Healthy Weight Loss and Wellness

Poor diet coupled with a lack of physical activity is not just stressful on the body, it's downright dangerous. We have a significant increased risk of developing a laundry list of very bad health problems: diabetes (Type 2), heart disease, arthritis, stroke, respiratory problems, liver disease, several types of cancer, and more.

Consider that over 40 million Americans have what is called pre-diabetes (and don't know it). Someone with pre-diabetes needs to lose 5-7% of their current body weight. Most people with pre-diabetes, if they do nothing about weight loss and activity levels, will develop Type 2 diabetes within ten years.

Successful weight loss and good weight managment is not simply "doing a diet." If weight loss were a function of the number of diets, diet plans and diet books we have available, then none of us would be overweight!

Mental aspects

A word about willpower. Don't we just hate that word? What does it mean, really? In our heads and our hearts we all certainly have the will or desire to lose weight. But willpower seems like some type of overly simple cure or some injection we get. It's not about whether willpower is easy or hard—it's more that willpower is a frustrating (not to mention demeaning) word that is neither constructive or instructive.

There is the physical and biological side to weight loss—calories consumed, carbs, vitamins, fat, metabolism etc. But what tends to get lost in many of the popular books on dieting is that weight loss, for most human beings and non-scientists, is not so much an outcome as it is a behavior that produces the outcome. To put it another way, while the result is important, the process is critical.

And so like a discussion of the stars might be useful with an astronomer, so might a discussion about weight loss, a behavior, include some psychology.

That is mainly because weight loss, the actual number of pounds dropped and measured, doesn't get measured until after the behaviors that made it possible take place. Because of this, it is often easy to lose sight of the extremely important role of the mind (what you think about) and the actual behavior. Perhaps we instead need more understanding and information about the mental aspects. And that doesn't mean willpower.

When you lose weight, in a healthful way through eating well and getting or staying active, your body lets you know how happy it is. You enjoy the way you look, but more importantly, you enjoy the way you feel. There's also better movement or range of motion. More energy. Better sleep. Increased ability to deal with stress. The benefits are numorous and far-reaching.

How is weight loss going to make you feel? For many of us, we can't actually answer that question exactly physically, especially if we are trying to lose weight for the first time. Picture it. We know we are certainly going to feel better—probably much better—physically. And what about how you will feel about yourself?

How will your children feel? What role will your example play in helping others in the family set up good nutrition as part of healthy lifestyle? The benefits to our improved sense of wellness and well-being can be seen and felt not only by us, but by those around us. That can be very motivating for many.

Focusing on the benefits to ourselves and those around us can certainly help motivate and inspire far more positively, for longer-lasting success than any short-term willpower.

Source: healthandwellness.com