How often have you eaten something that you know is going to put weight on you, and you tell yourself that it doesn’t count? Do you have any idea how many calories you actually consume in a day, and how many you need for weight loss or to maintain weight? Is it possible that you think you are not eating much but are actually eating far more than you need?

Lose Twice as Much Weight!

Kaiser Foundation did a research project on weight loss, which aired on Good Morning America. Their research indicates that people who write down what they eat each day, weighing their food and putting down the calories, lost twice as much weight as others on a diet, and were far more successful in keeping it off. Why is this?

Learning about how many calories you consume, and how many you need for weight loss and weight maintenance, is an awareness process – a consciousness process. If you don’t write down what you eat and weigh what you eat, it is very easy to fool yourself about how much you are consuming. If you weigh your food and write down your calories, you will be amazed at how little food you really need, especially as you get older.

It might seem like a big hassle to you, but there are food scales where you can punch in a number and see exactly the number of calories you are eating. After a few weeks of keeping track of your food consumption, it becomes quite easy to write everything down.

Before menopause, I had little trouble keeping my weight where I wanted it.

But after menopause, I gained some weight that just didn’t seem to come off. I finally decided that I really wanted to be at my previously normal weight, so I started to weigh my food and write it down. I was really shocked to learn that I could only consume 900 calories a day to lose weight – at about a half pound a week. About a month after I started on this program, the Kaiser study was aired on Good Morning America! It was good to know that I had discovered exactly what I had to do to get back to my normal weight!

Quality, Quantity, and Exercise

Along with writing down everything I eat, I also get daily exercise, and I eat food that is as clean and natural as I can get – mostly local, organic food. While quantity is essential for weight loss, quality is essential for health.

I’ve discovered that my maintenance calories are not much higher than my weight loss calories – about 1100 per day. I know this seems like such a small amount of food, but I am only 5’1″ and I have a small frame. So I just don’t need much food.

I want to encourage any of you who really want to be slim and fit, to start weighing and writing down everything you put into your mouth. It’s a great way to cut down on your food bill, and probably your medical bills as well! Imagine how much extra food there would be in the world if everyone ate only what they needed for weight and health, instead of eating for comfort to fill up their emptiness.

Inner Bonding

If you start to practice Inner Bonding and learn how to fill the emptiness from your inner and spiritual connection, then you will discover that it is quite easy to eat only what your body needs. When you are filling yourself with love, you no longer have to use food as love!

Dr. Margaret Paul, Ph.D.

Dr. Paul is the author/co-author of several best-selling books, including Do I Have To Give Up Me to Be Loved By You?, Inner Bonding, Healing Your Aloneness, The Healing Your Aloneness Workbook, Do I Have To Give Up Me to Be Loved By My Kids?, and Do I Have To Give Up Me To Be Loved By God? Dr. Paul’s books have been distributed around the world and have been translated into eleven languages. Margaret holds a Ph.D. in psychology and is a relationship expert, noted public speaker, workshop leader, educator, chaplain, consultant and artist. She has appeared on many radio and TV shows, including The Oprah Winfrey Show. She has successfully worked with thousands of individuals, couples and business relationships and taught classes and seminars since 1967.