Would losing weight help your dating and relationship prospects? Maybe. Probably. Would it also help you to have greater energy, a better mood, and be physically healthier? Yes, definitely. Today in the United States, 2/3 of people are mathematically defined as “overweight” (BMI 25-29) and 1/3 of people are “obese” (BMI 30+). So if you are a part of the 2/3 of people that could stand to lose some weight, hopefully the ideas shared in this little article will help you get started on the path to a healthy weight (BMI 20-24.9). In previous articles I discussed some ideas for how you can define and identify your ideal target weight to get down to: https://www.ldsdimension.com/articles/your-ideal-weight-166/, so feel free to check that out.
Ideas for Weight Loss:
*Create a lower weight lifestyle. Fad diets don’t work. If a formal diet involves eating foods you don’t like and/or not eating other foods you do like, it’s important to consider how long you can reasonably keep this up. Probably not long. If a diet isn’t sustainable as a permanent lifestyle, you will probably chuck the diet before losing the weight. Or if you do lose the weight, you will likely gain all of the weight back as soon as you are no longer following the diet and return to your old habits. In other words, you need a diet plan that is sustainable.
*Create a homemade diet. To lose weight, you simply need to create a “calorie deficit” each day when you are burning off more calories than you are taking in. Simple, but not necessarily easy. Because there are many different ways to accomplish this, create an eating plan that is sustainable (and ideally involves eating different healthy foods good for your heart and energy levels).
*Considerate how often you eat. Eating 3-6 smaller and healthier meals will give you sustained health and energy, but it may make it harder to create a calorie deficit. Conversely, utilizing an intermittent fast approach involves having a regular chunk of the day (usually 8-12 hours) where you don’t eat any food, and then just eat moderate foods the other parts of the day. What matters here either way is what is doable and sustainable by you. Your preference involves the approach you feel better fits and matches you and still leads to a successful calorie deficit and weight loss.
*Weigh yourself regularly. After you define what your ideal weight is that you want to get down to and sustain, weighing yourself regularly can act as a helpful tool to keep you on track and working towards your goal. I recommend weighing yourself on a scale each morning right after waking up. Use the note taking app on your phone. Write you’re your ideal weight, along with your initial baseline (starting) weight. Then each morning if your weight is lower than your initial baseline weight, record that as your new low, but only record this when your current weight has dropped at least .1 pound lower than your previous low weight to date. This weighing routine acts as a motivator, as you desire to write a new low weight in your notes each morning. It keeps you on track, motivated, and focused. Just don’t beat yourself up inside the days you don’t lose any weight. Recommit and adjust.
*Regularly read, listen to, or watch videos on different ideas to eat healthy, eat less, and exercise more. Regularly study new, additional ideas to incorporate into your diet, exercise, and weight loss routine. If you have a fluid and flexible weight loss plan that you are always open to changing and improving, you will do better than having a rigid approach you won’t change or adjust. There are many respectable sources to learn new ideas from: You Tube, Kindle, Google, etc. If you don’t know where to go to begin, I would recommend one of these respectable and research-based books from the editor of Men’s Health magazine: The New Abs Diet, or The New Abs Diet for Women, both by David Zinczenko.
*Exercise regularly. Even though most weight loss involves what you eat (and don’t eat), getting regular and moderate exercise will help support the effort for sure. I have heard it said before that the best exercise is the exercise routine you are willing to regularly do. Some people prefer to exercise at home, others like to exercise outside, and still others prefer going to a formal gym. Some prefer weights, others like machines, and still others like body weight exercises. Some prefer more aerobic exercise, while others prefer more muscle resistance. Whatever you do, ideally, you exercise at least 3 times a week for at least 30+ minutes. Hopefully in a fashion that leads your heart rate to increase and it gets you to sweat.
Final Thoughts:
If you are overweight—and most people are—please make adjustments in your life to lose the excess weight and keep it off. Again, it will not only increase dating and relationship opportunities, but it will boost your health, energy, and mood. If you take care of the physical machine you are, your machine will work well and serve you well. If not, life will be a greater struggle than it otherwise would be. Taking care of your body and multiple positive results will follow. And like always, remember that “…neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.”—1 Corinthians 11:1.
Dr. G
P.S. If you have any questions, comments, or a future article request for me, feel free to contact me at drgilchrist@yahoo.com.
| 2022-10-23 | Randy Gilchrist | Health and fitness |
About the author
Hello, my name is Dr. Randy Gilchrist (aka "Dr. G"). I am a licensed clinical psychologist, a licensed marriage & family therapist, and a certified hypnotherapist in private practice in Roseville, CA (www.dr-rg.com), practicing since 1997. Also, I am happily married in the temple (Manti) since 1996 and have 4 sons. I am a volunteer writer and contributor to LDS Dimension. I use my training, education, and experience to share insights with LDS Dimension on all things of interest to the LDS dating community. Please read my articles and columns on this site to assist you in your online dating journey. Also, to be considered for an answer in a future Q and A column, please email me your dating/relationship oriented questions to drgilchrist@yahoo.com. Finally, I also offer a powerful, effective worldwide custom hypnosis recording service just for LDS Dimension members for weight loss, pornography, and many other issues of concern to those in the LDS dating community (please learn more now at www.dr-rg.com/lds; email me questions to drgilchrist@yahoo.com).