Less is More - Moderate Deprivation to Get Your Eating in Check

There are about as many schools of thought on the “right” or “best” way to go about weight loss as there are people seeking to lose weight. (Ie, a lot.) Because each person is different and certain methods will mesh better with certain people’s mentalities, I believe there is no one “best” way to go about weight loss, and it is instead beneficial to put forth a variety of different approaches so that everybody who is looking is sure to find at least one suggestion that is helpful to them. For that reason I’m going to discuss a method that I’ve used to great effect in the past for quick, effective weight loss as a result of controlling the amount of food that you take in each day. The biggest problem that people have with limiting their, even to the point of barely falling within the recommended daily allowance, is with hunger pangs. It’s not that people can’t deal with hunger (it’s amazing how long the human body can survive without food at all), it’s that they won’t. They feel hunger and associate it with being miserable, they dwell on it and sulk and feel deprived and in general wallow in a great wash of negativity. Fasting: A Comparison It’s perfectly possible to safely and easily limit the amount of calories you take in each day. Fasting is a widely practiced technique with unsurpassed holistic benefits (in fact, I've written about it at length in another article.) I’ve heard recommendations for a fast lasting a single day, several days, or as much as a week or more, which is all perfectly safe, healthy and even comfortable. I’m not suggesting that you starve yourself for a week as a form of weight loss, because something that dramatic, if not done properly, is likely to have a negative impact on your health, and is also unnecessary for the average person. I am suggesting that you explore moderate deprivation on a smaller scale. I believe that much of the discomfort associated with eating less food is in large part mental. Those who undertake a fast of significant duration often report that hunger disappears within the first few days. Keep in mind we're talking about no food whatsoever for days or even weeks in the case of a serious fast; all that I’m suggesting is at most a period of several hours. I’d certainly say it’s doable. Basic Approach The premise of this weight loss approach is simple: for a set period of time, especially during times of decreased activity and exertion, you adopt the schedule of either skipping breakfast entirely or eating something small and light like a bowl of oatmeal (something in the 250 – 300 calories range, not much more than that.) You then refrain from eating until a predetermined time which is allocated for your evening meal, at which time you take a reasonable portion of a decently healthful food and eat slowly and deliberately until you realize that you’re full. This approach will not work if you allow yourself to gorge at suppertime. If you are observant and thoughtful, you’ll know immediately when you’ve had enough, and this awareness becomes keener with time, but discipline and willingness to stop eating is essential. I have found this technique to be beneficial for several reasons:

• You eat significantly fewer calories through the day.
• Increased productivity. You are forced to be productive throughout the day to distract yourself from your hunger. If you snack, all you do is reinforce it. When you ignore it and do something else, it tends to fade away.
• It encourages you to drink more water to fill your stomach during the day.
• Once you eat supper you’re usually full until bed time, at which point you sleep through the next five to eight hours of hunger until breakfast.
• It’s excellent for weight loss.
• Your food tastes twice as good when you're fully and properly hungry every time you eat.
• Overall food intake tends to decrease as you get a feel for how much you need in a single sitting, and because compulsive snacking is eliminated by preset meal times.

As I said, no one approach to weight loss is going to be appropriate or even feasible for everyone, and the same is true for this one. Therefore, it is up to each individual to do their own research into the different methods and make the individual selection of what is best for them. This approach has worked and continues to work very well for me when I find myself in prolonged low-exertion situations. Weight your personal circumstances, your needs, weight management goals and I'm certain you'll make an informed decision based on the material I've presented above.