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.
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