I noticed something the other day. I was at work and I was on my lunch break. I was sitting at my table minding my own business when one of the new employees walked in. She never speaks to me, so I don't speak to her (bad I know, but whatever). She is probably in her mid fifties and has had some work done on her face. It's quite obvious. Anyway, she's pretty petite. She has a nice body for her age and seems slim and trim. Now, I am in Los Angeles where everyone gets plastic surgery. Judging by this lady's facework, I wouln't be surprised if she's also had some liposuction, or a nip here and a tuck there. Hey, I am just being honest. But what I did notice was what she was eating for lunch.
I am NOT a supporter of weight loss surgeries. Whether this lady had any procedures done or not I don't know for sure, but it was obvious that she was determined to remain healthy. Again, I am not sure if she lost weight or has always been thin and a healthy eater, but regardless, she was eating healthy. I'm not going to tell you what she was eating though. I do want to mention, however, that if you have had any kind of weight loss surgery, or are considering it, please know that those are still considered "quick fixes"! If you are not willing to make some adjustments to your diet, you will not lose weight and keep it off! The "keeping it off" is the important part. Without mentioning any names, I'm positive you've seen or heard of various celebrities having gastric bypass surgery, dropping tons of weight, only to regain it back over the years. Do you understand the significance of that?? Gastric bypass is considered major surgery and it should not be taken lightly. Same with liposuction and the lap band. Diet pills shouldn't even be an option. That's another post!
I explain all this in my book (which is still untitled) and how you can achieve healthy weight loss and not waste money on any of these surgical procedures. I have digressed a whole lot, so back to the reason for this post. Over the next few days, I want you to simply observe what other people eat. You could be at work, at the mall, at a party, or the house of a friend or family member. In any case, just quietly observe what people eat. You will most likely see a difference in what most thin people are eating and in what most overweight people are eating. I see a big difference.
Now, I don't want a bunch of angry emails accusing me of saying all overweight people are unhealthy. That's not what I'm saying. Being overweight doesn't automatically mean you're eating yourself into a grave. But it is an absolute truth that you CAN NOT lose weight if you are consuming more calories than you are burning in a given day. It just isn't possible. Sometimes it's about how much you eat. Sometimes its about what you eat. You can have the same amount of 2 different foods, but one could have way more calories, carbs and fat than the other. You have to be smart.
What do you think?
5 comments:
I must agree and disagree. As a person that has struggled with weight for years, it can be what and how much you eat. Some thin people eat unhealthy food, just not a lot of it; or eat healthy. Whereas overweight folk eat unhealthy also, and sometimes go overboard. There's also working out, genetics, and being educated about nutrition. Some people are oblivious to the fact that a small amount of food can be unhealthy, or the difference between ground chuck and lean ground sirloin. I know I didn't. I just was (am) jealous of skinny folk, thinking it was in the genes. I'm blabbering but my point is that eating and being healthy is easier for some. Not to mention that once you're fat, weight loss is hard as hell, but weight gain is a cinch. Trust me, I know. I also think that many thin folk have disorded eating habits, as do fat folk; but being fat isn't viewed as such.
Does any of that make sense?
Bianca,
Thank you for your comment. I know what you mean. That's why I made sure to include the fact that thin people can be unhealthy and vice versa.
This post is just a starting point. I have a whole program I'm working on to help people be healthier (and lose weight too). You're correct in saying that there are other factors such as exercise, genetics, etc. All of that is discussed in the book I am writing. But it starts with what you put in your mouth.
So, between the blog and the book, I hope to educate people on healthy food options without having to cut any one item or items completely from their diet.
I hope you will weigh in with your comments on future posts because I know that you have been succesful in losing a lot of weight. Congrats.
What is your take on the advertised eating programs such as Jenny Craig, Nutrisystem, Weight Watchers, etc? Since it is difficult to eat healthy for some people and maintain a healthy lifestyle, do this programs work? I think they can help to get you started, but you also need to be able to continue without using these products. So, Dr. K., what do you think?
Hello,
I would like to add one comment in relation to the amount of food we actually eat...when I moved to the U.S from France I used to be muuuuch thiner :)and !! I used to be amazed by the amount of food people could actually eat here. Whenever I would order a dish at restaurant, it was pretty clear to me that whatever was being served to me would actually be the serving amount for a family of four in France...well, little by little I got used to it and started to eat more. Curiously it seems that the more we eat, the more food we crave food. Whenever I go back home on vacation, I experience the opposite reaction and always feel like the the amount of food being serve to me is toooo small. My parents and brother are pretty amazed at my complains lol !!
Also, I have observed kids, and the portion of food they eat are pretty small (except if they have a tooth for sweets).
Jill,
The eating programs are good to start, but why continue to pay someone to tell you which foods to eat on an ongoing basis? You can educate yourself and then just be disciplined enough not to go wild with junk food.
Djazia,
You're absolutely right. For some reason, it's become common in American culture to eat enormous amounts of foos. On top of that, the food is high in fat and sodium. NOT a good combination!
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