Now is the time of year that everyone is talking about New Years Resolutions. At the top of the list for most people is
getting in shape and weight loss. It’s well known that most of these resolutions are given up within weeks or even days
of the start. Everywhere you look someone is giving weight loss advice for the new year. The usual advice is to "have will
power", "cut calories", "cut out junk food", "exercise" and "eat right". Sounds like good advice, but what does any of it
mean? In my opinion NOTHING. While all of those things are the answer, they are also the problem. Each of those things mean
something different to each individual.
Most people I consult on healthy eating tell me they know they are eating too much and must cut calories. When we
run down that daily eating list most folks find it difficult to name what they ate the day before and when they do actually
write it down it is a very low calorie intake. Starvation levels! Sometimes the calorie intake is high due to chips, soda,
and fried foods, which I call bad calories or empty calories, meaning they have little nourishment in them. These bad calorie
foods will fill you up and take the place of good calorie foods and yes, these types of non-foods do need to be cut down on.
Most of the time though I find people are very aware of what is supposed to be good eating. When they do eat they are counting
calories and fat grams, eating lots of fruits and protein, power bars and "healthy packaged beverages, diet colas". and yes,
weight loss does occur, but at the same time energy goes down, flab does not tighten and perhaps arthritis seems to act up
more. Why? Because the body did not get the nourishment it needed to get healthy and have a true weight loss that involved
body fat reduction.
Instead of looking for will power to take control, what if they were told to eat breakfast. Start the day by fueling your
body so it can operate at it’s best. Not a diet breakfast of fruit & yogurt. While that is OK for a between meal
snack, I recommend oatmeal, an egg and fruit (or better yet no fruit but a veggie). you would notice within days a great increase
in energy. After years of skipping breakfast it could be very difficult to get the breakfast down and there is where you can
work with something you would eat such as soup, fruit or yogurt, etc. anything that is healthy to get you started on eating
for the day. You would also have an appetite to eat throughout the day and this my friends will lead to weight loss, when
the food is real home cooking.
Having will power without the facts will only lead to discouragement and a feeling of failure. We have seen a dramatic
increase in obesity and preventable conditions due to the last few decades of "dieting". For a resolution that works start
including breakfast and more real foods into your day, you'll find a healthier you and weight loss will follow.
