Two-Percent Changes
by
Candice Watters
on Jun 20, 2007 at 11:08 AM
South Beach, Atkins, Weight Watchers, Slim Fast. The methods for losing weight are as many as there are excess pounds in our bodies. Still, conventional wisdom says whatever you do to slim down, "no pain, no gain." Deprivation. That's what it's all about.
My problem is that extreme diets and exercise, though able to produce bursts of success, leave me more likely to binge and less likely to maintain any progress they produce. Today's Focus on the Family broadcast gave me new hope that maybe it's possible to slim down and tone up through minor adjustments and lifestyle changes.
John Trent talks about little changes that over time, accumulate to produce dramatic degrees of transformation. He uses an illustration from space to make his point. "Just a two-degree shift in Apollo 13's homeward course would have caused the spacecraft to miss the earth by thousands of miles," he says. Minor course corrections can make a big difference.
His message is primarily about relationships. But one guy who heard him applied the principles to his weight. He started out by skipping seconds on desserts (!). Soon after, he had dessert only every-other night. Then he decided to take his dogs for a walk around the block, at night, so no one would see him. In the end all these little changes lead to more little changes that made a huge difference. He lost over 100 lbs. and ran the Marine Corps Marathon.
That's an approach I can implement. What about you? What areas in your life need improvement? Your waistline, your checkbook, your daily devotions, your media and entertainment choices? What little changes could you make to transform your life?
1. Lora had the following to say on Jun 20 at 11:55 AM:
I have recently lost about 20 pounds by making little changes. Cutting out sodas, not eating fries, and just eating less. It also helps my wallet (also needs some changes). I have a lot of other things to change as well, but you gotta look at it one day at a time.
2. Ken had the following to say on Jun 20 at 12:07 PM:
If there is anything I learned, it's that small changes are the way to go the majority of time. When I've ever tried to make grand, large scale changes (ie new years resolutions), I fall flat on my face. But when I make small changes like cutting out sweets, portions and doing more walking than driving, it helps.
I'm a photographer by trade and the one thing I tell people who are interested in learning is that you will take a lot of bad pictures before taking good ones consistently.
It's all about your attitude and sticking to it.
3. Sam had the following to say on Jun 20 at 12:57 PM:
Like Lora, I've also lost 20 pounds making small changes to my diet and increasing my exercise. I haven't done anything drastic and I absolutely, 100% refuse to give up carbs. No way, no how. Bread is my life. :o)
I think the big issue is that folks don't like to wait for results. They want something fast. They want to lose 60 pounds in 6 months and the only way to do that is to go on these extreme diets and give up all the tasty stuff. I'd much rather slim down, tone up and get healthier the right way - gradually. Besides, the chances of staying that way at the end increase dramatically when you do it slowly.
4. BDB had the following to say on Jun 20 at 1:10 PM:
Whether it's eating or credit cards, the beginning of discipline is knowing where you're at today.
For example, if you REALLY want to know how much you're eating, get a little kitchen scale that measures things in grams. You also need the "TARE Weight" function so you can measure one item before adding another item. For example, you can weigh a piece of toasted bread, set the scale back to zero, and measure how much butter is put on it.
When I did this, I discovered a lot of surprises. For example, one 7g serving of butter is what is put on ONE piece of toast. Two pieces of toast = two servings of both bread and butter. A 16-oz glass, which is perfect for one can of coke and two ice cubes, actually represents 2.1 servings of milk.
Something as simple as switching to smaller, 12-oz glasses for milk is enough to cut caloric intake by 33%.
5. Joshua Pettett had the following to say on Jun 20 at 1:35 PM:
Just out of curiosity, does the title of this post refer to anyting specific? I'm afraid the physicist in me can't help but note that most adults would observe a 2% increase in weight just by drinking a few tall glasses of water.
6. BDB had the following to say on Jun 20 at 1:58 PM:
The OP said:
>> "Just a two-degree shift in Apollo 13's homeward course would have caused the spacecraft to miss the earth by thousands of miles," <<
So, Josh is right. 2 out of 360 degrees is really 0.55%. The title should be the 0.55% solution.
Or maybe it's 2% milk?
7. David Beldon had the following to say on Jun 20 at 1:58 PM:
I think its good that we talk about exercise and eating healthy. How often to we hear about gluttony and slothfulness from the pulpit? Most churches are filled with overweight people. It is sin the effects us. Heart disease is the #1 killer in America. Small changes I have made is cutting down on desert and lowering my carb intake (not eliminating it). I exercise frequently and enjoy it. I would like to see an article about the balance that exercise should play in our lives.
8. Elisabeth had the following to say on Jun 20 at 2:00 PM:
I was so excited the other day when I visited the doctor and found out that I weigh about 30 lbs. less than I did a year ago! (The less exciting part is that none of my clothes fit...but I'm slowly taking care of that also.)
