How Many Of Us Try To Lose Weight Permanently?
Trying to find the path to a better life in the U.S.A., 45 million folks try to diet – and lose weight permanently every single year – and that number is increasing rapidly.
How so?
Not only is the population increasing astronomically, so are the percentages of overweight individuals. In 2016, 70% of Americans were overweight – and more than half of them were obese or morbidly obese! By the year 2020, this percentage is expected to be well over 75%!
Do you know that almost 1 in 3 kids – boys and girls – below the age of 20 – are overweight? And, most of them are significantly overweight – with gorged bodies that shouldn’t be experienced until late middle age at least.
I guarantee you that these young’uns will carry their learned food addictions into their adult years – creating a lifetime of flabby misery for themselves!
Diets Don’t Work
Most “experienced” dieters succumb to the Yo-Yo effect – losing a ton of weight – then gaining back 2 tons! Each and every time they went on a diet – eating all those things they didn’t like – they would long for the day when they would break free of the “diet chains” and “pig out” on the high calorie, high starch, and high fat foods of their choice. Fishing for all the standard excuses along the way.
These professional weight losers set goals to agonizingly lose pound after pound – until they came close to reaching their desired weight. Close – but no cigar!
They spent a lot of time being extremely religious in counting calories and recording their daily progress. But, alas, they never made it – always ending up 10, 20, 30, or more pounds – short of their goals.
Fatigue or depression overtook them – or some negative event crossed their path. So, they would “reward themselves” by taking a break from the diet to make themselves feel better.
Then came the pizzas – and the milk shakes – and the greasy foods – and the limitless gorging – until their stomachs hurt. They were rewarding themselves for losing so much weight by slamming food into their body as fast as humanly possible. And, before they knew what was happening – slam, bam, thank you ma’am – their weight was higher than when they first began to diet.
Sadly, this is a lifelong trend for most people who diet. Studies have shown that 95% of those who lose weight will regain it – sometimes in just a few short months. That is totally depressing, don’t you think?
This pattern continues in endless cycles until chubby folks realize that they can’t do this on their own anymore. Some of these Yo-Yo dieters finally see the light of day and surrender to the harsh assessment that they need all the help they can get. Once they come to the brutal acceptance that they are food addicts – otherwise known as foodaholics – that’s when they truly understand that they have an excessive and, at times, uncontrollable yearning to consume the most tasty, high calorie foods possible. They abuse themselves – subjecting their bodies to untold thousands of calories until they can’t jam anymore down their throat – as they feel it starting to back up into their food pipe. This is a common cause of acid reflux – did you know that?
People Come By Their Food Addiction Honestly
Most foodaholics tell stories of having a family full of fatties. Mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and others throughout their family tree who were fat – or fatter – or fattest of them all. In other words, there were an overabundance of stomachs that hung too close to the floor. Their relatives referred to themselves as “big boned” – or “slightly stocky” – or “pleasingly plump” – to excuse the fact that they were hundreds of pounds overweight.
Everyone in the family loved to cook – and, they loved to eat. The problem was the adults forced their passions onto their children. And once the children become adults, they sadly were destined to continue to fight the “battle of the bulges.” Throughout childhood, the kids always had to finish every last crumb of food on their plates – second helpings were even pushed in front of them – and don’t forget desserts.
Those who prepared the meals felt if anyone only had one plate of food – and no desserts – that the food wasn’t tasty enough and they were insulted.
The trusted adults in these “foodie culture clans” had a popular trigger phrase to get their kids to eat like cows and pigs at a feeding trough. “You have to eat everything on your plate. After all, people in China are starving!” Anyone remember that one?
But, I digress…
Being Fat Is Not Healthy
I won’t even spend time listing all the diseases caused by carrying around too much blubber on your frame. Anyone reading this is well aware that being overweight puts them at very high risk of complications for their heart, liver, kidneys, knees, joints, and on – and on – and on – and on!
So, let’s not pretend that it’s acceptable – to be sloppy fat – to be happy and content about it – using self descriptions like “big and beautiful” for God’s sake! That’s only half true! Which half? Well, “big” of course – but, ask yourself – when you look in the mirror at your naked body, do you really think all that fat hanging off your frame looks “beautiful” – or healthy?
