Simple.
All the money in the world (and I believe Oprah literally has all the money in the world) won't change the fact that at the end of the day the way you live is a choice and not a purchase.
In Oprah's case, she admits to stopping her exercise sessions, her meditations and going back to eating higher calorie foods.
Please don't misunderstand me, I'm not knocking Oprah. Frankly I can't imagine what her life must actually be like. The hours she works, her stress levels, her responsibilities - not to mention the incredible amount of meals out that her job likely requires of her.
Oprah had succeeded in losing weight before because she succeeded in changing her lifestyle. That said, unless you enjoy the way you're living while you're losing, ultimately you're going to gain it back.
Life's complicated and lifestyle for weight management is a treatment, not a cure. Stop treatment - regain weight. So really, you'd better pick a treatment you actually enjoy.
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absolutely - it's no surprise!
ReplyDeleteShe lost weight the first time using a liquid protein diet. If she ate a properly balanced diet of real food, it might help her stop yo-yo-ing.
ReplyDeleteYoni,
ReplyDeleteThanks for this, we had a spirited discussion at work. I loved your last comment about picking a treatment that you actually enjoy!
nana
I wonder if we have to recognize that a lifestyle that is sustainable at one time becomes unsustainable as life changes. The people who are able to adapt and change to their circumstances -- there will always need to be adjustments.
ReplyDeleteI don't think Oprah has failed. I don't know if she'll ever stop "yo-yo-ing" -- I think that her public struggle with her weight is an opportunity to say that success isn't measured by the size clothes you wear or the number on the scale. Here she has everyone focused on her -- she's stolen the tabloids' thunder -- many will tune in to see what she undertakes, "lifestyle-wise," next.
Weight regain as a savvy business move? Probably not. But maybe perfect weight maintenance isn't as important as a flexible, health-focused orientation that can roll with life's punches. Just a thought.
Oprah's "confession" (as it is being reported in some circles) raises many issues and questions.
ReplyDeleteFirstly, she didn't commit a crime (or, if you're so inclined, a sin), so there is no need for a confession.
Secondly, could it be that 160 pounds should not be her "goal" weight? Could it be that 200 pounds is her "ideal" weight, i.e., the weight that she can sustain long-term? (Perhaps weighing less when she has time to exercise and eat right.) If she is healthy at 200 lbs (I don't know whether or not she is), perhaps she - and the rest of society, myself included - have to start accepting, as beautiful, people who aren't thin, or even slim. Oprah has a great life; should what her body looks like on the outside negate all of that?
What I (and, I guess, Oprah) need to know is, why, if you are indeed enjoying your new healthy lifestyle, and it is bringing you so many rewards, you go back to your old unhealthy one? Even my psychiatrist doesn't have the answer, except to say that I am trying to fight the limbic (sp?) system, the "primal beast" that constantly beckons us to go back to what we know, i.e., our old lifestyle.(I'm paraphrasing.)
My apologies for the novella, but this hit a nerve as, after nine seemingly effortless months of healthy eating and regular physical activity, I am going through a rough patch and do not want to gain back any of the weight that I have lost to-date.
Not to mention that I don't want to return to the way I used to feel, physically and emotionally.
Yoni, if you have any answers, or if other readers have some suggestions, I would love to hear them. Thanks. VP
P.S. Limbic system:
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limbic_system
http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/limbicsystem.html
Doing a Google search using the keywords "limbic" and "obesity" also provided lots of results. VP
VP,
ReplyDeleteIn Oprah's case, the answer is easy. The first time she lost a large amount of weight it was via an all liquid diet - hardly a sustainable lifestyle. The second it was via (correct me if I'm wrong) very strict semi-veganism and huge amounts of exercise.
And yes, 200lbs may be Oprah's "best" weight which is the concept you know I espouse.
"Best" weight is the weight you'd reach living the healthiest life you actually enjoyed.
Given that her efforts were extreme I suspect there likely is for her an in between that would support some weight loss but as I alluded to in the post, I imagine the responsibilities of her work coupled with all of the unknowns of genetic, behavioural, metabolic and lifestyle contributions to weight, might leave her with more weight than a table might suggest she "should" have.
In your case (really in anyone's case) regardless of the whys and wherefores of your struggles there are a few things that I would suggest are out of reach of the limbic system that should be a focus and only if these criteria are met would I look elsewhere for explanation.
1. Are you eating within 30-60 mins of waking?
2. Are you having at least 350 calories per meal and 150 calories per snack?
3. Are you having at least 3 meals and 2 daytime snacks?
4. Are you going longer than 2-3 hours between meals and snacks?
5. Are you having protein with every meal and snack?
If the answer to any of those questions are no then trouble shoot why with your psychiatrist as getting a "yes" to all of those questions does not involve all liquid diets or suffering but rather they lie in the realm of choice.
Yoni
Thank you for taking the time to reply, Yoni. Sorry for the rant. VP
ReplyDeleteYou wouldn't want to say yes to number 4, would you? I'm thinking you'd recommend we not go longer than 2-3 hrs between eating. Correct?
ReplyDeleteYup, you're right. Question should have read - Are you eating at least every 2-3 hours?
ReplyDeleteOprah is over 50. The body is less forgiving of abuse - crazy diets, crazy exercise programs - crazy anything. I was very offended when I plugged into an online weight program and it responded "you are too old and too fat to access this information". The over 50 crowd doesn't need a boot camp trainer, they need a knowledgable obesity physician because what is possible is a very complex medical determination.
ReplyDeleteI understand her completely. I've recently been laid off work, so no more walking to the office. I'm sitting at home now, doing nothing. I'm gaining weight again, and can't seem to motivate myself. I am at my wits end. This is going to kill me.
ReplyDeleteI could not agree more Yoni. So many people think that once they've lost the weight, that's it, it's the end of the journey. But it really isn't. Maintaining my goal weight successfully for three years has been harder than the one year it took to lose it.
ReplyDeleteI wrote an article for a weight loss magazine some years ago - "how to lose weight when you're broke"! - and in it, I wrote something similar to what you did - "at the end of the day, how much money you have doesn't matter. You either want to do this, or you don't."
I also completely agree that unless you enjoy the lifestyle you have while you're losing weight, it's just not going to work long term - sounds so simple when you think about it :)
Really enjoying your blog.
Your statement "unless you enjoy the way you're living while you're losing, ultimately you're going to gain it back" is right on target. Also old habits die hard. Habits that developed when there is abundance of delicious food and convenience and availability 24/7 are usually hard to change on a permanent basis, but not impossible.
ReplyDelete