Have you ever wondered how some people manage to stay perfectly slim with seemingly little or no effort? Have you ever envied these lucky creatures and put it down to a lottery of good, thin genes? It can be so easy to resent these people as you falter from one diet to another maybe keeping the weight loss down for a period of time but always end up putting it back on plus sometimes a bit more and then searching yet again for the next dieting wonder that you hope will be the final one that allows you to keep the weight off and join the group of the eternally slim.
HOW DO SOME PEOPLE KEEP SLIM .. IS IT REALLY ALL IN THE GENES?
The answer is no. It is not all in the genes. Obviously to some degree our bodies are genetically influenced but they are also affected greatly by our lifestyle choices which include what and how we eat. This is in the same way as our relatives can be prone to heart problems, diabetes, arthritis and other chronic diseases which we can avoid by modifying and changing our habits.
As we get older the gene connection becomes even weaker in helping those with a genetic influence to maintain a good weight. So what does make the biggest difference and keeps weight off permanently? The basic answer to this lies in the question.. Why do we eat? Essentially we need to eat to maintain bodily functions. To keep our brains operating to keep our energy levels up so we are able to complete tasks, to work, to engage in sporting activities and anything else that requires effort. In this regard we are like a car that requires petrol to run and oil and water to function correctly. However in todays’ society eating has evolved into a social ritual that we indulge ourselves in a lot of times whether we are hungry or not and many times when we do not require the fuel to energize our bodies. Food is also used to alleviate boredom, to feed our depression, anxiety and other emotional feelings we might be experiencing .. again at times when our bodies do not need, require or want it. Overeating is another huge issue, instead of eating till we are satisfied we tend to eat till our plates are clean or if we are at an occasion where food is plentiful such as a buffet the tendency is to overeat because the food is there.
EAT TO LIVE
People that are slim and that STAY slim follow the mantra knowingly or not of only EATING TO LIVE. These people stop eating before they are full. Only eat when they are hungry and do not use food to fill emotional voids or triggers. They do not concentrate on food and eating which they see as just one facet of life. If they are bored they go for a walk, if they are depressed they talk to a friend or a counsellor or seek other ways to cope with the issue but they do not use food to fill voids. It has been scientifically proven that people who also eat less and eat only when they are hungry have extended lifespans and less illness’s. They are not overloading their bodies with unnecessary food that clogs up their arteries and slows down all their bodily functions.
RESTRICTED DIETS ARE TEMPORARY SOLUTIONS
It is very hard to stick to any kind of restricted diet for a long period of time. The other issue with any kind of diet is that one is fixated on food. Thinking of the diet, what one can eat on the diet and fixating on when the diet is over. Diets only reinforce the thought of food and eating. People can and do lose weight on diets but because they are not long term solutions and generally faddy in nature the weight generally tends to pile back on when normal eating patterns are reestablished and because the diet is seen as a form of deprivation to a body that is used to a lot more food, the trend is that in general people tend to put on more weight after a restricted diet. This ongoing yo yo type eating regime is doomed to failure and in the end a lot of people give up in frustration anyway.
CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS FOOD TO ACHIEVE PERMANENT WEIGHT LOSS!
The way to stay slim and healthy and to ditch the crazy diets forever is simple. Change your attitude towards food. Adapt the EAT TO LIVE frame of mind and leave the days of LIVE TO EAT strictly in the past. Only eat when you are hungry and only until you are satisfied. Don’t eat till you are full. This is not necessary and is only a burden on your body and results in unnecessary weight gain. Take up new hobbies to keep yourself busy and take the focus of food out of your life. Start a new sport that will tone up your body and increase endorphins that help to control sad emotions so that you will be less inclined to gorge on food in times of emotional turmoil. Try yoga to strengthen your mind and body and meditation to focus on keeping healthy. Enjoy yourself in social situations but without overindulging in extra food your body does not require. Instead spend the time talking and making connections with people and enjoying the interaction of the occasion.
ADAPT HEALTHY FOOD CHOICES
This is a very important aspect of keeping weight off permanently. Many sweetened foods are manufactured in such a way to addict people to them. They are of course also teeming with thousands of useless calories that can pile on weight. In addition to this they are plain unhealthy for your body and can contribute to many illness’s. Start with small steps to reduce your sweet tooth like abstaining from sugar and milk in your coffee. And replace chips and chocolate with fresh fruit.
GET SLIM, BE SLIM, STAY SLIM
By changing your attitude and adjusting your lifestyle you will slowly start viewing food differently and in its proper context which is a fuel you need to keep your body functioning. Free yourself from diet fads that ultimately fail and stay slim by adapting a simple lifestyle plan that will benefit your body, your life and keep the weight off.