Do you really feel good about yourself – and your health – looking like that? Honestly, now, don’t you want to do something about it – and quit lying to yourself? Don’t you think that you would feel much better if you could move around like a fit, active human being – instead of resembling the misshapen monster in that old 1958 sci-fi cult classic movie, “The Blob?” “It eats you alive!”
How many times have you said:
“Oh, if only I could be sure that I will lose weight – and not have to worry about putting it back on again – plus interest!”
Well, I’m here for ya! Through a series of articles here, at A Path To A Better Life, I will be helping you lose that ugly fat and trim down to a body that you can be proud of – a body that lets you walk through a door without having to turn sideways – a body that will have people of the opposite sex “checking you out” (or people of the same sex – if that’s what your into…).
No longer will you step on the scale and have it read your phone number!
No longer will you have more chins than a Hong Kong phonebook!
Do These Four Simple Things
1. Get A Good Coach
Choose Yourself as Your Coach
Sometimes there is just no one around that you can trust to help you along in your quest for a slimmer bod. It’s just you.
Learn to reward yourself (non-food items only) – and be proud when you drop a few pounds – looking forward to your next goal.
Don’t be discouraged if your weight fluctuates a few pounds up or down – we all hold extra water every time we have a “salty” – or high sodium – day because salt retains a lot of water in our bodies.
Stay positive. Instead of thinking about past weight loss failures, decide that you are moving past that. Look in the mirror at your floppy flabby body and resolve to change it – no matter what. Think about the reasons you want to change – appearance – health – feeling more energetic. All these reasons are positive. There are NO negatives when you lose weight except for… You’re gonna have to buy some new clothes that are smaller sizes – and fit you better – and make you look more attractive!
Choose a Close Friend or Family Member
A spouse, or “significant other”, is the preferred “coach of choice”. One who will be positively supportive and understanding. One who will be there to encourage your successes. One who will pick you up, dust you off, and push you back into the weight loss regimen when you have that momentary failure.
That’s the one you should choose. That’s the ticket.
TIPS
Don’t choose any coach, be it you, a relative, or someone else who will add even a smidgen of negativity to the weight loss process. You don’t need it – and, it’s not the least bit helpful or productive. You will be doomed from the beginning!
I wouldn’t go out and spend hundreds or thousands of dollars to hire a “weight loss mentor” – because they are just going to be a substitute that will only “help” bcause they’re getting paid. And, are you really going to listen to them? Or, are you going to cheat every chance you get and lie, lie, lie afterwards?
2. Nutrition – Changing What You Eat
Eat more home cooked meals. If you’re on the go all the time, then prepare homemade lunches and snacks with meats, fruits, and vegetables that you like – not ones you don’t like. It takes only a few minutes – much quicker than stopping at some fast food joint.
Don’t eat fast food, processed food, or junk food. Have you noticed that a single portion of fast food never – ever – fills you up? You have to eat way more than you should – which puts your calorie count soundly into the “gaining weight” category!
Sugar is your enemy. But, sometimes, we just can’t stay away – and, we just have to “dance with the enemy.” But, just one dance! OK? In other words one piece of candy or one cookie won’t kill you – if you have to have it.
Just don’t eat cookies and candy when you’re hungry – or, you’ll be eating them ‘til the cows come home! Then, the next day, you’ll be looking in the mirror and saying, “I have no willpower! I always fail! I’m stuck with this body!” Then, you’ll quit – again – just like the last 100 times!!!
3. Portion Control – Changing How Much You Eat
Once long time food addicts see the harsh light of day, they finally realize that their ability to keep food portions from overflowing their plate is a lost cause. They can really pile it up – sometimes without realizing what they’re doing – thinking that they are hungrier than they actually are.
“Your eyes are bigger than your stomach!” I remember hearing those words in my childhood. And, they are so true!
If your coach is slim and trim, then, they can make much better food portion measurements than you can. By all means, let them make these decisions for you – never complain – because, they are giving you the amount of food that they would normally eat – and they are NOT overweight. They are helping you– so, appreciate it!
