So, you have decided to lose weight. You have decided on a plan or program that you are going to follow. You have obsessed over meal planning and water bottles. You have searched high and low for the cutest and most inspirational food log that you could find and then it happens...you go to weigh in and you have gained or stayed the same. Yikes! Suddenly panic and emotions take over your body and you begin to think about every single thing you've done in the days prior to the scale betraying you. You wonder, "Did I consume enough water?", "Perhaps, I miscalculated one of my meals!", etc., etc.!
Losing weight is hard. Every single person who has gone through what you are going through has been there. They understand the emotions, the disappointment and the wishing that it would go faster, but the fact is, it is hard work and there is no magic pill or trick that is going to make it easier. There are, however, some things that might be getting in your way.
Mindset The biggest key to your weight loss is your reasons (your "Why") for wanting to lose the weight and your belief in your ability to do it. Yes, our minds will sabotage us. I can hear my mind all of the time saying things like, "One cookie wouldn't hurt!"' or "You can just get back on track tomorrow!". We all have that inner voice that is filled with negative talk and excuses that will sabotage even the most disciplined dieter. My inner voice didn't stop talking when I got serious with my weight loss and healing journey, in fact, the evil witch got louder. Why hasn't she won this time? Because, my "Why" is so much stronger than anything she has to say.
When I started this journey in March 2017, I was skeptical about whether this would work, in fact you can go back and read my earlier blog posts and you can see for yourself how unsure I was about this decision of mine. So what changed? I did! I began focusing on why I needed to do this. I wrote down my goals and I began focusing on them. I decided that feeling good was much better than a Reese's peanut butter cup could ever taste. I learned more about nutrition and why most of the foods that I had been consuming most of my life were not good choices for me or my goals (knowledge is power). I didn't just listen to a one size fits all approach...instead, I found what works for my body. Every single day since March 2017 I have reviewed every single item that goes into my mouth. I never eat something without knowing and acknowledging to myself whether that item is going to fuel me or have the potential to stall my weight loss. I am not saying that I am perfect all of the time, rather I am saying that even when I have a sweet treat I actively say to myself that this treat is a treat and it could affect my weight loss this week, and I am fine with that, or I decide that I will refrain. It is just a little Jedi-mind trick that works for me. I don't shame myself for having it, but I do acknowledge it for what it is...a treat.
My "Why" goes far beyond losing weight. In fact, losing weight was not my primary reason for starting this journey. I was struggling with crippling chronic pain and fatigue brought on by my autoimmune disease. I was barely functioning as a human, let alone as a mother or wife. I needed to get healthy. I needed to feel better. Weight loss just happened to come as a bonus. At that point in my life, I was so desperate that I was willing to do anything. Out of desperation came my solution. Within just a few weeks my symptoms started getting better. Within six months most of them were completely gone. I now feel better than I have since I was a teenager and I am more determined than ever to continue using food and supplements to heal my body.
Your "Why" is probably completely different than mine, and that is okay, but do you know your "Why"? Like, do you know it so well that you get chills when you think about it? Is it as powerful as that pizza or cake that your spouse and children are bound to bring into the house while you are trying to achieve your goals? If it's not, that pizza and that delicious cake will always win (fact!). Our minds are so powerful and we can either control them or allow them to control us. Find your "Why". Write your "Why" down and look at it often. Recite it over and over to yourself. Believe that you can achieve it and you will!!!
