EmbraceYou Weight Loss Journey Tips
Getting Started: Fitting In Fitness
GET STARTED: It’s not as hard as you think to fit fitness into your life. Get started with the three A’s:
1. Address Obstacles & Create Opportunities
2. Assemble a Support Team
3. Act Daily
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It is said "you can't out run a bad diet." It's true your weight loss will be as successful as what you eat but with seemingly endless diets out there how do you know what's best?
Scientific evidence shows the best diet is the one you stick to. Here are my suggestions based on a summary of nutrition evidence:
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Choose a lifestyle plan not a short-term "fix" this may mean combining several diets. Do not severely restrict* your diet for >3 months. Not only is this not typically healthy it usually doesn't work & eventually leads to binging at some point with eventual weight regain & disappointment. We've all said "I can't wait for this diet to end so I can eat [insert here]"
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Limit carbohydrates (carbs). For most people goal is 150-200g carbs/day. Beware of going too low; <100g/ day typically requires medical supervision.
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Avoid refined sugar. Per 2015-2020 US Dietary Guidelines <10% added sugar/ =day is recommended. Less is really more in this category. If your struggling with decreasing sugar you may find this site helpful.
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Eat your veggies. Numerous studies show the benefits of plant-based diets not just on weight but on cardiovascular health and diabetes. Even if you're not ready to become vegetarian/vegan aim to:
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Eat > 50% vegetables and fruits (more veggies than fruit)
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Have a few meatless meals/day(s) a week
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Eat a protein rich breakfast (20-30g/ protein).
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Consult your physician or health care provider if you have medical conditions.
*Restrictive to only one or mostly one type of food/drink
Food for Thought
Finding Support For Your Weight Loss Journey
A support team is key part of weight loss success. Many struggle with assembling a team, but it doesn't have to be strenuous. Here are helpful times:
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Ask: "We have not be we ask not." Asking for help & support is the first step. Often we assume those closest to us can "sense" what we need. This is not fair to yourself or your loved ones. Ask for what you need.
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Flexibility: Be flexible and offer a variety of ways for people to support you. Everyone may not be available for long heartfelt conversations but a supportive text/ email may be feasible and beneficial for you.
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Acknowledge & Accept: It can be very disappointing when we don't get support from those who are closest to us on our journey. The first step to overcoming the hurt and disappointment is to acknowledge the pain caused by your loved one's choice not to support you then accept it. This frees emotional energy so you can develop new connections with people who will support you. Fortunately, we live in a time when you can connect to support through social media. In addition to my family and friends, I personally have found a lot of motivation through the people I follow on social media.
Top Five Tips for Avoiding Weight Loss Frustration
If anyone acts like losing weight is easy they probably have never had a weight issue. For the rest of us, mere mortals weight loss takes effort. Here are a few tips to help reduce your frustration level during your weight loss journey.
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Slowly but surely: It is slower than we expect! Healthy and sustainable weight loss occurs at 1-2lb/ week. Most people have much larger & faster expectations.
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Hydration is key: When we are mildly dehydrated our body confuses thirst for hunger which may lead to overeating. Mild dehydration can also lead to fatigue which also leads to overeating. Each person's water requirement varies but 50% in ounces of your body weight as recommended by most weight loss experts.
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Adequate sleep is essential: Studies have shown getting 7-9hrs of sleep/night correlates with less obesity. Stress management is important.
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Exercise is not enough: You can't outrun poor food choices. Even if you are exercising regularly, weight loss will stall, at best, or not exist if you do not make proper food choices.
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Extreme diets don’t last: Avoid major lifestyle changes that aren’t sustainable to you in the long run. Even if you are planning on starting a plant-based diet, start the transition gradually over several weeks rather than changing suddenly. This allows your body to slowly adjust to the change.
