Dear Friends,
Happy New Year!
I met a friend few days ago and we spoke about about his weight
problem. He has always been on the big side and his family members are also big
which makes it all the more challenging to keep the weight down. Plus, the lack
of exercise makes it worse. Since I saw him last which was about a year ago,
his weight had ballooned to 125 kg. It also resulted in a meniscus tear in
his knee. But he admitted that his weight problem was the cause
of meniscus tear which lead to further weight increase as he was not able to exercise. He had intention to lose weight but he did not feel
motivated to follow through. I guess it is case of "Chicken came first or
the Egg came first". His weight problem caused his meniscus tear which now
makes more difficult for him to exercise which causes further weight increase.
What can he do to lose weight? Here is my suggestions:
He needs a plan.:
1) See the doctor and a physiotherapist regarding his knee. He
needs to get his knee fixed either through rehabilitation or surgery.
2) In the meantime, he needs start dieting. Calories from
food intake must be less than energy used to make sure his weight goes down.
3) Exercise after getting advise from Doctor and Physio- swim and
walk regularly. Start slow. Exercise at least 3x a week. He can work in the gym
for other part of the body. He can also take up cycling.
You got to remember that losing weight is a marathon not a sprint.
If you have a regular habit of checking your weight, you would have noticed
that it is easier to put on weight than to lose it over the years. Another thing that shows
your growth in weight is the size of your pants. It will keep going up unless
you reduce your food intake and exercise more.
Another suggestion is to cut off sugar completely. I drink coffee
with out sugar. Avoid condense milk as well other sweet stuffs. Sugars are
empty calories which are of no use.
The choice is yours. If give you excuses for not exercising and eating
a healthy diet then be prepared to pay the price- heart attack, diabetes,
lethargy, breathlessness, cancer, knee injury and the list goes on. By taking
action you can prevent or delay the onset of these problems.
It is possible to achieve the weight loss goals if you are
determined, motivated and persistent. So many people have done it. You have seen
it in "The Biggest
Loser". My advise is to
lose the weight gradually so that your body can adjust to the change and you do
not put it all back on quickly.
Good Luck. And all the best for 2013! God Bless!
Cheers,
Mark
