Losing Weight is Not a Math Equation

Lots of so-called "experts" will tell anyone who is trying to lose weight that it is simply a matter of consuming fewer calories than you expend. These "experts" make it sound like weight loss is a math equation.

Having dieted most of my life and calculated calories, fat grams, carbs and just about anything else one can calculate, I can tell you that weight loss success is definitely NOT a simple math equation.

The math equation myth prevails despite evidence by millions of people like me. We are accused of cheating. We are accused of being lazy. We are told we just aren't counting everything that we are eating. We are accused of lying.

The math equation myth goes hand in hand with the diet myth. Neither is right, it isn't simply math and diets don't work either. Neither take into account human beings and our infinite variety.

In my book, Refuse to Diet: Weight Loss Success Starts with Your Mind...Not Your Mouth I explain more about some of the diet myths and why they are fact, not fiction...but still countless people just don't believe that there is any other explanation, they WANT to believe that is just math.

Except for those of us caught up in the math equation nightmare, of course.

What I find ironic is that many of the "experts" who claim you just have to expend more calories (work out more) or consume fewer calories (eat less, or eat lower calorie foods) will be the very same people who will then say on national television that we hold onto weight when we are stressed!

Hello??? Which is it, folks? Don't try to tell me that it is math and then excuse 1 person because of stress. Math is math. Math is not biased. Math doesn't give a *&#$ about your stress level. This is why mathematicians love math. This is why the rest of us do not.

Are there extenuating circumstances that can cause you to either gain weight or not lose weight despite your efforts to exercise and eat fewer calories? You betcha!

OK, there's the infamous aforementioned stress for one. Weather can actually also affect your weight loss. Whether or not you drink ample water will affect the number on the scale...and water has zero calories so that would not figure into any math equation. Some medical conditions and medications will affect your weight. Traveling, eating different foods, or eating more salt than normal...these can all affect your weight temporarily. And of course when you are building muscle while you lose fat (a good combination to go after) there will be times when your pounds will go up, even though your fat content will be dropping. Beyond all that, the source of calories is an important factor on whether or not you lose weight...and especially if you can keep it off.

These are just some of the weight loss challenges we face that dispute the math-equation theory.

I say none of this to discourage your from improving your health.

I say it to free you from the tyranny of the scale! There are no health benefits to staying obese. There are tons of health benefits for improving your health by improving your eating and moving your body more--even if you don't drop a single pound!

To lose weight successfully, permanently, you must work on your mindset. You must believe that it is possible and that you are worth it...and the number on the scale has no bearing on your value as a human being!

You must eat food that nourishes and fuels you body. The same number of calories consumed can have a different impact on your health and your weight depending on where those come from. You can eat zero fat and not lose weight...because your body needs some fat in order to lose fat. You can count calories every day but if the calories don't count you won't be healthy or have a sustained weight loss.

If you are struggling with losing weight I suggest you start with your mindset. Once you have that straight then weight loss happens naturally. If you find that you aren't dropping weight and you have made sure there is not a medical reason for it (for example, did you know that diabetes medication almost always makes a person GAIN weight?) and you truly have excess fat to drop, then

• Reduce your stress
• Reduce your salt intake
• Increase your pure water intake
• Be sure the calories you are eating are the right ones
  

and most important, put away the scale! Stop focusing on the number you don't want. Instead focus on the steps you are taking to improve your health...and they WILL follow!

InexpensiveTools for Health and Weight Loss Success

We all can use some toys, *ahem*, tools to help us in our quest for health and weight loss...but knowing what products are worth it, are safe, give you results can be a challenge...and then there's the cost.

Well...one of my favorite stores, Gaiam, is offering a sale and I wanted to give you a heads up! (Don't you just love a sale???)

