|
Lose Weight with Dr. Phil
Lose
weight the realistic way
 To
lose weight with Dr. Phil, you must be ready to change your thinking and your
life. There is truly only one way to lose weight and keep it off. The
old-fashioned way. You must establish a totally comprehensive approach,
including critiquing and being willing to change your lifestyle, nutritional
habits, thinking processes and probably, yes, do the unimaginable, exercise.
This is not meant to discourage anyone. There is probably nothing more important
than health. And for many Americans, to attain optimum health would mean to lose
weight, and to change the way that you may live. Currently in the U.S. 34% of
adults are considered overweight, and an additional 31 % are obese. About 45 %
of women and 25 % of men are trying to lose weight at any given time, but only
one-fifth are using the recommended combination of fewer calories and increased
exercise. (Sources: AHA, NIH, CDC, NHNES)
Lose
weight the “Dr. Phil” way:
As
a fellow psychologist, with a lifelong interest in health and fitness (Ph.D
Candidate - Health Psychology), I was really quite pleased when reading the
actual components of Dr. Phil’s plan to lose weight. I would genuinely recommend
it to anyone. It is not easy. But, as with most things in life, some of the more
difficult things are also the most worthwhile. His plan and my recommendation,
is to take a comprehensive mind and body approach to optimum health and weight
loss. He describes seven “keys” to effectively lose weight, which must be
permanently incorporated into your lifestyle:
(1)
Right Thinking:
That you must consider what you are currently telling
yourself in terms of self-image and ability to lose weight, and you may have to
replace it with more positive, success- oriented thinking.
(2)
Healing Feelings:
You
may have to pay attention to the emotionality behind eating, and consider
feelings such as sadness, loneliness, anxiety and other unproductive emotions,
which may underlie unhealthy eating habits.
(3)
A No-Fail Environment:
You
can’t eat what isn’t there. You may need to establish an environment that
reduces temptation and the opportunity for failure.
(4)
Mastery Over Food and Impulse Eating:
You must find ways to reduce
impulse eating. This is all about habits and behaviors, not “eating to survive“.
(5)
High-Response Cost, High-Yield Nutrition:
Foods that take more time to
prepare are generally healthier for you. Raw vegetables and meats which need to
be cooked, are much healthier than prepared foods and those with large dosages
of salt and sugar. Intentional Exercise: Obviously, you need to intentionally
increase your activity level through regular exercise.
(7)
Your Circle of Support:
You
may need to develop a supportive circle of friends who are not undermining you
or directing you away from your goals.
Overall, his recommendations are just “good common sense.” “Easy solutions” are
never the “best solutions” when it comes to weight loss. - Just the perspective
of another psychologist……
By Paul
Susic MA Licensed Psychologist Ph.D Candidate
|
