Losing Weight Is Not A Numbers Game!
Losing weight and getting healthy is all about mindset. We obsess over numbers. STOP! Numbers can be the enemy that take the wind from your sails!
The only time I recommend stepping on the scale is the same day each week, or once a month- whichever you decide. I choose to weigh myself Monday mornings - before my morning shower.
Do not obsess with NUMBERS. We lose weight not by getting on the scale but by making smarter choices that serve our body. When we do so the weight naturally drops. (Unless metabolic disorders are an issue.) Most often I hear people telling me they want to get rid of the "spare tire". Think of that spare tire not by pound, but by inches.
There are many reasons one develops a spare tire, common as we age. Diet plays a huge role (as do skin care products, yep, you heard that right...it's an entirely different class I offer in addition to nutrition classes)...diet more so than lack of exercise. Foods we eat contribute to hormonal imbalances (especially artificial ingredients, GMOs, animal meat pumped with antibiotics and GMO grain...and so on).
How so? Hormones perform an intricate dance inside our bodies...it is that balance of progesterone (fat burning) to estrogen (fat loving) hormone that contribute to weight gain when the two are unbalanced. Cortisol, our stress hormone, depletes the body's supply of progesterone, and progesterone is the only hormone that counters the three types of estrogen in the body. E1 (estrone) increases as we age and contributes to our mid-section. The imbalance also creates a thyroid imbalance and an increase in the insulin hormone.
To help stabilize blood sugars and insulin - it is important to rest the pancreas and avoid snacking, but just as important to eat nutrient dense (aka avoid empty calories) meals every 4-6 hours.
There is no need to count calories if your plate is nutrient dense (which means lots of color - aka vegetables and fruit, nuts/healthy fat, small amount of lean protein - meat or legumes). I cannot emphasize this enough. A dinner plate that is loaded high with dark leafy greens such as spinach, kale, romaine (no iceberg!) lettuce, additional vegetables (organic preferred), bit of fruit and some nuts or raw seeds, and HOMEMADE dressing, is packed with nutrients that satisfy hunger and fuel the body with what it needs to heal from the inside out.
Calorie counting has always been my pet peeve of most diet programs...they are not sustainable. No one wants to count calories for the rest of their life. Typically I hear the story of someone who has done Jenny Craig, or Weight Watchers, or Medifast... and they have regained the weight, if they ever lost weight in the first place beyond 10 lbs. I won't go into what is in those special pre-made dinners, but the long and short of it...dieting is a short term plan that is not sustainable. Healthy living is a commitment to making a lifestyle change, that forms a lifelong habit.
A concern is that some diets will have people consume very few calories. The average adult woman needs about 2000 calories a day (physical activity, height and weight help determine). 900, 1200 caloric intake in a 24 hour period send a message to the brain that food may be in short supply. The brain's purpose is to keep the body alive and communicate to all other parts.... if the brain "believes" there is a "drought" or pending starvation, it will retain fat cells to protect itself! Our bodies are very smart - incredible, don't you think!?
My two biggest concerns with the 3 day juice cleanses in which one consumes only liquid are two-fold....first, if it is low caloric the body may go into survival mode, and the opposite of what one is trying to achieve may happen, but second, and of most concern, is developing a herx reaction from too quick of a detoxification. This can especially happen for someone who has a history of poor food choices and is on medications. I am not saying that one should avoid a herx at all costs, for someone chronically ill a quick detoxification may be necessary. BUT if one's goal is to lose weight I prefer a nutritional cleanse, which consists of eating real, whole foods, and making smart choices in what you are fueling your body with. For someone who has a day job, be aware that some herx reactions are similar to getting the flu...and you could be out two weeks.
My hope is you have two take aways from this article.
1. Weigh infrequently when embarking on a weight loss program, but routinely. Same time, same day of week, same amount of clothing.
2. Don't count calories - avoid low fat foods, eat nutrient dense instead until you are satiated.
When I made small lifestyle changes in my diet the weight started to melt away. I did not own a scale. What I noticed was more room in the waistline of my pants. Let your clothing be your guide to a successful and healthier you!
