Finding the Motivation to Count Calories
“Very simply, we subsidize high-fructose corn syrup in this country, but not carrots. While the surgeon general is raising alarms over the epidemic of obesity, the president is signing farm bills designed to keep the river of cheap corn flowing, guaranteeing that the cheapest calories in the supermarket will continue to be the unhealthiest.” Michael Pollan
Begin a list of the 100–300 foods that you enjoy. You will be designing your list to add variety and choice to your daily food plan. I know that you think it would be easier for you if we picked out the “good” food and the “bad” food for you. But we believe any food that you control the portion SIZE when you eat, it is a good food for you. Don’t sabotage yourself by choosing foods you already know that you can’t or won’t control the amount that you eat.
We have listed several Internet sources for you to use in creating your list of foods in the 100–300 categories. Create your own choices from the lists.
Always remember to count all the calories. Using a food journal or notebook will help you to remember all the calories you eat.
Sometimes, you may reach a plateau. What happens as we lose weight is that the body adjusts to the smaller weight so we have to recreate what we have been adding. Always use the calories needed chart to determine the calories you can intake. Of course, you may increase the weight loss with exercise.
“Dr. Lam, a pioneer in natural healing, has good direction and explanation of the single dietary regimen most needed for weight loss. I have kept the statements marked in bold type because this is the basis for my High Energy Diet. He writes about the calories that count. In the introduction to CR (Calorie Restriction), he includes the following:
Only a single dietary regimen has ever been conclusively demonstrated to extend life span and improve the heath of laboratory animals and humans. It is known as calorie restriction (CR). Together with exercise, this is as close to the magic bullet as one can hope for in anti-aging. There are very few, if any, disagreements among anti-aging experts that calorie restriction can increase longevity.”
“The average human consumes 1,500 calories a day. The average American consumes 2,100 calories a day. For most of the population, calorie restriction means taking in about 20–30 percent fewer calories. For those serious about CR, the restriction can go up to 40%. In other words, the average-size human on a CR diet might consume 1,500 calories a day, compared to the 2,100 calories of the typical American. This anti-aging diet is made up of four or five small meals a day and consists predominantly of vegetables and fruits. “It requires a psychological profile only one person in 1,000 has,” says Richard Miller, associate director for research at the University of Michigan Geriatrics Center.”
“Nevertheless, CR diets are widely practiced by anti-aging experts. The reasons are clear — the list of the beneficial effects of CR reads like the packaging on a miracle cure. Benefits include: Increased average and maximum life spans and reduction in occurrence of virtually all age-related diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune disease, ocular degeneration, blood pressure, and cancer.These reductions range from two-fold to as much as ten-fold. (For example, 50 percent of female control mice of a particular genetic strain develop breast cancer, but only 5 percent of the same strain developed cancer if on a CR diet.) “
The value of customizable meal plans is how the major health plan programs work. They make money giving you weight loss advice and by supplying portion-controlled food to you. Most people who do these food programs lose weight. But do they keep it off? Generally, no, because the weight losers are having someone else do the portion control and he/she is not learning to choose portions for themselves.
Also, some articles about maintaining motivation:
1) How to Achieve Your GoalsOK
2) Motivation and Education By Matthew Horne
3) The First Signs of a Successful Habit Change
4) Why you need to be your own hero (and how to do it!)
5) Beyond Motivation: Getting to What Really Drives You
6) 14 Tips to Lose Weight & Be Healthier in Time for Summer
7) From Here to There: Proven Methods for Reaching Your Goals