I also did it in small steps. Realizing that as long as I consumed a lot of sugar I was going to stay the same size, so I cut it out completely for awhile. I cut down on carbs (didn't eliminate them completely just because I love good bread too much), cut down on portions, ate more fruits and vegetables, and started exercising more.
In addition to loosing weight I've lost inches, gone down 1/2 a shoe size, and found more energy then I've ever had before, and actually lost most of my taste for sweets. (So more than likely I'll never go back to the same size/unhealthy eating habits.)
Slow but sure is the way to go--particularly with lifestyle changes and new habits!
9. Joshua Pettett had the following to say on Jun 20 at 2:02 PM:
BDB, could you specify what way a can of coke represents 2.1 servings of milk and what type of milk that is (I'm guessing skim or 1%)? As a whole milk drinker, I found the calorie comparison to be nearly the other way around; Coca-Cola Classic has only 67% as many calories as Parmalat whole milk!
Also, I'm not sure that referring to using a 16 oz. glass for a can of coke is helpful, since typical soft drink cans are 12 oz. (at least here in the South) and ice is nutritionally negligible (unless the drinker is facing dehydration!).
10. BDB had the following to say on Jun 20 at 2:30 PM:
Joshua Pettett wrote:
>>BDB, could you specify what way a can of coke represents 2.1 servings of milk and what type of milk that is (I'm guessing skim or 1%)?<<
Certainly. I bought 16-oz tumbler glasses, and they worked great for coke. Then I started using the larger glasses for milk, too. Then I gained a lot of weight...but was still only having one glass of milk a day...
>>Also, I'm not sure that referring to using a 16 oz. glass for a can of coke is helpful, since typical soft drink cans are 12 oz. <<
But you need the bigger glass to put ice in it without spilling. The behavior change was switching to larger glasses for both milk AND a can of coke w/ ice.
The nice thing about portion control as a strategy is that it doesn't require you to stop eating any kind of food (or cheese!) at all - just eat less of it. When I did the math, I realized I was eating over 3000 calories a day - duh! Cut that back to 1800/day - and I lost 60 lbs in one year this way.
Which creates a whole different bubble in the clothing budget...
11. Carrie had the following to say on Jun 20 at 2:43 PM:
The one sad thing about weight loss is that what works for one person, won't necessarily work for another. In the last two years I've drank less than 6 servings of soda. That has helped me to not gain weight back, but without a strict exercise regiment I wouldn't have lost any weight. There are people who can, just by cutting soda from their diet, lose 30 pounds. Quite honestly, that just makes me want to scream and vommit.
Some people (like me) need to get it all right in order to succeed at any weight loss, some people get to just make a few modifications and see incredible results. There is no way I can succeed in weight loss without eating an incredibly well balanced diet, lots of exercise, and just drinking skim milk and water. Some people get to eat the nice, thick steak, drink the whole milk, and just walk for 30 min. a day.
Its people in my situation that opt for fad diets and get skinny quick schemes.
I've been asked to be a bridesmaid in a (more-or-less) shotgun wedding. I will admit, for the first time in my life, I've seriously considered checking out the "lose 30 lbs. in 6 weeks" offers. I won't actually do this, but I will admit that I've been strongly tempted.
Its the class reunion, soon approaching wedding, must-have job interview, that make people consider silly fad diets.
12. Luke had the following to say on Jun 20 at 3:42 PM:
BDB said:
“…and I lost 60 lbs in one year this way.”
Lora said:
“I have recently lost about 20 pounds by making little changes”
Sam said:
“Like Lora, I've also lost 20 pounds making small changes to my diet and increasing my exercise.”
Elisabeth said:
“I visited the doctor and found out that I weigh about 30 lbs. less than I did a year ago!”
Outstanding. All of you. Well done.
13. Lewis had the following to say on Jun 20 at 4:48 PM:
Personally, I've been working with the local hospital on a weight-loss program for the last two months. I hardly gave anything up (I can still do soda and sweets), but I cut back to 1400 calories a day (which is a whole lot more food than we're conditioned to believe).
In the last 9 weeks, I have lost close to 40 pounds. I've had some drug help (overseen by the doctors, not by the nutrition store), but I think mainly it's due to eating less, eating better ('cause when you only have 1400, you make each one count - unless you just need to cheat), and exercising more.
That, and a website at http://www.sparkpeople.com/
That's been the most beneficial thing in the world to me in terms of dieting. I hope you guys can make good use of it!
P.S. Congrats to all who are losing weight AND making slow and steady improvements! It's hard, but I believe God wants His children to be healthy. You're doing so well!
14. Shannon had the following to say on Jun 20 at 5:12 PM:
Right now I'm trying to lose weight (post baby!) through Weight Watchers. I find it interesting this gets categorized as "extreme" since it's nothing more than teaching you to eat healthy and not to eat A LOT (I have a tendency to eat and eat and eat). (I've lost weight and kept weight off before, but then I got pregnant).
