Secrets the Weight Loss Industry Will Never Tell You (Part 2)

This is an excerpt from Graham Park’s 7 Secrets the weight loss industry will never tell you, available in stores from February 2nd (2009) and distributed through Gary Allen.
Park collaborated with leading health professionals including prominent Australian cardiologist Dr. Ross Walker, author and psychologist Miranda Banks and Dr Mark Bartlett, PhD John Curtin School of Medical Research in Canberra.

Read part 1 (an overview of the weight loss industries secrets 1-4) here.

SECRET #5
FOOD IS NOT THE ENEMY

Food is not the enemy that weight loss companies tell us it is. It is actually our best tool in effective weight loss. It is the closest thing to a ‘miracle cure’ that we have. For those of use wanting to loose weight, food is our friend on the journey to becoming slim. The simple realty is this: food is fuel. It works just the same as the fuel in our car; without it we will die, and without high quality food we will simply never function at optimum levels.

I realise we are not cars, but I am trying to emphasise the point that food is the answer to our weight problems and not the enemy at all. Once again, learn to think of food as fuel; fuel to live, fuel to perform at our best, fuel to age more slowly, fuel to eat ourselves slim (sounds much more fun than starving). Fuel (food) does not have to be boring. Just because it is good for us does not mean it cannot be tasty or fun, and allow us to enjoy a social life and travel freely.

Secret #6
EXERCISE WON’T DO IT

I once threw a small office party when my gym membership expired. Not that I was going anyway, it was just that I was relieved to no longer feel guilty about not going.

You do not need to exercise to loose weight effectively. In fact, in many cases strenuous activity is actually counterproductive to weight loss.

First, they get so hungry because of all the energy they are burning up that they have real difficulty staying on the eating program that was working so well before. Next they injure themselves or get sick with a cold or flu due to their body going into shock from the level of sudden exertion. So, am I saying you never need to exercise? No, I am not. You do need to do regular physical activity to keep the weight off and to maximise your health. Regular physical activity is essential for good health and a long enjoyable life.

Contradictory? No, not at all. If you are more than say 5-7 kg overweight and try to exercise yourself thin, you are setting yourself up for failure and frustration. You would need to exercise for several hours each day in order to lose large amounts of weight. If you are heavy, then taking up a strenuous exercise program could even be dangerous. As The Biggest Loser contestants sweat it out in the gym, concerns arise from John Hopkins Arthritis Centre (USA) that joint pain is strongly associated with body weight, meaning that more movement equals more pain.

At the start of a weight loss program its best not to change whatever physical activity you are doing until you reach the goal weight that’s been set for you.

SECRET #7
YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE ON DIETS FOREVER

When considering losing those extra kilos, one of the most discouraging things for many (myself included), is the prospect of spending the rest of ones life on a perpetual cycle of diets, trying desperately to keep weight off. We simply cannot stay on some calorie-deprived program forever. On the other hand a well-designed controlled eating plan can help you loose the weight and then transition you back into a sensible but more flexible lifestyle that you can, and most likely will, maintain for life.

The key is to take a phasic approach, one where you understand there are three parts to successful weight loss as far as food intake goes.

The weight loss phase
This is where you can take up an eating plan that is designed to help you lose weight by controlling portion size and by eliminating addictive/reactive foods. This phase should only last until you reach your personal goal weight, and it is important that it causes reasonably rapid weight loss (within healthy levels).

The stabilisation phase
Once you have achieved your goal weight, there is a strong temptation to ‘go wild’ and simply revert back to old habits. Do not do this! Instead, amend the plan you have been on by increasing the amount and variety of foods that you consume every few days and observing if you suddenly gain weight. The stabilisation phase lasts two to three weeks.

The rest of your life phase
This is not a diet in the sense of losing weight, etc, but more a lifestyle choice that you now understand. Eat good, healthy, natural foods and enjoy life – don’t skip meals. Enjoy your food and plan to enjoy quality meals.