Eating for weight loss is not the same as eating to maintain your weight. And you have to learn how to do both in order to be successful with your weight loss journey and to keep it off. The reason most diets fail is that they do not teach you what you need to do after the diet. I don't like the word diet, but lets face it, anytime to reduce your calorie intake, limit what you eat, reduce your portion sizes, you really are dieting. It's changing your mindset of how you look at the process that will either make you successful or not. Stop thinking of it as a diet and think of it as the beginning of your new journey to a healthier you!
When you embark on a weight loss journey you need to decide how you are going to approach it. Are you going to slowly change one thing at a time? Or are you going to dive in and make drastic changes? It completely depends on you, your personality, and your lifestyle as to which route you should take. I have many clients that choose to work on their breakfast eating habits first, then work on healthy snacks, then work on healthy lunch choices, etc. Slowly making each change over the course of a week or so and then adding something new to change. Some of my clients decide to just jump in to an all or nothing approach, and that works too, as long as they choose to learn along the way about what they are eating, what their body needs, how to boost their metabolism, and more. It is the learning part that makes someone successful in their weight loss journey. Those who decide that they really want to understand WHAT they should eat, HOW OFTEN, and WHY are the ones that keep it off forever.
Now that you have decided to lose weight, and you have either chosen to make small changes or to jump in head first, you will be reducing your caloric intake in order for the pounds to come off. Are you going to measure and weigh your foods so that you learn what your portion sizes should look like? Or are you going to rely on a weight loss system to do all the calculating for you? Again, either approach can work, it is what you decide will work best for you. You have to reduce your calories, increase your activity level and learn how to increase your metabolism to make your body a fat-burning machine to lose weight. And if you decide to rely on a program like shakes or pre-made meals, you still need to learn what to do after you reach your goal weight!
Now lets quickly talk about weight ... the pounds that are going to shed off of your body. I think it is important to realize that I am not just talking about the scale, I am talking about the fat on your body. The measurement of fat that you have on your body is a much more accurate measurement of your health than what the scale says. Get your body fat measured! You may be shocked at what your body fat measurement is and what a powerful piece of information it is to have for motivation! If you don't know where to go to get it measured, ask me, I can do it! :)
If you have 8-10 pounds to lose, you can typically lose it within a month, with dedication. So plan out your weight loss based on 8-10 pounds a month. It is easier to calculate using pounds than body fat percentage. Embark on your journey to eat whole foods, not packaged, reduce your intake of packaged, refined and low nutrient foods, and think simple. Think of fish and vegetables, chicken and salad, stir fry, pork chops and pea pods, etc. There are so many varieties of vegetables and fruits out there to never get bored creating new combinations of roasted or stir-fried vegetables! Think of foods that grew in the ground, were living, and have few ingredients. The simpler the food the better it is for you!
Time has flown by and you have lost the weight, so now what? Well, most people fail in their journey to keep their weight off because they go back to what they were doing before... which obviously didn't work in the first place so why would you do that again?!?! NO, you don't do that. You keep doing what you were doing during your weight loss mode of eating healthy and wholesome foods, but now you get to eat more of them. Instead of 6 ounces of chicken, have 8 ounces and more vegetables. Have some fruit for dessert. Have a larger snack during the day. But not too much more!!! Or you may choose to not work out as often as you were during your weight loss mode. You need to find the balance where you can add in more foods without starting to gain weight back. It is a process, but if you take the time to learn what your body really needs, it is well worth the investment of that time. Using a journal is a great way to keep track of what works for your body too! To look back at a week of journaling and see your notes that you felt full and lost 2 pounds that week, well do that week again if you still have weight to loose. If you look back over a week of journaling and notice that you gained 2 pounds that week, review what you did differently that week and learn from it!
Also keep in mind that it takes 90 days to make something a habit. So a new pattern of eating, making healthy food choices, eating frequently, and all of the stuff you start doing the first 30 days you have to keep up for at least 90 days for your mind and your body to create a habit of it. You will also find that after 90 days (usually only 30 days for most people, but 90 days for sure) you will discover that you no longer crave sugar and simple carbohydrates. Your cravings will be gone, your energy level will be increased and you will feel better than you have ever in your life. Why wouldn't you want to spend 30-90 days doing that?
If you want more information on wellness consultations, body fat measurement and how to create your own 30 day program please let me know! laura@fitnesswithlaura.com
My next entry will be about what eating healthy and having balance in your life means, as you are probably thinking: Does this mean I never get lasagna again? Does this mean I don't get chocolate again? I will answer that next!
