SlimSupport: A Safe, Sensible Lifestyle Strategy for Sucessful Weight Loss Initiation and Management
Typically, people who lose weight and keep it off have four supports:
- a sustaining motivation,
- a safe, sensible strategy,
- a schedule, and
- a sponsor - someone, at least one other person, who cares.
This we already know: people do what they are motivated to do. But they may not do it long-term if their motivation is not strong sufficiently to sustain their focus and efforts. The three leading motivations for weight loss are ego, fear, and a passion for good health.
The ego's interest in weight loss is appearance ("how do I look") and centers especially on what others think. To win a weight loss contest is also an example of ego motivation.
Another motivation for beginning a weight loss program is fear of failing health, especially during a health crisis. This motivation, however, sometimes diminishes when the health crisis is over.
But the most enduring motivation for losing weight is a passion for good health. This motivation is an intense desire for wellness rooted in a value of self and is a high octane motivation that powerfully sustains the focus and "want to" to comply long-term to a personal weight loss program.
2. A Safe, Sensible Strategy
GracePoint's SlimSupport program identifies a safe, sensible, four-step strategy for successful weight loss:
- diet (food choices),
- exercise,
- lifestyle (faith-based), and
- supplements (including: multi-vitamins, vitamin B complex, apple cider vinegar, green tea)
A schedule is to time what a budget is to money: it supports focus and accountability. For most of us, what we do not schedule to do, we will not do consistently. Scheduling meals, exercise, sleep, etc. strongly supports a sustained weight loss program.
4. A Sponsor - Someone Who Cares
Essential to success is the support of at least one other person who cares. That person may be a professional health care consultant or just a good friend. For some, participation in a support group may be the answer. A scheduled time to share and learn with others and to chart progress is an excellent strategy for staying focused and for learning more about the sensible solutions that support successful weight loss.
Don Whisnant, DCC, LCPC/The Grace Perspective #501
Just Do Something: The Start of a Simple Strategy for Living Longer
The greatest increase in the benefit of exercise, with respect to longevity, is not between those who exercise a little and those who exercise a lot, but between those who do not exercise at all and those who just get started by doing something.
Cooper Clinic in Dallas, Texas followed 13,400 men and women for 8.6 years to study the benefits of exercise. Before the study, Dr. Kenneth Cooper's belief was that people did not really get any health benefit from exercise unless they exercised vigorously. The study results showed, however, that if the amount of exercise people do is rated between 0 to 4, the greatest benefit, in terms of decrease in deaths from all causes of mortality, is not between catagories 3 and 4, or 2 and 4, or even 1 and 4, but between 0 and 1. That's amazing!
Don Whisnant, DCC, LCPC/The Grace Perspective
Hungry? You May Just Be Dehydrated: The Role of Water for Basic Health and Losing Weight
The human body is two-thirds water. To maintain good health you need to daily drink water in ounces equal to at least half the pounds of your body weight. For example, a person weighing 130 pounds should drink at least 65 ounces of water each day.
Water is one of the six basic nutrients necessary for life (along with carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals). It is involved in EVERY function of the body and is necessary for ALL the body's digestive, absorptive, circulatory, and excretory functions. It is also needed to maintain proper body temperature.
Also, water has a significant influence on weight loss. It is needed for the utilization of the water-soluble vitamins including the B-Complex vitamins (called the "energy vitamins") which help the body metabolize food for energy (burn calories). Drinking water supports weight loss in other ways also. For example, the body sometimes mistakes thirst for hunger. The next time you think you are hungry, drink water instead of eating, especially if you do not need the calories. If your hunger goes away, you were thirsty instead of hungry. Also, according to Jan McBarron, M.D. (who recommends drinking at least 100 ounces of water a day including two glasses before each meal), it takes two molecules of water to flush one molecule of fat from your body.
Don Whisnant, DCC, LCPC/The Grace Perspective
Good Health and Long Life: Last Hope to Outlive My Ignorance
I turned 59 this month. No biggie! One day I will be a billion. So, taken in relevance, our goal is not the number of years we live, but good health and usefulness in service to others. Pardon this personal: I am 6'4, weigh 220 (added muscle this year), have a resting heart rate most days of 42-48, average over 1,000 cardio fitness miles each year (8th year), and can still run a 1:30 400, 7:30 mile, or a 90-minute 10 miles. I told the doctor at my last annual exam that I tried to make healthy choices because I wanted to outlive my ignorance, also my mistakes. He looked up from my test results, glanced away to ponder for a moment, then said he didn't see any reason why I shouldn't live to be a hundred.
Personal Regimen for Physical Renewal
1. Begin each day (at least an hour) with quiet time (Scripture reading, confession of need, prayer, and quiet-time worship worship) for spiritual renewal to enable stress management.
2. Aerobic exercises to get heart rate up for a sustained 30-45 minutes, 5-6 days each week (endurance), anaerobic exercises 2-3 days to build muscle (strength), and stretching exercises daily (flexibility).
3. Drink daily at least: 4 ounces raw apple cider vinegar water, 24 ounces green tea, and in addition, 100 ounces filtered water (ounces equal to number of half your body weight).
4. Eat 5 servings of raw fruits and vegetables (including at least one apple a day.)
5. Supplement protein, essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, probiotics, and herbs.
6. Proper elimination.
7. Scheduled lifestyle (including for work, sufficient sleep, and rest).
8. Drive on the right side of the street (zero high-risk behavior).
9. Community and civic involvement (investment for safety and quality of life).
10. Regular physical check-ups with physician and dentist.
Don Whisnant/The Grace Perspective 7J13
Good Health and Long Life: Last Hope to Outlive My Ignorance
I turned 59 this month. No biggie! One day I will be a billion. So, taken in relevance, our goal is not the number of years we live, but good health and usefulness in service to others. Pardon this personal: I am 6'4, weigh 220 (added muscle this year), have a resting heart rate most days of 42-48, average over 1,000 cardio fitness miles each year (8th year), and can still run a 1:30 400, 7:30 mile, or a 90-minute 10 miles. I told the doctor at my last annual exam that I tried to make healthy choices because I wanted to outlive my ignorance, also my mistakes. He looked up from my test results, glanced away to ponder for a moment, then said he didn't see any reason why I shouldn't live to be a hundred.
Personal Regimen for Physical Renewal
1. Begin each day (at least an hour) with quiet time (Scripture reading, confession of need, prayer, and quiet-time worship worship) for spiritual renewal to enable stress management.
2. Aerobic exercises to get heart rate up for a sustained 30-45 minutes, 5-6 days each week (endurance), anaerobic exercises 2-3 days to build muscle (strength), and stretching exercises daily (flexibility).
3. Drink daily at least: 4 ounces raw apple cider vinegar water, 24 ounces green tea, and in addition, 100 ounces filtered water (ounces equal to number of half your body weight).
4. Eat 5 servings of raw fruits and vegetables (including at least one apple a day.)
5. Supplement protein, essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, probiotics, and herbs.
6. Proper elimination.
7. Scheduled lifestyle (including for work, sufficient sleep, and rest).
8. Drive on the right side of the street (zero high-risk behavior).
9. Community and civic involvement (investment for safety and quality of life).
10. Regular physical check-ups with physician and dentist.
Don Whisnant/The Grace Perspective 7J13
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