# Weight Management (cont.)

## October 14th, 2020

-   Okay, let's keep talking about how to manage our weight!

-   OBESOGENIC cultures are those that contribute to obesity, like promoting fast food, longer commutes/work hours in car (less exercise, time to make food)
    -   About 1/3rd of our calories come from pre-made foods, and people eat an average of 600 more calories today than they did in the 70s
    -   In general, families that eat at home are healthier than those that eat out, but food prep has decreased by 40% since 1965
        -   Many people today, too, sit still over 6 hours a day due to their computers, which is unhealthy and contributes to a lack of exercise
    -   All of this leads to a positive energy balance, which will lead to obesity in the long run

-   Remember from last lecture: you can be slim and still be obese and unfit on the inside! But that raises the question: can you be overweight and healthy?
    -   In a word, YES! "Fitness is MUCH more important than thinness"
        -   Underweight people are actually MORE likely to die than obese people, and some amount of fat reserves can actually help you fight some diseases
        -   "This doesn't mean you can ignore diet or exercise, but that you can still be quite healthy even if you don't shed those last 20-30 pounds"

-   Nowadays, because of technology and our modern lifestyle, you do have to more consciously make diet and lifestyle changes to stay healthy!
    -   Keep in mind that factors you don't control - people of the same sex, height, and age can still have 1000+ calorie difference
    -   When you start having lifestyle changes, do it gradually - don't jump straight to an extreme!
        -   Weight change is HARD and rarely quick; you have to change long-standing habits, you have to make sure to eat because of true hunger and not just psychological wants, you need to track your food and exercise, etc.
    -   To really lose weight in a sustainable way, you have to make long-term changes - you don't go on a temporary diet, but change how you eat long-term!
        -   Tracking your food/exercise intake should be easy with modern technology - do it! That way, you know how much you're eating!
            -   "Just having to write down everything you eat does WONDERS for your nutrition! Weight Watchers was so successful because it makes you track your calorie intake (and gives you social support)"

-   A healthy, sustainable weight loss (i.e. losing fat) is losing 1-2 pounds per week (you can lose more faster, but it's hard to maintain and may be due to losing water)
    -   How can we do that? Here are some strategies:
        -   Pick 1 thing you want to change at a time and stick to it: "on Wednesday nights, I'll have a piece of fruit instead of my usual desert"
            -   Substituting/adding tends to work better than just subtracting
        -   Keep a food log of what you're eating and WHEN you feel hungry - are there certain times or events that make you eat? Is that just after you're stressed out, or when you're really hungry?
            -   How full are you after you eat? When you're hungry, are you slightly uncomfortable or extremely hungry and light-headed? When you're full, are you comfortable, slightly uncomfortable, or are you stuffed and feel nauseous?
                -   You should start eating when you start to feel slightly uncomfortably hungry, and stop eating when you're comfortable or slightly full
        -   Make SMART goals
        -   Avoid emotional eating!
            -   When people feel stressed-out, they tend to eat high-calorie, fatty, "comfort" food - instead, react to stress by doing something else! Go for a walk! Call a friend! Play music! Do SOMETHING!
            -   Make sure you have healthy, nutrient dense snacks (fruits and vegetables) available as well
    -   Now, only ~5% of people keep their weight loss permanent, largely because they go back to old habits - this is why it's CRUCIAL to focus on realistic, maintainable, long-term changes to your habits
        -   When you start starving your fat cells, they'll start sending signals to your brain that you're still hungry - and you have to have healthy, high-volume, nutrient-dense foods to replace that
        -   Cutting out easy access to unhealthy foods (e.g. not buying potato chips) is important
        -   If you do have a regress night, remember that one bad day doesn't mean you're a failure - just get back on track!
        -   Slowly replacing foods with healthier equivalents (e.g. white bread with whole wheat, bacon with turkey bacon, etc.) adds up over time
        -   Cut it out slowly - going cold turkey can lead to binging

-   Alright, that's it for today - see ya!