WEIGHT LOSS AND A HEALTHY BODY
The Problem
There are some very frightening statistics: 180 million Americans (over 60% of our population) are overweight, 40 million of these 180 million are obese, and 3 million are classified as being morbidly obese.
We concluded by stating: “The sad truth is that obesity has reached epidemic proportions, and excess weight precipitates or aggravates almost every acute and chronic disease being experienced. Many of the seriously overweight suffer with cardiovascular disease and/or diabetes, along with a multitude of other symptoms.
The good news is, that usually all one needs do to eliminate excess weight, obesity, and an expanding waistline, along with all the symptoms that accompany them, is simply change what is being eaten, and start a simple exercise program.
We also learned that: “The prevalence of overweight and obesity has steadily increased over the years among all genders, all ages, all racial/ethnic groups, and all educational levels.”
The Cause
“We are the most overfed – undernourished country in the history of the world, and that the average person in America consumes 3,393 calories per day which is phenomenal, also the highest in the world.”
We also learned that the primary sources of the calories that lead to all of this over-weightness and expanding waistlines is coming from refined sugars, refined grains, and animal fat, items found in abundance in the Standard American Diet (SAD), the diet consumed daily by most people in America today.
A healthy Diet and Lifestyle provides highly nutritious, fiber rich, complex carbohydrate, predominantly raw foods that nourish the body and contribute to a slender and healthy body.”
The Solution
The solution to the overweight, obese, and expanding waistline problem being experienced by the majority of our nation’s population is to stop putting into the body those things that caused the condition, start putting into the body those healthy foods that contribute to a slender and healthy body, and start exercising. Sounds like a simple solution, doesn’t it? But the application of the solution is not so simple, and it is here that I want to devote the rest of this Health Tip.
Formula for Weight Loss and a Healthy body
The formula for weight loss is a simple one – decrease caloric intake and increase calories burned! Now that we have the formula for successful weight loss, how can we best implement it?
Step One – Make a Commitment
The first step in achieving a slimmer waistline and healthier body is to make a commitment. We are told that it takes 21 days to break a habit and establish a new habit. So the first step in reaching the goal of a slimmer waistline and healthier body is to make a commitment.
The primary reason for expanding waistlines is because the person has developed some bad eating habits that led to the problem. Breaking the eating habits that have created the problem and establishing the good eating habits that can help a person reach their goal; can in most cases be accomplished in 21 days.
So for the next 21 days you are going to make a commitment to eliminate the fiberless, high calorie foods that have created the overweight condition or your health problems: refined sugar, refined grains (including all white flour containing products) and all animal source foods (including cheese). In their place we are going to adopt the low calorie, high fiber, 100% plant based Diet, and start exercising.
Step Two – Program Your Mind for Success
Repeat frequently such affirmations as “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me!” or “I will eat to live, rather than live to eat.” You can also create some of your own affirmations. Make it fun! Be creative! Look forward to and be excited about taking control of your weight and health. Above all, don’t feel sorry for yourself, or you will sow the seeds for defeat.
You can succeed! You can be victorious! You can do it if your ‘want to’ is big enough. Get excited about the prospect of a new and healthieryou!
Step Three – Set a Goal
How many pounds, or how many inches, or how many dress sizes do you want to lose in the next 21 days? This might not even be your case, you want to get rid of the aches and pains and feel healthier.
Be realistic here. Set an achievable goal. A half a pound a day weight loss should be achievable.
Think how much better you will feel and look with the weight and size of a bowling bowl missing from your abdomen. A regulation bowling ball weighs 16 pounds. Some people are carrying around several of these bowling balls everywhere they go.
Step Four – Plan Your Strategy for Success
If at all possible, remove from your pantry and refrigerator all foods containing the three fattening items listed above. This removes the temptation to consume these items when you get hungry.
That means getting out of the house all soda pop, chips, candy, cookies, and other foods containing refined sugar and/or refined flour, as well as all meat, milk and cheese. In the place of these fattening foods, we are going to restock our fridge and pantry with only those foods allowed.
Distilled water will be the beverage of choice, but unsweetened herbal teas containing no caffeine, sweetened with honey, maple syrup, or stevia are permissible.
10 Tips for Success
1.Limit cooked food to one small portion of cooked food following that large salad at supper time. (You can swap the evening meal with the noon meal if desired.) Acceptable cooked foods would include baked sweet potato, steamed veggies, whole grains, whole grain pasta, or some beans. Also, consuming some dietary fiber before the meal will slow the absorption of carbohydrates and thus hasten the full feeling. A serving of flax seed would be helpful before a meal to hasten that full feeling.
2.Minimize sweet fruits, such as bananas and dried fruits.
3.Emphasize vegetables – emphasize the deep green leafy vegetables (kale, collards, spinach, lettuce, etc,) along with celery, cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, carrots, etc.
4.Minimize seeds, nuts and avocados, which are a high source of fat (though a healthy fat.)
5.Drink lots of distilled or purified water. Don’t drink water with your meals, but when it is not mealtime and you are hungry, water and lots of it, can help satisfy that hunger. The next time you get hungry drink 8-ounces of water and see if that doesn’t take the edge off your craving.
6.Exercise daily. Start with a simple walking program, increasing speed and distance with each passing day. Exercise, along with lots of water, is an excellent help in quieting hunger. Exercise not only increases caloric burn during the exercise program itself, but as the muscles grow, this caloric burn continues throughout the day and night, literally 24 hours a day.
7.Spend as much time outdoors as possible each day, trying whenever possible to get some sun on as much of the body as possible, and learn to breathe deeply, especially when out of doors.
8.Do not eat anything containing fiber after 7:00 p.m. Water and herb teas are permissible after 7:00 p.m. You should not eat anything at least 4 hours before going to sleep.
9.Early to bed and early to rise is important, and when tired, if possible, rest.
10.Keep a food journal, and become aware of your high and low times, and keep track of your progress.
For Those Who Have Already Lost Significant Weight, youdo reach a plateau.
The following suggestions may prove helpful:
1. Drink green juices coming from leafy greens, celery, cucumbers, etc.
2.Eliminate all seeds, nuts, and avocados. (Flax seeds are allowed)
3.Increase duration and vigor of exercise, and perform weight resistance exercises daily. This will speed up the metabolism, build muscle, and thus increase calories burned.
4.Try an iodine supplement for thyroid. We have found that with some who have followed the Diet and reached an impasse, a slow thyroid may be the culprit, and an iodine supplement may help get things moving. (If you have thyroid problems check with your physician first).
** REMEMBER YOU CAN BE SLENDER AND STILL BE VERY SICK. APPLY THIS CHANGE IN YOUR LIFE STYLE IF YOU WANT TO IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH AND ELIMINATE SICKNESS
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