"The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them."
We attribute this quote to Albert Einstein, though it is unverified whether or not he actually said or penned those words. It doesn't really matter though...the quote is powerful regardless of who originated it.
What got me thinking about this quote is the body's amazing ability to maintain status quo. Have you ever been frustrated because you regained the weight you fought so hard to lose after having dieted for _____ days/weeks/months? Have you ever looked at someone who is rail-thin, after watching them down an entire large pizza, and get jealous because they can eat whatever they want and never gain a pound? Ironically, both examples are two sides of the same coin--homeostasis.
Homeostasis is the body's amazing ability to maintain a particular condition. The best example is body temperature. Everyone knows that body temperature is 98.6 degrees fahrenheit. The body regulates other things and seeks to keep them at steady levels (glucose, pH, etc.), including body weight. It should come as no surprise to people that different people have different, genetically-determined body types. There are those who have a naturally slender frame (ectomorphs), people like linebackers (endomorphs), and the in-betweens (mesomorphs). Research shows that we have limited ability to influence our body type to the next closest body type, but I'm a natural ectomorph...I'm never going to be on the cover of Muscle & Fitness magazine!
If our bodies work to maintain its natural body frame, then how do we get overweight and out of shape to begin with? While I don't have a hard scientific explanation, I have done enough reading on health and nutrition to have a good hunch. There are really only two aspects of our bodies that we can influence to change our body image--muscle and fat. It takes work to improve our muscle structure, but it's easy to let our fat stores go out of control.
Here's where the hunch comes in. Our fat cells are happy where they are. When we overeat, our fat stores will temporarily accommodate by expanding to absorb excess fat in the blood stream, but they then look to offload that excess fat to get back to "normal." However, if we maintain a body environment flush with excess fat in our blood due to poor diet, our fat cell expansion will be more permanent. Then, when we attempt to lose weight by reducing fat in our bloodstream, our fat cells start fighting our attempt by seeking ways to get back to their new, more expanded size. This probably explains why we lose body weight first, then body fat follows.
The moral of the story is that you have a natural body type, and your body wants to keep you where you are at. So, if you are overweight for your frame and want to get to a healthier weight, the problem your facing cannot be solved with the same level of behavior you were at when you created it. This is why "lifestyle change" is such a common response to anyone who is trying to lose weight.
While there are hundreds of ways (diets) you can change your behavior to improve your health, the important thing is for you to find a change you can make and stick with. If start a new diet seeing it as a temporary way to improve your health, and you sincerely believe that you can maintain a healthy weight if only you could just reach it, you're setting yourself up for failure. You need a permanent change.
I encourage you to consider Responsible Eating as an option to achieve permanent change. It is a way for you to enjoy eating the foods you are currently eating, but to eat in a different way to achieve the weight you want. That's not to say it's easy; genuine change never is. But if you don't want any restrictions on the food you eat but know you are overweight and out of shape, I think you will find my approach very helpful.
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Responsible Eating: A Primer
We attribute this quote to Albert Einstein, though it is unverified whether or not he actually said or penned those words. It doesn't really matter though...the quote is powerful regardless of who originated it.
What got me thinking about this quote is the body's amazing ability to maintain status quo. Have you ever been frustrated because you regained the weight you fought so hard to lose after having dieted for _____ days/weeks/months? Have you ever looked at someone who is rail-thin, after watching them down an entire large pizza, and get jealous because they can eat whatever they want and never gain a pound? Ironically, both examples are two sides of the same coin--homeostasis.
Homeostasis is the body's amazing ability to maintain a particular condition. The best example is body temperature. Everyone knows that body temperature is 98.6 degrees fahrenheit. The body regulates other things and seeks to keep them at steady levels (glucose, pH, etc.), including body weight. It should come as no surprise to people that different people have different, genetically-determined body types. There are those who have a naturally slender frame (ectomorphs), people like linebackers (endomorphs), and the in-betweens (mesomorphs). Research shows that we have limited ability to influence our body type to the next closest body type, but I'm a natural ectomorph...I'm never going to be on the cover of Muscle & Fitness magazine!
If our bodies work to maintain its natural body frame, then how do we get overweight and out of shape to begin with? While I don't have a hard scientific explanation, I have done enough reading on health and nutrition to have a good hunch. There are really only two aspects of our bodies that we can influence to change our body image--muscle and fat. It takes work to improve our muscle structure, but it's easy to let our fat stores go out of control.
Here's where the hunch comes in. Our fat cells are happy where they are. When we overeat, our fat stores will temporarily accommodate by expanding to absorb excess fat in the blood stream, but they then look to offload that excess fat to get back to "normal." However, if we maintain a body environment flush with excess fat in our blood due to poor diet, our fat cell expansion will be more permanent. Then, when we attempt to lose weight by reducing fat in our bloodstream, our fat cells start fighting our attempt by seeking ways to get back to their new, more expanded size. This probably explains why we lose body weight first, then body fat follows.
The moral of the story is that you have a natural body type, and your body wants to keep you where you are at. So, if you are overweight for your frame and want to get to a healthier weight, the problem your facing cannot be solved with the same level of behavior you were at when you created it. This is why "lifestyle change" is such a common response to anyone who is trying to lose weight.
While there are hundreds of ways (diets) you can change your behavior to improve your health, the important thing is for you to find a change you can make and stick with. If start a new diet seeing it as a temporary way to improve your health, and you sincerely believe that you can maintain a healthy weight if only you could just reach it, you're setting yourself up for failure. You need a permanent change.
I encourage you to consider Responsible Eating as an option to achieve permanent change. It is a way for you to enjoy eating the foods you are currently eating, but to eat in a different way to achieve the weight you want. That's not to say it's easy; genuine change never is. But if you don't want any restrictions on the food you eat but know you are overweight and out of shape, I think you will find my approach very helpful.
Responsible Eating: A Primer
