ObesityAnswers.com
(Tips and Tricks to lose weight & lead a healthier / more fit lifestyle)
 

OBESITY - Go ahead and research surgery, but also keep the following in mind!

Most people are obese because of only a handful of factors:

Unfortunately, all of these factors build on one another. They create an unhealthy vicious circle of ever-increasing weight gain.

Unhealthy food robs a person of energy. A person who feels lethargic and “foggy” is far more likely to avoid any type of physical exertion. (And the less you move, the harder it is to lose weight.)

Many will say they don’t like “healthy food,” but few have tried to eat healthy on a consistent basis – nor have they experienced how good it feels to eat and be as healthy as they can. (An Unhealthy diet and unhealthy lifestyle is all they’ve known. This creates a barrier to the greater rewards of a healthy diet and healthy lifestyle.)

One way to overcome this barrier is to learn to associate healthy food with “feeling and looking good” and unhealthy food with “feeling and looking bad.” With this in mind, begin incorporating healthier food into your diet to replace some of the unhealthy items you regularly eat. Start small…an apple or orange (or both) at least once per day. (As an example: Gala apples are great; firm and sweet! –They’re an excellent substitute for soda or other “sweet” cravings.) Or, to deal with sweet cravings, you might eat a chocolate protein bar as a "daily snack," instead of the normal "zero nutritional value" candy bar.

If you’re craving “fat,” have a serving of pistachios or peanuts (instead of a candy bar.) Eat a lot of bread? Buy some organic wheat bread and substitute that for “white bread” at one or more meals. How about eating a salad every now and then? Go Organic (spring mix is great) with some alfalfa sprouts thrown in. All of these are excellent items to introduce into your diet. (NOTE: Don’t drown your salad in cheese or dressing – “Re-sensitize” your taste buds! Learn to get all the flavor you need from a smaller amount. -Don’t think this is possible? OK, look at it from a slightly extreme, but effective, perspective: If you were putting vomit on your salad, how many tablespoons would it take to “flavor your greens” sufficiently? I know it’s a gross example, but it demonstrates the point – if you’re paying attention to taste and smell, you don’t need a ton of cheese or dressing to add the perfect amount of flavor. –Make it your goal to cut what you currently use by a quarter or a third. Once you get used to that, see if more “cuts” can be made without negatively affecting taste.)

Over the course of a few months (as you get used to eating better and experiencing the benefits) unhealthy food starts to taste a little less appealing. It begins to taste like grease / fat or even disease. It begins to taste like depression and reduced mental clarity; like “lack of energy and self-respect.” It begins to taste like all the things it leads to…all the things that you get to experience 24 hours a day after the 10 minutes of eating unhealthy food is over. (If you haven’t already seen it, check out the documentary Super Size Me for some insight into what a “fast-food-only” diet can do to a person’s health in just 30 days.)

-And what about the healthy food? Well, it begins to taste like “deep nourishment” and vitality. It begins to taste like increased mental clarity and increased self respect. It begins to “taste good” in ways that junk food never did… and it feels good all day long.

SLOW DOWN when you eat and you will eat less – smaller meals CAN BE more enjoyable than large ones!

The concept of being MORE satisfied from a smaller meal, eaten slowly – where each bite is paid attention to and appreciated – seems impossible to those who’ve grown accustomed to stuffing themselves “full” two or three times a day. …but it isn’t “impossible. Many people eat 5 or 6 small meals / snacks per day and are in great shape with more energy as a result. The general idea is: Never hungry, never STUFFED, always satisfied.

Develop the habit of eating more slowly. Really think about your food as you’re eating it. Clear your mind of all your “racing thoughts” and focus on what you’re eating! Take the time to truly appreciate the smell, the taste and the texture fully. If you do this, you will eat LESS and enjoy whatever you’re eating MORE. It takes some time to perfect, but it is well worth the effort. (Assume you cut your food intake by 35% +, and increase your enjoyment by 45% +...isn’t that worth having?)

Try it with your favorite snack. Say you really like Doritos. If you’re like most people, you grab the bag, plop down on the couch, flip on the TV, and begin shoveling them in your mouth 2 or 3 chips at a time. Before you know it, half the bag is gone. This of course is a TERRIBLE eating technique, it provides the LEAST opportunity to truly enjoy what you’re eating and it will have the WORST effect on your weight and health.

