There is a significant difference between weight control and weight loss. Weight control focuses on being proactive, taking steps to prevent a situation that might necessitate the act of limiting caloric intake to shed pounds. Everyone should be concerned with weight control -- even those individuals who do not have a weight problem. Implementing weight control strategies can prevent an individual from becoming overweight, but it can also help one to lose weight gradually – without dieting.
The key to weight control is behavior modification. Special diets that exclude foods or incorporate only certain foods or nutrients will not provide long-term results. Using scales to prepare foods for portion control; purchasing single serving, low calorie, prepackaged foods; and counting calories in order to achieve weight control will also yield poor results. How likely is it that you will, for the rest of your life, purchase prepackaged meals and count every calorie that goes into your mouth? If what you are doing to achieve weight control is not something that you can do effortlessly for the rest of your life, temporary weight loss might occur, but long-term control will be elusive.
Regard the term "diet" as a noun. This term should be used only to describe all of the foods that you ingest. Begin to think of diet as just that, and not the act of limiting what you eat. Take the control. Rethink what your goal is with respect to your weight -- do you wish to lose weight or control your weight? Use these guidelines to help re-gain control and to modify your existing behaviors.
Eat only when hungry. When you see or smell foods that you like, don’t reach for them out of habit – reach for them only if you’re hungry. Stop and ask yourself ‘Am I hungry?’ Eating them because they’re available is a recipe for disaster. If your water glass is already full, would you continue to fill it? I think not.
Eat every time you are hungry. The sensation of hunger is a signal that it is time to eat. Don’t rely on the clock to tell you that you’re hungry. If you get hungry at 11:20, eat lunch. If you don’t get hungry until 1:00, then that is when you should eat lunch. If your schedule is not flexible, so that you can easily align lunch time and hunger time, be sure to keep a SMALL snack with you to avoid becoming overly hungry.
Eat slowly so that eating has time to register with your brain. Eating too fast can cause one to ingest a large quantity of food before the brain recognizes the sensation of reaching appetite satisfaction. Take time to enjoy your food by fully chewing and tasting each bite.
Eat only until your hunger is abated. Pause halfway through your meal and ask yourself ‘am I full?’ If you are, do not continue to eat. If you aren’t, even though you have about a quarter of your steak and baked potato remaining, stop. Summon the waitress to remove the plate.
Moderation, instead of Abstinence, can be effective. Eat the foods you like, but eat them in moderation. Reduce the portion or the frequency of intake of the foods that you enjoy the most. Perhaps one cheese burger (small) per week would be a decent place to start. Saturday sounds like a good cheeseburger day. If sweets are your weakness, try eating only one cookie or piece of candy per day. It is unrealistic to think that you can swear off cheesecake for the rest of your life, if that is a favorite of yours.
Drink a full glass of water (or two) before you eat your meal. If you are eating at home, remove either yourself or your plate from the dining environment as soon as you finish your meal. If you are eating out, slide your plate forward a few inches to remind yourself that you are full. Or, ask the waitress to remove your plate, and bring a glass of water, if you want to remain at the table to socialize after your meal. The more that the waitress removes, the less opportunity you’ll have to chat and pick at leftovers. No matter how tasty the bread is, respond with ‘No thank you’ when the waitress asks if you’d like another basket.
Be prepared for hunger. If you spend a considerable amount of time in the car, take along a box of healthy cereal. Pour some in a cup to ‘drink’ as you drive. That is much less expensive than grabbing a burger and fries at a drive thru. Keep only healthy, single portion snacks in your desk at work. Don’t keep a large bag of pretzels in your desk. Take your lunch to work. If you must eat lunch out, go for a sub sandwich – preferably turkey. Dress it up with a little cheese and a lot of tasty toppings. Hold off on the sauce (mayonnaise or salad dressing); ask for ‘lite’ and ‘light’ sauce. If you order your sandwich heated, the melted cheese will provide a sense of having sauce.
Engage in physical activity on a daily basis. The key to making physical activity a part of your life is to find an activity that you enjoy. The word ‘exercise’ scares some folks. However, the fact is that physical activity is a key element in weight control. Activity, regardless of type or amount, burns calories. It is essential that an individual concerned with weight control finds some form of enjoyable physical activity. Walking, running, swimming, cycling or participating in sports can provide remarkable results when coupled with the dietary modifications listed above.
If you detest physical activity as a planned endeavor, incorporate physical activities as part of everyday life. Extend your walk when you go to the mall by parking in the farthest parking spot possible. Stay out of the elevator and off of the escalator -- take the stairs when possible.
Weight control is about being smart and proactive. It is also about training and controlling yourself and your appetite. If you implement a plan of weight control, losing weight will never be an issue. If you are already overweight, implementing a plan of weight control – not weight loss – will cause those extra pounds to disappear. The only effective method of weight control is taking a prevention mindset and modifying your eating behavior.
Katherine Bradley - Katherine holds A.B. in health, a master's concentration in exercise physiology, a Ed.S. in administration and a Ph.D. in edu ...
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