Eating Jamaican food may be my downfall

Dear Donovan,

I’m currently living in the States and I’ve been trying to lose weight for quite a while. My downfall is I only eat the Jamaican food from back home that I can get here. I am 27-years-old, weighing approximately 215 lbs, and my height is 5’3”. Is there any way for you to provide me with a meal plan or a list of the types of food I can eat here?

I am here reading your letter and saying to myself that you are out of Jamaica but certainly Jamaica is not out of you; at least as far as food goes. That aside, I wish that you had given me some more details on what you are really eating. Jamaican food can mean a number of things, but I am taking it to mean yam, banana, rice, dumpling, curried goat, jerk pork and chicken, etc. In addition, you have not mentioned if you are currently doing any exercise or what kind of job you do.

I would also be interested to know if you were also overweight when you were in Jamaica. Let us say you were active in Jamaica while eating Jamaican food and now you are in the States not active and still eating Jamaican food. This could make a big difference in your weight.

When there are changes in one’s life, there is also need to have a good look at the diet to see if changes need to be made there also. For example, let us say that you were an athletic student while you were in Jamaica and you now have an office job in the States and you are not exercising. Eating the same type and amount of foods as you were while in Jamaica could definitely cause you to gain weight.

That said, you have been trying to lose weight for a while without any success. However, you think you might have identified the source of your weight problem to be the Jamaican food that you are eating. I must admit that some of our Jamaican foods, especially the carbohydrates, can be high in calories.

There is a question I would like to ask you since you are thinking that the Jamaican foods are the source of your problem — have you done anything to change the amount, type or times that you are eating these Jamaican foods?

To be honest with you, in order for you to get weight loss you will have to be able to make changes in your lifestyle mainly with your diet and exercise and maintain these changes over time. Weight loss will only occur if you have the will to make the changes necessary. In addition, the reasons why you need to lose weight must be more important than the desire for your food. The psychology of weight loss I believe is very underemphasised in weight loss programmes. That may be a big part of the problem why 80 per cent of all those who start a weight loss programme will fail short-term or medium-term.

So what to do? You will have to believe that you can achieve weight loss. I am sure that after failing for a while now, you are not sure that you can achieve weight loss. I would encourage you to use affirmation and visualisation to help you with your weight loss goals. In your mind you need to have a successful weight loss programme. You also need to see yourself wearing the new clothes, getting compliments, and enjoying activities at your new weight.

The fact is, if you can see and believe your weight loss in your mind, you can achieve it in your life. You will also have to put in the work for weight loss. I would suggest that you start with portion control. I want you to reduce the portion of your meals to half the amount you are having now. This means although you are still eating the Jamaican foods you are only eating half of the regular portion at each meal. If possible, it is also wise to eat on time and drink sufficient amounts of water throughout the day. This could help to reduce hunger. In addition, you could also take the time to introduce more fruits and vegetables into your diet. Overall, you want to reduce the calories and force your body to use up some of the reserve fat. Also, a point to note is that you could try to reduce your intake of fatty and sugary foods overall. Over time, start consuming more soups, salads, vegetable juices, etc. It is a process but you could start with your portion control. Also start or increase your exercise. This will also help with your weight loss overall. I must tell you that if you get your mind ready, your body will follow.

We will answer your weight-related questions

Are you struggling to lose weight or just need some advice on living a healthier life? Tell us about your health issues and we’ll have nutritionist and wellness coach Donovan Grant answer them for you. Grant has over 12 years’ experience in the fitness industry and is the owner of DG’s Nutrition and Wellness Centre, 39 Lady Musgrave Road. Call him at 876-286-1363. E-mail questions to clarkep@jamaicaobserver.com.