Lightening up weight-wise takes new attitude, habits

By Zenaida Serrano Espanol
Advertiser Staff Writer

Kimi Elder weighed 202 pounds and had to "squeeze" into a Size 20. Kimi Elder photo

Less than 10 months later, Elder had lost nearly 60 pounds and could fit comfortably into a junior's Size 7. The best part: She has kept the weight off. Gregory Yamamoto • The The Honolulu Advertiser

What you can do to shed pounds Karen Yafuso, coordinator of the weight management program at Kaiser Permanente's Hawai'i Region, offers these weight-loss tips: • Eat healthily. Include items from all the food groups of the Food Pyramid or the Hawai'i Health Food Guide into your daily diet. Visit www.nutritionhawaii.org. • Don't skip meals. Eat three, each four to six hours apart, and limit snacks to one or two a day. • Avoid huge portions of meals and snacks — huge servings mean huge amounts of calories. • Be wary of liquid calories, such as soda, fruit drinks and alcohol. • Get active. Exercise doesn't have to be complicated. Take a walk around your neighborhood, ride a bike, play basketball or go to the beach. • Give away clothes that are too large and no longer fit. Do not save them "just in case." • Solicit support from your family members. . . . Also consider joining program While you can lose weight on your own or with help from your doctor, you may also want to consider local branches of nationwide weight-control programs: • Jenny Craig Personal Weight Management, 593-2550 • Weight Watchers, 487-3373 • TOPS, 839-1351

Going for a walk around Ala Moana Beach Park wasn't so simple for Kimi Elder 2 1/2 years ago.

In fact, the Kapolei resident called it heavy labor.

"It was a big sweat to do something like that," said the 46-year-old secretary.

At the time, Elder weighed 202 pounds and had to "squeeze" into a Size 20. She was just one of millions fighting fat.

In Elder's case, she fought to win. With a fierce can-do attitude and help from Weight Watchers, Elder reached her ideal weight.

In 9 1/2 months, the 5-foot-9 grandmother of two lost nearly 60 pounds and has kept it off for nearly two years. She now weighs 144, comfortably fitting into a junior's Size 7.

"Losing weight is as much about what you do to your head as what you do to the scale," she said.

The International Obesity Task Force reports that worldwide, more than 1 billion people are overweight, and of those, 300 million are obese. In this country, more than 120 million people are either overweight or obese, carrying 30 pounds or more above their ideal weight, government statistics show.

"Obesity is related to diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, degenerative joint disease and some types of cancer," said Karen Yafuso, coordinator of the regional weight management program for Kaiser Permanente's Hawai'i Region office.

Such health risks are among the main reasons why those who are overweight are motivated to lose their extra pounds.

While health experts say consuming fewer calories and exercising is the way to successful weight loss, many say having the right attitude is just as crucial.

"I think will power is important," Yafuso said. "That kind of mindset, the attitude, is probably 95 percent of the whole process."

No quick fix

It wasn't genetics that caused Elder to become overweight, but she said her family did play a part in her unhealthy habits.

"In my family ... we're very artistic people and (food) was an expression of creativity," she said. "We would all see if we could outdo each other on how wonderful we could prepare a seven-course meal."

Elder carried this into her adulthood, always seeing food as an outlet for creativity and love, she said. So gaining weight almost seemed inevitable. She went on several types of diets, but gained her weight back each time, sometimes gaining even more.

"I think failure (happens when) they're not ready," Yafuso commented.

Many who fail look at weight loss and management as a "quick fix," Yafuso said, rather than a lifelong lifestyle change.

Kathleen Kozak, an internal medicine doctor at Straub Clinic and Hospital, agreed.

Losing weight is like trying to quit smoking, Kozak said. A person has to decide that she's ready, or she won't be able to do it.

"You need to have the attitude where you set this as a goal in your life and you make it a focus," Kozak said. "If you're not ready to make exercise and healthy eating a part of your lifestyle, it's not going to work. Many people have lost 20, 30 pounds on quick weight loss and quick dietary things and they gain it all back because they're attitude isn't 'This is a lifestyle change.' "

Making the right choices

It has been a constant struggle for Elder since joining Weight Watchers in May 2000.

"I have to make choices every day, and they're choices that are right for me," said Elder, who now leads Weight Watchers meetings.

When it comes to eating, Elder follows Weight Watchers' points system, which is based on dietary fiber, calories, fat grams and serving size. She sticks to a specific range of points every day, including a lot of fruits, vegetables and water in her diet. She even indulges herself now and then, be it a piece of birthday cake or chocolate bar, as long as she stays within her daily range of points.

Exercise is also a huge part of Elder's life.

"I've become an activity junkie," Elder said. She goes to a gym Mondays through Fridays to exercise on an elliptical trainer for up to 40 minutes each day, and on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, she weight trains.

"It's because I love it," she said. "I love feeling this way about myself."

Kozak said it's important for people to make themselves a priority, like Elder has.

"A lot of people feel like they're too busy to exercise because they're helping out their family, their job is very intense or they're doing a lot of activities that are helping out everybody else but themselves," she said.

"When you set yourself as a priority and you decide that you're in control of what it is that you're eating and how much you exercise, that attitude is what helps people to make some healthier changes in their life."

By becoming healthier, people will then be able to focus on the other things that really matter to them, she said.

"You will be around long enough to help your family, to help at your job and put in more time, and you'll have more energy to do all the activities you really feel you want to do," Kozak said. "You really need to focus on yourself and have an attitude that says, 'I'm going to conquer this, and I'm going to do it now.' "

Reach Zenaida Serrano Espanol at zespanol@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-8174.