Lifestyle Choices

The behavioural treatment of obesity is based on changing daily habits and behaviours to reach the desired goal. The basic premise of behaviour therapy is to reward beneficial behaviours and discourage detrimental ones. However, state of the art behavioural treatment has a wider perspective and focuses on eating behaviours, social support, exercise, attitudes and nutrition. The aim is to modify the situations which promote eating and to evaluate the consequences of eating behaviour. Behaviour therapy involves specific processes which are aimed at modifying behaviour.

Self-monitoring

The client is asked to monitor when she eats, how much she eats and why she eats. This increases self-awareness so that eating cannot ‘just happen’, and enables her to evaluate her success and whether any changes have occurred. put their eating into context and to learn to say ‘I am not useless, the odd slip is inevitable and I will now return to my diet‘. This eradicates an ‘all or nothing response’ which can often result in the client abandoning the diet. (more…)

The average member of Weight Watchers is 2¹/2 stone overweight. However, this number is high owing to the few obese members who push up the average. Most members have only a stone to lose. Do most of their members need to lose this weight or are they responding to media pressure to be thin?

Slimmer Clubs accept people with only a few pounds to lose. These women are encouraged to see these few pounds as a problem and something to get rid of. They are not asked why they want to be that little bit thinner.

The Cambridge diet is recommended for use by the severely overweight only, i.e. those about 50 per cent above the average weight for their height. Yet it is available to anyone who wants to lose weight — even if that person just sees themselves as fat.

Women who are not obese or even overweight also want to lose weight. They believe that if they could shed a few pounds their lives would be better and they would be happier people. These women also attend slimming clubs and read the dieting literature. (more…)

What is irradiation?

When a foodstuff is irradiated it moves along a conveyor belt into a central chamber where it is exposed briefly to gamma rays provided by an isotope of cobalt-60, a nuclear substance specially manufactured for the purpose. This brief bombardment of the food causes chemical and molecular changes that kill bacteria, moulds, micro-organisms, worms, grubs and other pests. In addition it stops sprouting in vegetables and delays the ripening process in fruit, greatly extendingthe shelf-life of these perishables.

A major advantage of irradiation is that during its application nothing is added to the product - irradition is a process, not an additive. (more…)

So far our main concern has been the importance of freshness in some of the foods we eat on a daily basis. But what about other invisible influences and procedures that contribute to the quality of what we select from the supermarket shelves? You may feel that you can soon enough tell if an apple is past its prime just by looking at it; what you can’t tell is whether it still has pesticide residues clinging to it - or whether it’s been irradiated.

With the ‘Green’ revolution meaning as much a change in environmental attitudes as the importance of including more salads in your daily fare, it’s not surprising there is increasing concern about how our fresh foods are produced, the extent to which chemicals (some of them deadly) are used, and the risk to our health these powerful agricultural weapons pose. The other major worry that has been added to the list of consumer concerns in recent years is the question of irradiation - who uses it and why, and how safe is it? (more…)

The results from this suggest that things are not quite as gloomy as predicted. However, even when women are involved in a strict regime with supervision and support, weight loss and in particular maintaining this weight loss is very difficult. Other studies have also investigated weight loss in the obese and have found similar results. In 1986 Dr Kramer and his colleagues found that 70 per cent of his obese dieters regained all the weight they had lost and a further study suggests that up to 81 per cent of obese dieters may weigh the same as they did before dieting.

This would suggest there is still no hard and fast set of rules for weight loss if you are obese. Dieting may result in initial weight loss but maintaining this loss is problematic. However, this does not mean that the obese and overweight should necessarily give up or stop asking for professional help. (more…)

When discussing the effects of the study carried out in America, Keys and his colleagues said: ‘Food in all its ramifications became the principal topic of conversation, reading, and daydreams for almost all… subjects.’

The first change that became obvious for the women in my study was that they became preoccupied with food.

As women, in a society where we are expected to shop, cook and provide food for our families, food already plays a central role in our lives. It becomes a way to show love and affection to our dependants and a way to ask for love from those we are dependent on. If we provide dinner for our husbands when they come home from work (even if we ourselves have been working!) it shows that we appreciate that they have been working hard (and, it suggests, even harder than us) and that we recognise how much they do for us. Children learn from a very early age that eating their mother’s food makes her feel positive and valued. They also learn that to refuse her food is rejecting her love and will make her anxious and upset. We think about food in terms way beyond the limitations of feeling hungry and needing sustenance. (more…)

A survey carried out in Britain suggests that about one in ten members of slimming clubs such as Weight Watchers and Slimming Magazine reach their target weight. However, it is difficult to understand what these figures actually mean. The clubs do not keep any information as to the weights of these women initially so there is no way of knowing how much weight they had to lose to be regarded as successes. In addition, the clubs cannot provide any information as to whether this includes all the women who drop out from lack of weight loss and whether it accounts for those who leave and then return for another try. It is possible that a woman who left and joined several times could be counted as many members.

