Sensible weight management begins with being aware of social pressures toward unattainable goals and not succumbing to advertising and fashion trends. No calorie restricting weight-loss program has ever been shown to be effective over the medium-to-long term, regardless of advertising claims to the contrary.

Programs lasting 2, 6, 12, or 24 weeks that are based on particular foods and portions can produce considerable weight loss, but 67% of people regain that weight within 1 year, and 95% regain it within 5 years. Improved nutrition, regular exercise, and a desire to feel good are the ways people who lose considerable weight are able to maintain the new, healthful body weight for many years.

Since it has been proven that counting calories is not the most effective way to lose weight, then where should a person begin who truly wants to lose weight? It actually begins in the mind. Once you have made up in your mind that you want to be thinner and healthier, then your weight-loss campaign can be effective.

But if you are only going into it because of societal pressures and trends, then most of the time the weight will not stay off and you will not maintain a healthy lifestyle. Unless you have a fat-storage disease, you can do it by living healthfully and letting your body find the weight that's natural for it, which involves:

1. Eat only when hungry - Pay attention to your hunger and satiety signals from your appestat. Be aware of habits and customs that influence your eating behavior: Do you eat at predetermined times of day (mealtime, between classes, on the way to work) regardless of your state of hunger? Do you eat everything on your plate? Do you work or study while eating?

2. Eat low on the food pyramid - Base your diet on breads, pasta, vegetables, fresh fruits, and grains. This will keep you from over consumption of calories, because you will more easily feel full. Also, you are less likely to consume fat calories that are "hidden" in manufactured foods to make them palatable.

3. Exercise - Move your body around for at least 20 minutes per day, three to four times a week. And don't subscribe to the myth that exercising will increase appetite and food consumption. In fact, except for individuals who expend enormous amounts of energy (e.g., lumberjacks, football players), the opposite is true. Appetite and food consumption tend to decrease as physical activity increases.

4. Limit mindless snacking - Mindless snacking is the kind we do when we are ravenously hungry, stressed, or zoned-out watching TV. We wish that bag of chips were bottomless. TV advertisers encourage mindless snacking. They know that when you're watching TV you're in a state of autohypnosis, and they bank on your susceptibility to their images of beer, snack food, candy and soft drinks. Instead of mindless snacking, it's better to focus on the food you are eating. Be aware of satiety signals from your appestat. Ask yourself if your really want that candy bar or would you rather have a piece of fruit. Say to yourself, "That's enough for now."

5. Consume little or no alcohol - Alcohol contains seven calories per gram (about 100 calories per 12-ounce beer, 4-ounce glass of wine, or one shot of distilled liquor). A couple of beers a day without a compensatory reduction in food intake or increase in exercise could lead to an excess of body fat rather quickly.

6. Be aware of eating triggers - Many of us are susceptible to environmental cues that trigger eating. For example, some people cannot pass a candy or soft drink machine without feeding it money in exchange for it feeding them. At some worksites, well-meaning supervisors provide pastries and candy for their staff members, who may have a difficult time resisting, especially when stressed or fatigued.

7. Don't feed your feelings - Stress, anxiety, loneliness, boredom, and anger can motivate overeating. Many people derive emotional comfort from food. One possible explanation is that, as children, we learn to associate eating (particularly nursing as infants) with receiving love, affection, and comfort. Another possibility is when we consume certain foods, particularly those containing sugar and fat, they contribute feelings of calm.

Source from: Health and Wellness, Edlin, Golanty, Brown. 2003

© 2003 by AfroStaff