Forget the Pounds, Focus on Being Fit

By Mallory Hatmaker, MSN, BSN, CNP

A crucial cornerstone in personal wellness is maintaining a healthy weight. Staying at your ideal weight hinges on all the other cornerstones of wellness I’ve discussed in posts during the last four months – proper nutrition, rest, stress management and physical activity.

When my patients at Cleveland Clinic start a weight loss program I tell them that they shouldn’t treat it as a diet or fad. Instead, proper weight management is a way of life – a lifestyle change that becomes a habit. When we put too much emphasis on a specific program or new diet plan, we tend to do very well at the beginning because motivation is high. But then we taper off once it becomes harder or results aren’t as fast or dramatic as we want. Unfortunately, many people revert to old, unhealthy habits and put the weight back on.

Instead of obsessing over the number on the scale, I tell my patients to focus on their clothing. If your pants are loose, then you’re making progress. Muscle has a greater density than fat, so it takes up less volume than a mass of fat of equal volume. Therefore, you may be happy with the image in the mirror even if the number on the scale doesn’t drop significantly. Stop obsessing over a “magical number” and instead consider your overall health.

Eight lifestyle changes that stimulate weight loss

Unfortunately I can’t give you the secret to the ultimate weight loss plan. It isn’t a pill, a fad or a wearable fat shaking device sold on TV. However, I can offer eight lifestyle changes that help promote weight loss.

1. Change your mind. Preparing yourself mentally to be healthier has to be your first goal. You have to really want to change, then develop motivations that will help you stick to a healthy lifestyle even when tempted with an unhealthy choice. Make personal wellness your new way of life, not just a “thing you’re doing for a few weeks.”
2. Be consistent. There is no quick fix. This isn’t about dropping 10 pounds in the first week, but rather maintaining an ideal weight for a lifetime. As I said earlier, throw out the scale and focus on your clothes and the image in the mirror.
3. Pay attention to nutrition. Eat breakfast daily, do not skip meals, and eat real food. (My post on nutrition can get you started down the nutritional path of wellness.)
4. Choose healthy snacks. Switch to fresh fruits and vegetables.
5. Drink water. Skip the caramel latte or energy drinks that only fuel you with empty calories. Try to drink eight glasses of water each day.
6. Don’t count calories. Instead, check ingredients and eat real food. You can track what you’re actually eating each day by using a food journal or an app on your phone. You’ll feel much better writing down a snack of celery sticks with peanut butter than a package of processed cookies.
7. Get moving! Turn off the TV, and go for a walk. Increase the number of minutes each day you devote to physical activity. (For more tips, read my post on physical activity.)
8. Sleep more. A healthy metabolism starts with a good night’s rest. (Check out ways to improve your sleep.)

If you need some outside help maintaining a healthy lifestyle and an ideal weight, consider joining Cleveland Clinic’s eCoaching program. It includes daily interactive exchanges between you and a personal coach. Weight management is a cumulative result of an overall healthy lifestyle. We only live once, so why not feel good every day?

Mallory Hatmaker, MSN, BSN, CNP, is a regular contributor to Consult QD—Nursing. She is an Adult/Gerontology Certified Nurse Practitioner who has been a staff nurse at Cleveland Clinic since 2009. She currently works in the Employee Wellness and Internal Medicine Departments at Cleveland Clinic, where she spearheads an initiative on Nursing Wellness.