Different types of weight loss work for different people though.
15. Leah had the following to say on Jun 20 at 6:04 PM:
Weight Watchers really isn't extreme, from what I've seen. I've never participated in it but it seems mainly about teaching you what foods are good to eat and which aren't.
Anyway, from my observation the best way to lost weight is simply to eat smaller portions at meals. My mum lost several kilos in the two or three months after Christmas one year just by not eating so much at meals. She didn't cut out 'bad' foods, she didn't skip meals, she didn't eat special supplements, she ate her normal diet, just in smaller portions.
That, combined with exercise, is what I think is the best way to go about it.
16. Dan had the following to say on Jun 20 at 6:21 PM:
Something that strikes me when we begin to talk about diets and other external type things is how vein we are in the western world. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for being healthy and all of that, but we are so preoccupied with our looks and how much we weigh. If we weren't so self indulgent, then we wouldn't be in half the health predicaments that we are in at the moment.
I think we really have to look at our heart attitudes when it comes to dieting. Are we dieting to keep the temple of the Holy Spirit healthy, or are we doing it for our own selfish gain to fit an ideal that isn't realistic, based on a culture that disaproves of Godly principles. Just thought I'd throw those thoughts in to make us think a little... God bless you.
17. Nicole had the following to say on Jun 20 at 7:45 PM:
I totally agree with what Dan has to say about why we diet. I did Weight Watchers and exercised for about 3 years and lost less than 10 pounds. Then just last month I went to a conference for singles and young marrieds (New Attitude) and didn't worry about what I ate. When I came home I had lost 3 pounds. Now, I'm no longer counting points or calories. I'm just eating right and exercising regularly to the glory of God and trusting the Lord for the rest.
By the way, congrats to all those who have lost so much weight. I'm so excited for you!!
18. DannieA had the following to say on Jun 20 at 11:12 PM:
Dan
I don't think that wanting to lose weight is necessarily a bad thing. It's the reason my family abstains from alcohol, tobacco, and attempt to keep a good diet, because our bodies are temples.
I find that just making my lunch now instead of eating out everyday has decreased my tendency to gain weight. I too am one of those who also needs excercise, not only diet changes to LOSE weight, but I'm happy with the small changes i'm seeing
19. BDB had the following to say on Jun 20 at 11:45 PM:
Dan said:
>>I think we really have to look at our heart attitudes when it comes to dieting.<<
Well, aside from all the people I can list who had to change habits after their heart attack...and another guy who was my age, my size, and diagnosed with adult-onset diabetes...
I really think that people change other habits and don't think about how they relate to eating habits. I developed my eating habits in college when I walked miles a day getting to class and back. When I got a car, and sat in an office for 10 hours a day...eating habits stayed the same. It doesn't work.
And, before anyone asks, no, I don't feel any better. I feel the same. (Just ornery-er when hungry.)
Finally, the skinny people I know admitted that they only eat two meals a day. No wonder they can have fast food for lunch! No breakfast!
20. Jason W had the following to say on Jun 21 at 5:56 AM:
People find weight different but essentially it's energy in = energy out.
The problem is that major diets like aitkins, optifast, tony ferguson do not promote long term behavioural changes.
That's why small sustainable changes in lifestyle over a period of time will lead to greater weight loss and time that weight is kept off.
21. Robert J Espe had the following to say on Jun 21 at 6:43 AM:
http://www.drmcdougall.com
IF you really want to impact your weight/health, try the website above. 1000's of free recipes, just integrate the ones you like into your meal plans one at a time.
If anyone really wanted to lose weight fast, you could just eat potatoes and drink water until you are at your ideal body weight. It's not nutritionally deficient (traditional Andean diet), just really boring. Brown Rice and steamed veggies (traditional asian diet) works even faster but is even more boring (I tried the rice for 2 weeks so I'd know what I was recommending, my dad did the potatoes thing for 8 weeks, he actually liked it!)
22. Tami had the following to say on Jun 21 at 9:59 AM:
I've found that discipline creates more room for the Holy Spirit to work in my heart. Once you change the way you look at food (for example), you might change the way you look at other things -- time, money, relationships, etc.
I joined Weight Watchers right around the time I started getting more disciplined spiritually, and I've seen a net effect of a lot of positive change in my life. I have to emphasize, though, that the spiritual discipline was the catalyst for the discipline in other areas.
What's helpful about Weight Watchers as a program is that it hits on behavioral change, not just "get yourself skinny". The support system of your leader and your fellow group members is indispensible, too. That's true in a lot of other areas as well.
23. BDB had the following to say on Jun 22 at 11:30 AM:
Tami wrote:
>>Once you change the way you look at food (for example), you might change the way you look at other things -- time, money, relationships, etc. <<
Ha! So true...I started with spending discipline, then food...now I'm on "Time" interestingly enough, this is going to take a while to master...