Guest Author - Stephanie Watson
As humans we have a lot in common physiologically but emotionally we can seem like very different creatures. When it comes to weight loss, this emotional difference, along with a few genetic differences, creates a totally unique person with completely distinctive tastes and desires. For instance, your husband may love steamed broccoli while you think it tastes horrible. Believe it or not, there is a genetic reason for this.
In high school you may have done an experiment with paper covered with a solution in which you tasted or did not taste. Some people put the paper in their mouth and tasted either nothing, sweetness or bitterness. If you tasted bitterness, you were classified as a taster, if you didn't you were not a taster. It's actually a lot more complicated than that, but in short, tasters can taste the flavanoids in their foods more than other people can. So, to them broccoli tastes bitter and terrible. In fact, a lot of food may taste strange to them if they are super-tasters. These people often get classified as picky eaters.
This is an important fact to understand. Food that tastes bad to one person may taste delicious to the next. So, any weight loss program must take into account your personal tastes in order to be effective. Since that is the case, no one is going to tell you that you must eat your broccoli or anything else for that matter. It simply will not work. You must eat the foods that taste the best to you in order to succeed with any weight loss method. If one food, such as our broccoli example, tastes bitter and horrible that's okay, because there are plenty more vegetables to choose from that offer the exact same nutrients that you may enjoy.
Another factor to consider is your emotional health. Where are you in terms of happiness at this moment? Are you suffering a trauma such as death or divorce right now? Are you embarking on a move or a huge change that you should consider? Food plays an important part in our emotional life. Think about how certain foods bring back comforting childhood memories, or even painful ones. We all have a food story about our life. Take the time to consider yours before choosing your weight loss method. It may be difficult to give up certain comfort foods permanently due to the emotional context they play in your life.
Additionally, everyone has different lifestyles. Some people have a more laid back lifestyle and are not on the go all the time. Therefore, they have plenty of time to spent a lot of time preparing food. Other people, such as single moms, or people with high powered jobs, do not have time to spend preparing a lot of food. This also brings to mind the fact of budget. A person with a really good income simply has more financial resources to invest in their weight loss method than the single mom example mentioned. All these factors, taste, emotions, finances and time, must be weighed and considered logically before coming up with a workable weight loss method. If you don't take the time to do this you will reduce your chances of success.
