Lets talk about how to change bad eating habits and lose some weight.

Some time ago, I was in the Aquarium with my family. It was a warm sunny day, and we had been walking through different exhibits looking at the different fish and sea creatures. We were hungry and we decided to stop by the outdoor cafeteria for a bite.

We decided to eat roast chicken and vegetables, and we had brought bottle water with us. We went to seat under a table that had a colorful umbrella and we were comfortable under its shade.

There were two couples enjoying their meal in a big table in front of us. They looked quite different from each other, they did not know each other.
It struck me that one of the couples was thin and the other couple was heavy. Both couples were almost the same age and height.

I decided to observe how this two couples ate because I was thinking of preparing my next health Prevention lecture that I was giving in one of the local colleges were I was working at the time.

I asked myself “ Why one couple is heavy and the other couple thin if they are almost the same age and height ?” and the I observed.

The thin couple was sharing a plate with fish and chips. They were eating slow talking to each other and enjoying the view in between chews. They were drinking bottle water , each one had their own bottle water and they were drinking some of it in between bites. The woman chewed each bite about 32 times.

Each member of the heavy couple had a double burger with French fries, they were drinking a large cup of soda each. They were eating fast, each bite was chewed five to six times. They drank their sodas in between bites too. They were not talking to each other or enjoying the view.

Now you have it, two different styles of eating and two different weight results: Water vs. Soda, ½ of plate of chips vs. one plate of French fries.
Two pieces of Fry fish vs. a double burger, eating slow vs. eating fast,
32 chews/ bite vs. 6 chews/ bite.

What is the mindset to lose weight ? It is the understanding and acceptance that eating habits have to change, that if we have to lose more weight it will take longer to lose it, that we have to know what foods are more nutritious than others and that portions are important.

The acceptance that we can lose weight if we are determined, the self confidence that we can do it.More important, that we can maintain an ideal weight after we attain it. The acceptance that if we fail one day that we can get back on track the next day.
More important, that we can maintain an ideal weight after we attain it. The acceptance that if we fail one day that we can get back on track the next day.

The acceptance that to change the habits is a conscious process and that eventually it will be automatic and that we have to be aware of the situations that trigger the habit of eating more than necessary.

You probably know The Power of Positive Thinking, yes, it works but lets be realistic. I laugh when some products offer to lose 20 pounds a week. I can not say that it is impossible, what can I say that it will not be healthy. If the person is swollen all over the body, which is called edema in medical terms due to a liver or kidney or heart problem or something like that, she/he needs hospitalization and prescription medication and a good medical team.
I have seen cases like that when I was working in the hospital in Peru.
Even in these cases it is not recommended to make the patient to lose too much weigh because it can decompensate their body and make things worst.

To lose two pounds in a week it is reasonable and healthy ; then next week you can lose two more pounds and each week so until you reach your goal. How much do you need to weight ?

Sometimes we need to lose weight for an special occasion, a wedding, a reunion, a graduation. It takes some time to lose weight and some people use the crash diets. And after the event, all goes out the window and the weight is gain faster and sometimes more that the previous.

Lets maintain a healthy weight and when your cousin is getting marry in a couple of weeks you do not have to do a crash diet you already have the perfect body ready to wear the stylish clothing and go dancing under the moonlight.

The exercise mindset is daily exercise, not necessarily strenuous; before you engage in strenuous exercises you have to consult your doctor or medical professional, specially if you are sedentary or have a medical problem. If you go to the gym, great, ask for a consultation for the best routine for you or go and do any other physical activity that you enjoy.

If you do not like the gym or are not good at sports, you can always take the stairs instead of the escalator. One day a went up 14 floors, I am not telling you to go up 14 floors, you can begin with one floor and stick with that until you find something else that you like.

Even if you lift your arms up and down 10 times is a good beginning
Walking is a very good exercise too.

Now you have some tips of how to change bad eating habits and lose some weight.