If you read my post Domain Names – A Friendly Warning you’ll be aware I had to relinquish control of a blog I had set up because of a misunderstanding about a domain name.

However, I don’t want to lose the posts, so am reprinting them here.  The site was set up initially because my autistic son had a very self restricted diet and it was years before he ate anything healthy. It made me wonder about the world’s obsession with weight.

If you want to read what I had to say on the subject of health, weight and fitness read on………………

1. Diets – Not For Me Thank You

I must confess I’m not one for “diets”. Have you ever wondered why there are so many different types around? Could it be they just don’t work?

Now before you say, “Ah, but I lost three stone on the cut out everything you enjoy diet”, just consider whether you put it all back on again, and more, once you stopped. Or maybe, you haven’t stopped and are still consciously thinking about, and cutting out, certain things from your daily diet.

How boring!

Of course there are certain foods, which really are junk foods and do you no good at all, but some of these fad diets are quite ridiculous. If you really think about it, the manufacturers of the diet products don’t actually want you to lose weight anyway otherwise they’d lose their market. Weight loss or gain is big business.

Whilst we may not like to hear it, we are all the result of our own actions. Unless we have some medical problem, anyone who is overweight or underweight is that way because of what, how and when they eat, and that includes me and YOU!

We were all born with a perfect weight control. It is known as “appetite”. If you’ve ever tried to feed a baby you’ll know how difficult it is to overfeed him or her. Too much and they’ll either close their little mouths up tight, turn their heads to the side, or bring the milk straight back up again.

It’s only as we get older and learn to associate food with love, and socialising that problems arise. Somewhere along the way, instead of stopping when we are full, as all wild animals do, we force the food into our stomach and that stretches to accommodate it.

Why do we do that? Well, it probably starts when we are very small and we hear things like, “If you don’t clean your plate up you can’t have dessert”, or, “Don’t waste food, it’s too expensive”, or “I’ve spent hours cooking that”, or “There are thousands of people starving in the world so you ought to be grateful”. I’m sure you get the picture. Emotional eating is far different to hunger.

Anyway, whatever the reason, most of us end up eating far more than we need especially if we don’t eat consciously. How many of you have eaten whilst reading a book, sitting at a computer, watching a film, or nibbled whilst preparing a meal? Do you actually remember what the food tasted like, or even eating it? I know sometimes I’ve looked at an empty plate and wondered where the food had gone. How about you?

Then there’s comfort eating when we are bored or upset. Eating doesn’t solve the problem though and often makes us feel much worse afterwards.

How about Christmas, Birthdays and Anniversaries? Come on now, how many of you have over eaten then? I know I have and regretted it afterwards. It’s as if we all think we have to gorge ourselves on these occasions because we don’t see that type of food very often and want to make the most of it.

Wild animals don’t do that and they have to catch their food. They just eat what they need and either leave the rest for some other animal, or store it for later. Often they really don’t know where their next meal is coming from but it doesn’t seem to matter too much.

We, on the other hand have shops, fridges and freezers, usually know exactly where our next meal is coming from and still eat everything in sight. We never seem to be satisfied and that is particularly true if we “diet”.

Restriction and deprivation create desire and cravings, which is why most diets don’t work in the long run. Your body knows what it wants and needs. Wouldn’t it make more sense therefore, to just give it a bit of everything it enjoys, whenever it really needs it.

If you eat what you actually want instead of what you are told you must eat, slowly, sensibly and consciously, there should be no need for “diets”. The body is pretty intelligent and I’m sure it could determine what foods would be a good match if only we’d listen to it.

Also you have to be realistic. Everyone has their own body shape and bone structure so it’s no good losing weight in the hope you’ll look like someone else. You won’t. No matter how many pounds I shed, my legs will never be four inches longer and I will forever be known as “shorta..e”, (which incidentally I take as a term of endearment).

If you get to the weight your body feels comfortable with then you’ll look as good as YOU possibly can. However, you do need to exercise to keep your bones strong and your blood-pumping round to bring much needed oxygen to all your organs. Regular exercise makes you feel so much better. It’s no good just being your ideal weight if you’re not fit and healthy too.

No, I’m not a fan of diets, but considering the amount of different ones available clearly I’m in the minority.

What do you think?

Jean Shaw

www.jeansmenopausalmoment.com/blog

 

2. Diets, Metabolism And Why I Need A GPS

This afternoon I gave a talk on the benefits of having a Circle of Friends and the audience were lucky I turned up. I don’t mention that for egotistical reasons, but simply because I am geographically challenged.

Driving anywhere outside my comfort zone is usually off my agenda.  However, having invested in one of those GPS things where a voice speaks as an arrow on a map points you in the right direction, I made an exception and amazingly found my way there and back safely.

