What to do if you are trying to lose weight

What to do if you are trying to lose weight 

 by Andrea Rodgers 

Cardio? Resistance training? Sugar? Fat? Juice cleanse??? Where do you even start with losing weight!

The journey to finding a comfortable weight for you is an exciting experience, contrary to popular belief. The reason being is because YOU are making the decision to be proactive and change.

That is something I want to repeat. 

YOU are making the decision to be proactive and change. 

There is something inside of you that desires something different whether it's because you want to look better in a bathing suit or you want to have more energy or you have a health problem to improve.

Whatever the reason is, take ownership for your inner desire to lose weight and remember that you are doing it for YOU! You are making the conscious decision to do so. It is an exciting experience because you are going to be so much happier and feel so much better when you look back 3 months from now. 

Now that you have made this decision, what are the first things you should do? 

* Remember why you are doing this. Everyday. Remind yourself. Put sticky notes around your house. On your mirror. On your fridge. Ask your significant other, kids, family members and friends to be supportive. Depending on how long your journey may be, support in any life change is going to be key! 

At the beginning of last week, I decided for just ONE day, I was going not eat sugar at night. At the end of a long day, I usually allow myself something sweet as I’m sitting on the couch but recently, I had been waking up with a little headache. That was my cue to change. I literally had to ask fiancé to talk me off the ledge at 8pm when all I wanted was my usual fix of chocolate. I needed him to remind me of how serious I was about this decision just hours before. The first day is usually the hardest because you don’t know how you will feel and survive the night. Your partner may have to grab the pint of ice cream out of your hands! But either way, having a support system will help in your success.

 * Choose ONE habit at a time to change. You definitely do not need to pull a 180 and just drink cabbage juice for the unforeseeable future. Find one habit that is not serving you anymore.  And you can start small with this. It may be not using sugar in your coffee and tea. Or having a handful of M&M’s as you walk by the reception desk at your office. Or snacking on tortilla chips right before dinner. What is one thing that is causing you and your body disservice? Is there something you can replace it with?

When I decided to give up my sugary snack before bed, I had to think of an alternative. I knew I couldn’t just go to bed without a little something. So planned ahead and bought sourdough bread and butter. That was it for me. One slice without a lot of butter did it for me. Fat from the butter is better than the sugar I was normally eating.

Don’t cut out whole food groups. Removing fats, carbs or protein as a whole is a surefire way to sabotage your willpower. Your body NEEDS all of the macro-nutrients to function properly and you will eventually end up craving the one you are missing so hard that you could end up eating more sugar. And we all know sugar is really not good for weight loss. Instead of cutting out carbs, find the healthiest versions of carbs for you. Instead of cutting out fat, find the fats that support your body and have the most nutrients.

I used to swear off carbs. I remember when my mom and I traveled to France, the waiter at a cafe brought over a fresh baguette to the table. I politely declined it even though every ounce of my being craved it. I was in France, the land of amazing fresh bread and I said no because I swore off carbs. I used to deprive myself of breads and pastas and eventually lose will power and eat a bag of chocolate covered raisins. Not a good trade off. 

Move your body. I am guessing that most people who are reading this blog go to FITtec. So there’s a great start!

It is your right as a human being to move your body. That is what our body’s are meant to do! Unfortunately, we live in a much more sedentary world than we were meant to. Because of this, we need to actively (no pun intended) seek out physical activity. Going to the gym. Taking a walk. Hiking. Running. Skiing. Dancing. Just move your body! 

I say this with full confidence, I was able to stop taking anti-depressant medication by learning to love to move my body. When I was in middle school, I was put on medication because I was depressed and not doing well in school. I wasn’t brought up in an athletic family so I didn’t know the benefits that would have in my life. It wasn’t until I joined the Cross Country team in college that I realized how moving my body made me feel. I felt amazing, psychologically and also physically.  The effects of exercise on the body are obvious. But the effects on the brain are profound! I eventually stopped taking my anti-depressants (with a therapist’s supervision) and found my anti-drug; running and exercising.

“In a study, researchers from New Mexico Highlands University found that when people walk, the pressure of making impact with the ground sends waves through the arteries, which increase blood flow to the brain (also called cerebral blood flow). Getting enough blood to the brain is important for healthy brain function, since blood flow brings the brain oxygen and nutrients.” http://time.com/4752846/exercise-brain-health/ 

I hope this helps you along on your journey. If you are having trouble knowing what to do next, I invite you to set up a complimentary holistic health coaching consultation to jump start your journey. Contact me at andrea@fittecfitness.com .