Self...Meet Self

Most of my patients have a pretty good idea of the issues that have contributed to their weight gain or inability to keep it off after losing it a few times over. One of the biggest reasons they often identify is themselves.

The first step I recommend that you take in your plan to get to a healthier weight is to learn more about yourself. Why is that you ask? Because despite all of the suggestions about genetic predisposition or the influence of the environment, we have to look at ourselves as the final decision maker in the choice between having seconds or putting the food away; between taking the walk (even when it's cold outside) or watching television and snacking. If you don't understand your own tendencies and inclinations, you won't be able to critically address the issues that plague you. For most of us, we are creatures of habit and respond to a stimulus in a fairly predictable way. That response may be programmed by years of conditioning (if I say "birthday" you think "cake") or naturally selected because it brings a survival advantage (the taste of sweetness signals us to eat more-- a useful trait when you're a caveman, not so much when you go to Krispy Kreme).

What does any of this have to do with your weight? Everything.

The key is to stop approaching your weight as simply a function of the number of calories you eat and how many minutes you can get in on the treadmill. You need to understand why you eat, when you eat, and how you  eat to be a healthier person. You need to understand if you move, when you have time to move, and how you move to be a healthier person. These issues represent your habits and tendencies that will either need to be overcome/modified or propel you on your way to a healthier lifestyle.

Week 1: Keep a journal for the next week, recording everything that goes in your mouth. Don't record calories (that's right, I said it)! However, do record the time you ate, what you were doing while you ate, where you ate, and your portions. Also make note of your mood and your mental and physical appetite [your mind is saying you could go for something to eat vs. your stomach is saying you need something to eat]. Think about your activity level as well. If you don't have a pedometer, now is the time to buy one.

This is your work for week one. As you jump in, we'll start to talk about some of the patterns that emerge and approaches to change your lifestyle.