

You should, by now, be working on Step 1 - your attitude, Step 2 - Journalling your journey, and Step 3 - introducing water into your lifestyle. It's time to move on to Step 4 - get Moving !

Health Benefits of Exercise & Physical Activity - as listed at http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwfit/benefits.html

• Reduce the risk of premature death
• Reduce the risk of developing and/or dying from heart disease
• Reduce high blood pressure or the risk of developing high blood pressure
• Reduce high cholesterol or the risk of developing high cholesterol
• Reduce the risk of developing colon cancer and breast cancer
• Reduce the risk of developing diabetes
• Reduce or maintain body weight or body fat
• Build and maintain healthy muscles, bones, and joints
• Reduce depression and anxiety
• Improve psychological well-being
• Enhanced work, recreation, and sport performance 

We all know that an exercise programme is an essential part of our journey to a new lifestyle. But...we have to keep things real here ! If you have spent the last five years sitting in a chair watching TV - there is no way you are going to get up tomorrow and start jogging. You probably wouldn't even be able to. And that's okay. You don't have to. But you have to start somewhere.

If you are really in bad shape, the first thing you need to do is visit your Doctor or medical practitioner. Discuss with them the changes you are ready to make. Get the Doctor's advice. He may discover something that will prevent you from undertaking any exercise. Get checked out first. If you are given the all clear - start off slowly. Remember - baby steps. You are NOT going to deprive yourself of anything - you are going to add value to your life.

Start Walking

• If you drive a car to work and back - park a little bit further away than you usually do. Not miles away !! Just a little further. Allow yourself the time to take a few more steps than usual. Take a deep breath as you get out the car - enjoy the fresh air.
• If you are driving a journey that is less than a mile (yes...I've done it...often), make up your mind to walk. Allow enough time to get to your destination. Take your time. Take the camera and look for interesting things to photograph. If you have started an online blog (as advised in Step 2), upload the photos to your blog. Talk about your journey. Learn to appreciate your surroundings.
• If you are near enough, walk to school with the kids instead of driving. They will love it, and you will benefit from the exercise. Turn the trip into a nature project, look for interesting insects, or animals to discuss along the way.
• If you haven't walked in a long, long time, and find it very difficult - walk to your gate !! That's all. Just a few steps. You can do it. Then walk back and collapse into a chair if you have to. Just a few steps more than you did yesterday. What an accomplishment. What a victory - a GAIN !!

Remember - BABY Steps.

Start Moving

If, like I did, you have got to a point where your joints are stiff and your muscles are weak - life can be very uncomfortable. You creak out of bed in the morning. I've been there. At one time, my knees were so bad I was wondering how much longer they'd support me ! I started off slowly - sitting in a chair watching TV - but doing lower leg raises at the same time. Just ten, up and down - until it felt comfortable, and wasn't too sore. I did it often, and very soon I could do twenty without any trouble, and my legs felt better.

To get my arms moving, I started off raising them to the ceiling every time I boiled the kettle. I was alone, in the kitchen, and thought "Why not ?" Now it's become a habit - kettle goes on and my arms go up and down in the air. It gives the family a laugh too.

It doesn't have to be hard work - not to start with. Slow and sure wins the race. Of course, there may come a time when you are ready to join a gym, hire a personal trainer, run a marathon, whatever ! But you don't have to think that far ahead. Just think TODAY. What can you do TODAY that will make a difference - a small change - to your life ? Then do it. You CAN do it - however small a change it may seem to you.

In months to come, when you add up all the small changes you make to your lifestyle, you will realise that you really are going somewhere. And it will feel good. Each small change becomes a victory - a GAIN ! Go for it.

Step 3 - Water

Remember - Always follow the advice of your doctor or medical practitioner if you have a medical condition that limits your fluid intake.

 

In this third step on our journey to a new lifestyle we introduce water. There are so may benefits (gains!) of drinking water.

Water is the elixir of life. It really is. Without it we just cannot survive. If you were lost in the desert without food, you could survive weeks on fluid alone. But without water, you wouldn't last a few days.

• The body is composed of 60-70% water
• The blood is 80-90% water
• Lack of water causes dehydration
• It removes toxins and waste from the body
• It regulates body temperature
• It aids digestion

Water Retention & Survival Mode

When we don't drink enough water, our body goes into survival mode, and hangs on to every drop it gets. This is water retention. It causes swelling - feet, hands et.c etc. As soon as we start drinking water regularly, our body releases the stored water, and realises that it doesn't have to hold on to water. Its getting a regular supply. 

