The word holistic infers that body and mind are a single, integral unit and must be treated as such. Why? The body and mind continually interface through the Central Nervous System and Endocrine System. Through these vehicles the body and mind exchange information. For example, when the mind perceives external stimuli that poses an imminent threat to survival, mind tells body, through the CNS’ motor neurons and endocrine system, to be ready for fight or flight. Conversely, when body senses something – such as something too hot to touch, it tells the mind through sensory neurons.
So … to effectively, efficiently and eternally lose weight, you must address the needs of both body and mind. If mind is not signed on to the program, then it’s likely that the results will be short-lived.
Drink 2 Liters of Water Per Day, Whether Working Out or Not
From experience I can tell you how NOT to lose weight … I was a high school and college wrestler. Our daily workouts were ridiculous. In any given day of practice it was not atypical for us to lose up to five pounds over the course of two hours. Of course this was mostly water loss. Unfortunately, I wrestled before the rules changed, as wrestlers are now tested to be certain they are not dehydrated. I recall a three-day period in which I was working out twice per day (4 hours) and yet didn’t drink any water – to lose pounds fast. My lame strategy was to lose water weight, then re-hydrate after weigh-in. This was a dangerous plan – especially as high school weigh-ins were only one hour before matches (and college weigh-ins were five hours before matches). It wasn’t atypical for high school (and college) wrestlers to vomit during matches – as they were dehydrated, couldn’t assimilate post-weigh-in water fast enough, and as we ate much food (since we were virtually starving) an hour (or five hours) before a match. To this day I refuse to eat Reese’s peanut butter eggs – as I ate many of them just before a college match (i.e., shall I understate the facts and simply suggest that the eggs didn’t sit well!). I recall increasing my weight by 12 pounds from the time of weigh-in to post-dinner time. Obviously an incredibly unhealthy diet plan! Of course I put on all the weight I lost after the wrestling season – so the diet was wholly ineffective.
Dehydration was again an issue when I played rugby at Washington University (St. Louis, MO) and, more so, for the Dallas Reds. I played my first game with the awesome team (they won a National 7′s tournament in Denver the following season, and featured two former NFL players – a safety from the San Francisco 49′ers and lineman from the Dallas Cowboys) in Dallas in August, at 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Believe it or not one’s body would adapt to such a rigorous challenge … but dehydration was a constant threat. To survive and play at a highly-competitive level, we continuously consumed water (and, at times, electrolytes, etc.).
Focus Upon the Reason You Wish to Lose Weight
If you are unclear with regard to the reason you wish to lose weight, the weight loss will likely be short-lived. I lost weight for the sole purpose to compete in lighter wrestling weight classes (to theoretically enhance the odds of victory as one wrestles against a smaller opponent). As difficult as this was, I was able to do it as I wanted to compete. Following college wrestling I never tried to lose weight – as I didn’t feel I had a compelling reason to do so. Yet, other excellent reasons exist for weight reduction.
First, the body is healthier when it carries less weight. The burden on the heart is lessened. A thinner body presumably stores less toxicity. A lighter body is more capable of activity (i.e., it’s easier to move – including running, swimming, biking, etc.). It’s a catch-22 … the heavier, the more difficult to move, the more difficult to lose weight. Once that cycle is broken – wherein one is lighter, it’s easier to move, and thereby much easier to lose weight.
Second, another reason to lose weight MAY be for superficial reasons – but note that a multi-billion dollar weight loss industry sprung up during the past decade, and has created a culture, via subtle and not-so-subtle propaganda, that mandates that unless you’re bone-thin, that you will never be loved by the guy/gal of your dreams (who can love you only if you have a rock-hard six-pack abdomen). Bit superficial, eh? I don’t find this to be an inspiring reason to lose weight. Maintaining one’s health and mobility is a fine reason to lose weight. Weight loss, simply to look more attractive isn’t unhealthy per se, unless it is carried to an extreme (i.e., anorexia, bulimia, etc.).
Be Patient. Start Slow
Sustainable progress takes time. Too much too soon never works. Begin each workout slowly. Warm-up. Stretch. Then kick it, after which stretch, warm-down.
Eat Nutritious Food of Ample Quantity
Food intake is key. Consult a nutritionist or reputable books on the topic. A healthy diet is essential –whether or not focused upon weight loss. It is possible to enhance and maintain one’s athletic strength even if one is a strict vegetarian. Eat enough food to support activity. You need not be carnivorous to gain muscle, strength and stamina. I ate a ridiculous quantity of red meat while training in high school and college, but thereafter held a vegetarian diet for many years, and was still able to build strength and compete. Restatement of the obvious – I’m sure you know that consumption of sugar and other substances activates the same satiety centers as the experience of feeling loved. Recognize this. Facilitate a sense of self-love by doing conscious activities (dance, workout, create art, music, etc. while feeling real-time emotion – see Voice of the Soul: A Call to Action).
Exercise
Start slow! But DO IT! No excuses. Get off your — and move the bodymind. Doing so in a conscious manner (while feeling real-time emotion), accelerates emotional release … as the emotions are stored in bioenergetic form in the internal organs. Don’t over-do it. But, on the other hand, don’t under-do it!
Challenge a Friend
It’s much easier to maintain a disciplined effort given emotional support. Challenge a friend to join you in your quest to enhance your health. My guess is that I could not have successfully dieted during high school wrestling were it not for the great guys who also were forced to restrict their daily food intake. I do not include the heavy-weight wrestlers on our team (a/k/a “Bear Bear” in high school and “Fat Fred” in college) as (being wicked teenagers) they would purposefully eat in front of the rest of the team, who were virtually starving and, worse yet, talk about how wonderful the food tasted, etc. – just to give us a hard time.
I will never forget the evenings before the wrestling matches. First, we had to make weight – be within 2 pounds of the desired weight, knowing we would lose approximately two pounds overnight. We would play racketball in a rubber suit (multiple 50-point games if necessary), then sit in a sauna in a rubber suit, to lose water weight. Later I would go to a grocery store and walk the aisles, staring at food that I couldn’t eat until the next day … Upon writing these last few sentences it becomes evident why I will never again diet! Rather I eat relatively healthy food, workout at least a few times per week, practice a bit of yoga and qi gong daily. And accept my perceived degree of mobility and attraction.
In sum, hydrate, be patient, eat healthy, do healthy activities. Do a bit each day. It’s better to do a bit each day than to do much one or two days per week.
Take an Initial 90-Day Challenge
Some ancient cultures believed that profound core (subconscious) change takes at least ninety days. Set up an initial integrated, comprehensive weight loss program that takes ninety days.
Develop Life Habits
What begins as a healthy weight loss plan, if integrated and balanced, should develop into a life-long pattern … healthy habits! Again, you must address both body and mind – or the results will likely be short-lived.
Remember, You Are Loveable Just as You Are
If you choose to lose weight, do it to enhance health and lifestyle. Don’t believe that you’re not worthy of highest-quality love unless you lose weight. That’s mere propaganda generated by a gazillion-dollar weight loss industry. Ancient empires honored full-figured people. Buddha is revered. Obviously he is not anorexic! FYI – Buddha’s belly is not fat. It is energetically open (his lower tan tien is open through focus on abdominal breathing). The stereotypical sucked-in gut actually presents a dis-service as it restricts one of the two greatest energy centers of the body.
Good luck!
Andrew
