If you consider becoming a jockey, losing weight is be a must. (Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images)
She replied that her lifelong ambition had been to be a jockey, and the following day she would be riding a horse at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto. You may not want to ride a racehorse, but she proved there are several ways to lose weight.
One. Motivation is a huge factor in success, so find a motive. How about saving money in these trying financial times by wearing clothes that are collecting dust in your closet? And don’t forget, it’s not a bad idea to get healthy at the same time!
Two. In real estate, success or failure is dependent on “location, location, location.” In weight loss, whether you win or lose depends on calories, calories, calories. Calories fuel your body the way gasoline fuels a car. Take in more calories than you need for energy, and the extra is stored as fat. It’s a delicate balancing act, but the blunt, immutable fact is that calories do count whether they come as protein, fat, or carbohydrate. And never forget this disturbing fact: Most people require only 2,000 calories a day.
Three. Get in the habit of reading the number of calories in packaged foods. First, look for the number of calories in the entire package, then the number of calories per serving. For instance, one slice (one-eighth) of a thick-crust pepperoni pizza, a single serving, contains 286 calories. The entire pizza of eight slices has a whopping 2,288 calories! Small wonder kids and adults are gaining weight.
Four. Keep in mind this simple arithmetic: 3,500 calories equals one pound of fat. So start eating 500 fewer calories a day, and in one week you’ve lost one pound or 52 pounds in one year.
Five. Buy a calorie book and see how easy it is to eat 500 fewer calories a day. For instance, 2 cups of chocolate ice cream contain 570 calories; a plain bagel with 2 tablespoons of cream cheese, 450; a chicken Caesar pita, 490; a McDonald’s Big Mac hamburger, 540; a Burger King Double Whopper, 1,060; and a toasted tuna melt sub, 1,230 calories.
By eliminating these high-calorie foods, you will start to see a reduction in your weight. Then concentrate on low-calorie foods. Eating an orange rather than drinking a glass of orange juice saves 50 calories. Use a teaspoon of mustard on the cheese sandwich instead of mayonnaise and save 100 calories. Substitute fruit for a muffin and save 350 calories. Drink water rather than sugary drinks and stop putting cream in your coffee.
Six. Remember that the stomach is connected to the brain. It requires 20 minutes for the stomach to tell the brain, “I’m full.” No doubt, following the main course, you’ve already decided to enjoy a dessert loaded with sugar. But this is the time to curb your enthusiasm at the dinner table. I love ice cream, but if I prolong dinner conversation long enough, my desire for ice cream often diminishes or completely vanishes.
Seven. Start under-sizing. We in North America share the unfortunate habit of eating larger amounts of food than we need. Since I do much of my writing in the United States, I’m continually amazed at the super-sizing of restaurant portions there. Studies show it’s a human trait to eat whatever is presented, and most consumers either do not know or grossly underestimate the number of calories in these oversized portions.
Eight. Buy a pedometer and start walking. You should walk at least 10,000 steps daily, and most people fall far short of that number. Abraham Lincoln once remarked, “We have two good doctors, our right leg and left leg.” Use them.
Nine. Find the time to lose weight. The Earl of Darby counseled: “If you can’t find time for wellness, you will eventually have to find time for sickness.”
Dr. Gifford-Jones is a medical journalist with a private medical practice in Toronto.
His Web site is Mydoctor.ca/gifford-jones
