I've tried the dieting but no matter what I did, I was unable to lose weight - and keep it off. I have found that if I only eat one moderate meal a day, I can lose. I've lost 40 pounds so far - which is awesome for me and it has stayed off. The people around me are freaking because they don't think I am eating enough and am starving myself. But I take breaks from this so my body doesn't go into starvation mode - where I eat what I want for a few weeks. I know it isn't the healthiest way but having the extra weight wasn't healthy either. How do I make them listen?
Answer:
Although I've never had a weight problem myself, I've been around enough close friends who've struggled with obesity all their lives to really relate to your ongoing anguish. A roller-coaster weight problem can be a VERY tricky and frustrating ordeal. Worst yet, there is currently a cruel joke being played on you by Nature when you actually see RESULTS (I mean 40 lbs. that's nothing to sneeze at) for your potentially dangerous behavior - and results, as you know, usually speak louder than anything else to an otherwise discouraged lifetime dieter. Moreover, I also agree with you, carrying all that extra weight might eventually lead to some serious medical conditions (e.g. diabetes, heart disease, depression, etc.) Having said all that, I also (despondently) assure you that if you continue on the reckless weight loss path that you are currently on, the following “niceties among others” can and most likely WILL happen as well:1-You WILL eventually end up gaining all that lost weight back and then some;
2-You WILL start losing muscle mass/tissue which at your age (or any age for that matter) is NOT the smartest way to go about a long-term sustained weight loss program;
3-You WILL considerably increase your chances of coming down with a serious illness due to a weakened immune system.
So what then, you ask, should I do now that this crazy strategy has been the only way that I have ever been able to lose weight? What other option do I have?The good news is: You DO have another option and it is MUCH healthier and in many ways easier to stick to than what you are doing right now. It is called: Behavioral Modification. But it takes courage and dedication. There are even Organized Support Groups that you can join (for FREE) if group encouragement is a motivating factor for you. The weight loss equation, as I’m certain you are already aware of, is very straightforward. To lose weight you must take in fewer calories than you burn. That means eating right and exercising. It does NOT mean starving yourself to death. And I cannot possibly overemphasis the importance of exercise. Here is a basic game plan (to start with) see if you can make it work for you:Look up on the height vs. weight charts (there are zillions of them on the Internet) what your ideal weight should be (go with the upper limit instead of the lower one, at least to start with). Then look up (again there are zillions of calorie calculators online) how many calories you must take in to maintain that weight. Now make sure those calories come from decent sources that consist of the basic food groups, but ABOVE ALL make sure to spread those calories into 6 different unequal daily portions (take in more calories during the daytime than at night). Here is another very important tip: It takes roughly 20 minutes for your brain to get the satisfied/full signal from your stomach. If you have the urge to binge, just tell yourself I’m gonna give it 20-30 minutes and it WILL pass. Now combine that with drinking plenty of (mineral) water throughout the day and at least 5 days of 45-60 minutes of aerobic exercise per week (treadmill, bicycle, and/or swimming are my favorites, later on you can add some light muscle toning exercises as well) and you will SOON see some great improvements. This way you will gain a lot more energy and positive disposition, while losing FAT and preserving your long-term health. GOOD LUCK and hope it works out for you!
You're looking at it from a biased perspective; they're looking at it from the perspective they care about what is healthy for you.You ARE starving yourself if you are eating only one small meal a day. You can lie to yourself all you want, but that doesn't change the reality that your body needs more than that.Go talk to a nutritionist or a doctor. Tell them the same thing, and if THEY agree with you, then get the proof from them. If they don't, will they all be wrong, too?
Do you realize eating that way may allow you to lose weight, but it's gonna be a lot of the wrong weight? Super restrictive diets like this tend to lead to significant muscle tissue loss. So when you are over 40, that's one of the worst types of tissue to lose. Your body is already slowly losing this tissue as you get older. It will end up leading to more significant health problems in the next 10 years or so. I agree with them, and any health professional worth a salt will as well. You are heading down a dangerous path.
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