The Real Truth Behind Permanent Weight Loss
Hollywood and the media have been corrupting society's vision of the perfect body since images were first captured on cellulose. Only the most perfect physiques, greatest looks, and pearly whites are good enough to be chosen to represent the average Joe on the street. It is no wonder that the population at large is frustrated with how they look and make some effort to "look more like the movie star" they see on the silver screen and in magazines.
This infatuation with the perfect body has put the surge in plastic surgery. In 2006 alone, over 11 million plastic surgeries were performed. One million of these were on men and the other 10 million were on women. "The top five cosmetic procedures in 2006, in order, were breast augmentation, nose reshaping, liposuction, eyelid surgery and tummy tuck. In 2006, there were 118,500 women in their 30s who had breast augmentations (9 percent more than in 2005), 34,000 who had breast lifts (11 percent more) and 49,600 who had tummy tucks (12 percent more). (Lelchuk, 2007) This is a seven percent increase over 2005 statistics. The illusion most of these people face is that with the initial surgery, everything will be better. In reality, over two thirds of plastic surgery recipients opt for another procedure. (Associated Content, 2007) Anyone can see that this can quickly turn addictive.
Reality
The reality most people face is that they are not movie stars and, even if they wanted to get that tummy tuck, the cost of having such surgery is prohibitive. So, a lot of these people give up trying. "What's the use? I'll never look like Gweneth Paltrow, so why even bother." On the flip side, others become so obsessed with the perfect physique that they neglect everything else in the quest.You may even know some of these people. These are the ones that are constantly going to the gym, working out, and can tell you the difference between the agonist and antagonist muscle groups. They are quick to add that they've added another two grams of lean muscle mass to their arms over the last six months and that they really don't have time to come by for a social call because it will interfere with their time at the gym. They will go to the extremes of enhancing and defining their "perfect" physique at all other costs. These extremes border on psychoses and can actually be detrimental to a person.There needs to be balance between apathy and obsession. This is where the "continuum of health and wellness" comes into the picture.
The continuum is defined as linear and starts with complete apathy on one end and obsession on the other. Most healthy and health conscious individuals should fall somewhere in the middle. [See table A] But before we start on the journey to lose weight, we need to know where we are at this moment. We need to learn what our parents gave us, (genetics) and what kind of body do we actually have (somatotyping)
Genetics
Somatotyping was first used by William Sheldon (1898-1977) in the study of different physical attributes that deal with heredity and genetics. There are three different body types according to Sheldon. These are endomorphs, ectomorphs, and mesomorphs.
Endomorphy is describes as "focused on the digestive system, particularly the stomach (endoderm); has the tendency toward plumpness, corresponds to Viscerotonia temperament tolerant, love of comfort and luxury, extravert." (, 2007) These people tend to carry extra weight and find it hard to lose weight when they try. Their metabolisms are slower than the other two types and need to work extra hard to bump it up.
Ectomorphy is the exact opposite of endomorphy and describes persons with thin builds and a faster metabolism. These people have a hard time gaining weight and are the ones who can seem to eat everything and anything and never gain any weight.
Mesomorphy is in between the previous two types. They are usually healthy looking, muscular, and are the ones who tend to gain muscle mass fastest when on a resistance training regimen. They tend to have a wide latitude in their diets and most of their intake goes toward building up the physique.
The Plan
"Obesity is a major malnutrition problem, largely unexplained. Much speculation, debate, and frustration surrounds the question and how obesity occurs and what can be done about it. Overweight and underweight both result from unbalanced energy budgets." (Whitney, Cataldo, and Rolfes, 1991)
Getting Started: Body Mass Index (BMI)
The body mass index (BMI) is the relation of a person's weight to their height. This is critical in finding out where you need to be as far as ideal body weight for height ratio. This formula estimates risks to health associated with obesity. For example, a BMI of >27.8 for men and > 27.3 for women would indicate an increased risk to the individual's health. To calculate BMI, divide weight in kilograms by height in meters squared. Say a person weighs 250 pounds and is five-feet six inches tall. First we'll have to convert the height into meters. (There is a great conversion tool at /)
First we'll convert the height into 66 inches, then use the conversion chart to convert to meters, which would be 1.7 meters. Squaring the number would mean multiplying it by itself one time. This would come out to 2.89 or 2.9 rounded. Next we'll convert the weight in pounds to kilograms, which means dividing 250 by 2.2 (2.2 kilograms = 1 pound). This would be 113.63 kg. For the last part of the calculation, we would divide the weight by height, which would be 4.01. By this example we can see that this person is almost twice the recommended number and would be at an extreme risk for health issues. If this sounds confusing, don't worry. There is a BMI calculator online here. (/dtcf/pages/bmi_calculator.htm?WT.srch=1)
Counting Kcalories
Kcalories, or kilocalories, fuel the body. This is basic to understanding how the body works. Everything that goes into the body is broken down and converted to energy. This is then used as fuel to keep the metabolism burning, stoking the furnace so to speak, and keeping us mobile. Food to the body is the same as gasoline for the family car. Remember a good rule of thumb: 1 gram of carbohydrates = 4 kcal. 1 gram of fat = 9 kcal. 1 gram of protein = 4 kcal. 1 gram of alcohol = 7 kcal.
