Steve Miller's Slimming Secrets. Steve Miller
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in one part of the body, such as the colon, grow abnormally or out of control. Sometimes the cancerous cells spread to other parts of the body, such as the liver, the lungs or the brain, too. Being overweight can increase your risk of developing several types of cancer, including cancer of the colon, oesophagus and kidney. Gaining weight during adult life increases the risk of getting several of these cancers, even if the weight gain does not result in you being overweight or obese. Eating better and improving your physical activity may prevent a rise in the risk of cancer.
Sleep apnoea is a disorder that happens when a person stops breathing for short periods during the night. It is much more common in those who are fat. The reason for this is that the person who is overweight may have more fat around his or her neck, which makes the airway smaller. This smaller airway can make breathing difficult and trigger very loud snoring, or cause that person to stop breathing altogether. Weight loss will normally improve sleep apnoea because it decreases the size of the neck.
Osteoarthritis is a joint disorder that causes the joint bone and cartilage to wear away. It commonly affects the joints in the knees, hips and lower back and this can cause a lot of pain. Being overweight may place extra pressure on the joints and cartilage causing them to wear away prematurely. Research indicates that losing at least 5 per cent of your body weight may decrease stress on the knees, hips and lower back.
Gallbladder disease includes gallstones and inflammation or infection of the gallbladder. Gallstones are mostly made up of cholesterol and can cause lots of abdominal pain, especially after eating fatty foods. People who are overweight have a higher risk of developing a gallbladder disease because they may produce more cholesterol, which is the root cause of gallstones. Gradual weight loss of up to 1kg (2lb) a week may lower your risk of developing gallstones.
Fat infiltration in the liver can cause liver disease and this comes about when fat builds up in the liver cells, so causing inflammation and long-term damage to the organ. It can sometimes lead to severe liver damage, cirrhosis or even liver failure. Fatty liver disease is similar to liver damage caused by too much alcohol, but it is not caused by alcohol and can actually occur in those who drink little or no alcohol. People who have diabetes or ‘pre-diabetes’ (when blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not yet in the diabetic range) are more likely to have fatty liver disease than those without these conditions. People who are overweight are more likely to develop diabetes (see the ‘Type 2 diabetes’ section, page 21). It is not known why some people who are overweight or diabetic get fatty liver disease while others do not. Losing weight and being physically active will help you control your blood sugar levels. It can also reduce the build-up of fat in your liver and prevent further injury. People with fatty liver disease should avoid drinking alcohol.
Develop a restaurant warning
Do you ever enter a restaurant determined to eat sensibly only to find you end up having a big blow out? You walk out feeling guilty, beat yourself up and feel completely tortured. What I advise is to design yourself a little restaurant warning sign on a postcard and take it along with you. As you enter the restaurant, glance at it and let it be your motivator, the one that stops you ordering fat-feeding dishes and instead turns you straight to the healthy option. Some example warning statements may include:
If you are FAT, then THINK before ordering.
Eat FAT, stay FAT.
STOP and THINK, or be FAT.
People in this restaurant will think I am FAT and GREEDY if I choose junk food.
FAT KILLS – Think!
Eat FAT and you will remain a FATTY!
These may sound a little harsh, but motivation is also about reminding yourself truthfully of the consequences and of course, the truth hurts. I can’t apologise for my straight-talking style as I know it works and this may well help if you are a social butterfly who often dines out. Also, if there’s nothing on the menu that you think is healthy for you to eat, never be afraid of asking the waiter to offer you something that isn’t as loaded with calories as the items you see before you on the menu.
Don’t forget that alcohol is also very calorific, and it’s easy to consume more when eating out. I should know having been a slave to wine years ago. The wine did nothing but add weight to my belly! A few drinks are OK, but if you are one of those people that starts but can’t stop my advice would be to go cold turkey for now, and then slowly begin introducing the odd drink now and then when you are eating out. If your friends try to push you to drink then learn to be more assertive at the dinner table. (See page 56 for details on applying assertive behaviour.)
Observe the daily reality of fat
Bringing the reality of fat to a conscious level will help to motivate you away from that lifestyle. From this moment on, aim to deliberately observe fat people’s habits. Notice how many of them continue to eat food as though it’s going out of fashion and see how they are often the ones at the front of the queue when the buffet is announced open. Listen to the ridiculous excuses they use, such as ‘I’m only having this because I’m not eating tonight’. Of course, we all know that old line! Why do they stay fat then? Let’s face it: no one gets fat on fresh air! This is not about being cruel to those who are fat; it’s about paying attention to their behaviour and the fat-feeding habits they adopt. Be angry at the habits, not the person and let them motivate you away from a world of fat.
The reality of being fat parents
I’m often asked the question, ‘Do fat parents make good parents?’ In short, if a parent is fat of course they can still be a good parent. However, if I were asked the question, ‘Are fat parents good role models for their child’s health?’ then the answer would be a solid NO. There’s no getting away from the fact that kids look to their parents as role models. For this reason young children begin to copy Mummy and Daddy – and this includes what they eat, the quantity of food they consume and how active they are in their lives. If the parents eat junk food and move like a pair of snails, then it’s not surprising that their children eventually become obese. What pains me more is when I see fat kids being taken out by their parents to fast food restaurants to eat burgers, chips, cakes and ice cream. Ultimately, this is a form of childhood cruelty and I believe the majority of people think this way too, even though they might not admit to it. If you are one of those parents, let this message motivate you to turn your bad lifestyle choices into good ones for you and your family.
However, there is nothing wrong with taking the kids out for the odd fast food treat. This is part of the real world, and I would never advocate denying kids a bit of junk food here and there. What is important is to educate them so that they understand that food intake is about balance: 80 per cent healthy and 20 per cent a bit of what you fancy!
Apply tough love
Like millions of others, you may have repeatedly tried to lose weight only to keep slipping down the uphill climb that will eventually lead to the slim you. For most people, this has meant momentarily giving up and turning to chocolate bars for comfort, only to find yourself back where you started and as fat as ever, days later. To help maintain focus, many find that applying tough love works really well in ensuring their journey never deviates from the weight-loss ascent. In reality, this may mean giving yourself a kick up the backside when you are tempted to dive into too many bowls of crisps, drink too much alcohol, or not get your bum out of bed for a brisk walk. Yes, at times you have to be tough on yourself because tea, biscuits and tissues to wipe the tears (moping around!) often keep people fat.
Whenever you feel your attitude changing, and you begin to forget all those positive thoughts, or excuses start creeping into your head, apply a dollop of tough love. Tell yourself to stop moaning and get on with it! Be as tough on yourself as you can be, especially if this motivates you to get on with the job.
When working with my own clients, I simply refuse to grant them permission to spurt out a million and one excuses as to why they haven’t lost weight and done as we