10 Biggest Weight Loss Secrets
There are many little things to consider when you undertake a weight loss program and if done properly, it will add up to success. Losing weight is far from being one dimensional, it’s a culmination of things brought together at an appropriate time in an appropriate way so that you are able to realize your weight loss goals. So without further adieu, here are the secrets for your weight loss success!
Never Skip Meals – It’s unfortunate but many moons ago, before dieting became as necessary as breathing, there was the belief that the less you’d eat, the less you would weigh. What people didn’t realize is the result of that behavior meant, malnutrition! Sure, cutting calories is definitely going to allow one to lose weight, but done to excess, it may also cause you to lose your hair, energy, healthy skin and overall health. Basically, skipping meals is the number one reason that people can’t seem to get a handle on what nutrition program works best for them. You see, your body NEEDS food, LOVES food, WANTS food, but the lack of necessary calories will deprive your body of nutrients needed to keep overall health in check.
Skipping meals basically trains your body to take hold of every calorie the body takes in and stores it to prevent starvation. Many of my clients have been skipping meals and depriving themselves of necessary calories for years and their bodies have been trained to store fat and calories vs. expend it!
So here’s the secret, when you find the appropriate nutritional plan, fuel yourself regularly with high quality fuel such as vegetables rich in fiber, brown grains, berries and proteins. Your body will begin to understand that it’s allowed to use food for energy. This means rather than storing calories you consume, the body will do what it was designed to do which is to use calories for energy.
Think about the times you have skipped meals or didn’t take enough food in. Do you remember how tired you were? How your energy level was just zapped? That’s because you were not getting sufficient food for energy and what little you were getting was being stored away for a rainy day. Eating regular meals and healthy snacks will train your body to utilize the fuel (food) that you take in. So find the nutrition plan that’s right for you and eat for health’s sake! Focus on Health – I understand and know from experience that the number one reason people actually start a diet or exercise program is to lose weight. But the secret is NOT to focus on the weight, rather focus on your health.
Let’s think about it, for years we have focused on weight and we make that our number one priority when in reality it should be our health. There is so much value in understanding that a byproduct of eating well and exercising regularly is a healthy weight! When you decide to take the pressure of reaching a certain number on the scale off of yourself, you will begin to make better choices. Basing nutritional choices on health is far more user friendly than simply choosing foods for their ability to add or subtract from numbers on the scale. Think about it, when our weight is healthy, so are we. So why not start with the focus on your health and well, the weight will be where it’s meant to be.
Here's the secret, the more you concentrate your efforts on creating a healthier you, the greater the opportunity to achieve a healthy weight for a lifetime! Mood / Food Connection – Have you been tired lately? Forgetful? Do you have low energy and no enthusiasm for life? How many of you chalk these conditions up to age, or simply being overworked and underpaid?
Well the truth is, it’s not always age and it’s not always the stress of your day but it more than likely has to do with what you’re fueling your body with. For years we have walked around living in our heads, rarely connecting with our bodies. When we think about food, it’s mostly to satisfy a mouth hunger (you know, when you’re not really hungry, just feel like putting something in your mouth) so we’re not always particular about what we choose to eat. Meaning we think nothing about popping some fried or processed food in our mouths because it’s convenient. But think about how you often feel after you have eaten food that is not particularly healthy for you. The problem is, we rarely tie how we feel to what we’re eating. Think about the times you have eaten really well, had a really strong nutrition day and the next morning you wake up feeling “lighter”, ready to go. Now think about the times you’ve eaten a calorie, fat laden meal late at night. How do you feel when you wake up in the morning? Like a brick hit your stomach, right?
Try this, for the next week, jot down what you're eating and at the end of the day write down how you feel. Do this for a week and you will see some pretty interesting similarities between what you're fueling yourself with and how you're feeling. The old adage, "You are what you eat" has never been more true. Just as a car runs better on high quality fuel, so does your body! The secret to developing healthy eating habits for the long haul is to understand the crucial role food plays in how you feel, not just in how you look! Get Away from the On/Off Syndrome – Have you ever noticed that when people diet, they are either “on” or “off” a diet? I've always wondered what they do when they’re not ON a diet? Do they starve? Do they eat anything and everything that crosses their path given that they have no guidelines? Why is it that we are so conditioned to be on a structured something or other, vs. learning exactly what we should or should not be eating for the rest of our lives?
It’s important to note that good nutrition is forever, it isn’t just a temporary state. I generally tell my clients to follow the 80/20 rule. In other words, if they can make sound nutrition choices 80% of the time, they’re going to be pretty healthy and their weight will reflect that!
Here's the secret, find a nutrition program that makes sense to you, that fits into your lifestyle and provides you with a healthy selection of foods. Then understand that your selections can always be tweaked here and there but healthy nutrition should not be viewed as something temporary. If you have it in your head that the healthy choices will only be made until you lose weight, you're missing the point. Healthy nutrition programs are there to guide you toward healthy eating habits for life! So find a plan that makes sense for you and your lifestyle. If it is something you can live with for the rest of your life, you won't have to worry about being "on" or "off" a diet; you will simply have learned a healthy way to eat for life! Don’t Do What Your Friends are Doing – Did you know that each of us has a unique response physically and physiologically when it comes to exercise and diet? Given our genetics, we will all respond differently to whatever physical changes we may be making. Some people will lose weight, some will gain, some will get lean while others will struggle with developing more muscle mass. It comes down to whatever our genetic pool will allow.
