| In the medical community, "obesity" is generally | | | | to get the full and wonderful flavor from the |
| said to be present in women with more than | | | | nutritious foods you are eating. |
| 30% body fat and men with more than 25% | | | | Your stomach will have a chance to tell your mind |
| body fat. "Morbid obesity," a more serious | | | | that you are full and satisfied and that you require |
| condition still, occurs when a person is 50-100% or | | | | a smaller amount of food than before. It can take |
| 100 pounds above his or her ideal body weight or | | | | the same amount of time to eat a small amount |
| has more than 39% body fat. Medical problems | | | | of food as it does to eat a large amount. |
| commonly associated with morbid obesity include | | | | WEEK FOUR: Get rid of bad emotions and |
| diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, | | | | frustrations. if you have a problem or transaction |
| certain cancers (including breast and colon cancer), | | | | that you are working on, clear your mind before |
| depression, and osteoarthritis. | | | | you eat. Eating out of frustration is a very |
| Obesity among the American population is a | | | | common bad habit. |
| serious epidemic. The results of a 1999-2000 | | | | WEEK FIVE: Think about the food you eat, |
| National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey | | | | especially the flavor. |
| indicate that an estimated 64% of U.S. adults are | | | | WEEK SIX: Leave something on your plate |
| either overweight or obese. | | | | (besides your fork). We're conditioned to clean |
| Millions of people approach weight control, focusing | | | | everything from our plates and programmed to |
| on the symptom. The symptom being the weight | | | | believe that cleaning our plates will help starving |
| itself. These people put all their energy into baking | | | | children elsewhere in the world or that it's a sin to |
| it off, working it off, starving it off, or all kinds of | | | | waste food. |
| fad diets. | | | | OTHER ATTITUDES TO CONSIDER |
| They all experience the ups and downs on the | | | | 1. Refer to diets as menus. |
| weight charts and scale. This makes for a lot of | | | | 2. Refer to losing weight as eliminating weight |
| upset and depressed people who think that they | | | | permanently. |
| will never solve the problem of eliminating, | | | | 3. Use smaller plates and glasses. |
| permanently, those excess pounds and inches. | | | | 4. Serve yourself smaller portions. |
| The only time that anyone has to be concerned | | | | 5. Use one room in the house in which to eat, |
| with weight control is when they are eating. The | | | | perhaps even one chair. |
| fact of the matter is that people are concerned | | | | 6. Keep a diary of the food you eat. |
| with weight before they eat and they beat | | | | In addition to these exercises, it is important that |
| themselves up after they eat. While people are | | | | you utilize the techniques learned in altered- states |
| eating there is no concern. | | | | (hypnosis) to effect habit change and visualize |
| We spend a small amount of time each day | | | | exactly the way you want to look. |
| eating and that is the only time that people have | | | | Imagine yourself standing on your bathroom scale |
| to increase their conscious awareness and focus | | | | and looking down at the weight you want to be. |
| on developing proper eating habits. | | | | Some sample weight control suggestions: |
| If you are overweight, you may be so because | | | | 1. I weigh ___ pounds and am slim, healthy, and |
| you formed a habit of eating improperly. | | | | attractive. |
| By re-educating your eating habits, you will find | | | | 2. I eat only those healthful, nutritious foods that |
| that you still enjoy eating and for much more | | | | allow me to maintain my weight at ___ pounds. |
| positive reasons. You'll eliminate weight -- and you | | | | 3. I eat my meals slowly and enjoy every bite. I |
| won't regain it. | | | | taste and savor my food better than ever |
| The plan is very basic, simple, and easy. Every | | | | before. |
| week, for a period of six weeks, you are going | | | | 4. The desire to eliminate fat from my body is |
| to practice a new and different mental exercise | | | | stronger than ever before. I am, on a daily basis, |
| to help you change your eating habits. | | | | eating less and enjoying food more, and the |
| WEEK ONE: Sit down to eat and drink. Even if it's | | | | desire to eliminate weight is stronger than the |
| only a piece of gum or a sip of water, sit down! | | | | desire to eat. |
| This will help eliminate the unconscious snacking | | | | 5. I see myself as being slim, trim, firm and solid. I |
| that is so much a part of being overweight. This | | | | think thin. |
| also eliminates tasting foods for those who cook. | | | | 6. I am staying satisfied for longer periods of |
| WEEK TWO: Relax! Take a minute to breathe | | | | time. The desire to eliminate unnatural fat from |
| comfortably and be thankful for the food in front | | | | my body is stronger than my desire to eat. I see |
| of you. This will help you become aware of the | | | | fattening eating behavior and I have no desire to |
| foods that you eat and the way in which you eat | | | | indulge in such behavior. I enjoy being slim, trim, |
| them. | | | | thin and slender. |
| WEEK THREE: Chew your food well. Sip your | | | | By utilizing these behavior modification suggestions |
| drinks. Take small bites. Depending on what you | | | | you will completely re-educate your eating habits |
| are eating, chew from 25 to 40 times with each | | | | and will have formed a successful pattern for |
| mouthful. By consuming small portions and eating | | | | creating and maintaining a slim, trim, permanent |
| more slowly, your taste buds will have a chance | | | | new shape. |