"Taking a Break"

On a number of occasions, we have had patients that have spent many months with us doing a great job in losing much if not all of the 100-plus pounds that they needed to lose. At a certain point in their efforts, especially when the weekly loss slows down on the scales, patients will sometimes say 'I need a break". The question is "break from what?"

The answer is that mentally, the choice to lose weight necessitates a constant need to plan meals, count portions, consciously give up the food and drink items that put us in a weight problem to begin with, and focus your attention and efforts on your weight efforts. All of these requirments are not easy at all ; especially when we feel stressed from other personal or business matters. Food and alcohol is a form of treatment for these stresses and at certain points, your efforts to lose weight become stressful as well. There is just so much stress anyone can handle at one time, and when you are dealing with many issues at once, sometimes we feel the need to "take a break" from focusing on weight loss.

At times like these, I ask my patients to sit down and write out on a ledger the important reasons as to why they want to lose the weight and then on the other side, write down the culprits that derail their weight loss efforts. Are the two glasses of wine at nite really more important than developing diabetes and risking kidney failure or blindness? Does the popcorn nuts or ice cream after dinner rate a higher priority than looking older than your age?

These are the mental machinations that one needs to go through when the mental fatigue sets in and you are thinking about "taking a break" from your wonderful goal to lose weight and be happier and healthier.

On a completely different note, the Giants were dismal last nite and the first patient that teases me this morning about that ugly game last nite will get the largest needle we have for the blood test.