[*Note: I know longer coach with a nutrition focus, however the content here is good, so I’m opting to leave it ‘live’. Please note that science is always changing. I used to be a huge proponent of healthy snacking, but new science opened my eyes to reasons to not snack in between meals (see link below).
Weight loss is so much more than cutting calories. In fact the key to weight loss is changing how you think and discovering your emotional connection to food.
A few questions to ponder:
- How many diets have you been on?
- How has that worked for you?
- What’s your excuse(s)?
- What gets in your way? Or, what do you let get in your way?
- What are you willing to do, to get what you want?
- What’s more important – the food you eat or the emotions tied to the reason you eat?
Boiling it down – in a nut shell:
Know your food groups: Fats, carbs, protein, fiber.
No need to let this overwhelm you and please understand that these numbers are averages to go by. Fat (healthy fat) 45grams. Protein 60grams. Carbs – this one really depends on your body. Go for complex (they break down slower helping to balance blood sugar and boost metabolism), Fiber 35 grams.
Whip out a pen and paper and track your food for a few days. Where are adjustments needed?
Blood Sugar Balance is so important.
Sugar is sugar is sugar – if you are eating loads of fruit, you are getting loads of sugar. Reaching for fruit instead of a cookie is much better of course. Quickie snack ideas: Nuts, hard boiled eggs, protein, apple with a bit of almond butter (slows the sugar surge). Eat every three hours. Three smaller meals and three snacks. [I am no longer a proponent of snacking often. Click here to read ‘new’ and important science] Not hungry? Train your body. Set the timer on your watch or phone for every three hours.
Benefits: Sustained energy. Better sleep. Less craving of sugars. Yay!!
Inflammation is the precursor to many dis-eases. Eat 80% alkalizing foods. Educate yourself on what foods are acidic and eat less. Food allergies cause inflammation, so does stress, so does sugar.
Toxic load – Body fat uses fat cells to store excess toxins. Clean eating will gently, over time help to release toxins. Detoxes do it faster. But if you are in ill health, or obese, work up to a full cleanse/detox. Headaches, flu like symptoms are all common. ALWAYS take a probiotic when cleansing. Cleansing is healthy, but it does remove some of your beneficial flora. Mucoid Plaque harbors toxins and interferes with nutrient absorption. If you are not absorbing your nutrients you crave things you shouldn’t. There is healthy mucosa lining and then there is mucoid plaque that hides it.
Heal your Gut (digestion). Digestive issues, cause inflammation which causes inflammatory hormones that put our bodies into fat storage mode. Eating healthier is a good start. Eat fermented foods. Take a probiotic. Use digestive enzymes. Slippery Elm and marshmallow root are very calming and soothing to the intestines. Your gut is your second brain. Why? The enteric nervous system, made up of mesh like neurons, is embedded in the lining of the gastrointestinal system. Heal your gut and you will not only feel better, you will be happier!
Hormones, Thyroid – what is out of balance. Oh my goodness…skip the designer jeans and invest in your health. With a Naturopath or very good nutritionist, have your hormones and/or thyroid tested. Bringing hormones/thyroid into balance will help you release weight and you will be happier too!
Stress! Ugh. Stress causes cortisol to go up, which causes inflammatory hormones to wreak havoc, which causes blood sugar to spike. This spiking leads to constant cravings and puts your body in survival mode which means your body is not letting go of any fat! Relax.
Mind-Body Connection – ah, my favorite subject. Find balance. Take ten every day. Take five often. Take five deep breaths. It doesn’t have to be complicated. Stop the coffee, or cut back. Coffee hypes us. We like that…just do less. Breath, relax, let go. Read my blogs ;-).
Eat slowly. Holy Toledo, what just passed your lips? Honestly, this is HUGE. Most people are eating on the fly. STOP. Relax, savor, taste. I don’t care if you have to lock yourself in the company bathroom for five minutes. Chew and experience the food you are eating. If you aren’t – your digestive system is on lock down and it is difficult to digest the food you are eating and absorb the nutrients and wah lah – what you just ate under stress gets stored as fat or clogs up the colon.
Ways of eating: Paleo, raw, vegan, vegetarian. If it works for you and you can stick without feeling deprived and going on a binge – go for it. Otherwise, with the exception of chronic heath issues and diagnosed food allergies, pull elements from the different “ways of eating” and find what your body responds to the best. Discover what works for a lifestyle of eating, not a momentary program. And remember, slow and steady. If you are dropping more than 2 pounds per week (with the exception of cleansing which is weight loss from cleaning out the colon) you are losing muscle not fat and actually lowering your metabolism. That is why 95% of those who go on extreme diets gain it back. 95%!
NO GUILT EVER – enough said.
Move to Lose! It takes about 20-minutes of cardio to begin burning fat. Weight baring exercise is the best for weight loss. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn. And speaking of calories. I’m not big on counting. But do it for a few days and see what foods are adding on the calories. Always go for the nutrient dense foods, over the low calorie nutrient void foods.
Helpful questions to meet your weight goals: Be mindful of your self talk. What conversations do you have on a loop? Would you talk to your friends the way you talk to yourself? Why are you eating the way you are eating? Is it a habit learned from childhood? Is it emotional eating? Are you hiding behind the extra weight? Plan your meals, plan your snacks. Cook up a load on Sunday and freeze it! Don’t have time? Find your excuses and eliminate them.