12 Tips to Control Weight Loss Right Now for 2011

Jan. 7, 2011 - PRLog -- I often say that optimists focus on what they CAN control.  Sometimes that is easier said than done, particularly as we try to stick to our New Years Resolutions.  Obesity is a nationwide health problem in the USA, from the very young to very old.  If you're overweight and losing weight is not on your resolution list, it should be.  Here are twelve actions you CAN control, right now, to implement any weight loss plan.

1.    We do not control how many calories are in a given food, but we do control what foods and how much of them go into our mouths and stomachs.
2.    We do not control how many calories are in a given food, but we do control whether or not we count them.
3.    We don’t control how much food a restaurant puts on our plate, but we can control what we learn and know about why restaurants put much more food on our plates than we need.

•    Most restaurants put two to three times more food on our plate than we need because they can charge more.  The real overhead cost is in the cook’s time, not the extra food.  It takes the cook about the same amount of time to cook a small as a large portion.

4.    We cannot control what ingredients are in a particular canned or packaged product, but we can control whether or not we choose to read the ingredient label.
5.    We often cannot control the urges and impulses to eat and gorge on our favorite forbidden foods, but we can control whether we purchase the food and keep it in the pantry.
6.    We cannot control the science of weight gain or loss, it is what it is, but we can control how much we read and learn about nutritional science.
7.    We cannot control how much weight we will lose in a day or a week, but we can control whether we weigh ourselves on a regular daily or weekly basis.
8.    We cannot control the nutritional value of any given food, but we can control the balance of proteins, carbohydrates, fruits, vegetables, breads and fats we eat.
9.    Unlike our forefathers down on the farm, we no longer seem to be able to control the regularity of mealtimes. We can control how we plan for these irregularities by keeping some spare, nutritious microwaveable meals in the freezer or making up a tuna or PB&J sandwich earlier in the day.

•    Regularity in mealtimes makes it much easier to maintain caloric control at meals as one does not wait until “starved” and then grab an 800 to 1200 calorie fast food meal on the go.  On the farm, mealtimes were governed by the rise and setting of the sun, and work needs of the farm including planting, harvesting, feeding and tending to animals – all life cycles of nature that make regularity much easier to maintain.  

10.    We do not control that making even slight changes in our daily habits is very hard, but we do control how hard and long we try to make these changes.
11.    We do not control how much sleep we need, but we do control how much sleep we get.

   * Estimates vary, but at least half of the U.S adult population is routinely sleep deprived.  Lack of sleep reduces impulse control, allows us to become the pawns of our food urges and impulses, and disrupts our metabolism in a manner counterproductive to weight loss.

12.    We do not control how much weight others lose, but we do control whether we compare ourselves to them.

   * Social comparison can be self-defeating as men often lose weight, at least initially, faster than women, and we all have different metabolisms.  So focus on your own goals and accomplishments.  Want to share?  Form a group that discusses how each person is accomplishing their own goals not whether they are “besting” another.

Looking for more Moment-to-Moment Optimism to guide your Health and Wellness go to: http://www.drrussbuss.com

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