If your coach is somewhat on the roly-poly side of the spectrum – or, if you are your own coach – it might be best to get some reusable Bento Boxes. The name, Bento, comes from the Japanese lunch boxes – and, there are sections to accurately portion out acceptable amounts of the different dishes prepared at any given meal. When trying to control and lose weight, lower calorie foods are placed in the largest section. And, as the foods become higher in calories, they are placed in the correspondingly smaller sections of the box.
To sum it up… Don’t put desserts in the largest section. Put them in the smallest section. And, always leave enough room to close the bento box without damaging it.
4. Exercise – Move Your Body
Get out there and walk around the neighborhood. Start small. Start slowly. Increase your speed over time as you get used to it. This is also a way to get to know your neighbors – always a good thing.
If the best you can do is walk to the mailbox and back to the house, at least do that – everyday – until you feel that you can go a little further.
Baby steps. That’s how it all starts.
If you can walk down the street to the next corner and that’s your limit, then turn around and come home. But, do it every day – and, after a week or two, your stamina and muscles will begin to respond and you can extend your distance and time.
You may even decide to splurge and buy a pedometer – to not only count your steps but, also check your heart rate, blood pressure, etc. – and, many of them are also watches and can be linked to your computer. You wouldn’t believe the bells and whistles on these little gadgets!
When you can walk up to a mile, which is 2,000 steps, you’re starting to get comfortable walking and increases in distance and time will come more naturally. Eventually, build up to at least 2.5 miles – or 5,000 steps – and you’ll be feeling the energy flowing back into your body! If you reach 5 miles, you can hold at that for awhile as you increase your walking speed.
Who knows? The next thing may be that you may want to start jogging – or running. But – again – baby steps. Jog for a portion – then walk – then jog – then walk. Increase the jogging a little at a time as your body allows you to – but, don’t push it. Or, the next thing you know, you’ll be injuring yourself and be out of commission for a time – now, your routine is broken – and you’re into a spiraling backslide. Not good!
If your knees hurt, get knee braces.
If your back hurts, get a back brace. Work on maintaining a more erect posture whenever you’re walking – whether it’s a level area – or up – or down – a hill. Then, your back won’t hurt so much.
If you prefer exercising indoors, get a treadmill – or a Stairmaster – or a stationary bicycle.
Eventually, you may even want to purchase a real bicycle and peddle around your area. With the wind blowing through your hair and across your face – and your legs pumping strong to get you up and down the hills and valleys – allowing you to triumphantly experience life. That’s what it’s all about!
But, whatever you do…
Keep Your Body Movin’!
Think – T.E.A.M.
Take (and use)
Every
Available
Means
To reach your goals to have a more enriched life and a thinner, happier – YOU!
Things to Look For
We’re just at the beginning of A Path To A Better Life. Stick around – I promise that I will be with you on this journey – and, we can enjoy it together!
Reading “About Noah” will give you a few clues on what’s to come.
Leave a comment or send me an email – noah@apathtoabetterlife.com – and let me know what you would like to learn and experience to help you on your path to a better life!
I have gained about 20 pounds in the last five years. I am always cycling on and off diets. I have found that your tip on portion control works the best for me. I never get seconds and I never serve myself a full plate. This allows me to still enjoy what is being served and my stomach has since shrunk to the point that I get full much easier now. My weight has slowly ebbed lower and I remain motivated to continue the journey.
Hi Eric,
It’s great that you were able to control your portions by yourself – without portion control aids like bento boxes to help. Sadly, many folks do not have the same ability – and, they need a good weight loss coach as well as a few portion control boxes to increases their chances of success!
Thanks, for stopping by.
Noah
I will be sharing this information to my aunt who is obese and who is really in a quest to lose weight and I’m glad I have found a solution to her problem.
Thanks for sharing this informative and educative post. I must commend you for taking your time to share this article because you must have done a lot of research.
I hope that your aunt has great success in her weight loss journey.
Tell her not to forget to incorporate daily exercise into her schedule as well.
Walking is the best exercise to get started in successfully losing weight – and, a good pedometer will go a long way in keeping her on track.
Noah
While I am far from “FAT” I am the kind of person who really could be!
Losing weight is a constant battle for me and as you point out I tend to YoYo badly.
Exercise is certainly not my issue. When I train for 12+ Hours a week doing Ironman Training, however, I still struggle to lose weight. And the Temptation to Gorge on cake and burgers is really high.
