Challenges 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 [...]

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 [...]

18 12, 2020

Planning is Key for the Holidays

Doug Bishop2020-12-18T14:10:25-05:00December 18th, 2020|Uncategorized|

If we attempt to eat ‘perfectly’ during the holidays we’re more likely to fall into that all-or-nothing trap, and overindulge without restraints after the first “mistake”. By preplanning treats, you are less likely to feel a loss of control. Plan in advance how you will conduct yourself and what you will eat (not what you will NOT eat, since you must plan positively). This will generate a feeling of self-control and self- confidence that will do wonders for self-esteem. This is the best advice to counteract the feelings of helplessness and guilt that accompany impulse eating. Your pre-planning should include [...]

4 12, 2020

Now is Not the Time to Give Up

Doug Bishop2020-12-04T15:03:57-05:00December 4th, 2020|Motivational Letters|

I suppose it’s the stress and frustration of isolation, dealing with all the rules and regulations around this pandemic, along with changes in plans to visit family and friends, or looking forward to a holiday; whatever it is, more and more people are finding it difficult to stay on track. They use phrases like, ‘lack of motivation” or, ‘lack of energy to do anything.’ I get it. However, if there ever was a time to boost your immune health through proper eating and exercise, it is now. We can do a lot for our immunity by concentrating on simple lifestyle [...]

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