THE FUNDAMENTAL REASONS YOU STRUGGLE TO MAKE WEIGHT LOSS WORK
You may feel like you have tried all the different diet options out there and wonder why they work for other women and not for you. We all have different bodies and lifestyles, so the same methods are never going to work for us all. There are classic weight loss theories that I am going to de-bunk and replace with strategies that will actually work for you.
Why Your Weight Loss Methods Have Failed so Far
Can I get a raise of hand (🙋🏼♀️), who has dieted more than 5 times in their life? A double raise for 10 times?
(Side note: this is not to shame! In fact, it's more to relate that we ALL have dieted (a lot) and we can learn from it and help you get out of this cycle and finally achieve and sustain that weight loss)
As a functional health coach, one of the biggest reasons I see weight loss resistance is actually because of someone spending their whole life chasing weight loss, a scale number, a body shape...
The methods being used for weight loss are the exact causes of why so many continue to chase weight loss their entire life. Ugh right?!
I’ve read the studies. They show that 8 out of 10 women by the age of 40 have attempted a weight loss strategy more than 8 times, some upwards of 20!
That tells me there is not enough proper education on how to not only lose weight but also how to sustain weight loss. What I have learned is that people (you) care to be healthy, want to make better choices, and even put in intentional efforts to feel good, create better health and live a longer life which is absolutely fantastic, however, because there is so much information out there, the methods that many of you are using to lose weight and be healthy, are likely not causing you to be any healthier and are the reason the weight returns.
Wrong Ways to Lose Weight
There are right ways and wrong ways to lose weight (and remember weight loss does NOT equal health, in fact, you need to get healthy to lose and sustain that weight loss)..
Wrong ways would include:
You saw someone else use a specific method and have success so you decided to try it too
Cutting carbs blindly
Cutting out entire food groups
Meal plans only
Bars/shakes only
Eating less and working out more without assessing your current intake amounts and metabolic state
Doing juice cleanses
Taking random supplements
Weight loss is not going to be successful with any method that doesn’t take into consideration: your unique lifestyle, current intake, health history, and hormone status. In fact, if you follow such plans for too long or too often they can lead to metabolic or weight loss resistance. And so the cycle begins…
Right Ways to Lose Weight
Did you know you can actually move farther from your goals if you don’t assess your unique situation first?
So let’s talk about other methods that would be better:
Focusing on your foundations that support lowering inflammation and upregulating your metabolic system: sleep quality and quantity, sunlight, hydration, stress management
Eating more protein and cleaning up the quality of your nutrients
Walking more
Focusing on 3-4 moderate strength training sessions per week
Logging your intake to understand how much you are consuming to best assess if eating more would be effective for supporting sustainable weight loss (yes I said MORE food! Learn more about reverse dieting HERE)
Further assessing your specific digestion, hormones or other metabolic markers via strategic lab-work
There’s a lot that goes into a successful and long-lasting weight loss plan, so while it might not be easy, with guidance, it can feel simple. At Vital Roots Health Co, we teach people how to do it the right way so you can actually enjoy health, longevity and weight loss long term and not just chase after it year after year.
Consider Your Individual Needs
The first question you want to ask yourself is “What is causing me to be here or to feel this way?” Most often I find that it’s the foundations, the daily habits that are missing from someone’s lifestyle which are causing many of the symptoms they are experiencing. We can really hear one’s body when we streamline the factors. So as you are learning to hear your body and identify your individual needs, I have a challenge that will start you off on the right foot.
For the next 7 days, I challenge you to:
Log what you are eating
Use an app such as My Fitness Pal or even just note what you eat throughout the day on your phone or a notepad. But remember - be specific, don’t simply write ‘potato salad’. What ingredients were in the salad? Then when you assess your food intake, you can see exactly what nutrients, carbohydrates, minerals, proteins etc you are consuming each day.
2. Go for a walk every day
This could be your first steps (literally) towards an exercise routine, or perhaps it will be in addition to your fitness classes. Either way, give it a go!
The World Health Organization recommends taking at least 10,000 steps per day. These easily add up but you do need to make a conscious effort to take yourself on a walk if your days are mainly stationary. It should be fun; discover new places around your neighborhood, invite a friend, call your mom or take your kids and make games like collecting leaves or adding up the numbers of mailboxes.
You don’t need an expensive watch to count your steps - use the health app on your phone. Use this as guidance, focus more on the distance, enjoyment and how the movement makes you feel.
3. Consider how you feel in mind and body following steps 1 and 2
Following your meals, listen to your digestion, your energy levels, your mood and how long you stay full. Note this and start to pay attention to how your body responds. During and after walking, think about the effect on your mind and motivation, energy for the rest of the day, your sleep quality and your cravings.
Share your findings
These are three simple places to start. After the 7 days, go back and read how you felt in body and mind. Then get in touch on Instagram or email, I would love to hear from you!
Now that you have introduced consciously eating and moving into your week, is this something you could continue?
The next steps require more personalized guidance and education, if you want to take your health and weight loss journey further, we can help! Book a free chat with us here. No need to commit to anything, we can simply chat and see if we can steer you in the right direction and whether our coaches would be the right fit for you.