{"id":112424,"date":"2023-01-17T12:32:48","date_gmt":"2023-01-17T20:32:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/?p=112424"},"modified":"2023-01-17T12:33:01","modified_gmt":"2023-01-17T20:33:01","slug":"op-ed-losing-weight-is-a-journey-with-many-ups-and-downs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/2023\/01\/17\/op-ed-losing-weight-is-a-journey-with-many-ups-and-downs\/","title":{"rendered":"Op-ed: Losing weight is a journey with many ups and downs"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>By Terry Kanakri<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

For many people, losing weight can be a struggle, as shedding those extra pounds can be as challenging as climbing Mount Everest.<\/p>\n

However, with Jan. 15-21 designated as National Healthy Weight Week, health experts say don\u2019t despair. Reaching a healthy weight is attainable if you take incremental steps, set reasonable goals, and reward yourself.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs you begin your lifestyle change journey, it\u2019s important to have a positive mindset because getting more fit will take time,\u201d said Roohe Ahmed, a registered dietician with Kaiser Permanente Southern California. \u201cRemember this: the weight often doesn\u2019t come on overnight, so we can\u2019t expect to lose it that fast and easy.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe must be patient,\u201d Ahmed continued, noting it\u2019s not unusual to lose one-half to one pound per week. \u201cSometimes, one may not lose even that, but hang in there,\u201d she said. \u201cYour body can be stubborn, and it can be challenging for certain age groups to drop weight as fast as they did previously. Making lifestyle changes will help you obtain a healthier weight, however, which will improve your overall health and well-being.\u201d<\/p>\n

Silvia Delgado, also a registered dietician with Kaiser Permanente Southern California, noted attaining and maintaining a healthy weight is important to reduce your risk of contracting chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers, non-alcoholic fatty liver and sleep apnea. Weight may also affect your mental health, resulting in depression and anxiety in some cases.<\/p>\n

Delgado recommended making your weight loss less of a challenge and more of an exciting journey.<\/p>\n

\u201cI usually suggest to patients to write down their top five reasons why they want to lose weight,\u201d she explained. \u201cWhat\u2019s their \u2018why,\u2019 which may be, \u2018I want to be healthier to reduce my risk of getting diabetes. Grandma had diabetes, and I saw the hard time she went through, and I don\u2019t want that.\u2019 This is important because when motivation inevitably drops, you can revisit those why\u2019s and get remotivated. I also suggest putting items in view that will motivate you to lose weight. Hang up an outfit you want to get into, or a picture of a mountain you want to climb \u2013 anything will help.\u201d<\/p>\n

Additionally, try to find a \u201cwellness partner\u201d to go on this journey with you for motivation and accountability, Delgado added.<\/p>\n

Ahmed noted it\u2019s also important to focus on what you can control during your weight-loss journey, such as asking yourself, \u2018Did I eat veggies today? Did I get in my 20 minutes of exercise?\u2019 She stressed the importance of trying your best to be consistent; maybe you can\u2019t get in that 20 minutes workout, but you can take a 10-minute walk at your lunch break.<\/p>\n

Ahmed and Delgado emphasized the importance of celebrating your victories weekly, but NOT with food. Instead, treat yourself to small experiences such as a new pair of socks, a hike with the family, a movie night, a bubble bath, etc.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important to remember that losing weight is a journey that may take more time than you\u2019d like, but from the standpoint of good health, it will be all worth it and you will feel better,\u201d Ahmed noted.<\/p>\n

About the author<\/span>: Terry Kanakri is a Senior Media Relations Specialist at Kaiser Permanente Southern California.<\/em><\/h6>\n

–<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Terry Kanakri For many people, losing weight can be a struggle, as shedding those extra pounds can be as challenging as climbing Mount Everest. However, with Jan. 15-21 designated as National Healthy Weight Week, health experts say don\u2019t despair. Reaching a healthy weight is attainable if you take incremental steps, set reasonable goals, and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":112426,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1480],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112424"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/49"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=112424"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112424\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":112427,"href":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112424\/revisions\/112427"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/112426"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=112424"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=112424"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=112424"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}