The Real Resolution for Weight Loss E


by Carole Hurst


very New Year many people make resolutions. Many of these resolutions are health driven; for example, vows to stay away from fatty foods or to exercise more often. How- ever, by the time February has rolled around many of us have returned to our old habits.


When it comes to our resolution to lose weight, there are many diets to choose from: Atkins, Scars- dale, grapefruit, cabbage soup, distilled water and more. With so many diets, one would think there would be a better success rate; yet weight problems and obesity are mounting. There always is the promise of short-term results that we believe will take those extra pounds away and then before we know it, the weight is all back, and then some. A diet that is too restrictive, that does not teach us how to make better nutri- tion choices and that we cannot put into daily practice, will not give us long term success.


Diets performed the wrong way can lead to problems such as:


1. A reduced metabolic rate – if we consume too few calories our me- tabolism will slow down to store the fat. Some people call this the famine switch. When there is not enough fuel, our body automatically stores fat in anticipation of famine.


2. Muscle loss – another issue when our diet is too restrictive on calories. The first few pounds lost in a diet comes from water and muscle. Muscle loss inhibits our ability to keep the weight off. One pound of muscle loss is equal to the loss of the capacity to burn 50 calories.


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3. Regaining weight as fat – because the metabolic rate has gone down and muscle has been lost, when you stop dieting the weight gain returns with a ven- geance as fat.


The above scenarios create the “yoyo” diet- ing effect where individ- uals often regain more than they lost.


Making Sound


Nutritional Choices So the question is, how can we be- gin making better nutritional choices, set realistic goals and prevent muscle loss? First would be to choose a diet that is rich in proteins, vegetables and whole grains. There is an ingredient in protein sources called leucine. It is an amino acid that helps to build muscle mass. This amino acid is found in soy, almonds, eggs, lentils, beef and fish, among other and is a good place to start.


Setting Achievable Goals How do we go about setting achievable


LEUCINE STUDY In an independent study of two groups of people given the same ex- ercise routine and the same caloric intake, both groups lost the same amount of weight. One of these groups also was given a protein shake rich in leucine. That group lost more fat and gained muscle mass.


Source: Fitness Management, May 2008.


goals? Do we set goals thinking “this would be nice” or do we identify objec- tives with a sense of real determination? A proven strategy is to set “SMART” goals. For example, let’s start with the “S”, which means to get specific. Instead of setting a goal to lose a large amount of weight, set a goal to drop a certain amount each week. The “M”, stands for Measurable. Here is where you choose a goal where you can mea- sure progress and write it down. The “A” is for achievable. There’s no room here for pie in the sky numbers; it has to be something you can accomplish. The “R” stands for realistic; this does not necessarily mean “easy” but it does mean “do-able”. If you make a goal of never eating sweets again, we all know it is simply unrealistic but setting a goal of substituting fruit for a sweet treat cer- tainly will help. And finally, the “T” is for time-driven. It is critical to establish start and end dates. Set a timeline for 12 weeks and break it down to smaller goals for each week, and then create even smaller daily goals.


Now that we are into the New Year, have your resolutions become well-intentioned memories or are you working a plan? If the former, it is never too late to start again. Go back to step 1 to make the decision and then put together a plan to succeed.


Carole Hurst is a Shaklee distributor who has been helping people lose weight for over 15 years. You can email her at carolelhurst@gmail.com and visit her blog for recipes at LivingSimple- HealthyGreen.blogspot.com.


natural awakenings February 2011 23


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