Benefits to Skin

The skin needs water to help it to remain hydrated and elastic. When we are getting enough water regularly, we'll notice a marked improvement in our skin tone.

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Water in the Step by Step Plan

Now remember, we are only taking baby steps in our Step by Step Plan, but we are making choices that will affect the rest of our lives. We have to be realistic. If you have never been a water drinker, or don't even like the taste of water, it is unrealistic to expect you to start off drinking 6 - 8 glasses of water a day. It just isn't going to happen. We all know that. Start out slowly if you have to. Say to yourself "Right, I am going to drink ONE glass of water today - just one". And then do it. One glass of water isn't that hard to get down, is it ? You could choose to drink it at a certain time each day (use your journal to schedule a time if you have to), or you could sip at it till its gone. Try it with a slice of lemon.

After a few days of having one glass, decide to have two glasses a day. Try drinking them a half an hour before your meals - one before lunch, and then one before supper. You are making a choice, a good choice. Its all about YOU and what you feel comfortable with. You are not being deprived of anything, you are adding to the value of your life.

I find drinking water a great challenge. I never drink as much as I should. I started out not even liking the taste of it, and always forgetting to drink enough. I find it easier to fill a 2 litre plastic bottle with water first thing in the morning. I know I have to finish it before I go to bed. This works well. I pour a glass and carry it with me throughout the day - constantly refilling it. The first few days of this, and I was up and down to the bathroom every five minutes - but that eventually sorted itself out, and I find I don't have to "go" any more than I used to.

An amazing thing that I found happening when I started to drink water - the numbers on my bathroom scale began to go down....WITHOUT me reducing my food intake at all. This really happens. It has happened to me and many others. Without reducing food intake - just increasing water - weight can be reduced. Try it. You have everything to gain !

Step 2 - Keeping a Journal

A Journal is a really good tool when trying to gain a healthy lifestyle. Whether it be an online blog, such as this, a written diary, or a website, its really worth the effort to wtite about the changes taking place in your life and body. You may choose to keep it private, or open it up for the whole world to read.

Entries don't have to be long, sometimes a few words are enough. Some may want to record every item of food they put in their mouths. Others may want to talk about feelings - triumphs, discouragements, victories or gains, whatever.  Some may make entries only once a week, others every day (an online blog can become very addictive haha). Your journal is yours, to record whatever whenever you want.

In my early years of dieting, I never recorded anything at all. I hopped from one diet to another, often combining two or more diets, trying to get to the eating plan that worked for me. When I look back now, I really wish I had kept a food diary - something to look back on and laugh about. I also wish I had recorded my feelings as I tried and failed over and over. Not as something to make me feel depressed (although I'm sure it would), but to see how I have grown and matured in my attitude to healthy eating. Nothing feels better than looking back over countless victories and gains. Whether we write about our healthier attitude to food, more exercise, learning to cook, recording our meal plans or even becoming more creative - a written record serves to remind us of how far we've come. It becomes a very personal friend.

I have chosen to blog online, here, as my personal journal. You may take this option too. If you do, you will find kindred spirits (or they will find you), folk who have been through, or are going through, the very same challenges you face. There is a world of encouragement out there for everyone.

Step 1 - Change Your Attitude

The first thing we all need to do before we embark on this journey of getting healthy is to get rid of the LOSER attitude. Once and for all. That attitude is holding you back.

The word Loser or Lose has such negative connotations. Nobody really wants to lose anything - we all want to GAIN. And that's how we need to start thinking.

Forget about losing - think about gaining.

Now, I'm not talking about weight here - I'm talking about LIFE. As we gain Life, our weight will automatically become what it should be. It won't happen overnight - it could take months, or even years - but it is worth every step we take along the way.

When we think in Loser Mode, we become just exactly what we are thinking about - Losers. And I'm not talking about weight here. I'm talking about Losers in Life. We set ourselves up for failure. How many times have you tried to lose weight and failed ?  What is the result of your failure ? You think of yourself as a Loser. It becomes ingrained in the subconscious. It literally hangs over us like a dark cloud. People we meet can sense it. Failure. Loser. Failure. Loser. Can't even stick to a diet for one day. Failure. Loser.

The minute we focus on trying to lose weight, our bodies go into survival mode. You can almost hear the body thinking "What ? Lose ? I'm going to lose something ? No way - I'm hanging on to everything I've got !"  (I'll expand more on this in later posts). That's why we need to forget about Losing, and start thinking Gain. We should be saying the following to ourselves every day.