One of the problems with assessing how successful dieters are at losing weight is evaluating how much these dieters wanted to lose in the first place. (more…)

The second obvious change which happens to dieters is that they become preoccupied and obsessed with their weight. The original motivation to lose weight is complex and yet the main focus is to feel and look more attractive and to feel in control.

Yet dieting shifts the focus from feeling and looking better to what the scales say. Weight/height charts do not say that your ideal weight is when you feel good about yourself. They say you should weigh 8 stone 31/2 pounds or 9 stone 2 pounds. They precisely select and advise a weight for you. Every women has a different bone structure, a different facial structure and is a different age. What may suit a 30-year-old would make a 45-year-old look scrawny, and yet the dieting industry sells us a specific weight as if we are all the same. (more…)

Dieting changes your mood and mood changes can cause overeating. Dieters often report feeling positive and motivated at the beginning of a diet. It provides a structure and a goal, and a way to confront life’s problems. However, dieting can also cause misery and feelings of inadequacy.

Women set themselves targets. They aim for a specific rate of weight loss and decide that all they have to do is eat less! However, it is not as simple as this and not losing weight or diet-breaking is depressing. Not being able to achieve these goals can make you feel a failure. Diet-breaking is understood in terms of being weak-willed, and this idea is promoted by the dieting industry which suggests that weight loss is a sign of control, thinness is a sign of control, and not sticking to its diet sheets is due to weakness and not the fault of its diet. (more…)

Breakfast smoothie

A complete meal in a glass, blended so that you can drink it justbefore rushing out of the door. Vary the fruit you use (although choose low-GL ones such as apples, peaches, oranges, plums and apricots, and keep within 10D per person) to keep it interesting and to get a range of different nutrients.

SERVES 1

1 tbsp seeds (such as linseeds, pumpkin, sunflower or sesame seeds) (optional)

150g (5¹/2oz) live, organic natural yogurt, or soya yogurt ¹/2 banana

1 punnet of berries, about 1 00g (31/2oz) (use frozen berries when fresh ones are out of season)

A little lemon or apple juice (if necessary) (more…)

Each of these breakfasts provides 10 GL to comply with the GL guidelines for main meals. They are designed to fill you up rather than fatten you. I f you lack inspiration or energy in the morning, the low-gl Get up and go is a great solution.

Porridge

Oats are full of soluble fibre for healthy digestion and release their energy very slowly to keep you filled up all the way through to your snack and lunchtime.

SERVES 1

35g (11/4oz) whole porridge oats

225ml 18fl oz) water (the guide is two parts water to one part oats)

1 tbsp seeds (such as any combination of pre-cracked linseeds, sunflower, sesame and pumpkin seeds)

A little xylitol to sweeten or a sprinkling of Solo or other low-sodium salt, to taste (optional)

1. Place the oats and water in a pan. Bring to the boil then gently simmer, stirring, until the porridge thickens and the oats soften.
2. Stir the seeds into the porridge and spoon into a bowl.
3. Sprinkle with xylitol or the salt, if using.

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Dieters become preoccupied with the very substance they are trying to avoid — food. Not all foods, but those which are forbidden and outside the limitations set by the diet. Dieters see these foods as more exciting and pleasurable, and they become increasingly so if they are not eaten for a while.

A well-documented behaviour shown by dieters suggests that if they do actually eat a forbidden food, such as a chocolate bar or a piece of cake, they will then eat more food after it than if they had not eaten that piece of chocolate in the first place. You would expect them to eat less.

Many studies have been carried out both in America and Britain to illustrate this paradoxical behaviour, during which dieters are asked to consume a high calorie food. This is often very hard for the experimenter to do, although not as unethical as it may seem since the dieters always have the choice to say no. (more…)

WEEK 3 AND BEYOND – ACHIEVING YOUR TARGETS

By days 16 to 21 you will begin to feel the benefits of being on the diet. Your skin will have a healthy glow, your clothes will start to fit better and you will be getting used to using and portion sizes. Most people by this stage are feeling so good that they are contemplating adopting the low-GL principles for life, not justfor three weeks.

