Mar 23, 2013

Weight Loss Tips

Signs of Food Addiction

Eating more than planned especially when you start eating certain foods.
The need to keep eating certain foods even if you're no longer hungry.
The need to eat certain foods on a regular basis.
The ice cream in the refrigerator or potato chips in the pantry 'speak to you'.

Example:

I have a dear friend who has a very addictive personality when it comes to food and soda. She is in complete denial but to the experienced eye it is very obvious. She cannot (and I mean cannot) have one of anything....be it a piece of candy or a can of soda. I have never seen her leave anything on her plate and amazingly this has not affected her weight significantly (she hovers between 5-10 lbs above her ideal). She is an intelligent women who is fully aware as to the consequences this will eventually have on her health and therefore has moments of 'clarity' and a resolve to stop these bad habits. Her determination and desire to overcome is genuine but no matter how hard she tries she 'always' ends up falling off the wagon.

Eventually, the food that gives you that feeling of satisfaction and 'high' will eventually cease to do so, and you will convince yourself that you eat it because you 'want too' rather than because you 'need too'. You will then, either increase the quantity (causing weight increase) or swap your vice for something different but equally unhealthy. (See the pattern here)?

MOST COMMON FOOD ADDICTIONS

Sugar
Fat
Salt
Carbohydrates

We are often told by the multi billion dollar weight loss industry that we should not 'deprive ourselves' of anything. That we can eat that chocolate bar and still lose weight. Well that may be okay for some but for those of us that have food addictions this is not the case. In fact this advice is a recipe for failure and disaster!

Example:

You wake up in the morning swearing today’s the day when you’ll quit the candy, potato chips, fast food (what ever your vice is). You prepare a healthy bowl of oatmeal with chopped banana then 'bam' you remember that there is left overs of your favorite pastry in the pantry. You convince yourself that 'just one bite' wont do any harm but within moments you find yourself wolfing down the whole thing and wanting more. When you finally come down from your sugar high, and the reality of what you’ve done begins to settle in, the cycle of shame, guilt and sometimes disgust take over followed by 'I cant do this so why even bother'!

WHAT TO DO

1: Start to recognize and list the foods that you have no control over. The things that you know you cannot just eat 'one piece of', the things that 'speak' to you from the refrigerator or pantry. Only you know what they are! This list may not be as long as you think but recognition is the first step to conquering and taking control of your addiction.

2: Remove the above from your diet completely....no exceptions!
Will this be difficult? Absolutely. This will take 28 days in total for you to lose the 'craving'. If you manage 10 days then fall of the wagon start the 28 days from scratch. This will be the most difficult part of the whole journey but so worth the end result!

Post or Pre Menopausal Diet

In my experience a low carb diet works best for those post or premenopausal. Taking it to extremes is not a requirement. I choose limit my intake of bread, pasta and refined sugar to a bare minimum and get my good fats from:
Greek yogurt
Olive Oil
Walnuts
Fatty Fish (tuna, Salmon,Mackerel)
Omega 3 supplements
When I first started eating this way many years ago my weight loss was very noticeable mainly due to the fact that I switched from a high carb/sugar diet therefore I lost fat quite quickly.
On the occasion's I have regressed from a low carb regime I am very aware as to how sluggish I feel along with becoming bloated around my mid section and I quickly revert back on track!

DIET PILLS

Like most medication, diet pills (either FX or OTC) have a lot of controversy attached to them. The majority of OTC diet pills are nothing more than caffeine stimulants that just give you the jitters. However, there are numerous FX diet pills that do give outstanding results:

Xenical

This works by blocking approximately 30% of dietary fat being absorbed by your body

Meridia

Meridia is an appetite suppressant that works by acting on neurotransmitters in the brain. Meridia increases the amount of serotonin, dopamine and norepinepphrine in the synapses of your brain—which results in a decrease in appetite.
Meridia has potential side effects such as dry mouth, constipation, high blood pressure.

Phentermine

This is probably one of the most popular FX diet pills on the market but is only prescribed for short term as they lose there efficiency with long term use.

Modafinil (Modalert)

This medication was originally prescribed for those suffering from shift work sleep disorder (narcolepsy) enabling shift workers to stay awake during the night. It has also been used in the military when it has been a requirement for airmen to stay awake for long periods of time whilst on missions but allowing them to be alert and function to there optimum. However, it was found that whilst taking the drug it had a side effect of weight loss.

Below is an article from Wikapedia:


Studies on modafinil (even those on healthy weight individuals) indicate that it has an appetite reducing/weight loss effect. All studies on modafinil in the Medline database that are for one month or longer which report weight changes find that modafinil users experience weight loss compared to placebo. In 2008, one small-scale study on individuals performing simulated shift work quantified the effect as a 18% decrease in total caloric intake on 200 mg/day, and a 38% decrease on 400 mg/day.

In experimental studies, the appetite reducing effect of modafinil appears to be similar to that of amphetamines, but, unlike amphetamines, the dose of modafinil that is effective at decreasing food intake does not significantly increase heart rate. Also, an article published in the Annals of Clinical Psychiatry, presented the case of a 280 pound patient (BMI=35.52) who lost 40 pounds over the course of a year on Modafinil (to 30.44 BMI). After three years, his weight stabilized at a 50 pound weight loss (29.59 BMI). The authors conclude that placebo controlled studies should be conducted on using Modafinil as a weight loss agent.



 


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