July 20, 2018 admin
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Obesity, I think, is most likely the number one health concern facing Americans today.  Everywhere you look, people are overweight.  The statistics on obesity are staggering.

What do the terms “overweight” and “obese” mean?  The standard definition of body size is the mass index or BMI.  It is the body weight relative to body height.  Most definitions of being overweight is having a BMI above 25 and being obese is a BMI of over 30.

BMI Chart
CONSEQUENCES FOR THE ADULT
If you are obese, you find that doing everyday things is harder.  It is difficult to walk at times, your sex life may be less enjoyable because of the physical stress of moving more weight around, sitting in a chair is more difficult if the chair is normal size and you are not, and just trying to tie your shoes can be exhausting.  Clearly, no one wants to be obese and I will not discuss the cost in health care that obesity represents.  We’ve all heard the “speech” about the illnesses caused by obesity: diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, and death to name a few.
 I would rather focus on a solution.  What is the solution?  There is no easy solution, but there are guidelines that can help you save your own life.  The best solution to weight loss is whole foods, plant-based diet and yes, exercise. Can you imagine the individuals you have seen who practice eating fresh vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, consuming french fries, chips, and junk foods?  It would not be long before they would be obese.  Now, imagine the individuals who have eaten the junk foods, eating fresh vegetables and fruits, and you will see their weight reducing and these people becoming a healthy weight.
Mr. Campbell talks about a study in his book, “The China Study”, where obese people were told to eat as much as they wanted of foods that were mostly low-fat, whole-food and plant-based.  In three weeks these people had lost an average of 17 pounds.

But what about someone who eats plant-based and whole foods and does not lose weight?  Let’s look at some possible reasons; the diet is laced with large amounts of pastas and potatoes.  These high starch foods are readily digested sugars and starches that are oftentimes very high in fat as well.  Add in sweets and pastries and you have defeated the whole purpose of eating plant-based foods for weight management.

The second reason weight loss may be escaping you is that you are sitting on the couch or in your recliner watching TV or sleeping in front of the TV.  You have to get up and move.  Take a walk around your neighborhood, you may find that you actually like your neighbors.

Third, there are certain people who have a predisposition for overweight bodies making losing weight more challenging.  While it may be more of a challenge, it is not impossible to lose weight.

WHY THIS WILL WORK FOR YOU

First of all, forget about counting calories.  It just sets you up for failure and stresses you out.

Secondly, don’t expect to sacrifice or deprive yourself of good tasting foods.  When you are eating healthy, you are most likely eating a larger volume of food, but it will naturally be lower in calories and made up of complex carbohydrates that take more energy to burn.

Studies show that vegetarians consume the same amount or even significantly more calories than their meat-eating friends, and are still slimmer.  Part of the reason they are slimmer, is that they may be more active to help burn the calories.  Plant based foods also contain calories that are more readily used by the body and not stored in fat tissues.

So, to sum it up, as Mr. Campbell said, “The diet that helps to reduce weight in the short run needs to be the same diet that treats and maintains health in the long run.”

Hypnosis is a useful tool to help with weight loss.  Many people find it gives them the boost that they need to get the weight off and keep it off.