If you aren't familiar with Gaiam, here are some of the reasons I love them:

Loads of cool Fitness Products from clothes & shoes to exercise equipment
Oodles of Health Products whether you are looking for pain relief, massage, alternative therapies
Variety of product types--videos, books, hard-to-find products
Environmentally conscious Green Products (recycled or natural elements= low impact on the earth)

Now through next Monday (July 26) Gaiam is having a sale on a variety of items that will help you reach your health and fitness and weight loss success goals...here's some of my favorites:

Yoga kit for beginners...includes a mat, block, strap and workout DVD by yoga guru Rodney Yee. This mat is different because it is marked to help you know where to put your feet and hands during poses...awesome for beginners when you can't have a teacher right there correcting your position! Fitting with the Refuse to Diet theory, these workouts are geared to be 20 minutes in length so ANYONE can fit it in to their schedule. Sale price for the kit is $12.98 (that's about what I paid for my basic yoga years ago!) A small price to pay for a great tool that can help you get in some great exercise and vary your routine...which is one of the best ways to meet your fitness and weight loss goals.

"CorePlus Reformer" this piece of equipment simulates the workout you'd get with a Pilates reformer...developed in conjunction with Pilates pro Mari Winsor (Winsor Pilates anyone?) you get the reformer and instructional DVD...note, they're telling me inventory is limited on this one, so hurry if you want the benefits of a Pilates workout in your own home...for under $30!!! Small and easy to pack you can take this with you on vacation or business trips.

Adjustable Yoga Sandals help stabilize and align your body and also stretch your feet and toes (if you have any toes that touch or cross over this can help but note it may take a little getting used to!) This is another Limited Inventory item and at only $32 I can see why!

Deep Penetrating Light Therapy OK, this is a bit pricier...but if you have health issues like depression, muscle or joint pain this RED and infrared light therapy machine may be the ticket...the light goes deep into the tissue and stimulates endorphins (those feel good chemicals) which helps block pain. The light also stimulates cell regeneration which can reduce wrinkles...less pain AND fewer wrinkles? Sounds good to me. Normally $369 but use the code "JULYSAVINGS" and get $30 off! BTW...this is FDA approved...and can be used on your face, arms, legs...we all want to look as youthful as possible and if aches and pains are keeping you from moving your body (pain is one of my biggest weight loss challenges!) this could be just the ticket.

Wooden Drying Rack I debated whether to include this...after all it really won't help you lose weight...but I love mine and you can save $10 so I thought what the heck...it saves energy and space...I get to dry clothes in a compact space and not have them shrink...AND they don't wear out as fast as when you put them in the drier so I save money that way too. Remember to use the code "JULYSAVINGS" when checking out

Not sure what you want, go to Gaiam and look to see what other deals they have...you'll see my BalanceBall Chair on the cover (among other things) but remember, this sale ends MONDAY!

Did I tell you, be sure to use the code "JULYSAVINGS" at checkout? That way you get the best deal so don't forget...and share the savings by telling a friend...maybe a new workout buddy? Then come back and tell us what you got and how you like it...

Aging, Weight Loss and Mental Sharpness

Yesterday I talked about how important getting sufficient protein every day is to our health, our appearance and for weight loss success.

Today I'm going to talk, quite unscientifically, about something that I've observed that I believe is at least partially attributable to NOT getting enough protein on a regular basis.

First, imagine you get up and you wait hours before eating. Maybe you have a cup of coffee or tea. Then perhaps you have some cereal or toast...or something sweeter perhaps. How are feeling about 10:30 or11am? Probably feeling a bit sluggish and a bit foggy mentally. You may even feel that earlier in the day.

What do you do at that point? If you are like most folks you grab some sugar and maybe some (more) caffeine thinking that will solve the problem. And your blood sugar spikes and you do get some energy. Temporarily.

Problem is you are only addressing symptoms, not the real cause.

The cause is that you haven't really fueled your body with the most important thing it needs--protein!

This might not be a big problem if you do this once in a while...but over time what happens is your body loses lean body mass as we talked about yesterday.

I contend that this affects our brain as much as it does the rest of our body. We lose our mental abilities...we become more and more foggy.

My evidence? Well, not a scientific study to be sure, but I have seen it in my own family. Right now I am seeing the results in my mother who is 80 years old...(I wish I could say 80 years "young"...but can't.)