Friday, March 21, 2014
Monday, March 17, 2014
My advice, take it or leave it.
Who am I that I should dare to give advice to you? I am simply fighting the same battle that most women fight with their weight, food choices and their self esteem. I am not perfect, I never will be, nor do I strive to be. But I do have experience, first hand, with losing huge amounts of weight and then gaining some of it back. I also understand the frustrations of fluctuating in weight and falling off and getting back on the wagon over and over again. So I get it, I really do.
The advice I feel like offering to you today isn't just about weight loss it is more about what the difference is between dieting and a lifestyle. I used to diet all the time, they call it yo-yo dieting. I would lose weight and then gain some back, then lose again, gain some back again, and it was this constant battle. Now I still do this, it's somewhat normal, but the amount that I gain back is so much less and I am learning to balance it out. That is the advice I want to give you, how to make it a lifestyle so that you can reach your goals and STAY THERE.
Losing weight it by far the hardest part. No doubt about it. And only those people who really truly commit to it, have a support system, learn about how to do it properly AND learn how to maintain it will succeed. That last part is the most important part. LEARN HOW TO MAINTAIN your weight loss, maintain your new weight. How do you do that? I hope to teach you through my strategy and experience.
As you are losing weight, whether that be through a program of some kind or through your own decision to eat smaller portions, healthier foods, and add in some exercise, you are undoubtedly consuming less calories than you are used to consuming. At some point people typically go back to what they were doing before and expect their scale to stay at their lower weight, and that will never happen. Your body weighs less now and it needs less food to maintain and sustain that new weight. If you did things the right way and added lean mass to your body (muscle) then you get to eat a little more because your body will burn more calories at rest with more lean mass on it. Yipppeee!!! But the trick is learning to go from that reduced caloric intake you were on while losing weight to figuring out how to eat to maintain your weight, without having to continually go back on a "diet".... this is exactly why diets fail!
I have learned that I am someone who will never be able to eat 3-5 meals a day and maintain my weight... I am just not that person. Now stick with me and let me explain! I still eat 3-5 times a day, just not MEALS. I know that I cannot make good choices that many times a day, I know that my portions get out of control and I am not good at it. That is just a reality of who I am. So I rely on nutrient rich meal replacements to get me through the day with the right amount of calories. To maintain my weight there are many days that I will eat breakfast (egg white omelet usually) but when I don't have time I grab a shake or a meal replacement bar and I know the exact calories and that it is loaded with the correct balance of nutrients my body needs. Let me show you the difference with an example:
Weight Loss Daily Intake: Weight Maintenance Daily Intake:
Breakfast Shake (240 cal) omelet or Shake (~240 cal)
Snack 100 cal whole food snack fiber bar (~120 cal)
Lunch Shake or Meal Replacement Bar (240 cal) salad and Shake (~400 cal)
Snack 100 cal whole food snack fiber bar or other bar (~120 cal)
Dinner chicken, veggies (300-400 cal) chicken, veggies (~300 - 400 cal)
Snack 100 cal whole food snack apple or banana (~100 cal)
Total Cal: 1080-1180 calories 1280-1380
To maintain my weight I know that I have to eat around 1280-1380 calories, that is based on my age, my weight and my activity level. But I also fluctuate those calories throughout the week. I will typically eat like shown on the right 5 days a week and eat like the left (weight loss intake) about twice a week. Why? This allows me to add in a few glasses of wine or beer and still stay within my calories to maintain my weight! If I know we will be going out to dinner one night during the week, and we are going somewhere that I know I am going to eat a high amount of calories, I will eat like shown on the left 4 times a week and then like the right 3 times a week to allow me more eating out calories! It is about finding the balance that works for your body! I know this works for me and for most of my clients.
So what products do I use for my shakes and bars? This has been a battle! I have searched for over a decade for shakes, bars and snacks that have the best ingredients available without artificial sweeteners, without GMOs, without toxins - pesticides and antibiotics used on the food sources, without preservatives and all those other ingredients that are scientifically tied to cancer and other illnesses. I have researched so many products out there, and I have been frustrated. I also wanted things that taste good, crazy right?!? Then in November my path crossed with a distributor of Isagenix and I couldn't believe I had finally found it. Isagenix created shakes, bars, and snack foods that are filled with super foods, NO SOY, 99% lactose free and low in sugar. I could go on and on, but those of you that want more info, just get in touch with me and I would be happy to point you in the direction and give you the guidance to explore that further.