• I am going to Gain Health
• I am going to Gain new attitudes
• I am going to Gain new choices in life
• I am going to Gain new choices in foods
• I am going to Gain ways to start moving myself
• I am going to Gain new friends
• Add your own Gains !!!!!

Gain. Gain. Gain. It's all about Gain. Banish the word LOSER from your vocabulary. Poof - it's gone. Don't ever say it or think it again.

As soon as I began to think in the way of Gain, my attitude to myself, my health and my weight began to change. This didn't come naturally to me - I had always been obsessed with losing weight (a typical full-time dieter). It took me months to get rid of the nasty L word. I really had to work at it. But slowly, one step at a time, I came to appreciate all the small gains. They soon mounted up. As I followed the Step by Step plan, the gains far outweighed everything else. I was gaining ME back, one piece at a time. And with those gains came an acceptance of self. Also with the gains came a better attitude, a healthier lifestyle, a healthier body and a big weight reduction !! It was the first Step towards regaining my Life.

Its an ongoing process. We have to be careful not to fall back into old habits and old thought patterns. We'll make mistakes, and then we'll want to see ourselves as Losers once again. But, you know what, each mistake we make along our journey is not a loss - it's a GAIN ! We gain from mistakes. We learn from them. We Gain experience. We Gain the knowledge on how to deal with a situation the next time it crops up. Remember - Mistakes are Gains.

Step 1 is the first and most important Step in our journey, and it is ongoing. We have to work at it - continually - but it's worth it.

The Step-by-Step Plan Overview

The Step-by-Step Plan is just that - a plan that will guide you, Step by Baby Step, to a healthier, slimmer you. Its a plan that involves a little dancing - the Cha-Cha-Cha - Changes, Choices and Challenges !

• Changes...changes that you will make to your eating habits over a long period of time. Of course, you can make the changes quickly - if that's what you want. But we need the changes to be permanent, to become habits that are ingrained in your lifestyle. That's why I recommend taking it slowly.
• Choices...learning how to make the best possible food choice for your lifestyle. All food is good - there's no such thing as bad food - but we can make better choices in food, that will take us to where we want to be.
• Challenges - nothing worth fighting for is without challenges. On the Step-by-Step Plan, we will discuss the challenges that arise in attaining a healthy lifestyle, and learn strategies to cope with them.

The aim for you, and me, is to enjoy a healthy lifestyle. We all want to be :-

• eating healthy foods
• exercising
• getting our BMI to where it should be for optimum good health
• getting our weight to where it should be for optimum good health
• having energy that lasts all day
• getting rid of aches and pains (that come from lack of exercise)
• having a good self-image
• feeling positive about our life

The Step-by-Step Plan will enable us to achieve all of this and more !

The links to each Step in the plan are listed below.

Step 1 - Attitude

Step 2 - Journaling

Step 3 - Water

Step 4 - Get Moving

Step 5 - Substitutions

Step 6 - Portion Control

Step 7 - Eat Breakfast

More Steps to come !

Stepping Out

It's usually difficult starting a new blog. But I'm not finding that with this blog. I have been really excited about this - I just have so much to share. I know there are so many people out there who are really sick to death of their lifestyles and eating habits. They have tried desperately to lose weight, start an exercise programme etc. and feel like failures. I know exactly where you are coming from. I've done it myself - time and time again.

My hope for this blog is that I can share my lifestyle changes with you, and motivate YOU to come along for the ride. What have you got to lose ??

I'm going to explain my Step-by-Step plan over the next few weeks. I'll start a new page for each Step. You'll find the links appearing up on the left at the top.

• Each Step will encourage you to make a small change to your daily routine...nothing drastic. I don't do drastic !
• Each Step can be added over a long or short period. It's entirely up to you. Some of the Steps took me a long time to come to terms with - sometimes a couple of weeks, sometimes a couple of months. Some Steps were accomplished within a week.
• As you become more comfortable with each new Step - and it becomes a habit - part of your lifestyle - you will then, and only then, move on to the next step.
• This plan is NOT a quick fix. It's about choices, and changes. How long did it take you to get into the condition you're in right now ? Months ? Years ? 5 years ? 10 years ? 20 years ?
• Although the plan is not a quick fix, you will begin to see the benefits almost immedately. Just the fact that you are taking tiny, baby steps each day will give you a sense of accomplishment.

I really look forward to sharing so much with you.

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