Yet whenever we see an ad on television or a friend of ours that has developed toned arms, we visualize ourselves getting the exact results. The reality is that the differences you are born with will allow you to achieve only what is genetically possible for you, no more, no less. This is why I always stress to my clients that you have to find what works for you, NOT your neighbor, your sister or co-worker. The secret is to explore your different options when it comes to exercise and nutrition and then go with what you feel your body responds to best! Listen to Your Body – Just as it is important to pay attention to the way foods affects how we feel, the same goes for exercise. How many of you have been out for a walk, somewhat begrudgingly only to be feeling significantly better within 15 minutes? Exercise has an immediate effect on our mental state as well as our physical state. I often tell my clients, exercise for sanity NOT for vanity.
Unfortunately, not everyone has a positive history with exercise. Dodgeball anyone? Speaking for myself, I was never coordinated and athletics was ruled out for me. So I participated in the sport of lounging. It required no more than a single willing participant and I excelled. So when I discovered that exercise was a must, it took awhile before I got past the, “But I’m not athletic” thing and realized that everyone can move, everyone can walk. I started to reap the benefits immediately, feeling better about myself, increased energy, sleeping better at night. My body was telling me that this new exercise thing was indeed a very good thing.
The secret when listening to your body is to be clear on the message. For most of us it says, “Wow, thank you, I feel great!”
However, do pay attention to the other side of the coin which is overdoing it! If you’re sore and you experience any pain or discomfort when exercising you need to stop and see your doctor.
Whatever activity you choose, make sure it’s something that you can maintain on a consistent basis. Don’t be afraid to try something new, why not an adult jazz class? How about taking up martial arts? Hiking? Swimming? Don’t get caught up in traditional exercises, experiment! Your body will love you for it! Have Realistic Expectations – Those of you who dreamt of the perfect 36-24-36 body every time you decided to lose weight raise your hand! Just as I thought, almost all of you! We've all done it, we've embarked on a program where we knew that we would achieve the dream body! We were certain, that underneath our fluffy exterior there was a body just waiting to emerge in all of its sculpted glory, right?
All of a sudden reality hits, and man oh man, it hits hard doesn't it? We realize that our vision was somewhat, um, how shall I say, distorted? Here's the scoop, our body is our body, in all of its' genetic glory. So, unless we decide to go under the knife (ouch!) there isn't anything we can do to change the genetic cards we were dealt.
There is so much value in understanding what your body will and will not be able to achieve. More often than not, fitness achievements are underrated while the physical achievements are way overrated. I find that my clients always underestimate the goals they can achieve with regard to becoming physically fit. And, they generally overestimate what they think they can achieve with their bodies such as bust size, waist size, hip size, etc. If genetically, you are born with a propensity for large hips or a fuller tummy, you cannot EVER expect to get small hips or 6-pack abs. So if you begin your weight loss program with expectations that you are able to achieve, rather than unrealistic expectations, you can expect success! Be Patient – The toughest part about any weight loss program is understanding the body's time table vs. yours. As I mentioned earlier, our bodies respond differently to exercise and nutrition. For instance, men can think about losing weight and often times do, while their wife or significant other is doing everything she's supposed to and the weight isn't coming off (sound familiar?) Be patient with the process and understand that you cannot change your body or your lifestyle over night. It's a process that requires time and patience. I always find it interesting that people complain that they're not losing weight fast enough when rarely do I hear people say, "I've been eating Krispy Kremes and sitting around doing absolutely nothing for years and I just can't seem to put on that last 10 pounds!" The secret to success is patience. You've got the rest of your life to learn and implement healthy habits. Enjoy the process! Journal – Nothing is more eye-opening than keeping track of what you're putting in your mouth and your level of activity. For those of you who say, " I hate writing things down!" see if you can do it just for a couple of weeks. You will learn more in two weeks about your nutrition habits and exercise habits that you would have ever imagined. Further, it’s very difficult to try to remember what you had for breakfast or how many minutes you were able to walk. Journaling is a great source of accountability.
This secret has been shared time and time again, yet people don't realize its value. My most successful clients are those who keep a journal and keep it up to date! Even a little 3x5 notebook will do the trick. Whatever works for you! The value in journaling is not only with your ability to track your nutrition and exercise but also to find your biggest areas of challenge and start working on those areas. Journaling goes a long way in the success of any healthy living program! Strength Train – One of the most misunderstood elements of exercise is strength training. People still believe that they'll end up looking like some muscle bound freak if they begin a regular strength training program.
Here's the scoop, (take note ladies), there is no better way to kick up your metabolism, enhance your overall appearance and tighten up your body than through strength training.
Many of us are still caught up in the 70's cardio craze. Cardiovascular activity is definitely important and it ranks right up there with strength training. But nothing will benefit women and men more as they age than strength training. And you are never too old to begin a strength training program. I do suggest that you find a fitness professional that can give you proper education for strength training in order to get the most of your strength training sessions. Once you begin a regular strength training regimen you can watch your body transform. Strength training is still the best-kept secret!
So there you have it. The 10 best weight loss secrets. You will find that once you begin to implement the secrets that make sense for you and your lifestyle, the more long-term changes you can make.
The ultimate goal in starting a nutrition or exercise program should be to improve the quality of your life and feel like a million bucks! Take baby steps as you never want to overwhelm yourself. See how those steps add up to an incredible quality of life that you never would have though possible! Though we were taught not to tell secrets, these are secrets that shouldn’t be kept!
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