Just remember that losing weight is always the hardest part, but you can do it! Keep in mind that at the end of that road is also going to a new journey, a journey of learning the balance for your body to stay at that weight. Don't give up on it, YOU CAN DO IT. Anything can be done with the right frame of mind, the right coaching, the right support and the right attitude! Get in touch with me if you need some of that.
The advice I feel like offering to you today isn't just about weight loss it is more about what the difference is between dieting and a lifestyle. I used to diet all the time, they call it yo-yo dieting. I would lose weight and then gain some back, then lose again, gain some back again, and it was this constant battle. Now I still do this, it's somewhat normal, but the amount that I gain back is so much less and I am learning to balance it out. That is the advice I want to give you, how to make it a lifestyle so that you can reach your goals and STAY THERE.
Losing weight it by far the hardest part. No doubt about it. And only those people who really truly commit to it, have a support system, learn about how to do it properly AND learn how to maintain it will succeed. That last part is the most important part. LEARN HOW TO MAINTAIN your weight loss, maintain your new weight. How do you do that? I hope to teach you through my strategy and experience.
As you are losing weight, whether that be through a program of some kind or through your own decision to eat smaller portions, healthier foods, and add in some exercise, you are undoubtedly consuming less calories than you are used to consuming. At some point people typically go back to what they were doing before and expect their scale to stay at their lower weight, and that will never happen. Your body weighs less now and it needs less food to maintain and sustain that new weight. If you did things the right way and added lean mass to your body (muscle) then you get to eat a little more because your body will burn more calories at rest with more lean mass on it. Yipppeee!!! But the trick is learning to go from that reduced caloric intake you were on while losing weight to figuring out how to eat to maintain your weight, without having to continually go back on a "diet".... this is exactly why diets fail!
I have learned that I am someone who will never be able to eat 3-5 meals a day and maintain my weight... I am just not that person. Now stick with me and let me explain! I still eat 3-5 times a day, just not MEALS. I know that I cannot make good choices that many times a day, I know that my portions get out of control and I am not good at it. That is just a reality of who I am. So I rely on nutrient rich meal replacements to get me through the day with the right amount of calories. To maintain my weight there are many days that I will eat breakfast (egg white omelet usually) but when I don't have time I grab a shake or a meal replacement bar and I know the exact calories and that it is loaded with the correct balance of nutrients my body needs. Let me show you the difference with an example:
Weight Loss Daily Intake: Weight Maintenance Daily Intake:
Breakfast Shake (240 cal) omelet or Shake (~240 cal)
Snack 100 cal whole food snack fiber bar (~120 cal)
Lunch Shake or Meal Replacement Bar (240 cal) salad and Shake (~400 cal)
Snack 100 cal whole food snack fiber bar or other bar (~120 cal)
Dinner chicken, veggies (300-400 cal) chicken, veggies (~300 - 400 cal)
Snack 100 cal whole food snack apple or banana (~100 cal)
Total Cal: 1080-1180 calories 1280-1380
To maintain my weight I know that I have to eat around 1280-1380 calories, that is based on my age, my weight and my activity level. But I also fluctuate those calories throughout the week. I will typically eat like shown on the right 5 days a week and eat like the left (weight loss intake) about twice a week. Why? This allows me to add in a few glasses of wine or beer and still stay within my calories to maintain my weight! If I know we will be going out to dinner one night during the week, and we are going somewhere that I know I am going to eat a high amount of calories, I will eat like shown on the left 4 times a week and then like the right 3 times a week to allow me more eating out calories! It is about finding the balance that works for your body! I know this works for me and for most of my clients.
So what products do I use for my shakes and bars? This has been a battle! I have searched for over a decade for shakes, bars and snacks that have the best ingredients available without artificial sweeteners, without GMOs, without toxins - pesticides and antibiotics used on the food sources, without preservatives and all those other ingredients that are scientifically tied to cancer and other illnesses. I have researched so many products out there, and I have been frustrated. I also wanted things that taste good, crazy right?!? Then in November my path crossed with a distributor of Isagenix and I couldn't believe I had finally found it. Isagenix created shakes, bars, and snack foods that are filled with super foods, NO SOY, 99% lactose free and low in sugar. I could go on and on, but those of you that want more info, just get in touch with me and I would be happy to point you in the direction and give you the guidance to explore that further.
Just remember that losing weight is always the hardest part, but you can do it! Keep in mind that at the end of that road is also going to a new journey, a journey of learning the balance for your body to stay at that weight. Don't give up on it, YOU CAN DO IT. Anything can be done with the right frame of mind, the right coaching, the right support and the right attitude! Get in touch with me if you need some of that.
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