#dieting #weightloss #weightgain
Of adults in the United States, 35% are obese. The definition of obesity generated by “A Healthier Generation” means that someone is “severely overweight with a body mass index of equal to or greater than the 95% percentile.” Of the population, the group of Americans that has the most obesity is African Americans—47.9%.
When working with adults and children who fall into this category, the biggest component in each life is a lack of control of ones own body. The second component is a strong need to fill a gaping hole in their hearts with food. And the third component is simply no understanding of what his/her body needs to be healthy—using food and exercise, our basic means of utilizing or storing energy.
Weight gain is fairly simple when you break it down. We need a certain amount of energy to survive. This energy comes from food and drink. If we eat more energy than we need, the body stores or dumps it. Most times, it stores it in the form of adipose tissue (fat).
Jenny had a problem with weight for about ten years. At 50, she began eating too many sweets and didn’t know why. Her body had been fairly average her entire life. However, suddenly, she couldn’t control her eating, especially sweets and carbohydrates. She quickly put on 65 pounds from 125 pounds. Immediately, she showed signs of diabetes, which are: a.) increased thirst; b.) increased hunger (especially after eating); c.) dry mouth; d.) frequent urination or urine infections; e.) unexplained weight loss; f.) fatigue (weak, tired feeling); g.) blurred vision; and h.) headaches.
At her regular physician’s check up, the results were in. She had Type 2 Diabetes and began on a regimen of medication. Notice, I didn’t say that she had began dieting. No, that was not what the doctor recommended. She recommended pills. After three years of trying unsuccessfully to diet, Jenny consulted a practitioner to help her lose weight.
She began with some simple diet changes (eating protein with every meal, reducing carbohydrate intake, and five small meals throughout the day, instead of two large meals with two or more helpings). For exercise, she began bouncing on a fitness ball, because she had some feet and knees problems. She was to bounce for the entirety of one television show, which she found easy to do. After she lost 30 pounds, which took about eight months, (healthy weight loss takes longer than binge dieting), she began a gluten-free diet and added some abdominal and leg exercises to her daily regimen. Within three months, she lost another 25 pounds and was able to get completely off of the medication. Jenny said that after three weeks on the gluten-free diet, she finally began to understand the feeling of hunger again. More importantly, because a gluten-free diet also reduces acid in the stomach, she became increasingly aware of the effects of overeating—bloating, lethargy, and stomach cramps. All of these effects helped her reduce food intake and get back in touch with her body.
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Winner of the Weight Loss Challenge and Group Facilitator at Weight Loss Nashville, Bo Sebastian, the writer and director of Finding Authentic You, helps people such as you make SIGNIFICANT CHANGE with habits, find your SOULMATE, your PASSION, experience YOUR DREAMS, and dictate your own FUTURE. Challenge yourself with one of his 13 books, healing CDs (weight loss and relaxation) or Yoga DVD on Amazon or Amazon/Kindle:
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