Motivational Letters Archives – Dr. Bishop's Ottawa Weight Loss Center

4 06, 2021

Take Pause in the Moment before Mindless Eating

Doug Bishop2021-06-04T12:59:48-04:00June 4th, 2021|Motivational Letters|

It is so easy, and so common, for us to eat mindlessly. I may come home and begin eating whatever is available without thoughts about hunger, need and the quality of food I’m eating at the moment. This is especially obvious when we snack in front of the TV. We snack automatically, distracted by whatever we are watching and end up eating far too much without regard for the consequences of weight gain or impact on our metabolic health. Eating mindfully takes a willingness to sit and slow down; to become aware of the emotions inside of us. We must [...]

3 05, 2021

Effective Goal-Setting

Doug Bishop2021-05-03T14:21:42-04:00May 3rd, 2021|Motivational Letters|

Goal-setting can be frustrating. This has been especially hard for many of us through the covid-19 pandemic. Many of us make ‘goals’ or ‘resolutions,’ and then falter before achieving them; this creates a pattern of negative thoughts that make us believe we 'can never accomplish them.' The problem is that we have trouble following a 'self-imposed' goal versus a goal set by our boss, school or profession. (You might study hard to pass a course in school, but be less likely to be diligent about ongoing learning when it's something that is important for you but not imperative.) People who [...]

6 04, 2021

Focus on Improving One Unnecessary Habit

Doug Bishop2021-04-06T06:38:39-04:00April 6th, 2021|Motivational Letters|

I enjoy reading Amy Berger’s twitter feed; she posts her ongoing daily work on improving negative habits that we all have to deal with. As you know, Amy helped write “End your Carb confusion”. She has a masters degree in nutrition. We all think someone else has ‘it all together’; not so. Each one of us battles the food demons, exercise demons, sleep demons or stress demons, daily. Mine would be evening snacking. Every day, my goal is to not eat after 7 pm; I know if I do that, and that alone, at very least my weight is controlled; [...]

19 03, 2021

“It’s Not Working”

Doug Bishop2021-03-19T13:29:26-04:00March 19th, 2021|Motivational Letters|

I often hear the sentence: “It’s not working.” I hear this from patients, and from myself. I hear you. Frustrating. Totally frustrating. We think we are doing everything right, and the scale is not moving! What is going on? How do we break through this? To this complaint, I wish I had an easy answer; the reason is that the answer may not reside in the food you are eating, or not eating, but other factors. Presently, lack of movement is the most common thing I notice. I do strive for an hour of movement daily; my motivation for this [...]

7 03, 2021

Immunity, Aging and Metabolic Health

Doug Bishop2021-03-07T22:53:28-05:00March 7th, 2021|Motivational Letters|

Immunity, aging and metabolic health are topics that all fuse together; but, we tend to focus on the scale or seeking a smaller body size. We forget that body composition and weight are intimately tied into our immune health and being healthy at an older age! During these trying times of lockdown and fear, we forget that we have a significant amount of control of our immune health. We have the ability to improve it to combat viruses, the signs of aging, and chronic diseases such as Type II Diabetes, Alzheimer's, heart disease, and even cancer. Thus, our choices of [...]

19 02, 2021

Push Through Mental Fatigue

Doug Bishop2021-02-19T07:54:22-05:00February 19th, 2021|Motivational Letters|

An important question to ask ourselves is: “Is this mental fatigue or physical fatigue?” When I hear myself saying, “I should go out for a walk or ski, but I’m tired so maybe I will go tomorrow;” I know, for sure, this is mental fatigue. At the end of the day, we are drained from work stress, or life encounters (family, friends, negative news, or the overall stress of the pandemic), and indeed we do feel fatigue. However, realize that this is not actually physical fatigue. In point of fact, the one thing that will create more energy is movement, [...]

12 02, 2021

Delay, not Deny

Doug Bishop2021-02-12T11:29:33-05:00February 12th, 2021|Motivational Letters|

One of my patients has a beautiful mantra she’s developed as she’s explored intermittent fasting. (Currently she is doing a much longer, extended fast and she feels wonderful; her eczema has ‘disappeared’ and another skin issue is in remission.) Now, I am not recommending everyone do extended fasts, but I can say she feels great, is sleeping well, and feels mentally sharp. Another patient today did not feel she could physically or psychologically go longer than 12 hours without eating. This is a very normal response I hear all the time. Why is this? You see, we are so conditioned [...]

2 02, 2021

Reflect and Correct

Doug Bishop2021-02-02T15:49:29-05:00February 2nd, 2021|Motivational Letters|

During these times of lockdown, with all of us enduring increased stress, less exercise, and less ability to be with friends and family, it’s no wonder that I see people snacking more, not losing weight and getting frustrated. I'm right there with you. IDENTIFY THE THINGS IN YOUR CONTROL THAT MAY HELP STOP MINDLESS EATING: Lack of refreshing sleep; if we are tired, we snack more. Our desire for simple processed carbohydrates worsens. Whatever you can do to get proper sleep, do it. (Step one is to stop watching the news on TV—nothing but negativity.) Read a book, do a [...]

23 01, 2021

Focus on Metabolic Health rather than Weight

Doug Bishop2021-01-23T17:11:36-05:00January 23rd, 2021|Motivational Letters|

All of us need to focus on our metabolic health and not weight; weight loss will happen once we correct the many metabolic issues that have accumulated over the years. Exercise: we need this daily, no matter how ‘tired’ or ‘unmotivated’ we feel. It boosts the immune system, increases muscle and bone density, lowers blood sugars and boosts mood. If 30 minutes feels intimidating, try breaking it up into 10-minute "chunks” - a 10-minute walk, 10-minute stretch, 10-minutes dancing, or 10-minutes resistance exercises. Any burst of movement will help your body and mind. Stress: we need to lower our stress [...]

11 12, 2020

Make Conscious Choices this Holiday Season

Doug Bishop2020-12-11T09:42:27-05:00December 11th, 2020|Motivational Letters|

With the holiday season upon us, we know we will be tempted with certain foods that we associate with festivities, nostalgic memories, or comfort and relaxation. This year, many people feel as though special food and treats are what will make things “special”, since this year is lacking in the social connections we normally would have. I really get it. However, it’s important to keep mindful about your long-term goals and health, while also feeling satisfaction and happiness through this festive season. It’s highly unlikely we can resist all of the temptations, but if you choose to have treats, choose [...]

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