Only Intense Focus and religious eating see the pounds come off. And then when the training cycle is over the pound pile back on…usually over Christmas!
Hi Steve,
It appears that you have everything under control with your ability to control your weight. But, it looks like you may need some help during the periods when you are not doing your Ironman training.
Just remember – sweets and greasy foods should be taken in “moderation” – as should all foods that we enjoy.
It’s a tragedy that almost all foods that are bad for us tend to be not very good for our bodies.
Noah
It is insane the amount of people who suffer with weight problems, and yo yo-ing is soo unhealthy. Food is such an addiction and people joke about this but it really is no joking matter.
Pushing kids to eat every last morsel on the plate is a horrible practice and one I put an end to when I realized you should only eat til you’re not hungry anymore…that we need to eat to live not live to eat. My family are eaters and not all of us are over weight but we love food. I am an emotional eater which is the worst kind, combine that with an addictive personality and you might think I am doomed for failure.
This is a great article and at first I thought you were going to try and sell diet pills, I was so relived to read that you are encouraging healthy lifestyle changes. Thank you for writing such a great piece of work, all great advice in getting healthy.
Hi Amanda,
You hit the nail on the head when you said, “…we need to eat to live – not live to eat.” Unfortunately, most foodaholics think opposite of that simple truth.
Emotional eating is a sign of being on the verge of a food addiction – so, keep fighting it. Use other non-food ways to placate yourself during those sensitive times when you feel the need.
No diet pills will be talked about here in A Path To A Better Life. They don’t work. Only lifestyle changes will do a permanent job of removing those extra pounds!
Noah
That’s just bonkers! I had no idea the whole obesity/overweight situation in the U.S. was so out of control. By 2020 well over 75%. Wow, that’s effectively more than 3 people for every 4. I had heard something along the lines of nowadays more people dying from overweight than from malnourishment. But I had no idea it’s that bad. Flabby misery here we come.
I do believe you paint a very accurate picture of how it all actually goes down. Namely, I’m with you 100%. That Yo-Yo effect, I wasn’t aware of that expression. I was familiar though with the concept.
Overall, all the advice you gave is really sound. And to be frank, simple. But hard.
I mean it’s simple but hard. The concepts are simple (and effective). But hard to actually implement and stick to.
Cheers, keep doing what you’re doing, you definitely know your stuff and can help people to battle their unnecessary weight. Have a Great One!
Matiss
Hi Matiss,
Yep! There are a lot of roly-poly folks here in the good old U.S.A., that’s for sure!
A smart terrorist could dump tons of food on their doorsteps and there’s a chance that they would eat themselves to death.
That’s a joke – so, don’t take me seriously, okay?
But, being fat is no joke – not for the obese anyway – because they live a very uncomfortable daily life – all their lives.
I just hope that I can give them a way to drop the pounds and enjoy a fuller, more rewarding existence!
Noah
I have not been overweight, but this I attribute to my line of work, building and carpentry. Climbing 20 stories every morning and afternoon keeps you slim and fit.
Fortunately our family is not classified in the predominantly fat category, though my father used the (clean your plate, people in china are starving) cliché, all it did was leave me with a lifelong compulsion that to this day, I have to eat everything put on my plate.
My father was my coach, and even today, I think of everything I eat in terms of his unseen guidance,
As regards nutrition, we were brought up on home cooked meals, as we couldn’t afford to go out to eat, the same applies to fast food and junk food, we just never saw any. I must admit I have a weakness for sugar,and cookies, but as a pensioner I fortunately, am not able to afford them.
My portion is under others control, as my food is dished up to me, and am seldom given extra helpings, or desert.
Perhaps I have been fortunate, in all these areas, because our group is not part of a society, that is hung up on fast foods and eating out?
Hi Robert,
That “clean your plate – people in China are starving” line was used a lot in my day, too!
Luckily, your work has been a boon to keeping you slim and trim. I think the real problem is that most of those who are overweight lead very sedentary lives – which offers them no opportunity to burn the calories they consume.