What is the alternative? Whatever the snack, never sit down with more than a single serving size. So, if it’s Doritos you love, take out a single serving, (about 12 chips) put them on a plate, and without TV or any other distractions, sit down and eat them...slowly. I mean, you really love these things, right? So act like it. Take the time to truly enjoy the experience of eating them. You can train yourself to do this. Make 2 bites (or more) out of each chip. Even if you end up going for another serving, or even another after that, you will have eaten far less than half a bag and you will have consciously “enjoyed them” more.

It goes without saying that "exercise" plays in important role in living a healthy lifestyle. Unfortunately, the more overweight you are, the harder it is to stay active. -But you should try nonetheless. Combined with a better diet and healthier eating habits, exercise (in just about any form) will accelerate your gains considerably. -And believe it or not, you can learn to love it. (A half hour of exercise can easily elevate your mood for 24 hours or more. A regular exercise program, 2 or 3 times per week, will provide even longer-lasting physical and mental benefits.)

EAT ORGANIC

Obviously, if you’re putting unhealthy chemicals in your body, your body (and mind) will be negatively affected.

If you’re a person who eats meat, look for “organic” meat. Nearly all grocery stores now offer this healthy alternative. (-Meat that that isn’t filled with hormones, antibiotics or other artificial ingredients; and, preferably, meat that is “grass-fed” or, at least, “vegetarian-fed.”) You will taste the difference and, if you’re like so many, you will FEEL the difference. The same goes for milk. Buy milk that is certified “organic.” No antibiotics, “bovine growth hormone” or other unnatural additives.

If you have access to organic salad, fruits and vegetables, buy them. (Grown without the use of  pesticides, chemicals, synthetic fertilizers, bioengineering or ionizing radiation.)

Things you should research

ASPARTAME

Do you drink diet soda? Do you chew gum? BOTH probably contain aspartame. MOST “sweet but low calorie” items do. Aspartame is an unnatural chemical sweetener that has been linked to a host of very serious problems. Everything from headaches and reduced cognitive function to debilitating physical ailments. (Hardly what a person looking to “improve their health” would put in their body.”) Too much sugar might be bad, but given a choice between drinking a soda (or chewing a stick of gum) with sugar VS one with Aspartame, I would take the “sugar” all day long. Read up on aspartame and it's very likely you'll want to eliminate it from your diet.

Fluoridated Water

The government has FINALLY admitted publicly what has been known for decades: Fluoride is a poison and, as such, it “could have negative affects” on the mind / body. (Ever wonder why there is a “poison warning” on the back of your fluoride toothpaste tube? Read it. "If more than what is used for brushing is swallowed, contact a poison control center immediately.") If you want to maintain your teeth and gums with something other than fluoridated toothpaste, there is an excellent product available here. I've been using it for years and the results have been WAY better than when I used normal "toothpaste." (Full review here) Regarding your water, if you get yours from ‘the tap,’ ask your city if it is “adding fluoride.” If so, buy water that isn’t fluoridated AND put pressure on your local officials to STOP “medicating” your water supply.

Mercury in Vaccines
There is too much to cover here. If you have children (and / or if you take your “flu shot” regularly) DO SOME RESEARCH! Thimersol (mercury) is a deadly neurotoxin. It has NO BUSINESS (regardless of the amount) being injected into your child's (or your) body.

TRAIN YOUR BRAIN
The benefits of doing some form of regular "mental exercise" are too numerable to list. One of the online programs I use regularly is called "Lumosity." I have not only seen a HUGE improvement in the areas measured by Lumosity (Attention, Memory, Processing Speed, and Cognitive Control) but the website's claims of boosting memory, mental clarity, and "mood" (outside of the game) have proven 100% true. Improve your mind, and your body won't be far behind.

They say an increase in your Brain Performance Index (BPI) of 200 points is good, but rest assured (with some effort) you can do much better than that. (The first handful of training sessions are free...I honestly didn't think I'd end up subscribing, but after experiencing the benefits, I was happy to.) You can try Lumosity for FREE here.