How To Lose Weight – part 1

“How do I lose weight?”

This is the number one question I get asked either the minute someone finds out my profession or when most of my patients walk through the practice doors.

While the bottom line answer to this question is actually relatively easy and straight forward, the way that we achieve it is widely complex and multifactorial. It is the reason why I find this question so difficult to answer on a general platform such as this one. So I shall answer this question over a few posts and articles, and you can decide which answer fits you best – feel free to ask questions if you feel that I am missing something that would relate to you.

Part 1: Introduction

Weight loss is fundamentally Scientific and Mathematically based. If we had to take someone and place them in a lab and feed them the exact nutritional requirements for their body to thrive, monitor them and control their movements  – weight loss would always be achieved, 100% of the time. It is based on numbers and physiology i.e. Biochemistry – the place biology (human components) and chemistry (chemical reactions) meet.

The reality is we are not lab experiments – we live in the real world with various factors hitting us from all sides. So in reality Weight is impacted by food, portion size, time, biology, genetics, absence or presence of disease, medications, finances, access to food, behaviour, family and friends, personal preferences, access to information, access to support, motivation, emotions, work life, psychological conflicts, internal dialogs, body image, self-esteem and so much more. It is not a one size fits all answer – and it is not simple and easy “fix”– despite what some people might say.

So before I could answer this question I would need to find a lot more information from a person. That is why weight loss is not for everyone and should not be generally promoted, because it depends on the person and all those variables discussed above. For some people weight loss can actually be very unhealthy, dangerous and ill-advised; for others it is healthy and relatively easy to achieve; and for a vast group of people it is actually very difficult to maintain and becomes a life-long struggle and pit of despair which leads to depression and anxiety and further health issues.

So before we get to the answer everyone wants to know, we need to ask ourselves a few other questions first. I encourage you to read through these and answer them truthfully.

1. What is your current weight?
2. How long have you had this weight for?
3. How do you feel about your current weight?
4. Why do you need to lose weight?
5. What and when was your lowest and highest weights?
6. What have you done previously to lose weight in the past? (if relevant)
7. How long where you able to keep the weight off for? (if relevant)
8. How often to you spend thinking about weight loss, your body shape and size?
9. Would you consider yourself Healthy?
10. What do you think you need to do differently do lose weight?

If you would like you are welcome to email me these answers, or you can answer them in your mind, or journal your responses. Either way – this is the first step to answering the question.

The truth is that achieving a healthy body and healthy weight depends on how well you know yourself, trust yourself and are willing to learn about yourself.

I hope that you are excited about the journey ahead!