Being overweight puts a tremendous amount of stress on the back. A heavy person’s spine is distorted beyond its normal curvature. Further, the weight placed on this spine makes back pain much more likely through disk bulging, facet joint irritation and nerve interference. This imbalance can wreak havoc with the nervous system, resulting in serious conditions elsewhere in the body. Imagine it this way: if you are fifteen pounds overweight, it is like carrying a fifteen-pound bag with you at all times. Imagine how much easier it would be on your back if you didn’t have that weight. It stands to reason that losing weight will greatly improve the condition of your spine, reducing the likelihood of serious back pain.
It is difficult to pick out the best weight-loss advice in a society flooded with self-help books and fad diets. These diets tend to promise quick results, but fall short of affecting permanent change. Studies have shown that 95 percent of people who use weight-loss diets will gain some or all of the weight back.
What can you do, then, to lose weight? Perhaps the best way to approach it is by seeing it not as a one-time activity of dropping a certain number of pounds, but as a permanent lifestyle change. The most successful diets are those that reflect a new attitude toward food and exercise. Diets often fail because we see them as a test of will power, to deny ourselves of those foods we love. This approach is ineffective because as soon as we feel denied something, we crave it, and eventually give in. Sometimes we revert to bad eating habits gradually, or in one large binge. But once it happens, we feel guilty or weak, and give up. We then re-gain weight and soon begin to diet again.
This “yo-yo” dieting can have drastic consequences to the body: when we lose weight, we lose muscle and fat, but re-gaining the weight, we gain back mostly fat. The result is a lowered metabolism, which means we are less able to burn fat. With each diet, then, it becomes harder and harder to lose weight.
Discouraged yet? Don’t be. Discouragement, which often follows a single lapse in a diet, can lead to feelings of failure and depression. This is lethal to any program, and much of the reason that quick-fix diets fail. You should remember that losing weight is very difficult thing for millions of people. Further, good eating habits and exercise can easily be resumed, even after a lapse. A good attitude is your best ally.
Abandon the idea that losing weight will entail a few months of eating better. It will require a lasting revision of your exercise and eating habits. Gradual, realistic weight loss should be your goal. You should lose one or two pounds a week. It is also important to work with your health care professional to devise a plan that suits your own needs and desires. You will be more likely to follow a plan that allows you to take enjoyment from eating while doing it sensibly. Also, find the time of day when you will be most likely to fulfill your exercise goals, preferably a time when you’ve found it difficult not to over-eat.
At the risk of drowning the reader with advice, the following tips are useful in managing weight:
- Educate yourself on the best kinds of foods to eat. This may seem obvious, but it is sometimes forgotten. The knowledge you’ll gain is indispensable. It will help you see through many of the quick- fix programs.
- Take it slow. A gradual change is more likely to take root.
- Do not starve yourself. This will only make you want to binge, and will make your body less likely to give up its fat in a self-preservation reflex.
- Substitute high-fat foods for lower-calorie foods, such as carbonated water or yogurt instead of soda and ice cream. Every calorie counts. Gradually step down your intake wherever possible.
- Do not shop for groceries while hungry. You will be more likely to buy impulse items, which usually means junk food.
- Read labels carefully. Calories are based on serving sizes that may are smaller than many of us realize. We also tend to eat more of low fat items because we feel there is more elbowroom in our calorie allotment. Many people therefore gain weight from these low fat foods.
- Eat slower. This will give your body a few minutes to feel full, and you won’t over-eat..
- Keep a record for a few days of everything you eat and the amount of calories for each item. This will help illustrate your intake, and help you adjust your habits once you have become familiar with the calorie amounts.
- Tell your friends and family of your goals. Their support can go a long way in reminding you if you begin to revert.
In short: don’t “diet.” Eat better, move more, and do this for the rest of your life. By setting realistic goals and taking responsibility for a life-long change, you can lose weight and take the pressure off your spine.