By Rita Shimniok, Purely Living Wellness LLC
January 2015. All rights reserved.
The only time I recommend stepping on the scale is the same day each week, or once a month- whichever you decide. I choose to weigh myself Monday mornings - before my morning shower.
Do not obsess with NUMBERS. We lose weight not by getting on the scale but by making smarter choices that serve our body. When we do so the weight naturally drops. (Unless metabolic disorders are an issue.) Most often I hear people telling me they want to get rid of the "spare tire". Think of that spare tire not by pound, but by inches.
There are many reasons one develops a spare tire, common as we age. Diet plays a huge role (as do skin care products, yep, you heard that right...it's an entirely different class I offer in addition to nutrition classes)...diet more so than lack of exercise. Foods we eat contribute to hormonal imbalances (especially artificial ingredients, GMOs, animal meat pumped with antibiotics and GMO grain...and so on).
How so? Hormones perform an intricate dance inside our bodies...it is that balance of progesterone (fat burning) to estrogen (fat loving) hormone that contribute to weight gain when the two are unbalanced. Cortisol, our stress hormone, depletes the body's supply of progesterone, and progesterone is the only hormone that counters the three types of estrogen in the body. E1 (estrone) increases as we age and contributes to our mid-section. The imbalance also creates a thyroid imbalance and an increase in the insulin hormone.
To help stabilize blood sugars and insulin - it is important to rest the pancreas and avoid snacking, but just as important to eat nutrient dense (aka avoid empty calories) meals every 4-6 hours.
There is no need to count calories if your plate is nutrient dense (which means lots of color - aka vegetables and fruit, nuts/healthy fat, small amount of lean protein - meat or legumes). I cannot emphasize this enough. A dinner plate that is loaded high with dark leafy greens such as spinach, kale, romaine (no iceberg!) lettuce, additional vegetables (organic preferred), bit of fruit and some nuts or raw seeds, and HOMEMADE dressing, is packed with nutrients that satisfy hunger and fuel the body with what it needs to heal from the inside out.
Calorie counting has always been my pet peeve of most diet programs...they are not sustainable. No one wants to count calories for the rest of their life. Typically I hear the story of someone who has done Jenny Craig, or Weight Watchers, or Medifast... and they have regained the weight, if they ever lost weight in the first place beyond 10 lbs. I won't go into what is in those special pre-made dinners, but the long and short of it...dieting is a short term plan that is not sustainable. Healthy living is a commitment to making a lifestyle change, that forms a lifelong habit.
A concern is that some diets will have people consume very few calories. The average adult woman needs about 2000 calories a day (physical activity, height and weight help determine). 900, 1200 caloric intake in a 24 hour period send a message to the brain that food may be in short supply. The brain's purpose is to keep the body alive and communicate to all other parts.... if the brain "believes" there is a "drought" or pending starvation, it will retain fat cells to protect itself! Our bodies are very smart - incredible, don't you think!?
My two biggest concerns with the 3 day juice cleanses in which one consumes only liquid are two-fold....first, if it is low caloric the body may go into survival mode, and the opposite of what one is trying to achieve may happen, but second, and of most concern, is developing a herx reaction from too quick of a detoxification. This can especially happen for someone who has a history of poor food choices and is on medications. I am not saying that one should avoid a herx at all costs, for someone chronically ill a quick detoxification may be necessary. BUT if one's goal is to lose weight I prefer a nutritional cleanse, which consists of eating real, whole foods, and making smart choices in what you are fueling your body with. For someone who has a day job, be aware that some herx reactions are similar to getting the flu...and you could be out two weeks.
My hope is you have two take aways from this article.
1. Weigh infrequently when embarking on a weight loss program, but routinely. Same time, same day of week, same amount of clothing.
2. Don't count calories - avoid low fat foods, eat nutrient dense instead until you are satiated.
When I made small lifestyle changes in my diet the weight started to melt away. I did not own a scale. What I noticed was more room in the waistline of my pants. Let your clothing be your guide to a successful and healthier you!
By Rita Shimniok, Purely Living Wellness LLC
January 2015. All rights reserved.