Weight Watching – It’s Better Together

It’s hard to imagine, as much as Americans struggle to keep their weight within reasonable limits, could anything make this plight a little easier!

Of course, there is no one-size-fits-all in the world of personal health. Each person is unique and while there are common threads, part of overall national eating disorder is the assumption that we can follow a single prescribed weight loss formula with universal success.

Try we do and finally some come to the inevitable conclusion that seeking proven support for losing weight can’t be all bad. Therefore, we say: “Okay, I will join XYZ. And I will stick with it.” The reality is: “People may set unrealistic goals or deprive themselves in extreme ways that are very difficult to maintain,” says Bethany Teachman, PhD, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Virginia. “It’s no wonder so many people lose weight initially but then have difficulty keeping the weight off.”

At this point you are probably thinking: here we go again, another New Year’s Resolution effort.

No, actually we are speaking of a Weight Watchers’ group that started
at South Pack Square Community Center in late September, almost October
2007. So far, the weight loss of the group is an average of eight
pounds per person. So now you’re thinking, well what is that?-not very
much compared to the claims for fast weight loss diets that promise a
loss of 8-10 lbs. in the first month.

Perhaps you are not up to speed
(pun intended)on modern weight loss strategies-it is recommended that a
person lose between 1-2 lbs. of weight per week. If the weight comes
off more rapidly, it may very well go back on just as rapidly. The
objective is to lose this weight once and for all. To amend the eating
style to one that keeps weight in the “right for me” zone. Amen.

Here’s some information about the program that you may not know. This
is an excellent time to join the group because we have an opportunity
to join for less during January. The website announces: STOP DIETING
and START LIVING. “That’s more than a bold statement. It’s what Weight
Watchers always believed your weight-loss experience should be about.
We are dedicated to helping America learn how to adopt a healthier
lifestyle.

Why Weight Watchers? Because WW knows weight loss. Since the first
Weight Watchers meeting held in the early 1960s, Weight Watchers has
had a unique relationship with our customers for 45 years. This writer
knows first hand that she joined WW in the 1970’s; it worked but
eventually she dropped out to try other things as the need arose. What
Weight Watchers learned from us, their customers has helped them to
develop an effective approach that goes beyond food and addresses the
whole person. And 97% of Weight Watchers meetings members say they
would recommend the program to their friends.”

The Top 6 Weight-Loss Lies

Article by Toby Bilanow

(reprinted from Weight Watchers Web site)

What lies are you telling yourself as you journey along the road to
weight loss? Maybe more than you realize. It’s time to get honest,
because those untruths may stand in the way of you reaching your goals.

Here we address the most common myths that undermine a healthy approach
to weight loss-and offer tips to overcome them to achieve success.

1.    I need to go on a “diet.” “The whole concept of a ‘diet’ sets us
up to think we will be ‘on a diet’ then ‘off a diet,’” says Teachman.
Instead, think of your weight-loss plan as a lifestyle commitment to
healthy eating and exercise, for the long haul.

2.    I’ll get back on track on Monday/ after the holidays/when the sun
comes out. There’s no day like today. If you slip, just pick up where
you left off. Persistence works wonders.

3.    All my problems will be solved when I lose weight. Dropping
pounds may leave you feeling healthier and happier, but it won’t make
you more lovable or turn you into a runway model. Be clear about why
you want to lose weight, and set realistic goals. “It’s far more
motivating to strive toward being fit and energetic than it is to
strive toward being a size 2,” Teachman says.

4.    Fat people don’t deserve to eat. Do you forego the office pizza
because you’re afraid people will think you shouldn’t be eating? Seeing
yourself through others’ eyes in a harsh, critical way “is a surefire
way to blow a weight-loss plan,” says psychologist Debra Mandel, PhD,
author of Healing the Sensitive Heart (Airleaf Publishing, 2005).

    Instead, she suggests, it’s more effective to focus on developing a
more loving relationship with your body. A study published in the
Journal of Behavioral Medicine (Winter 1998) found that those who
started out accepting their bodies were more than twice as likely to
lose weight than those who felt dissatisfied or ashamed.

5.    I shouldn’t wear a bathing suit (shorts, a tank top) until I’ve lost all the weight.
    Lots of people of all different sizes enjoy sexy clothes. “When you
love yourself, you start enjoying life,” says Mandel. Break big goals
into smaller ones, and reward yourself along the way. Rather than
saying, “I need to lose 25 pounds,” say, “I’ll buy a new swimsuit, one
size smaller.”

6.    The less I eat, the faster I’ll lose. Wrong. “The less we eat,
the slower our metabolism gets, and the slower we lose the weight,”
says Mandel. “Deprivation also makes us unhappy and actually causes us
to overeat and overindulge.” A slow and steady approach-including
treating yourself to your favorite foods, in moderation-is your best
bet for building a healthy relationship with food and reaching your
long-term goals.

So stop telling yourself lies that sabotage your own efforts. Instead,
start living your life with a weight-loss plan and a maintenance
strategy that works for you. You’ll feel better about yourself, your
confidence will grow, and you’ll keep the weight off.

Remember that obesity is a handicap to well-being and to longevity. The
condition is serious enough to be classified as a disease, the most
common disease in the United States. The seriousness it represents is
due to the life and health threatening conditions that frequently come
with obesity: e.g., arteriosclerosis, coronary heart disease,
degenerative arthritis, gout, kidney disease, pregnancy complications,
and some suggest, even cancer.

It is well documented statistically that all these hazards are reversed
with a proper weight management (reduction and maintenance of an ideal
non-fluctuating weight) program. To accomplish this it is necessary to
permanently alter your eating habits. What puts on weight is not how
much or what you eat, but how often and irregularly you eat. The
problem is poor and/or unconscious eating habits.

In Weight Watchers, as in other proven weight loss programs, we learn
to make healthy choices, to set and meet goals, to develop inner
resources, to be conscious in our eating habits. We share our secret
success strategies, knowing full well that what works for us personally
may have no relevance to another individual’s situation. But it makes
the journey to healthier living more enjoyable and more do-able. Join
us in the Battle of the Bulge. We can do this TOGETHER.

Having the opportunity to have the program so close at hand has been
invaluable to those of us working every day to improve circumstances
and conditions in our community-but it is not a promise that it will be
a forever opportunity. If we are not successful in increasing the
participation at the South Pack Square Community Center, the program
will be held elsewhere. In 2008, the choice is yours!