Lessons from a successful weight-loss project

Eulalee Thompson, BE WELL

March 2011 was dubbed The Gleaner's Health section's weight-management month. We put down a challenge to Natalie Murray, a 36-year-old mom and banker, who had another baby a few months ago and was ready to start working on losing the baby fat.

This was not our first weight-loss challenge and, Natalie, like our previous candidates, was a winner. In just under four weeks she is on her way to achieving her weight-loss goals. What really works in these weight-loss challenges?

A motivated candidate: There is a lot of literature in psychology describing motivation and how it works. It is a driving force that causes us to want to change to achieve goals. Weight-loss candidates have to want to change.

Set goals: Don't just say I want to lose weight, set realistic and achievable goals. Natalie, for instance, set a short-term weight-loss goal of two pounds per week and a longer, three-month goal of 23 pounds weight reduction.

Support: Rally your support in all quarters - friends, family, co-workers, Health section readers and professional support should include your nutritionist, personal trainer or an exercise professional and counsellor/therapist. Supporters help heighten motivation to achieve your goals.

Journaling: This is an important self-management strategy. Natalie had two journals - her food journal that helped her monitor everything that she ate, and another 'psychological' journal, which was published every week, that acts as a clearing house for feelings, setbacks, achievements, reassessment of goals and so on.

An eating plan: Starving doesn't work; that only triggers the body's fat-storing mechanism. We have to eat if we want to lose weight. Sounds contradictory, right? The critical things are what are we eating, when, and portion sizes. Read up about good nutrition and a serious weight-loss candidate will invest time and money in a qualified nutritionist.

Physical activity: We can't say enough about physical activity and exercising for weight management and overall health. Exercising helps burn excess calories that the body will store as fat. Start out slowly and gradually pick up the intensity and variety.

Take your weight and other measurements regularly: Some weight-loss candidates find that their anxiety levels reach the roof around the measurement periods, and for these people we might have to recommend fewer measurement periods until they learn to manage their anxieties. However, for most people, regular measuring is a crucial part of the weight-management process. It is not just about body weight, but body mass index, body fat, waist circumference, thighs, hips, chests, and so on. Sometimes when Natalie didn't lose as much weight as she wanted to, she felt motivated by the decrease in her waist circumference and other measurements that might not show up on a scale. Get the experts, like the nutritionist and personal trainer, to help with the measurements.

Recognise weight management as part of lifestyle change not a quick-fix, short-term change.

Eulalee Thompson is health editor and a professional counsellor; email: eulalee.thompson@gleanerjm.com.