| At 256 lbs, I saw my naturopath for the first | | | | fewer, larger meals to feel sated, others need to |
| time. We had a long discussion about food, my | | | | graze through the day. Understanding who you |
| weight, my depression, and how I wanted to | | | | are as an eater becomes paramount in defining a |
| tackle all of it. The following year after I had lost | | | | diet that will bring weight loss and then let you |
| 136 pounds and visited her again for final blood | | | | adjust it for life-time maintenance. |
| work, she told me that on the first day we met | | | | Accepting that there is no one cookie-cutter diet |
| she made a note in my file. It said: "Patient views | | | | out there that will work for everyone, is vital in |
| food as poison." | | | | developing an eating plan. Throwing out all |
| She had hit it right on. I did. And I am not alone. I | | | | preconceived ideas of what a diet is, is the only |
| may have been on the extreme end of the | | | | way to move out of the diet/binge cycle. |
| thought process, but the fear of food was real. In | | | | That fear of eating that has been hammered into |
| my entire life, I had never eaten one ounce of | | | | us all these years has to be tackled. The only |
| food without guilt. Even as a child, if I wanted a | | | | way to do that is to eat. Sounds simple enough, |
| second apple I felt as though I was proving to all | | | | but in my experience I have found it is harder to |
| that saw what a pig I really was. | | | | get people to eat then it is to get them to diet. |
| That is why a simple low fat raw food diet | | | | Why? Because all we know is deprivation or guilt. |
| worked for me. It was minimal and I could enjoy | | | | When I start a new client on this program, their |
| as much as I wanted without a drop of guilt. I | | | | first week proves how true the above statement |
| thought I could bring that to the obese | | | | is. They eat tentatively. The foods tend to come |
| community as a miraculous cure for obesity. I | | | | from their dieting history, the amounts minimal. |
| was wrong. | | | | I pick out these dieting foods and ask why they |
| For each person I helped achieve great weight | | | | chose to eat them. Their answer is surprising. Not |
| loss, there were another twenty who came and | | | | only was the food not satisfying, but oftentimes |
| went. People would sign up, do the all raw diet for | | | | they ate food they didn't like because that is |
| their first month or two and have huge weight | | | | what their dieting brain told them was the only |
| loss, but then the reality of being on a restrictive | | | | acceptable choice. Now, there are diets out there |
| diet would hit and they would flee forgetting all | | | | on the market that promote lots of eating |
| about their achievements. Their major complaint: | | | | choices. They work for some, but the problem is |
| "I just want to eat like a normal person." | | | | they are small amounts for the calories, and most |
| What did they flee to? Not another healthy sound | | | | obese men and women need bigger servings, and |
| diet. They returned to the diet/binge cycle - the | | | | when they eat higher fat, sugar, or salted foods, |
| only method they knew for day to day eating. | | | | cravings dictate that one serving is never enough. |
| For those of us who have grown up with obesity | | | | That creates more fear of food, and that fear |
| or entered the dieting world early, we have no | | | | limits viable choices in their idea of what they can |
| idea what "normal" eating is. All we know is how | | | | and cannot eat for weight loss. |
| to diet or not diet, and the not diet has nothing to | | | | I make it clear, I do not want to see those diet |
| do with eating right. We have proven to ourselves | | | | foods in their menu again. Panic ensues. |
| over and over again, that we have no control | | | | It is a process, a hand holding to calm their |
| over the food we eat except when on a | | | | nerves and gain their trust that it is okay to eat |
| structured diet, and then it is only until we can't | | | | food as long as they understand that each choice |
| do it anymore. | | | | they make needs to be seen as a whole, and it |
| I have developed a complete new system for | | | | needs to work with them as a person. Once they |
| my clients who cannot do the all raw program. It | | | | see that they really can eat 1800 calories a day |
| is ten times scarier for them than asking them to | | | | without gaining weight they are amazed. Amazed |
| live on raw fruits and vegetables. Why? Because I | | | | that they are now eating foods they saw as |
| make them eat. | | | | detrimental to their dieting cause, and eating those |
| One of the first things that becomes very clear | | | | foods in amounts they find satisfying. |
| and they actually all voice is, "I don't know how to | | | | No, not every food they love can be eaten, but |
| eat like a regular person." When I tell them I want | | | | by examining what foods keep them stated, and |
| them to eat 1800 calories their first two weeks | | | | what foods cause them to want more, their |
| to find out what their true maintenance diet will | | | | menu of choices grows and the idea that this |
| look like, their eyes pop, their voices quake, and | | | | type of diet can be done not just for short term |
| they stammer: "1800 calories, I can't do that I will | | | | loss, but for life becomes empowering. |
| gain weight." It takes me a while to convince | | | | It is this fear of food, this fear of not being able |
| them otherwise. | | | | to stick to a diet, this fear that food controls us |
| The first week is always full of panic. Their menus | | | | and not the other way around that keeps the |
| are peppered with all sorts of ideas on eating | | | | obese obese. |
| they have picked up from dieting their whole lives. | | | | Food is nutrition. Our bodies need it, even our |
| A lot of it is food they don't even like and would | | | | brain needs it to stay balanced and keep us in a |
| never eat outside a diet. When I tell them to eat | | | | good place. What the obese have to come to |
| more, to try something new they balk. "No, no, I | | | | terms with is that they are a unique individual, and |
| can't do it. I will lose control." In truth, that is | | | | although their obesity issues are common within |
| exactly what I want them to do. | | | | the obese community, their needs to feel satisfied |
| It is only after examining what out of control is, | | | | are quite different. |
| that we can work together to bring things back | | | | Food is neither enemy nor lover. It needs to |
| to the middle and find a satisfying solution that will | | | | become a partner in the obese person's quest for |
| allow them to take control of their eating. | | | | health and well-being. |
| We are all different. Each of us has different likes | | | | If you want to beat your obesity, then you must |
| and dislikes, our bodies respond to different types | | | | be willing to work through your fear of eating |
| of food. Some people can tolerate higher fat, | | | | outside of a diet. You must be able to look at |
| some people can't. Some people can have salt in | | | | food realistically and take time to explore what is |
| their diet without it affecting them, others like | | | | right for you before embarking on your next diet. |
| me, have to be cautious. Some people need | | | | |