Good Old Fashioned Common Sense

In case you had not opened a newspaper or browsed the internet recently; obesity is now a worldwide epidemic. Government health agencies are worried and fitness facilities around the globe are reaping the benefits. Yet despite more research and knowledge on how the body works than ever before, people are just not getting it. We are simply fatter than we realise and have no idea what to do about it.

In a time which is already being dubbed the ‘Information Age’, during which an excess of diets, tips and advice are being hurled at you while you eat your organic free-range eggs; we can become somewhat overwhelmed. So the question then becomes: how do we separate out fact from fiction and expertise from opinion?

While I admit that the following could definitely be misconstrued as only adding to the confusion, in my defence I find it necessary to say that my aim is to simplify the nonsense and bring people back to everyday, logical choices. Choices are what allow us to expand our awareness and make changes based on what we feel is right, as opposed to what we’re told is right.

1. Habits, habits, habits!
Willpower will only get you through the first one or two steps toward any major goal. To create any long-term change with consistency and purpose requires a complete and fundamental shift in your daily routine.

Think about your current day-to-day existence, how much is done automatically out of habit? Getting out of bed, eating breakfast, brushing your teeth, going to work, eating lunch at your desk, driving home via the same route... How long have you been doing this? How much effort does it require?

For any potential change to work, it has to become part of your life. Whether you are starting a new exercise regime or changing the way you eat; start with small achievable tasks and build them into your day. Every week or so, introduce new changes/outcomes and gradually the new exercise or eating pattern will emerge without the emotional struggle.

2. Sensible nutrition
Get real people. Does an egg and grapefruit diet really make sense?
This area of health has simply become too complex for words. With an overabundance of ‘experts’ and get thin quick schemes, no wonder we’re feeling a little lost. However it doesn’t take much to get back on track; all you have to do is apply some logic to the problem.

First up; fresh, organic, seasonal fruit and vegetables are best. No matter what you hear or what dietary shake might be in your pantry right now, you cannot look beyond this basic staple. I’ve tried the meal replacements drinks and supplements and on a purely personal level, I prefer to chew my food. Add to that the fantastic flavours you can get from going organic and there is no argument. The seasonal part is often overlooked but the body is biologically programmed to eat fruit and vegetables in season; while Spanish strawberries in December might be tempting, it just does not work.

Next issue: labels. Okay, I don’t expect that you take a calculator, add up the numbers and start calorie counting. Nor do I expect the average consumer to learn what every preservative number corresponds do. This one’s easy. If the ingredients list looks like it belongs on a separate print-out in order to fit everything in, then it probably isn’t that healthy. E numbers, anything you can’t spell or pronounce; these are not likely to be natural food sources required by the body. End of story.

Aside from that the two classic rules of thumb apply: everything in moderation and consume less than you expend.

3. Time management
Yes, we all work long hours and come home to paperwork, children and household chores. Excuses anyone?
Skipping meals and eating on the run are two sure-fire ways to hinder your weight loss progress. When you skip a meal, the body’s natural metabolic rate slows down. Make this a habit and the body responds by hanging onto energy stores and slowing down even further.

Combine a regular eating routine with time to enjoy your food; the flavours, colours, texture and you’re flying. Taking time over your meals to fully enjoy the experience and chew properly, helps the body absorb and digest food more fully; the extra-sensory approach allows your brain to process the meal and as a result, you should feel more satisfied and fuller for longer.

When it comes to exercise, time management is vital. Too many people use exercise as an added feature to their day rather than a regular essential – exercise is as important as getting dressed in the morning. In planning exercise; as a start, think of all the ways you can include activity as incidental to your normal day: walking to walk, taking the stairs etc. After that, look at the ways in which you can improve your fitness by beginning a sport, joining a gym, getting a new program. Bear in mind that the body adapts quickly so you want to increase the intensity every 3-4 weeks and as always, make it a regular habit so it becomes part of your life.
A quick tip: one of the best ways to lose weight is via higher intensity, resistance training. More muscle means increased metabolism, simple as that.

4. Listen to your body
If you remember nothing else from this article, remember this; if it doesn’t feel right, just don’t do it.

The body is an amazing self-healer if we allow it to be. In Western culture there is a tendency to over analyse and thus disconnect from our natural state of awareness. To bring ourselves back into ‘being’, we need to practice feeling what our body is feeding back to us.

In concrete terms and from a weight-loss or fitness standpoint, this means giving the body a chance to tell you what it needs. That is; eating when you are actually hungry, noticing what foods your body is craving, stopping before you are full. Conscious eating creates expanded awareness and positive associations with food. This certainly makes a nice change from the guilt that comes with fad dieting and food exclusion.

This also applies to exercise. Work with your body’s natural rhythms rather than against them. If you are definitely not at your peak in the morning, then choose a different time of day to exercise. Choose an activity that leaves you feeling invigorated and excited. Differentiate between sluggishness and real fatigue/illness: too often people use lethargy as an excuse not to exercise. In reality, this is the best time to get active as it will improve your productivity when you return to work.

5. Passion!
I put this last but really, it needs to be the glue that holds your entire weight loss program together: If you enjoy what you do, you’ll go out and do it.