Lose Weight

Japan has just announced that their population now includes over 40,000 people who are older than 100 years. Ten years ago, their centenarian population was just 10,000.

Lots of people are leaving comments at this article about what kind of healthy habits lead to a long life. Here’s one example;

My father is over 95 now, still walks his dog every day. He does NOT take any medication of any kind even when he has a normal cold, does not smoke (never has), never drank alcohol in excess and is heathy as a horse except for his eyesight. Even when he has a small cut, he lets it heal by itself, he has been told by his doctor that he has a remarkable immune system.

Check out a very entertaining article by a guy, age 45, who lost 50 pounds over 8 months. He’s done it via exercise and by changing his diet. He never actually went on ‘a diet’ and has never felt hungry. He’s just changed the type of food he eats. And he hasn’t cut out all his bad habits, he continues to drink a lot of alcohol daily.

Check out his fun article and inspiring before and after photos!

He says;

I have buns of iron and only the smallest of man-boobs, and I no longer feel waves of melancholy every time I see a photo of my slimmer twentysomething self…

Have I been on a diet? People have been asking me that for months. Sometimes, I’m ashamed to say, I joke that no, I’m terminally ill. I don’t know what the straight answer is. You think of a diet as something that hurts – and I’m enjoying the business of feeding myself more than I ever did. Not once this year have I left the table feeling hungry or hard done-by. I have not signed up for WeightWatchers, come over all Atkins, discovered the delights of acai berries, or switched to the new “non-fat” fat. I have not – though God knows I should have – significantly reduced my boozing. I have stopped eating almost everything that I once thought of as food, but I’m loving what’s replaced it.

One of the books he recommends is Eating for Lower Cholesterol: A Balanced Approach to Heart Health with Recipes Everyone Will Love

Phylicia Rashad, age 61, (of Bill Cosby Show fame) has lost 35 pounds. She looks and feels fantastic. She joined Jenny Craig as a spokesperson in December and it’s taken her eight months to lose the weight. She says it’s not rocket science. She believes she can keep the weight off as she lost it quite gradually and she intends to keep up the regular exercise. See her in this Jenny Craig promotional video below.

The Washington Post has a story today about The Seven Secrets of Highly Obese People. The bad habits they point to is things like using big plates, eating fast, always eating all the food on your plate, taking seconds and never eating breakfast.

But here is a comment from a slim reader who begs to disagree.

I am amazed at this study. I have a BMI of 20.5 and I do all of the things that they say obese people do. I eat very quickly, I take the larger plate and always go back for seconds. I actually have a major problem with leaving food on a plate (just wasteful!) The last time I ate breakfast on a regular basis probably was 15 years ago. Either this study is full of crap, or I am the luckiest person on the face of the earth (I think it is the first, not the second). It comes down to a very easy item. Exercise 5 times a week. Even if it is a 20 minute walk. My parents are very overweight, but they do not exercise. Take control of your life and do something about your weight if it is an issue. Someone at my office is always looking for the easy route to weight lose. She drinks special drinks, goes on crazy diets. When I ask her if she exercises, she says that she doesn’t have to to lose weight. Obviously, she does.

The buffet photo is via NixKitz.

Another reader makes this point;

While this is all very interesting, I must say I just love how it conveniently wraps all of the actions of obese people in such a neat little package. So THAT’S why they are fat! Seriously, have you put any thought into why food seems to be so important to those who happen to be larger than you? Why they choose larger plates and tables that are closer to the buffet? Not because of laziness. Ever consider the psychological causes? Maybe that person is depressed and uses food as a way to comfort and fill that hole? And at times when they feel that no one truly understands them or is there for them, food is always there. So yes, there is somewhat of a desperation to get to that warm, tasty, comforting food. …
I’m not saying that this is the case for everyone who is overweight, but it may be for many of us out there. And while these “little steps” sound so easy, the first thing a person has to do before really making a difference in eating habits is working on their self mentally and eventually find out that food is only a temporary solution to filling that void.

Here’s a good motivational video about the benefits of walking for weight loss.