I was asked to arrive about 12.30 p.m. so I could have lunch before I spoke. As it was half term, I took my autistic son with me, and he was delighted to try the various sandwiches, cakes and nibbles.

As we sat there enjoying the buffet lunch, I realised my friend, who’d invited me to give the presentation, was drinking what I thought to be a pink milk shake.  However, when questioned, it transpired it was a meal replacement drink, and my friend was on yet another “diet”.

He was required to drink two of the replacement meal shakes every day, and these he said, contained all the daily minerals, vitamins and nutrients he needed within only 500 calories.  He also confessed they tasted awful, and he really missed the texture of actually eating something.  However, he was looking forward to next week when he could have biscuits instead of one of the drinks.

This particular dietis not cheap, so naturally I wondered why he would pay a lot of money to do something, which clearly made him miserable.  The answer it seems is it works, or at least it works in the short term.

Apparently my friend has been on this particular diet before, and lost three stone in the same amount of months, which I have to admit, is pretty impressive.  However, the fact he’s going on it again means just one thing  – he didn’t keep the weight off, and there lies the problem with all diets.  As soon as you stop dieting and start to eat normally the weight piles back on again and often even more.

Why is that?

Well, the main reason is your metabolism has this amazing ability to adjust itself according to how many calories you consume.  As it doesn’t know how many calories you will devour in the future, it burns calories based on what you’ve had during the previous few days as it assumes you’ll continue to do the same.

Based on my friend’s diet, his metabolism will assume he only needs 500 calories each day, so as soon as he increases that amount he will gain weight.  It’s a vicious circle and one, which anyone who has ever been on a low calorie diet has faced.

That’s why there are so many yo-yo dieters around, and why the diet manufacturers and promoters rub their hands with glee. Dieting is a big and profitable business, and if you think about it realistically, they don’t really want you to succeed.

As long as people are overweight they have a captive market, which translates to money. It’s the old  find a starving crowd and give them what they want touch, except in this case the crowd isn’t starving.

As you can tell I’m personally not a fan of diets as self-denial sets you up for failure. Everyone I have ever met who has been on one has been miserable. They’ve thought about food all the time, what they can or can’t eat, and although they may have lost weight initially, it invariably came off in the wrong places.  Many a woman has been devastated by the loss of her bust, which is often where a few of those extra pounds are carried.

Of course, that’s not where my male friend has his excess weight but he admitted he didn’t like his shape.   However, everyone has his or her own unique framework and losing weight won’t necessarily turn him into his ideal body image. What he needs to do is learn to be happy with his body, eat healthily and take regular exercise.

Undoubtedly my friend will continue with his meal replacements, and he will of course lose weight for as long as he is allowed to remain on it.  His challenge then will be keeping it off and somehow I can’t see him succeeding.

Just as I was geographically challenged, he will be food challenged, so if there’s anyone out there who can design one of those GPS things where a voice speaks as an arrow points in the right direction for sensible healthy eating and exercise, please get in touch!

Things to remember for successful weight loss

• Instead of eating to lose weight, think of it as eating to gain health.
• Visualise yourself as slim and start to think as a thin person
• Forget the clock, – wait until your body tells you it’s hungry before you eat and make sure you are not comfort eating.  Ask yourself if you are really hungry or are you bored, annoyed, upset, lonely? If so, find another way to solve your problem.  Comfort eating will only result in guilt as you pile on the pounds.
• Eat anything you want but really enjoy every mouthful.  Eat slowly and appreciate the smell, texture and taste.
• Stop when you feel full and don’t feel you have to clear the plate. Try to leave something even if it’s only one mouthful.
• Try to cut out any added sugar.  It’s addictive and disrupts the blood sugar/insulin balance.
• Eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, a moderate amount of fat and a good balance of protein and carbohydrates.
• Drink plenty of clean water
• Take regular gentle exercise doing something you enjoy.

If you must try a diet look at this one.

Good Luck!

Jean Shaw

www.jeansmenopausalmoment.com/blog

3. Could This Be The Best Stress Reliever And Diet Ever?

Can’t eat Beef – Mad Cow Disease
Can’t eat chicken – Bird flu
Can’t eat eggs – Salmonella
Can’t eat pork – fears of Trichinosis…
Can’t eat fish – heavy metals in the waters has poisoned their meat
Can’t eat fruits and veggies – insecticides and herbicides

Hmmmmmmmmm

I believe that just leaves……….

Chocolate

Remember – - -

“Stressed”  backwards is “desserts “

I was told if I passed this message on to four people I would lose 2 pounds, and 10 pounds if I told everyone I knew.

They also said if I didn’t, I’d gain 10 pounds immediately so that’s why I had to pass this on – I couldn’t risk it!

How I love this “diet

Many more to follow ………………………………(eventually)