![]() You have lost weight. Again. The bathroom scale is your friend. Again. It’s a nice place to be in life, isn't it? You should know, you have been here before. To paraphrase the immortal Mr. Clemens, losing weight is the easiest thing in the world... Few of my incoming LAB patients need to be schooled on this simple truth. They know. You follow any of the gazillion diets [that all boil down to eating fewer calories than you normally would], and the weight comes off! It’s almost magical: the stomach (the organ, not the tummy) shrinks to a normal size during the first week or two, appetite suppression and its accompanying euphoria make diligence easy, the compliments are rolling in, further boosting your resolve… good times. The trouble starts later. During the weight loss phase, which always involves caloric restriction, and sometimes (alas! not often) increased exercise, we adjust to a much more structured life than is our norm. It is a temporary change - just to lose the weight. That makes it ok: we’ll suffer temporary deprivation now for a payoff later. The key words being “suffer” and “temporary”. Do you see how this sets up getting in shape as a punishment, tolerated because it is only “for awhile”? And the reward is to return (I should say: plummet) to the lifestyle that caused obesity in the first place. Structure is a double-edged sword: On one hand, following specific instructions is a lot simpler than paying attention and making decisions. On the other hand, most red-blooded, freedom-loving American psyches will eventually balk at being constantly told what to do. And let us not forget that, in body and in mind, we lose what we don’t use. When we follow instructions, we learn to follow instructions, not to problem-solve: for that, you have to practice solving problems! [I will now indulge in a brief rant. Please, skip to next paragraph if you do not like rants] Why is it always The Weight?! It strikes me as coy, as well as short-sighted and, ultimately, self-sabotaging in the extreme. The fastest way to drop pounds (if that really is what you want) is to atrophy your muscles and give yourself osteoporosis. Starve yourself, stay as immobile as possible - the pounds will melt right off! Sound good? Thought not. What most obese people really want is to become slimmer, firmer, more agile, and younger-looking. In all my years of practice, I have had one patient who literally wanted to lose weight: his joints were arthritic, and he wanted to decrease the strain on them from carrying the extra poundage. That’s it. One person. [End rant] When someone is described as “high maintenance”, it is seldom intended as a compliment. Typically, such a person is seen as self-absorbed and demanding. I submit to you that what makes high maintenance individuals insufferable is that latter piece. A high maintenance person who assumes full responsibility for their maintenance, and does not expect others to make any sacrifices to their cause (this includes being forced to listen to endless recitation of one's gym exploits, by the way!), imposes on no one. On the other hand, by consciously assuming responsibility for maintaining your improved physique, you are making a statement. You are defining your body as an asset, an investment, a nest egg that needs your ongoing attention and care, so that you may rely on it now and later. Think of your beautiful, newly-slim body as a paid-off condo: there may not be mortgage payments anymore, but you still have your property taxes and monthly maintenance fees, and if you wish to keep living there you must pay them. It sucks. But it’s not as bad as paying all that AND the mortgage, right? Note that the actual process of writing checks at regular intervals is the same after paying off the condo as before. The only change is you write one less check. It’s the same with staying fit. You continue to monitor your energy formula Calories In [food] - Calories Out [movement + BMR] = Caloric Balance. The only change is that your caloric balance now only needs to come to zero - a much easier feat than the negative number you had to hit everyday while you were losing! I hope I have persuaded you to re-examine your beliefs about earning and keeping that sexy bod. TGIF, and Happy Thanksgiving, my high-maintenance (and worth it!) friends :-) If you wish to enroll as my patient (CA residents only), or hire me as your life coach (worldwide),
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