Recognizing the factors that contribute to the problem allows us to formulate a strategy that is comfortable for us to initiate and live with on an ongoing basis. Rarely is the weight/shape issue a result of a single factor but rather a matrix of issues that need to be unraveled one at a time.

The older we get the more weight we tend to put on as our physical activity decreases and food intake, at best, remains the same. Most people reach physical maturity around age 25 and begin to decrease physical activity so metabolism begins to decrease as the bodies need for cell growth production also decreases. As we decrease the need for food and energy consumption without a proportionate decrease in food intake, our body will EXPAND through storage of the excess food as fat.

Most people typically put on weight during the winter, a time characterized by less physical activity and eating more to put on that psychological, subconscious blanket to keep warmer. Summer will then bring on a decrease in weight naturally as we increase our outside physical activity. The problem being that as the years go by we tend to put on more in winter than we take off in the summer.

Current medical studies indicate that stress triggers a domino effect in the endocrine system of the body. Stress causes the hypothalamus to send a message to the pituitary gland which in turn activates adrenal glands to release high levels of the stress hormone Cortisol. The end result is higher fat storage and higher insulin levels and this has subsequently been linked to heart attacks, high blood sugar (diabetes), stroke, high blood pressure, and a poor cholesterol profile.

Sometimes the stress of a relationship creates a subconscious need for protection so a person may withdraw into food in order to armor themselves. This stress may be caused by the fear of getting into a personal relationship due to a failed previous relationship and/or a lack of self confidence or self esteem. Fear is a stress that can be initiated either deliberately or unwittingly by a parent when the child is very young. Embarrassing a child, telling them no one wants to hear what they have to say, or even name calling in jest (ever hear parents call a young child `chubby,' tubby' or `fatso?') One client recently told me she had always been overweight and her parents always called her `fatty.' Her twin sister was quite slender; her parents always called her `beautiful.' ……“Whatever the mind agrees with …”

There are those who lack self esteem and feel unworthy of having a trim, fit, and healthy body. That often happens in childhood as a result of what a parent or sibling says to them as mentioned above. Underlying issues often include fear of success or a conviction that they are unable to accomplish a goal. These are the ones who often fail to finish what they start. I've often found that addressing the confidence/esteem issue successfully will find a client losing weight (changing shape) without ever addressing that issue head on.

The underlying motivation for being overweight or fat isn't all that different from anorexia or bulimia. The therapist needs to look at secondary or tertiary gains brought on by the condition. E.g., (1st) `If I eat a lot I'll get fat, which leads to (2nd)If I'm fat I won't be attractive to the opposite sex, which leads to (3rd)If I'm not attractive I don't have to worry about dealing with relationship issues or having sex, being raped, etc., etc..'

Non-cardiovascular exercise (walking or bike riding for 30 minutes or more per day) can dramatically improve your metabolic profile. It may or may not cause you to be more fit or to lose weight but it will definitely and dramatically improve your metabolic profile which is the best insurance against heart disease, diabetes and strokes.

Most people get excited about `losing weight' when they look in the mirror or see a photograph of themself and realize the image they see is larger around in the middle than the image they have in their minds eye - or - those pants are getting too snug to button around the middle anymore. Our usual initial response is: `They've probably been shrinking in the wash.' Our secondary response is: `Oh my God, I'm getting FAT.' Our third response is: `I need to lose weight, so I'll go on a diet and get some exercise.'

The Problems With That Line Of Thinking Your subconscious mind doesn't want to lose anything. If you do `LOSE IT,' you will definitely `FIND' it again later. The right plan allows us to simply reshape our body without having to lose anything. If you go “ON” a diet, you are presupposing that at some time you will come “OFF” of the diet sooner or later. Rather than a specific diet, let's look at overall eating habits we can initiate and live with ongoing. When most people think of exercise they think about either a hard, fast aerobic workout or an hour long walk. If they begin with the aerobic workout and are not in shape for it (if they were in shape they wouldn't need to in the first place), they hurt all over the next day and decide that it requires `ALL TOO MUCH EFFORT AND PAIN' - and they quit. If they try the walking, they soon find that the time could be much more productive is they were finishing some house work or that other things interfere and they `JUST DON'T HAVE TIME FOR IT.' Lets find a plan that is comfortable now and can build on later.

Looking in the mirror at that “FAT BODY” really has nothing to do with weight at all. It is the `SHAPE' that we are really concerned with, isn't it?  It isn't the weight that doesn't fit into those old jeans,  it's the shape of your body.   Besides, muscle weighs more than fat and is also easier to get rid of and this is what we don't want to happen, right?

We often throw away thoughts as being, `just my imagination (that I'm getting fat).' Your imagination creates much of your reality. Even the building you are in now began as someone's imagination.

`Whatever the mind agrees with, the body responds to - and it cannot not respond.' I've helped people get over cancer with that philosophy on more than one occasion and that is a fact.

Affirmations are one of the most powerful tools at our disposal and they cut in both directions. What do you suppose happens when you say to yourself, `I feel fat,' or `I think I'm getting fat,' `I just feel heavy,' or `I'm putting on weight?' Remember - `Whatever the mind agrees with, the body responds to.' You will get fat and put on weight because that is the mental picture you have of yourself and what your body is responding to.

Incredible as it may seem, water is quite possibly the single most important catalyst in losing weight and keeping it off. Although most of us take it for granted, water may be the only true "magic potion" for permanent weight loss.

Studies have shown that a decrease in water intake will cause fat deposits to increase, while an increase in water intake can actually reduce fat deposits. Here's why: The kidneys can't function properly without enough water. When they don't work to capacity, some of their load is dumped onto the liver. One of the liver's primary functions is to metabolize stored fat into usable energy for the body. But, if the liver has to do some of the kidneys work, it can't operate at full throttle. As a result it metabolizes less fat. More fat remains stored in the body and weight loss stops.

When the body gets less water, it perceives this as a threat to survival and begins to hold on to every drop. Water is stored in extra-cellular spaces (outside the cells). This shows up as swollen feet, legs and hands. Diuretics offer a temporary solution at best. They force out stored water along with some essential nutrients. Again, the body perceives a threat and will replace the lost water at the first opportunity. Thus, the condition quickly returns. The best way to overcome the problem of water retention is to give your body what it needs - plenty of water. Only then will stored water be released. If you have a constant problem with water retention, excess salt may be the blame. Your body will tolerate sodium only in a certain concentration. The more salt you eat, the more water your system retains to dilute it. By getting rid of unneeded salt is easy - just drink more water. As it's forced through the kidneys, it takes away excess sodium.

by giving muscles their natural ability to contract and by preventing dehydration. It also helps to prevent the sagging skin that usually follows weight loss - shrinking cells are buoyed by water, which plumps the skin and leaves it clear, healthy and resiliant.

When the body gets too little water. It siphons what it needs from internal sources. The colon is one primary source. Result? Constipation. But when a person drinks enough water, normal bowel function usually returns. So far, we've discovered some remarkable truths about water and weight loss:

On average, a person should drink eight 8-oz glasses every day. That's about two quarts or two litres. However, an overweight person needs on additional glass for every 25 pounds of excess weight. The amount you drink also should be increased if you exercise briskly or if the weather is hot and dry.

Water should preferably be cold - it's absorbed into the system more quickly then warm water. And some evidence suggests that drinking cold water can actually help burn calories.