For the past several months, I've been researching and studying what I can find about weight loss because when I polled my readers, most were interested in or struggling with weight loss!
And honestly, it's a topic that is so abused in the media...I believe we need some good, healthy information about there around weight loss.
Often, the media makes for us to think less of ourselves, feel angry or upset or disappointed if we are trying to lose weight...ugh!
My approach is MUCH different.
Loving and appreciating yourself...I see as the KEY to long-lasting weight-loss. You won't treat something or someone well if you don't respect them, right??!
As the final details are finally coming together in my program, I've decided to share a little info I've learned with you!
Let's get into it...
Myth #1. You need to eat less to lose weight.
One of the top complaints I hear, "I restrict my calories and still no results."
There is nothing sadder for me as a nutritionist to hear someone say this, look over their food journal and SEE the misery and the fear on the paper:
10 grapes
8 carrots and 1 Tbsp hummus
5 almonds and 2 egg whites
3 slices of turkey with 1 tsp mustard
5 crackers and 1 slice of cheese
How restrictive, boring, and bland! There is no JOY in these food choices.
It honestly brings tears to my eyes because I know how HARD that person is working to control and count their food and/or calories. And how frustrating it is to feel completely, well, stuck and hungry.
Eating less is not (always) the answer. For some, there may be a disconnect between the amount of food they eat, but it is bigger and deeper than a number on a package.
What do you have to do? Eat different.
Weight loss does require change, and eating different than you are now may bring about results.
Myth #2. Eating fat makes your fat.
We can thank scientists in the 1990s who had no business giving out nutrition advice for this awful myth. These scientists terrified people into thinking fat was going to make them fat...and then convinced them to eat their processed, profitable whole grains instead.
I will 100% agree, the name is super misleading. It does intuitively make sense that eating fat would put fat on your body...but this couldn't be further from the truth!
SUGAR is absolutely the biggest culprit in weight gain and sugar can be found everywhere (I've talked about sugar in this post).
The constant sugar roller coaster than many of us find ourselves on is one sure way to pack on some weight, because this roller coaster causes our hormones to go out of balance AND it causes inflammation in the body. Long term, inflammation is a leading cause of many diseases.
Not to mention the day-to-day struggles of eating sugar...HANGRY (hungry + angry) and moodiness. Up and down, up and down. No thanks.
^^^ Does it make sense why I'm a 21-Day Sugar Detox Coach? I'm passionate about helping people get this stuff out of their food and learn what it feels like to have stable blood sugar.
Fat, on the other hand, provides sustainable energy between meals (especially if you are a fat burner!) and helps the integrity of our cells and brain. AND it helps with weight loss. Win-win.
Myth #3. There is one way of eating that works for everyone.
We debunk this myth often on The Ladies Dish Podcast. One man's Paleo is another man's Vegetarian.
Just like we all look very different on the outside, our INSIDES are very different and we will all utilize nutrition in different ways.
Typically in my practice, I try to get clients to think intuitively about their food...what makes you feel good when you eat it? What gives you energy? What do you enjoy eating?
I also utilize Metabolic Typing. (I've written a short blog post about it here).
Bioindividuality is why your one friend lost 20 pounds going low-carb and your other friend gained 20 pounds going low-carb.
Bioindividuality. This was the big fancy word we learned going through NTC training. It means we are all biologically unique. We all need something different.
Weight loss also depends on your life...huge factors are sleep and stress management. There's no getting around these pieces to puzzle.
Myth #4. You need major changes in a short period of time.
Listen, a quick fix would be fabulous...but it just doesn't work that way! Unless you like to yo-yo.
It took 5, 10, 20 years to put on the weight, and if you want sustainable, long-lasting weight loss, it's going to take longer than a month for it all to melt away.
And be honest, don't you want your weight to be something that you no longer have to think about?
In order for that to happen, your healthy food choices HAVE to become a habit, a part of what you do so automatically that it would be strange for something to happen otherwise.
It's also a myth that you have to jump right in and change everything completely overnight. For some folks, they may be able to handle that...for the majority of folks, they can't!
Take a week to drink something other than soda, then a week to add in some more fruits and veggies, then a week to add in walks a couple evenings a week...until eventually, the former way of life is a distant memory.
Myth #5. Quality of food doesn't matter.
This one is probably my favorite because a lot of people still need to hear it.
QUALITY ABSOLUTELY MATTERS. A calorie is not just a calorie in the body.
100 calories of a chocolate chip cookie will provide nutrition to your body much differently than 100 calories of an apple. (Even though both are calories, carbohydrates, and sugar...the micronutrient profile is very different!)
Similar to the idea 1 pound of fat and 1 pound of muscle both weigh the same, BUT they take up different amount of space...and I think you know which one you want, right?
Consider building a house...there are two pieces:
* The Materials - the wood, doors, windows, nails, plans (MACROnutrients - carbs, fats, proteins)
* The Workers - the builder, architect, construction crew (MICROnutrients - vitamins, minerals)
The house would go into disrepair if either of these components did not do their job correctly.
The materials need to be high quality to weather the storms and the day-to-day wear and tear. And the workers must be careful to follow the plans and use the materials appropriately so no problems occur.
If a crisis happens, the workers have to figure out how to either stay on budget and cut corners (hmmm) or tap into savings and get the pieces necessary to fix the quality home.
QUALITY MATTERS!
:: BONUS MYTH ::
#6. Being in a weight loss community isn't important.
Having support around you while making a healthy lifestyle change for weight loss is absolutely critical...this is one of the reasons why programs like Weight Watchers have been so successful.
It's the reason why I know women come back to my 21-Day Sugar Detox group again and again...the accountability and support the group provides.
It's the reason I want my new program to have a group component. Without that connection, it is so easy to just let the changes fall to the wayside when life gets tough (and it always does).
Sometimes having just 1 friend or spouse to support you during weight loss efforts is enough and sometimes it's helpful to have a whole group - again, this is personal, but it is important for healthy weight loss.
I hope this blog post was helpful and has you questioning some of your weight loss efforts.
Interested in this weight loss program I'm speaking of?
Then sign up for my email list. I'll be releasing a BETA TEST round for a BIG discount and feedback this summer (2016). I'd love to have you join us!
You'll also receive a FREEBIE: 5 Reasons You Hang on to Body Weight.