Creating a Weight Management Program - Essay Example

Weight Management Noting the rise of obesity in the country and the related health concerns I have decided to create a weight management program thatwill allow me to maintain my optimum BMI and allow me to live my life to the fullest. As a person constantly on the move I usually do not pay attention to what I am eating and junk food is usually the norm, hence my struggles with weight. In lieu of my concern I will be creating a program that helps me create, control and maintain a weight management program to keep my weight at the number I want, once I reach my goal. Consequences: Positive Reinforcement Behavioral Deficit Immediate Contingency Delayed Outcome Weight Loss Exercise and Diet Toned body Response weight loss Better diet and exercise routine Reinforcement-healthy diet, competing Less health problems I have always been on a diet and yet I do not lose weight. To create an understanding for my reinforcer I began to study why I do not lose weight. Once I started the diet and exercise program I wrote down one whole day’s routine. I woke up in the morning and drank a glass of orange juice, skipping breakfast. Once in class, I ate some candy, and when I got hungry again I ate chips. At lunch I had a large coffee latte and a slice of pizza. I had a cold drink and some juice later in the day and once I got home, I went out for a 30 minute jog and then came back to eat a burger, fries and soda. Once I wrote it down I realized that my reinforce for the lack of weight loss was I started my day off without food and ate little through the day but what I had was of no nutritious value while being high on calories. So the next day I ate a good breakfast of oatmeal, fruit and milk and did not have to snack at all. At lunch I had a soup and salad and then after my jog I had a deli sandwich. Before I set a positive reinforcer for the continuation of this diet, I first set a deadline of continuing this diet and exercise plan for a week. Anything less would be useless and anything more than a week impossible. That meant for one week I would have no junk food, soda or candy. I continued this diet and at the end of the week I weighed myself. I had actually lost a pound. That was not much but the fact was I was not starving myself and yet, losing weight. As a size 14 I wanted to become a size 12 so I went shopping. I saw a dress I fell in love with, which cost a bomb. But I set buying that dress as a positive reinforce. If I managed to continue this regime and lost the weight to fit in that dress as a size 12 I would buy it. I would have junk food only one time in a week while on this regime. I asked my friend Tania to help. She is a size 12. I told her my decision and informed her that if I broke the regime, then I would still buy the dress but I would give it to her. Tania thought it was a great idea. She had watched my struggle with weight and my failures. She took the consequences a step forward. She told all her friends about our deal and in doing so she made sure that if I lost my self-control, everyone I knew would know about my failure. It was a great motivator. I began the regime and marked each day on my calendar. I decided I would increase my jogging time by 5 minutes every week and for every time I did not jog Tania would mark it on the calendar. If I did not jog more than 5 days a month, she would get the dress by default. The same went for eating junk food, if I ate or drank junk more than once a week three times in a month, she would get the dress. My friends cheered me on every day and every week on Saturdays, we would get together and choose a place to go to get my junk food kick. Over the next couple of months, I began to realize that my body did not crave soda anymore. When I went out, even on the days that I could have junk food I preferred ordering iced tea or plain water. Soda simply made me feel too full. After four months I no longer craved junk food. I could not finish a whole burger or more than two slices of pizza, they made me feel bloated. My friends and I continued to go out but we usually chose different restraints. Sometimes Chinese, sometimes Indian, I usually ate veggie and avoided fried food. It seemed my body was actively rejecting junk having been shown the good life! It took eight months but finally I lost two dress sizes. It was unbelievable. After the first three months I did not even want to eat junk food. My body was toned, I had begun to run an hour everyday without getting wiped out and my healthy food diet had made me feel better and more energetic. I did not have the constant ups and downs of hunger and when I did feel hungry I usually had fruit or nuts. We celebrated by going out and buying the dress I had so wanted [it was on sale by now]. I fit into it and it was the greatest feeling of achievement I have ever had. Relapse Prevention Once I had lost the weight and got the dress the problem arose, would I have the self-control to maintain the weight when I did not need too? I knew I did not crave junk food but if I went out with friends and they were having it would I be compelled to have it as well? I could avoid the soda as I liked unsweetened iced tea better, but what would I do about avoiding the junk food. I discussed the problem with Tania and my other friends. They suggested we continue to keep the Saturday date and avoid going out on other days unless we absolutely need to. They said that they had saved tons of money during my diet and it seemed a good idea to continue this way. There would be times that I would need to go out with other people but if I stuck to salads, which are available in even fast food restaurants I could stick to my diet. For my exercise plan I went out and bought a treadmill which would ensure I did not use the excuse of it being bad weather or I am too tired to change and go out. Having the treadmill in the house ensured I would exercise without excuses. Having dropped a dress size I had become more confident and to add to my loss of weight, I went out and got a new hairstyle. This helped me look and feel better and the compliments I got made my day. I got compliments from strangers and most my friends agreed I was more fun to be around. My weight loss and healthy diet had made me more confident. It had made me feel that I could achieve whatever I set out to achieve. I was sure there would be times when my schedule got tight and my mind got the better of me that I would relapse for a while and eat more junk food then I intend too. However, I was also sure that during my eight months of weight control I had discovered a new aspect to myself. I was happy and in control of my life. My weight loss program had made me more organized and I felt better about myself. The support of my friends will help and the challenge of not only maintaining my weight but trying to further reduce it will ensure that I do not become complacent. My ideal BMI suggests I be a dress size 10 and while I am happy with size 12 I know in time I can manage to maintain my weight, further reduce it and if I give in to temptation, ensure that I am never so far gone that I cannot get into a size 12 dress again. Conclusion: Most weight management programs fail because the individual involved is either under stress or does not have enough motivation to succeed. No weight loss program will be instantaneous. Weight cannot be reduced in days. The only way to lose weight and keep it off is to first come to an understanding of why you are putting on the weight, what you want to do to lose that weight and how motivated you are to lose weight. The body is very flexible and it gets used to certain foods, exercise and body weight. If a person wants to lose weight and keep it off they must make up their mind. The power of the mind is great and once you decide on a course of action and deal with your problems systematically, it will simply be a winning battle. Read More