A Proposal

Dr Sharma has got me thinking:

""The question remains, however, whether enough eligible participants will in fact participate and persist with these ‘lifestyle’ changes without continuing and ongoing support (which is generally what the clinical trials have delivered). The notion that an intervention of limited duration (even twenty weeks) will lead to sustainable effects, may be a bit over optimistic, even if 10 year follow-up data from some diabetes preventions studies suggest long-term benefits even after the end of the trials.

It is also worth discussing whether or not success is actually dependent on losing weight (not a behaviour) rather than simply increasing physical activity and eating better (which are behaviours).""

I have hung around OA for a long time, and around TOPS for a while. There is no doubt that these weekly programs help, and that people will come back as long as they obtain benefit from the weekly meetings. Those programs assisted me in changing my thinking, then my lifestyle, followed by a measurable result in weight loss. Changing my knowledge about food, my thinking and attitude toward food was my key to weight loss success.

I will volunteer to assemble a program and deliver the first series if you or anyone will provide the space in South Edmonton, as a trial to see if if actually helps. I will suggest Thursdays evenings at the Gray Nuns in one of the class rooms. It would require some promotion, which Weight Wise could provide. It would need to have ongoing development, as what I believe are the needs may prove to be wrong. All I know is what I require. I would even be willing to work with any group of  other people needing to maintain recovery. I will require an knowledgeable editor, and someone to dress up a few graphics, as my abilities in those areas are deficient.

The objective must be to foster lifestyle change in a positive manner, to assist in weight loss and living at a lower weight. Much of my recovery has come as a result of self directed study of information freely available on the internet and various diet books. I know some of it is actually wrong, but the results work. aka doing the right thing for the wrong reasons. The whole thing must be educational.

Dr. Sharma's time frame is of twenty week is not particularly supportive, for some will require years of support to recover and ongoing occasional support for the remainder of there life; however, they will be able to provide support to others in other areas. It must support all diet concepts, including LCHF in some form, not just your government approved plan.

Absolutes must be supported, like no sugar, no grains, no Omega 6. Support does not mean recommending. The participants must be free to choose, not be dictated to. There is nothing that will destroy a weekly group faster than a control freak in charge.

There should be an educational feature at each meeting, ranging from someone like Jim telling the lessons they learned during there weight loss, to professional who struggles with the weight control issue, or basic bio-chemistry, bio-physics, psychology solutions, to philosophy.  There message may not agree with your approach, but education is not always correct. It would need to be open to the public, anyone who was in the need of losing substantial weight, or has lost considerable weight.  It need to be an all encompassing altruistic movement. 

This is just a proposal. Should anyone want such a thing, or to be part of movement or the development, you know how to contact me.