While I recognize we are blessed that she is pretty healthy and doesn't suffer from Alzheimer's or Dementia...I also see this once super-intelligent woman reduced to being in a fog much of the time. What concerns me even more is that on the one hand she recognizes this reduction in her abilities and yet she is not willing or able to help herself do anything about it.

My mother has only rarely been overweight in her life. And when she deemed herself to be "fat" she rigidly dieted. For her it was a "simple" matter of pushing herself away from the table while still hungry. (I inherited neither her metabolism nor her diet discipline.)

Well, my mother has dropped lots of weight over the last couple of years.

The science is that typically for every decade past our 40th year we lose 8% of our lean body mass. That would mean my mom would have 32% less lean body mass than she used to...so if her entire 40 year old 140 pound body was lean body mass (which of course, it wouldn't have been) and we took away 32% of that she would be about 120 pounds today...all things being equal.

Mom is currently about 110 pounds...when a healthy weight for her would be closer to 130-140. It seems as her body gets smaller and smaller so does her mental capacity. So, the notion that one can "never be too thin" is pure fiction...dangerous fiction at that!

My conclusion, as unscientific as it may be, is that she has definitely lost too much weight, especially lean body mass, and that this loss has affected her mental ability...and therefore I for one am going to be doubly sure to eat sufficient protein multiple times a day every day.

Anti-Aging and Weight Loss Success Secret Weapon

One of the biggest secrets to losing weight successfully and for looking younger is quite simple...protein.

We hear all the time that Americans eat too much protein. But that may not be really accurate.

While it is true we don't need a lot of protein at any one sitting, we DO need to eat protein regularly...several times every day. Research from the University of Texas backs this up and states that the most important factor for maintaining our lean body mass is eating protein regularly through out the day. You see, our bodies don't store protein...at least not as protein. If we eat too much protein it is converted and stored as--fat! That means saving it all up for dinner won't cut it in terms of looking youthful or being healthy.

The trick is, if we don't eat enough protein then our body will actually start to "eat" our own lean body mass...we will tear down our "less important" tissues in an effort to protect our most vital organs (like our heart.)

What exactly is lean body mass? It is most of the parts of our body that we love (read "not our fat")...including our bones, skin, muscles and parts of our essential organs. And once we get over the 40 year hump we start to lose that lean body mass. Figures indicate on average we lose 8 % every decade.

Less lean body mass could mean that our metabolism slows down (ever heard that it is harder to lose weight once you hit 40?) This is because muscles burn more calories than fat. So, that is enough all by itself to make me want to be sure I get enough protein in every day.

But that's not all...losing lean body mass affects our bones, making us more susceptible to breaks, our skin becomes more easily damaged and all of our organs are adversely affected. Think about it...pretty much all the signs of aging could be linked to loss of lean body mass!

So whether you are trying to drop excess fat or keep your body looking younger, one of the most important things you can do for yourself is to eat small servings of protein several times a day.

Don't think this means you have to be eating meat three times a day...mix it up with wild salmon (avoid "Atlantic" salmon as that means it is farm-raised and less healthy) or other fish, nuts and seeds, chicken and other poultry, dairy, eggs, and off course beans and legumes.

Add nuts and seeds to your morning yogurt or oatmeal, or a little Feta and Quinoa to a salad and you've got meals with protein that won't raise your cholesterol either!

New Diet Pill Safe and Effective for Weight Loss Success?

The Associated Press released an announcement that an experimental diet pill has helped people lose weight--about half the people who tried it lost "some" weight and were able to keep it off for a year. This new pill theoretically does not cause the heart problems that earlier pills such as fen-phen did, even though it acts on the same pathways.

Most diet pills are either not safe at all or can only be taken safely short-term. Is this one really any different?

Before people get too excited about this pill, realize it is still in the experimental phase and it helped people lose "at least 5 percent of their body weight over a year"...

Let's look at that and see if that really amounts to weight loss success.

If you weight 300 pounds and lose 5% of your body weight that is 15 pounds. That's right a whopping 15 pounds!

Until they PROVE that there are no side effects...like irreversible heart damage, problems with digestion and bowel leakage, problems that have shown up AFTER clinical trials were done and diet pills deemed safe in the past...then I'd say this is not worth the risk in my book!