DAY 1

Breakfast Breakfast smoothie

Lunch Chicken, sun-blush tomato and pine nut salad (more…)

WEEK 2 STAYING ON TRACK

Days 8-14 are about staying on track and motivated. So, you’ve kept your cravings at bay for seven days. That’s cause for celebration. Part of the low-GL philosophy is to separate treats from food, so instead of reaching for high-GL snacks or a glass of celebratory wine, why not reward yourself with a different kind of treat? Giving yourself (non-food) treats is very important as it helps you to celebrate and recognise the progress you are making.

DAY 1

Breakfast Breakfast smoothie

Lunch Deli-style pastrami open rye sandwich

Dinner Pesto-baked salmon with boiled baby new potatoes and roasted vegetables

Snacks 1 slice pumpernickel-style rye bread with nut butter/celery and ¹/2 carrot made into crudites with guacamole (more…)

The Low-GL Diet is all about freshness, variety, flavour and enjoyment. No foods are banned (although the quantities are limited) and there is scope for infinite variety. Adjusting to your new way of eating couldn’t be easier as the first three weeks of the diet are planned out for you day by day. The idea is to give you time to get used to the quantity and balance of foods on the diet. Once you’re familiar with the portion sizes and with the basic rules, you can adapt the recipes, create your own, or swap meals from one day to another.

WEEK 1 - GETTING STARTED

Days 1-7 are all about enthusiasm and getting started. Encourage yourself to achieve early successes by keeping strictly to the daily menus. There will be a few ingredients such as quinoa, miso soup and tahini that you may not be used to using every day — but enjoy the experimentation, and give yourself time to get used to new cooking methods and flavours. (more…)

What if you have made it to the end of week three, can see improvements but you are just not losing weight. What has gone wrong?

I can understand how frustrating this must feel. No single diet works for everyone, as there are many different causes of weight gain. The possible reasons below may explain what is holding you back.

Are you losing inches rather than weight?

This is good news. It means that you are making lean muscle, which is heavier, but has the capacity to burn more fat. Keep going. The weight loss will follow.

Are you are still drinking alcohol, sugary drinks and/or caffeine? If you are and you’re not losing weight, it is time to bite the bullet and give them up. (more…)

Store-cupboard staples

These staple ingredients will ensure that you are always able to rustle up a low-GL meal at a moment’s notice.

• Low-GL Get Up & Go (a delicious smoothie mix that you blend with fruit.)
• Xylitol (a naturally sweet, low-carb sugar alternative that has 40 per cent fewer calories than sugar).
• Low-sodium salt, or sea salt (to be used in moderation). -*Black peppercorns.
• Marigold Reduced-salt Vegetable Bouillon powder.
• Whole organic rolled oats and oat flakes.

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Stocking up in advance with essential low-GL foods and getting used to buying and using new ingredients and cooking methods is part of your preparation for ‘made easy’ success.

Some of the foods listed here may be unfamiliar to you at this point, but exploring new flavours is part of the fun of the low-GL diet. A good supermarket or your local health-food store will stock almost all of the items.

Nothing here is difficult to source or particularly pricey.

As always, go for organic wherever possible. Not only is organic produce relatively free of contamination by herbicides and pesticides but it is also good value. The mineral levels in fruit and vegetables can be 100 per cent higher than those of non- organic produce. (more…)

Keeping your GL low and your blood sugar level stable depends not only on what you eat but also on how you cook what you eat. Cooking encourages the carbohydrate in foods to be released faster. The longer you cook something and the higher the temperature, the faster the carbohydrate in the food is released. The best method is actually leaving the food raw, but steaming, boiling, poaching, steam-frying, waterless cooking, baking and grilling are all good, too, in that order. Avoid frying food as much as possible. Deep-fried foods are definitely to be avoided.

Steaming

The best way to cook green, leafy, less-starchy vegetables is to steam them, as this will preserve a lot of their vitamins, as well as enhance their flavour. The method can be used for most food, especially fish, but is less successful for starchy vegetables such as potatoes and parsnips, and is not ideal for red meat. (more…)

Choosing to change your diet and lifestyle doesn’t just improve your health; it also changes your life. Even so, it can be a challenge to get started, and hard to stay on track. The keys to success are effective planning — and developing self-belief.

To be successful, you need to plan ahead and set goals, to give yourself time to prepare, both mentally and practically, for your lifestyle change. Deciding in advance what you are going to do and what you want to achieve will build your enthusiasm and help you to commit to the diet, to see off the temptation to stray beforeyou get started.

The most important tip of all is: Believe you can succeed. Your self-belief and the way you talk to yourself will influence your ability to stay the course. Supporting each personal ‘wish’ with a positive programme of action will help you to maintain momentum. (more…)