Do You Breathe More Air Than You Need?
A friend asked me this while we were discussing diet and weight loss. He has been fairly fit his entire life and has never struggled with weight. He was also not an extreme binge eater or dieter. So when I explained the enjoyment I received from indulging in a favorite meal, he responded in asking the question; ‘Do you breathe more air than you need? … So why eat more food than you need?’
The conversation had been about extreme diets and burn out. I had always been an all or none person, and dieting was no different. Those close to me were always made aware of when my diet was starting as I hoped all others would join me. As I’ve gotten older, it’s become more difficult to diet not only with appreciable results, but sustainability as my dieting meant absolutely no cheating.
In years past, my diets would be short lived due to burn out. I would sit at a dinner table as dessert would come out and proudly pass on the treat, only to completely regress a month later. This year I decided to take a different approach to my ‘summer diet’ and heed my friends advice, four months in and I have found a sustainable pattern for myself.
I have no absolute ‘rules’ to my diet, rather a mindset to keep everything within moderation. Carbs, desserts and even exercise. Too much… or too little of anything will burn me out. While a diet used to be a race to get into shape for summer, it is now a marathon to create longevity in my health for my son.
I know that weight loss not only takes a physical toll on our patients, but a mental one. Embarking on this journey is not simply eating less carbs and getting more steps, but a mental game to stick to the process even though results are appreciated. I’ve seen too many patients give up after hearing the same routine advice to lose weight, sometimes we as providers need to offer more. As disease prevention is my ultimate goal; I dedicated a significant portion of my medical training to weight loss using medical, surgical and behavioral interventions.
I’ve gotten so much gratification from my patients that have found tremendous weight loss results using my weight loss program, I am even more excited that we are now offering to all patients that qualify. Please call us today and schedule an appointment to discuss how we can help you achieve your weight loss, health and longevity goals.
-Dr. Alex