Perfection! I love things to be perfect! No, seriously, ask my mom and she'll tell you that I am as obsessive as they come. I love routines and patterns and all of those things, but here's the thing, there is no such thing as perfection in weight loss. How many times have you planned out all of your meals, you've purchased all of the groceries, and you just know that this is going to be a perfect week, and then, your kid gets sick, or you have a flat tire, or you are late getting home? It happens to all of us, but if you had planned for something going wrong you wont order that pizza that can be delivered to your house before you even think about how it will sabotage your weight loss that week. Stop making it so dang complicated! You don't have to make an Instagram
Eating Too Much Fruit I love fresh fruit and I am in no way going to tell you to eliminate it from your life, but I will tell you that, for many, there is too much of a good thing. Fruit is filled with vitamins, fiber and tons of other goodness that we all need, but the average person truly doesn't need more than two to three servings per day. A serving is typically one cup of fruit (most bananas are actually two servings of fruit, because they are so large). I personally feel best when I keep my fruit down to two servings per day. I get it, its nature's candy, but it can and will affect your blood sugar, which will affect your weight loss. Fruit is also best consumed during your most active hours so you can burn off that extra little boost that its sweetness brings you. I, typically, do not eat fruit after mid-afternoon. Here is a great article explaining all of the reasoning for following these principles.
Avoiding Healthy Fat Most diets demonize fat in all forms, but that is a mistake when it comes to weight loss, as our bodies need fat to properly function. We actually need a moderate amount of healthy fats from grass-fed, wild-caught, or pastured meat, nuts, avocado or healthy oils. So many diets have us removing the skin from chicken, omitting healthy oils and replacing them with chemically created ones (I Can't Believe It's Not Butter), or avoiding avocados at all cost, but the reality is that all of these things are healthy for us. Eat the chicken skin, add grass-fed ghee to that dish you love, eat the avocado and your body will reward you by running properly and burning fat. Don't believe me? Give it a google or read this article explaining why low fat diets have only increased our obesity rates.
Food Intolerance Just because we love certain foods doesn't mean that our bodies do. In fact, I would argue that many of us are eating foods that our bodies don't like at all. How many times have you eaten something and said, "I shouldn't eat cheese, because..."? Cheese is an obvious one for many, but what if your body doesn't like cabbage or tomatoes? Would you recognize those symptoms? For years I felt horrible and I tried to lose weight only to, in the end, gain more. I never even considered food intolerance and I honestly thought all these gluten free fads were a joke (I am not saying that you should go gluten free, its just an example). Boy, did I live and learn. I would have never guessed that the foods that I ate daily were leading to inflammation in my body and harming my immune system. I am not saying that you have to go on a strict elimination diet, like I did, even though I think everyone should do some form of an elimination diet for at least 30 days at some point in their lives. What you can do is weigh yourself daily and review your daily food log to try and pinpoint a possible trigger. If I eat something with tomato in it I will notice a minimum three pound gain on the scales the next morning. I did not actually gain three pounds, rather my body is inflamed which shows up on the scale as pounds. You could eliminate one of the food items that you ate the previous day and then see if avoiding that food helps your weight loss after a few days (It is important to note that it will take a few days for the inflammation to go down, so you do need to wait a few days before deciding if that food was the trigger).
I know, I know, but the scales are our enemies and we shouldn't focus on a number and all of that. The truth is the more comfortable we get with the scale the less likely we are to gain fifty plus pounds all while refusing to get on the scale ( I avoided the scale for a solid five years...It did not serve me.). We need to know what our bodies are doing and how they're responding to what we put in them. If you eat a piece of cake and see that it adds pounds to your weight, the next time you eat cake you might think about whether or not gaining those pounds are worth those two minutes of deliciousness, and lets be honest, sometimes the gain is totally worth it. The scale doesn't have to be our enemies, rather it should be a tool that we use to improve ourselves. I completely agree that a number can't define us, but if we know that, why are we so afraid to see that number? Why do so many people wait to eat until after they attend weigh-in? The reality is whether that slight fluctuation in your weight happens before or after your weekly meeting doesn't really matter, because it still happens either way.
Losing weight is hard and obesity is plaguing countries all over, but there are things we can do to make our journey easier. If you would like more help on your journey I would love to be your accountability coach. We all could use an extra cheerleader when we are trying to transform our lives. Message me and let's make your "Why" a reality!
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