There is only one healthy way to reduce. Our bookstores and newstands bristle with literature full of spectacular claims and quack formulas, all shouting, "Lose those extra pounds the fast, easy way." But the truth is (unless you like to be fooled at the expense of your own health) that there is only one safe and effective way to achieve the correct poundage and to keep it at that figure. That way is to follow a correct nutritional program, and to follow it consistently, one might almost say religiously. To do that means taking over a lifetime job of vigilance and self-discipline. But first you have to make up your mind that you want to do it, and then do it. And then stick to it.
Seven rules for getting your weight down and keeping it down. Once you have given yourself a powerful incentive, and have decided, "I will get my weight down and keep it down," then the following rules will help you:
- Follow the menus and dietary supplements suggested in this book as closely as possible.
- As an appetite curb, nibble a few low-fat hors d'oeuvres a little while before mealtime. (This raises the blood sugar level and takes the edge off your appetite.)
- Eat a substantial breakfast and a small lunch as provided in the menus given in this book.
- Try to have small servings of the food you eat.
- Avoid second helpings.
- Forego dessert if it is high in calories or fats.
- To know exactly where you stand each day, be a calorie counter, but a serious one. Use the table of foods and caloric values at the end of this chapter.
By glancing at the following table that shows the total number of calories needed daily for a man (or woman) of average weight and height at various ages, you will be surprised to see how much you really overeat. You will observe also that the caloric requirement declines with age. Thus a man who is 5 feet 10 inches tall and has the normal weight of 150 pounds, requires 2020 calories between the ages of 14 and 15, but only 1600 when he is 60. Similarly, a woman of average height (5 feet, 2 inches) and weight (125 pounds) requires 1600 calories when she is 14, but only 1260 calories when she is 60.
Drugs are not the answer. Unless they are needed for other reasons, I always counsel my patients against them. Taking thyroid extract, for example, when it is not indicated from a medical point of view, can damage the heart. A number of other commercial preparations now on the market, used for dulling the appetite, have the undesirable side effects of overstimulating the nervous system or, in some cases, of interfering with the body's metabolism. In the game of reducing, there are no "wild" cards, and there is no way to cheat. You will win or lose, depending upon how well you follow the rules and play your hand. Remember that the amount of money you spend for food is not half so important as the way you spend it. Whether your income is $3,000 a year or $50,000, the proper food in the proper amount is within your reach. Not only is such a program wise and helpful for you, but think how many years of good health and happiness you can offer your children. A survey made not long ago revealed that of almost three-fourths of the nation's children studied, not a single one rated top health grades in strict medical examinations! Such a deplorable and widespread epidemic of malnutrition can easily be corrected if you will bring to the vital subject of nutrition the same dedicated parental care that you do to other phases of your children's lives. You have nothing to lose, and precious years of life to gain.