Noah
Hello Noah,
This is a very interesting and necessary article for people to read. When I first started reading it, I thought it was a bit harsh, but that’s the reality for significantly overweight people. As I kept reading, that tough way to express the grim reality changed to a more motivational and inspiring text. Even though you are right about all the steps to follow to be healthier and lose weight, I think first people should see a doctor or nutritionist, an expert on the field. But, in general, the steps you suggested is what the specialist would tell them to do and seeing an specialist would allow them to have more detailed steps to follow.
Thank you for raising awareness about this concerning topic.
Best,
Mariana
Hi Mariana,
Even though I cover the same basic steps necessary to permanent weight loss, I agree with you that those who are obese should have a doctor or nutritionist in the loop when they start their weight loss regimen.
Such an undertaking requires the assistance of professionals – trained to provide expert counseling.
In conjunction with that, information provided in A Path To A Better Life – and some of the products reviewed here – such as bento boxes and pedometers will go a long way to facilitating anyone’s weight loss progress.
Noah
Hi Noah,
This post is nothing short of golden. It’s true that most kids unconsciously become obese as a result of their family members who encourage them to eat more and more. They never realize the changes to their body or they are ignorant about the changes until it is too late. Being obese also causes stigmatization from friends. The possible illnesses you’ve highlighted in the image are a testimony to the dangers of being fat. It requires stronger will, passion and great determination to lose weight. Though, I think if such a fat fellow could follow strictly the four(4) steps you highlighted in the write up, maybe they could achieve a decent result.
Hi Darrick,
Glad that you appreciate my treatise on losing weight permanently – or, how to go from plump to pleasing.
So many adults don’t understand that the habits they instill in their offspring will stick with them throughout their adult life. It’s a shame that negative traits seem to stick to a person much easier than positive ones.
You’re quite correct. If all the “plumpers” out there followed my 4 step approach to permanently dropping those extra pounds, they will win the battle!
Noah
Hi Noah,
I used to be that person where I kept dieting and would be happy that I lost weight so I celebrated that I lost weight with eating, where is the logic in that? It was a painful 10 years of my life that I had such a bad relationship with food. I would diet and then eat, the cycle begins and it did not stop until I read this book. I find that I have an obsessive personality. When I set my mind on doing something I won’t let go of it. The mistake I made was I was being obsessive with food. The me before would be thinking right now as I am writing, what should I have for lunch or dinner that is healthy. My whole day was involved with food thinking and that was not healthy. It took me quite sometimes to train my brain to think of food as my medicine. Of course I love tasty food but I do it in moderation. Portion control is big for me now. I also learned one thing about myself that if I forbid myself this one food, I always ended up on a binge if that food. You are totally correct, DIETS DON’T WORK. I truly believe that once we stop obsessively thinking about food, eat healthy whole food in a reasonable portion, our weight problems will be gone. I am in my 30s and it took me quite sometimes to get here but if I can do it you can do it. Get a coach or a friend to help with your journey 🙂 Your path to health begins now.
Hi Nuttanee,
Obsessive-compulsive behavior seems to be inherent in all of us humans. We just have to fight it continually to keep our heads above water and not get dragged down into the depths of self indulgence.
It looks like you were able to get your head on straight early in your life so, CONGRATULATIONS are in order!
Kudos to you for learning that not every type of food is your friend – and that changing the way we think about foods plus portion control goes a long way to keeping us fit and healthy!
Noah
Hey, Noah!
Just wanted to drop you a few kind words. Genuinely good advice.
In that sense, I especially liked the idea of a coach of choice. I believe it might be the way to success using a “do or don’t” kind of advice. It might be hard to come to the grips of asking someone, even more so if you don’t have that other half of you but it’s definitely worth the push. But ultimately, I think people could take this even one step further.
I remember reading a while back some studies about showing up what regards to weight loss. If I’m not mistaken, what they found was when you had a buddy that was also battling weight just like you and was actively pursuing losing weight along side you, you have a statistically much higher chance of succeeding and sticking to your weight loss goal. I mean, it could be somewhat of an answer for the Yo-Yo, though it definitely depends on what kind of weight loss buddy you have.
At the end of the day, it still might be something that is worth looking into. And potentially try.
Have a Wonderful Day, Noah!
Rasa
Hi Rasa,
Having a good coach is a necessary strategy in permanent weight loss. Let’s get rid of the yo-yo and play for keeps in the “battle of the bulges!”
Noah