Lose Weight SLOW! No Hunger, Permanent Weight Loss

Okay I'm going for the most popular post of the blog so far...let's talk about being fat.  I know I know there are some topics you're not supposed to mention in polite company, but I'm afraid that by nature I rush in where angels fear to tread so here goes.

Losing weight...this has to be the topic du jour.   There has probably been more written about this subject in recent years than nearly any other health-related issue.  And no wonder, according to the CDC's statistics the ranks of the obese in the US have swollen (sorry--bad puns are just so irresistible) in just the last 20 years.  In 1990 no state in the US had any more than a 15% obesity rate, whereas in 2010 no state had any less than a 20% obesity rate (see the maps below for the trends).  Our food is KILLING US!  Take a look at the 2010 map below.  The dark red states have obesity rates of over 30%.  The south and mid-west are in the biggest trouble, but before we south-westerners get smug remember our obesity rates are still over 20%!  What is going on?

We have stopped behaving like humans have behaved for thousands of years.  We are the wealthiest people in history but maintaining the lifestyle to which we have become accustomed has changed our lives for the worse.  Ironically as we grasp for the "good-life" we end up with a bad-life instead.  Besides being financial folly the relentless pursuit of "prosperity" has a series of unintended negative consequences among which are our burgeoning waist-lines.  We are so busy that we wolf down convenience foods on the run.  We over-eat "the good stuff" because we can now "afford" it.  We're too busy capital-earning to do much calorie-burning.  

As in so many aspects of success, less is more.  Enough is as good as a feast.  The first bite of cookie brings a smile--the tenth only a groan.  Why do we keep biting?  Because we can.  The answers lie in simplification, moderation, and returning to foundational principles that have served our ancestors well through the ages.  You can do these things too...your grandparents did.

Personal Experience

I began our married life 32 years ago at 175 lbs. which for my 5' 11' frame was well within the norms of a healthy weight.  Slowly over the years my weight increased until, at the beginning of 2012 I had reached nearly 200 lbs.  That psychological barrier was one that I was not willing to cross so I decided to pay attention.  I don't believe in New Years resolutions because they always seem to be laden with the baggage of unproductive cycles of broken promises and guilt.  At New Years I don't make promises, I decide on one "aspiration" which I'll focus on that year (e.g. this year it was to start blogging).  For 2012 my aspiration was to get to 180 lbs. by the end of the year.  Just under that is where I get into "normal" range for my height.  Although my weight went up and down over the year the trend was a nice slow decline and I reached my target the first week in January of 2013.  I set a new target to get down to 175 lbs. again and this morning I weighed in at 177 lbs. so I'm on my way.  Losing 20 lbs in a year doesn't seem like something to write home about, but effective weight loss is like the aphorism at the end of the parable of the Tortoise and the Hare..."slow and steady wins the race".  The best part for me about this approach to weight control is that my weight loss came without persistent hunger or cravings.  That not only made it more enjoyable, it has made it sustainable.  What follows is my attempt to share the principles that have helped me.

Principles of Healthy Weight Control

• Do a Snack-Swap - Fill the house with fresh fruits and vegetables, empty it of chips, soda, cookies, donuts, cakes etc.  Once you have the good stuff in and the bad stuff out snack as much as you want.  You will be amazed how wonderful an orange or an apple can be at satisfying a snack-attack.  Show your kids how it's done.  Cookie pushers are hurting their kids.
• Drink Lots of Water - stop buying and consuming soft drinks, energy drinks, punch etc.  There is mounting evidence that our increasing addiction to soda is a major cause of the obesity-epidemic (even "diet" sodas).  I start every day with a tall glass of water (drink it from the tap--it's safe and it's cheap) and I keep drinking it at meals and throughout the day.  Filling up with water before you start eating helps you feel satisfied with less food.  Got yourself addicted to soda?  Every bad habit can be broken by replacing it with a good habit.  A good habit takes only three weeks to become permanent.  You can handle three weeks without soda.  After that it won't be hard.
• Eat Whole Grains - Refined carbohydrates (white flour, sugar etc.) create a hot fast energy burn which you may need if you're running a marathon, but most of the time your body needs the slow burn of complex carbohydrates.  They also provide fiber which is great for your digestion and even for your heart (it scrubs you out).
• Cut Back on Meat and Dairy - Historically meat and dairy products have been scarce and expensive which meant people ate them sparingly.  In excess they are bad for your heart and they make you fat.  Treat them as the garnish and not the main course.
• Eat Your Own Cooking - Minimize prepared convenience foods and take left-overs for lunch.  Learn to cook.  It's cheaper, tastes better, and is better for you. Make "eating-out" a rare exception (it's expensive and the portion sizes, fat content, and predominance of heavy rich foods is killing us).  Do something else for your date...go bowling, hike somewhere, watch the sunset etc.  BTW, when you travel a lot for work as I did it can be a challenge to eat well.  Endless restaurant food gets old fast.  Look for hotels with a kitchenette, go to a grocery store and get fruits, yogurt, cereal etc., find a Whole Foods or some other store with a good food bar and have dinner there.  It tastes and feels better.
• Eat Smaller Portions More Slowly - Here is a great trick.  Buy smaller bowls and plates.  Your brain is programmed to eat what's in front of you so fill a smaller plate and you'll eat less.  Also, my wife says that eating slowly helps you eat less because you'll have time to recognize when you're full.
• Step it up - Increase your activity level.  We have opted for vigorous walking.  It is better for you than running because mile-for-mile you get the same health benefits, and with walking you're not as subject to injury.  We have a river-trail nearby and we regularly walk down and back along the most beautiful parts of it which is over three miles.  It feels great to get out and get moving.  Buy a pedometer--simple ones cost less than $10--and then aim to take 10,000 steps every day (that's roughly 5 miles two of which probably happen automatically).
• Measure What Matters - Get a good electronic scale that measures body fat% as well as weight (the measurement of body fat% isn't that accurate on electronic scales but what matters is the trend of the measurement).  Determine the normal weight and body fat%  for your height and body type and set those as your objectives.  Track your weight and body fat% on a calendar, spreadsheet, or get an app for your smartphone (I use TargetWeight by Tactio).  BTW, don't weigh in every day.  It's confusing and discouraging because your daily weight will bounce up and down (factors like water retention from salt consumption etc. can impact it).  Weigh in once a week first thing in the morning before your shower and before you eat.
• Fast Once Per Week - That's right, skip two meals in a row every week (I fast from dinner one day to dinner the next).  The benefits of fasting are enormous.  Research suggests that the benefits of periodically going without food include reduced risks of cancer, diabetes, immune disorders, cardiovascular disease, and it even slows down the aging process.  You'll not only lose weight and enjoy all those health benefits, but it offers the potential to increase your life span.

One of our other modern maladies is impatience.  Once people decide to lose weight they want to lose it FAST!  There are many who will promise fast weight-loss in exchange for your money, and you can lose weight that way.  However, it's unsustainable and you'll gain the weight back.  A "diet" is a short-term detour from your lifestyle so once it's over you return to your standard lifestyle and the weight will return.  I'm a proponent of losing weight SLOWLY as a result of successive, positive, permanent changes to your underlying lifestyle.  

You can do this, and you'll love it.  My knees don't hurt when I climb stairs, I am enjoying food more than ever, I am never hungry (I've even gotten used to fasting), and I feel young again--kinda like a newlywed.  

Start the adventure today.