The science behind weight loss continuously seems to be a mystery to most of us. It appears as though every other day somebody is coming up with a new twist, a new theory and a new way to lose weight. In August, 2011, CNN covered a story on the subject while highlighting the 30 lb weight loss of Wendy Fox – who had gained the proverbial 40-some pounds over three pregnancy’s during her 30’s. After seeking out the advice of Tufts University Nutritionist Susan Roberts, Fox found a new way to lose weight; stop eating junk (wow….how ingenious). But before she could do that, she had to understand the cultural changes she had to make to enable herself to stop (that’s where the mind-over-matter came into play). See story for more details – but I don’t agree totally with the story so you’re on your own (http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/08/04/ep.brain.crave.cohen/index.html).

In part, Robert’s theory works somewhat like this: Human’s naturally crave high caloric foods therefore we (typically) crave bad food and thus we gain weight.  I don’t agree with that theory – but I do agree our “taste buds” are influenced in our mother’s womb – see my "Prenatal flavoring" blog from 11-26-11 (http://hamptonroads.com/2011/11/prenatal-flavoring-can-pregnant-moms-set-course-their-childrens-wellness-theyre-born). To underscore her theory she used the process of repetition, over a period of three weeks, selecting good choices versus bad choices (that’s a well known approach and it does work!). But, what falls short in this theory is the desire to crave a certain food through repetition regardless of its taste quality. I personally have found and teach that repetition is very – make that extremely – important in developing new habits. Over a period of weeks your body will adapt to just about anything you do repetitiously, but it rarely will stick with something you flat out don’t like. The method Robert’s teaches will eventually fall short if you don’t like the taste, smell and texture of the food you’re eating. She notes that her patients begin to crave the “chalky, milky drink” she prescribes even though it doesn’t have a great taste (I’m curious about how many students “fail” to follow through with her theory versus those who succeed). 

Here’s my personal problem with a theory that starts out with anything that doesn’t appeal to someone: We eventually will stop doing something we don’t like and blame the process (versus us) on the outcome. My personal way of teaching wellness to my students is very simple and goes something like this:

1)       Whatever you naturally like to eat is the food that you will need to examine first. If you’re already eating healthy ingredients but preparing them "unhealthy" than change the preparation process and quantity (too much of a good thing still isn’t a good thing). Doing so will make all the difference in the world to both your wellness and weight loss.

2)      Graze throughout the day on healthy food choices. Breakfast should be something that provides your brain with a lot of natural energy, followed by an in-between-meal snack (piece of fruit, vegetable, some almonds, etc.). Lunch should continue to give you natural energy (you still need it for the remainder of the day) with a balance of protein (but not too much). Another light snack before dinner will help you not overeat, followed by a healthy balanced dinner with more protein at the end of the day. Most people make the mistake of not eating or only focusing on eating one portion of nutrition (i.e. carbs versus protein versus fat). Balance is essential to wellness.

3)      Get rid of the bad stuff immediately. Whether temptation is through sight, smell or accessibility, it’s still temptation. Clean out your pantry before you even try to start practicing/developing healthy eating habits. I recently had a mom tell me she couldn’t financially justify cleaning out the bad stuff (even though she had already started associating the connection between the “bad” stuff and her children’s allergies and emotional responses – illness, hyperactivity and concentration). If throwing something away seems sac-religious then donate it to the food bank or a friend but by all means don’t eat it because you feel guilty or your pocket book tells you to. In reality, we buy groceries every 7-10 days and fresh food lasts about 5 days. The cost of unhealthy eating catches up with you via your health quicker than the lack of finances to invest in your wellness. 

4)      Exercise is not 20% of the results; it’s 100% of the physical energy required to keep the body fit. Exercise provides three key elements we need every day, each one contributing to our wellness outcome: Endorphins (supply emotional balance and are stimulated through physical activity). Muscle building (a ready resource for burning calories first before they’re stored to fat). Energy (when we’re physically fit we have more sustainable energy throughout the day).

So, does “mind over matter” really matter in the end? Yes and amen! But don’t jump on a band wagon to find the answer. You’d be surprised how “easy” it is to practice a wellness lifestyle naturally when you start with building a pattern towards it instinctively. Repetition (again) is extremely important but so is finding what works for you. Craving nutrition comes naturally through finding the nutrition your body naturally craves.

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