Tips for Creating a Weight Management Lifestyle
Most of us are aware of how challenging it is to lose weight (let alone keep it off). For years, health researchers have warned us of the low rates of weight loss success suggesting that approximately 2- to 5-percent of weight losers will successfully keep off the pounds. The diet and fitness industries continue to successfully exploit our hopes (and sometimes desperation) for thinness, but what if there was more to weight management than diet and exercise? What if there were other lifestyle habits that we could implement that would help? Would that be something of interest?
The following list not only includes what we know to be an influence on weight loss, but also highlights the importance of other factors to consider when planning future weight loss. Focusing on just a few tips below may lead to pounds lost, and if we are able to create a lifestyle that includes all twelve, perhaps weight management would become second nature…
Sleep
Just one night of sleeplessness can motivate us to reach for more coffee and snacks during the day. It can promote us to forgo exercise because we are too tired and stop at the drive through for dinner for the same reasons. Dr. Susan Zafarlotfi, the clinical director of the Institute for Sleep and Wake Disorders at Hackensack University Medical Center, in New Jersey, suggests that sleep deprivation not only promotes the munchies (leading to obesity), it also promotes chronic sleep debt that causes the body to eventually shut down.
Moreover, Dr. Michael Breus, the clinical director of the sleep division for Arrowhead Health in Glendale Arizona, has stated that chronic sleeplessness can have negative effects on the metabolism. From over-snacking and lack of physical activity to a lowered metabolism, one can understand how, overtime, the pounds can accumulate without a healthy dose of the z’s.
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Eat Veggies
Although we are aware of the importance of eating vegetables many are challenged with adding them to their meal plans. From reducing the chance of chronic diseases like cancers, diabetes, and heart disease to providing us with the nutrients we need to function optimally, vegetables should be a major part of any diet. The Canada’s Food Guide suggests that half of our plate should contain vegetables to gain the full health benefits. For many, the thought of eating half a plate of veggies at every meal is enough to stop eating altogether.
Nutritionists will tell us that adding more vegetables to our plates will help bulk up our meals, provide us with the fibre we need for good health, and is a great low-calorie way to fill up while losing weight. For those “veggie haters”, mixing veggies up with scrambled eggs or throwing them into a stir-fry is a great way of covering them up while reaping the benefits at the same time.
Include Physical Activity
Exercise psychology researcher has suggested that over 60-percent of those workout ‘newbies” will fall off the proverbial treadmill within 6 months of beginning their exercise program. Gym parking lots are full and the line-ups to the cardio equipment long, but by Valentine’s Day, the crowds start to thin out. Adding physical activity to one’s weight management lifestyle doesn’t have to be torturous or take too much time and money. If we chose activities that we feel can be sustained for the long term (i.e. something we enjoy) we are more apt to continue.
Even though exercise physiologists have suggested that exercise alone isn’t an effective weight loss tool, when integrated into a larger weight management plan, it can make a significant difference. Lifelong physical activity can have a positive influence on health, weight, and cognition (not to mention reduce our risk of many chronic diseases). The key is not biting off more than we can chew, doing it in moderation, and finding something we enjoy.
Move
What’s the difference between movement and physical activity? Physical activity is sustained activity overtime (like tennis, walking, and biking) while movement is the simple act of moving one’s body. This is especially important if we sit for long periods of time during the day (i.e., have a desk job). Dr. Andrea LaCroix, director of the Women’s Health Center of Excellence at the University of California, attributes chronic sitting to an increased risk of heart attack, heart disease, cancer, and higher death rate.
In her study on the effects of chronic sitting, Dr. LaCroix found that those women who sat the most (more than 11 hours) saw a higher rate of death over the following 12 years. Moreover, she has suggested that sitting for long periods of time can increase our risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and obesity. The message being if we are planning to sit for long durations, make movement a habit by planning for it hourly. A combination of walking around the block or office and a light stretch is all we need to reduce our risk of illness.
Manage Emotions
How many times have we found ourselves angry, sad, or bored only to reach for the chips or other munchies as a way of coping with those emotional times? Emotional eating is one of biggest culprits to creeping obesity. Binge eating disorder and food addiction can result from negative emotions and used as a way of self-soothing. For those that use food to cope, it can serve as a (short term) source of happiness and peace, but lead to long-term health consequences.
Holding onto unwanted pounds may be due to psychological stressors influencing eating and exercise habits. Some may need to work with a helping professional while others may decide to record emotions related to eating habits as a way to enhance awareness. Before, during, or after an afternoon binge, for example, recording emotions overtime may be all we need to uncover a pattern and find other (more healthy) alternatives to coping.