There is what is called an "exchange" list that can be picked up for free on many web sites that deal with diabetic education. Just because these lists are for diabetics doesn't mean they are useless to the rest of the public. Diabetics have to keep their diets very rigid and learn how to substitute one item of food for another. Here is a link to the Mayo Clinic's exchange list page. /health/diabetes-diet/DA00075. These lists are commonly associated with diabetic persons, but can be used to exchange other foods for better ones. They also give a list of how many calories and carbohydrates are in the exchanged items. Using these lists is a great way to keep track of calories and plan meals.
Basic Metabolic Rate (BMR)
"Basal metabolism is the total energy output of a body after a 12 hour fast." (Whitney, Cataldo, and Rolfes, 1991) This can be easier said than done, especially if the body needs to fast for 12 hours prior to establishing this criteria. The plan in this instance would be to eat a very small dinner before bed and not eat breakfast in the morning, then calculating the BMR after a 12-hour period. This would minimize the desire to eat prior to the test. BMR is calculated by using the factor 1.0 kcal/kg body weight/hour for men and 0.9 kcal/kg for women. For purposes of illustration, we will use an example of a 150-pound man.1. Change pounds to kilograms 150 divided by 2.2 = 68 kg 2. Multiply weight in kilograms by the BMR factor: 68 kg/hr = 68 kcal/hour 3. Multiply kcalories used in one hour by hours in the day 68 kcal/hour X 24 hours/day = 1,632 kcal/day Energy for BMR equals 1,632 kcal/day (Whitney, Cataldo, and Rolfes, 1991)Not to worry, here is a website that offers a BMR calculator (/running/bmr.html)
PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THIS STEP IS CRUCIAL IN DETERMINING WHAT YOUR ENERGY OUTPUT IS FOR ONE DAY.
This cannot be emphasized too much. If you don't know where you are, you have no idea of how to get where you're going. Once BMR is determined, it is just a matter of adjusting the total kcalorie intake. Yes, this does mean counting calories. There is just no way around it. Just remember that the above illustration is for a "sedentary" person and kcalories will have to be adjusted accordingly for someone on a regular exercise program. Yes, this is another constant of any good weight loss program and again there is no other way of circumventing this portion of the formula. The only successful way to lose weight and keep it off is to adjust total daily kcalorie intake and incorporate an exercise routine.
THIS MEANS A LIFESTYLE CHANGE FOR MOST PEOPLE LOOKING TO LOSE WEIGHT ON A PERMANENT BASIS.
Putting it All Together
Amy arrives home from work and Calls Amber. "Hey, you up for a little walk this evening?" "Sure, I've really enjoyed these past few weeks doing the walking", says Amber. "I just can't get over how you've changed from when I first asked you to walk the stairs with us at work." "I know", says Amy. "I've lost over 15 pounds since then! My doctor says most of the weight I lost in the first couple of weeks is water weight and that if I fluctuate a couple of pounds here and there, it's nothing to get worried about. My confidence is back! My energy level is getting better and I just feel great about what I'm doing. I know it will be a struggle to keep the weight off, and I really hate counting calories, reading every food label before buying anything, and having to weigh myself once a week, but I know that it is the only way to keep the weight off. After a while the dietician at work, Myra, says I'll be so used to doing this that it will become second nature and I won't have to be so meticulous about it. She also tells me that I should eat more smaller meals throughout the day. It's better than eating three larger meals. It keeps me from getting too hungry and my body uses the calories as energy instead of storing them for later." "That's great", says Amber. "I'm really impressed with your progress and glad this is working out for you." "Thanks Amber. After finding out that I was eating as a way to relieve stress, it was just a matter of changing those bad habits into good ones. I'll still have to recalculate my calorie needs as the weight comes off and adjust my calorie intake accordingly, but it's a small price to pay knowing that in the end it will be worth the effort. Now for the good news, my doctor says that if I keep losing weight like I am now, my diabetes may also become a thing of the past! I have what they call type II diabetes and if my weight comes down, I might be able to control it with diet alone." "Wow, that's great," says Amber. "In a couple of years you'll be a new person. You probably won't even want to associate with the likes of me any more," Amber says teasingly. "You'll be the glam movie star on some soap opera or something and won't have time for us little people." Amy grins widely, " I don't think so, Amber. I'll never be a movie star, but I am ok with that. I realize now that the people on the television and in movies are not the realistic portrayal of us poor slobs on the streets. All we can do is be the best we can be, be thankful of what we have, and still feel good about ourselves"
