A Few Weight Loss Tips

Yes, the blush of those early resolutions has begun to fade for many. In another month or so, treadmills and bikes will open up at peak times again for the dedicated. The Girl Scout cookies will arrive and resolve will fly out the window for people who've been doing Atkins, South Beach, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig and the host of other weight loss programs. There will be endless discussions at meetings everywhere over what to do about those Thin Mints lurking in the freezer. (For what it's worth, my answer is pretty much the same as it was when I quit smoking several years back and had the revelation that, ultimately, it was as easy as just not buying the damn things.)

I've given a lot of thought to what works for me, and I thought I'd share some of the ones that haven't failed me. Of course, my basic premise for weight loss is "eat less, move more." Seems a simple enough equation, but the devil for each of us is in the details. And this really isn't about the day-to-day gory details of my diet and exercise. I do what works for me, and it isn't necessarily what works for anyone else. It is about incorporating changes that are life-long.

So what is it that works for me on the bigger scale? The scale that goes beyond silly rules like "eat a salad every day". Which I don't do, by the way. Well, one of the first things I'd recommend is resolving to be happy and content. Don't let the bastards grind you down. Live in the moment as much as humanly possible because it is, ultimately, and in spite of our best-laid plans, all any of us are guaranteed. I am not advocating hedonism here; not talking about doing whatever you damn well please because you might die tomorrow. I am talking about coming to grips with the concept of "enough". I don't ask for riches untold in my prayers at night. I ask for "enough". What I consider to be enough might not be someone else's idea of enough. That's what is important to figure out. What's enough for YOU?

I think it is terribly important to find and treasure the sources of unconditional love in your life. We all need someone, and preferrably more than just one person, who loves us no matter what. People who love us when we feel fat, cranky and pimply. Who assure us that we are NOT fat, cranky and pimply. Or who'll assure us that they don't take no nevermind if we are. These are the people who know the "real" us that we're all afraid the rest of the world will see, and who aren't afraid of that person. Who love and accept the best and the worst we have to offer. These are the people who are truly honest with you and that you can be truly honest and open to about your dreams and your fears and doubts. There is no substitute for knowing that you have an intrinsic value that has nothing to do with what size you are.

Are you meeting all of your needs in life? It's a good idea to take an inventory and see if all of your needs, physical, emotional and psychological are being met on a somewhat regular basis. It's sometimes quite surprising how an unrecognized need to be hugged, for instance, can be subverted into eating half a bag of chocolate chip cookies.

I have said it before and I'll keep saying it to anyone that has a weight problem, especially if it is a significant weight issue. Work on your body image. Learn to love the good parts and be comfortable in your own skin. Learn to appreciate function over form. Don't let a number on a scale or a size on a hanger determine your self-worth. They can be markers of progress, but don't allow them to be the sole measures of your worth as a human being.

Learn to be your own best friend. Seriously, would you walk up to your best friend and say "You fat, disgusting pig!" If not, then why is it okay to tell yourself something like that? When you hear that internal voice, tell it to shut the hell up. Keep doing it until it does. For most of us, this takes a lot of practice and actual conscious thought. We've gotten accustomed to calling ourselves dumb, fat, and lazy and we don't even really hear that tape when we play it to ourselves. Well, it's not acceptable behavior. If you wouldn't say it to your best friend, then you don't get to say it to yourself.

Among the more mundane recommendations I have are things like "eat at home" and "take your own lunch". Seriously, though, if you're not cooking for yourself and eating stuff you made, then you are at someone else's mercy all the time. Now, it's true that I like to cook, and so it is probably easier for me to devote time to making a couple of things ahead so that I have leftovers that can easily be reheated. It also means that I have things in the pantry and the freezer that I can put together pretty quickly if need be or if my plans or my tastes change. I spend some time thinking about menu choices at home. And since I don't eat out all the time, then when I do it's because it's a special occasion (even if the special occasion is "It's Tuesday and it's my day off!") or because I've got a very particular hankering for something that I won't make at home, like pot stickers.

Those are just a few of the things that spring to mind right now. I'm sure there are other things, but I really want to go watch some tv and read my current book. Maybe throw in a few bicep curls while I'm there. I am a big fan of functional fitness right now. Today I was up and down ladders in the backroom at work to work those legs some. Who needs a stairmaster???