Friday, January 25, 2008

How to lose 100 or more pounds

Props to Heather Davis. She has lost 110 pounds. It's a story many would like to live. She didn't follow a gimmicky diet or or sign-up for a quick fix fad. She did it with a good plan, hard work and perseverance.

Here are ten tips she offered in a CNN story that you can use to help you on your journey.

I like all of these tips. I use variations of nearly all of these in my weight loss program. One that I haven't used but will incorporate immediately, Tip #8, keep an item of your "big" clothes as motivation. That's a great idea!

Congratulations Heather!

  1. Never let anyone tell you "You can't." Yes, you can.
  2. Get as much social support as possible. Going to the gym with others is fun and motivating.
  3. You will not be the biggest person in the gym and everyone will not be staring at you.
  4. Some thin people in the gym used to be really heavy and they will applaud you.
  5. Lose weight for you. Not because someone else tells you to. Also, know when to stop losing.
  6. If you lose your way (fall off your diet), get right back into the saddle and try again.
  7. Keep a calendar. Mark off every day you exercise and eat right. You will see the days rack up, and it will make you proud.
  8. When you do lose weight, save one item from your heaviest weight. Look at it when you feel discouraged and you'll see how far you've come.
  9. Don't let friends or family derail you. If you don't want to eat something, it is OK to politely decline, but don't go crazy. You don't want to be "that person" at the lunch table.
  10. If you want cheesecake or a sweet treat -- eat it in moderation. Don't deprive yourself of anything or you will get discouraged.

11 comments:

Chris said...

Hey Doc,

This is a great list of motivational tips. I'd like to add that most limitations we face are self-imposed. Once we realize that "we" are the ones holding ourselves back, we can begin to become what we want to be.

I like your writings and have added your blog to my blogroll at Shoulder Performance & Rehab.

Anonymous said...

Those were all great suggestions Dr Sekula for someone wanting to lose weight.

I would like to add my two-cents. This is in response to the last one “If you want cheesecake or a sweet . . . “

This last one I think is often overlooked. When someone has more than a 100lbs to lose they often don’t need a reason to overindulge. Everything for them is a “special occasion” for something sweet or not on there diet. Like someone on a budget, once you’re out of money or calories, you can’t spend or eat anymore. A person trying to lose 100lbs or more should be given a caloric ceiling and a time limit to lose the weight. They should be taught to make allowances so they don't feel constantly deprived.

Time is equally important. Imagine asking someone “how long have you been trying to lose 100lbs?”

They respond “Aaaaaahhh seventeen years”. Completely unacceptable.

Good advice Dr Sekula.

jp

brian said...

JP,

Thanks for your comment. I would argue something different. People that need to lose 100 lbs or more have two things working against them. First and most importantly, they don't know how to eat properly. The balance of macronutrients is heavily favored toward simple sugars (bad carbs). Secondly, their condition leaves them with little energy to be active - they just don't feel like doing anything. So they basically do nothing, eat an overly-processed carbohydrate diet and do no physical activity.

The result? A slow metabolism and significant weight gain, specifically body fat.

If you make small changes in diet, it doesn't take long for the effects to take hold. Once they start feeling better, it's relatively easy to continue (at least until they hit a plateau).

So while the caloric ceiling and limits might work in theory, they don't offer much in practice.

Thanks for your comments.

Anonymous said...

That mental block of being too heavy to go to the gym can be so hard for some people.

Anonymous said...

Great article. It's so easy to lose motivation these days with all the crap that's available.

Thanks for the tips,
Shawn
http://fitness102.com
The Sergeant's Program-Military Style Fitness

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