The bigger question really is, do diet pills address the REAL problem? I know when I was 300 pounds I longed for a pill that would magically melt the fat away...allowing me to not have to face my feelings or why I was over eating or retaining weight in the first place.

It may not be the fastest route in the short-term, but by learning to deal with my emotions I have a much healthier body and I dropped a lot of weight (over 125 pounds) in a bout a year...and that turned out to be a lot faster than ANY diet or pill ever would have done!

Bottom line...for true weight loss success, start with your mind...not with a diet or a pill.

Treat Depression for Weight Loss Success

If you've ever been depressed then you probably have seen your weight change dramatically as a result.

For some people, like my mother, weight plummets with depression as the person stops eating.

For others, like me, weight sky-rockets as we increase stress and emotional eating...attempting to drown our sorrows in Ben & Jerry's or increase our serotonin levels with simple carbohydrates.

I'm not going to recommend or dissuade anyone from taking anti-depressants...that is certainly something that you (with the help of a psychiatrist...not just a therapist) must decide for yourself. Especially for the severely depressed, they can help.

That being said, I've never met a doctor who believes the pills are magic all by themselves...there are things you can do to help yourself, either in conjunction with taking the pills or instead of.

A lot of people will suggest that you DO things. This is not a bad idea...but it is secondary.

First you have to BE something...you have to decide that you are the kind of person who does something, who will (and can) handle the emotions. You must decide that you are done with hiding behind food and that you are willing to tackle what comes up.

This can be a scary thing...it feels much safer to just go for a walk. The problem is that if we don't tackle the mindset stuff we won't be able to maintain the walks!

First BE. Then DO. Then you will HAVE.

So do the things that you have to do in order to get your mindset going in the right direction (okay, I know that is a "do" word...but it is about mindset, not just action)...first decide that you are worthy of a healthy/slender body and that you deserve to have a healthy mind as well. Then write down your feelings, talk / shout / cry them out...Third, learn to meditate (refer to this week's post on pain management for some tips on this...works for physical and emotional pain)...4th, visualize your body as the healthy person you are becoming...slender, energetic, vibrant, healthy....and 5th, come up with some alternative plans for when emotions come up--things that will work for you instead of eating--keep that list available as you are breaking old habits.

NOW you can do all those things and go for walks and feed your body healthy foods...this will also help boost your serotonin levels and help you feel even better. That's a GOOD cycle!

Before you know it, you will start having results! And you definitely deserve them!!!

Do Instability Shoes Yield Weight Loss Success?

These shoes that keep your body off-balance are really popular...even my 80 year old mother wanted a pair. If you are thinking about them, be sure to try them on and walk around in the store a long time before you plop down some significant change to purchase a pair.

Fortunately I was able to go shopping with Mom...and watching her walk in them was mildly amusing...but more than that it was really concerning me since she looked like she was going to break at the ankles! I was relieved when she decided she didn't like them so I didn't have to tell her not to buy them.

Before you decide right off the bat that you don't want them, be aware that these shoes come in a variety of makes and price points.

Some shoes are made for running, but most of these are strictly walking shoes.

The idea behind them is that by making your walking less stable you are using more muscles which then increases the tone of those muscles and makes your legs overall more fit. Of course, when we have more muscles we also burn more calories.

But do they work?

Yes. No. Maybe. Who really knows?

I bought myself a pair and I love them...they are super comfortable and if nothing else I psychologically think I'm getting more/better exercise. That's not a bad thing. I know that I am getting more fit and that I'm able to walk further, faster. Is that because of the shoes or just because I am walking more?

Hmmm...can't say...but I will say that because the shoes are comfortable I am much more willing to go for a walk!

Have they made me drop weight? Well...again, don't know...but when I'm walking more I also tend to eat better.

Bottom line: try them out and if the shoe fits--go for it! I figure anything that helps us be comfortable helps our mindset be positive and that all encourages us to move our bodies more, which in turn helps us reach our health and fitness goals--including weight loss success!