Greta has lost 45 pounds since March. Congrats Greta! She’s got an entertaining blog about her weight loss journey. Here’s an excerpt about her new eating plan;

You might be wondering what I am eating. Since starting all of this in mid-March, I sort of have come to a rhythm in my eating pattern that seems to be working. I have relied on the fabulous site fitday.com to keep me on track…which is a great resource. I especially like how it tracks nutrients, so I can be sure to supplement the nutrients I am not getting from my diet. I have also relied heavily on the principles of Ann Louise Gittleman’s Fat Flush protocol. Eating lean protein, ample “good” fats, and loads of veggies seems to work well for me.

Basically, I have cut out ALL grains–with some occasional exceptions. I will not add them back until I reach my goal, and then, only slowly. I eat lean protein, eggs, lots and lots and lots of vegetables, 2 or so servings of fruit a day, and plain nonfat yogurt sweetened with liquid stevia (it is good…..I swear). I was NOT a big veggie fan, before….but have come to greatly appreciate vegetables over the past month. They are SO filled with nutrients…..and fiber…..and have so few calories. I have finally become good friends with them.

Check out her inspiring blog at Big Bottom Blogger.

See your weight loss progress in a visual way.

Here’s an iphone app to help with weight loss goals.

This virtual model was first created three years ago as a google gadget. Lots of people have been using it and find it fun and motivational. Now we’ve added several additional features and have developed it as an iPhone app.

You can find it at the iPhone app store under Virtual Weight Loss Model. (It’s free for the first few weeks.)

You can see your weight loss progress with this virtual model. Customize it with your current weight, your goal weight and your heaviest weight. Include your height.

The model is based on body mass index (BMI) calculations. So it will look different for people who are different heights but who weigh the same. If people like it we’ll be adding more options, including a male model.

You can input your personal data in pounds or kilograms, inches or centimeters.

You can customize your model’s skin and hair color, shoe and dress color.

The app also includes a page where you can keep track of your daily or weekly weight change.

Hope you enjoy trying it out!

Adriana Rae (Guest writer)

Here’s a nice video showing lots of ‘before and after’ weight loss pictures of a couple of dozen different people.

Here’s another story about weight loss surgery regrets. Thanks to the reader who wrote this in the post about weight loss surgery gone wrong.

I was only 23 when I decided to have bariatric surgery. I am writing this because I have been through the worst year + of my life. I had went for the whole big thing. Rerouting and such. The surgeon pretty much terrified me in to believing this was the only solution, that if done any other way, if something went wrong, it may not be able to be fixed. So with full confidence I showed up for surgery and thought it would be the end to my “problems”. I was most certainly mistaken. A three day stay in the hospital turned in to 16 days. During my initial surgery, my epidural block fell out! I can remember them transferring me from the operating table to the stretcher. I was screaming, “please help me! someone. please, it hurts!”. I do not remember an entire week of my life, in which I am told I almost died and was very nasty.

After the first surgery I was in a lot of pain, they took me for a test and left me in a wheel chair to drink this chalky liquid in a freezing hallway until the tech was done with his lunch. Turns out the pouch wasn’t sewed well enough and anything that they were making me consume was just flowing right through me. Back in for surgery number two. Apparently they cut me open and I threw up in my lung cavity. It started to crush my lung. I was in the ICU for 5 days, almost had a heart attack and eventually needed to have a PIC line installed. Ending my stay I was sent home with one tube still hanging out. For an entire month. They only tell you the good things about surgery, never the bad.

It has been over a year and I have spent every holiday in the hospital and visit the ER at least once a month. I have had my gallbladder out, a hernia removed, countless times where I was internally bleeding from an ulcer or something was stuck in my small intestine. I have stopped counting the tubes of blood they have taken. It has been upwards of 24 tubes in two weeks. I recently found out that I am unable to retain iron. Therefore, I will need iron IV therapy for the rest of my life. And regardless of all the pain, the worst part is the emotional toll it leaves. The nightmares will never go away. I am going to have to deal with multiple issues for the rest of your life. No one tells you that this surgery doesn’t fix anything. If you were self conscious before, guess what, you still are after. It is awful. If the surgery will save your life, go for it, but please, read stories from both sides first and take the time to think about it. Best wishes.

Albatross has a good discussion about ‘inertia’ and how it prevents us from getting started with our weight loss goals. She’s lost about 30 pounds in the past year and has increased her fitness and health levels. See what she has to say about overcoming inertia and the four factors that helped her do it.