Do you still tackle your goal to lose weight using these two strategies?
1. Work out hard to burn lots of calories
2. Eat little to reduce the number of calories you consume or adhere to the latest fad diet
Has this approach worked for you these last few years? I suspect you initially saw your weight drop but about 6-10 weeks into it you gave up blaming yourself for the lack of willpower you have.
That used to be me. Every year I had great motivation. I was ready to go, feeling sure that this year would be different. But somehow old habits started to creep in and before I knew it, I was back at square one. Busy with life I convinced myself that I’d pick up my good intentions again with enough time to look good in a bikini for my summer vacation.
Aren’t you done with this yo-yo diet approach?
I’ll let you in on a secret and share a few tips as to why our health coaches are so very successful when working with our clients. Because, let’s be clear, since becoming a health coach I no longer go on diets. I’ve created a routine that is healthy and unique to my body and a lifestyle that I love so much that I don’t have to worry about unhealthy weight gain anymore.
Here are the two biggest mistakes you’re making when you try to lose weight
1. You try to do it all at once
It has taken you years, if not decades to accumulate the extra weight you aim to get rid of in a matter of weeks. Unless you quit your job and stop being a mom or dad how will you pack all the new habits into the same amount of time you had before. It’s too much and, in my opinion, the reason why statistically speaking 95% of all diets fail.
Put in another way, can you foresee yourself keeping up all the new habits you want to jam into your life these first few weeks of the year for the rest of your life?
When our health coaches work with busy executives or those in a high-pace environment, changes are introduced gradually. By making no more than two or three changes every couple of weeks, our clients start integrating new habits into their daily lives with much more ease.
There’s a lot more to it as to how clients choose which new habits they want to adopt, something that’s unique for each person, but the main point is that you must pace yourself.
TAKE AWAY:
Introduce changes gradually.
2. You believe it’s about calories in vs. calories out
Mathematically speaking practicing ‘energy balance’ (i.e. matching the calories you burn vs. those you consume) is impossible. Being just off by 20 calories per day implies that you’d gain 21 pounds over the course of a decade. Yes, calories do play a role but your body is so much more complex than you think.
Please recognize that not all calories are created equal. 100 calories worth of candy is not the same as 100 calories worth of broccoli. Yes, that seems like an extreme comparison but food is much more than energy for our body. It’s information.
Obesity is a disorder of excess fat accumulation. Said in another way we don’t get fat because we overeat, we overeat because our fat tissue has accumulated excess fat. The reason why fat tissue grows is due to an increase level of the hormone insulin in your body. When insulin levels drop, fat escapes and your fat depots shrink.
Insulin spikes with foods that are full of refined carbohydrates such as bread, cereals, potatoes, all sweets, and anything including high in sugar (especially high fructose corn syrup and agave).
If you’re wondering if I’m a proponent of the Keto diet. No. Some swear by it but I’ve read enough literature that implies that this is another extreme diet. It negatively impacts your muscle mass and can hurt your liver and kidneys. More importantly it’s not sustainable. You may be able to lose weight fast on this diet, but one day you’ll have to go back to old habits that will bring you right back to where you are today.
I eat carbs in form of a variety of vegetables, quinoa, berries, beans and others. Key is that they come with a slew of health benefits vs. eating empty calories like those mentioned above. Combined with high quality protein and fat (yes fat!) your body can thrive.
There are many other things that impact weight gain. To learn more about those make sure to join us for our New Year's resolution challenge.
TAKE AWAY:
Refined carbohydrates increase your insulin levels resulting in your fat storage to grow. Not all carbs are equal but I recommend you read food labels to 1) check the amount of sugar per servings (4g = 1 sugar cube), and 2) read the ingredient list on the box.
I know all of this can be confusing. What questions do you have?
As you’re considering your options to loosing weight know that my team and I are here to help. We help you create a vision of what you look like at your healthiest, most JOYful self and will guide you every step of the way. If you like the sound of that, click the 'Contact' button in the top right corner or simply send us an email to info@joyvial.com to schedule your free discovery session.