Trying to lose weight??

So, especially around the New Year, I get a lot of questions related to weight loss and looking for tips on dieting.  Honestly, I am not much of a dieter myself, I work out and I do eat pretty healthy.  Don't get my wrong, I strap on a feedbag every now and again...BUT I use my workouts as my evening keel.  So, I know a lot of people will say " Oh, I will have dessert tonight and just work out really hard tomorrow."  What do I do?  I allow myself treats AFTER a hard workout, it is my own form of positive reinforcement for a job well done!  I hate going into my workout knowing that I have to workout extra because I went batty with the food the night before....you are setting yourself up for failure.  How do we not set ourselves up for failure?  Read on....

The cardinal rules of weight loss:
1. If you are into weighing yourself (I am not a big fan and I usually encourage people not to, but I know that some people hop on 10 times a day!!) only weight yourself ONCE A WEEK!!  Weight yourself at the same time (usually morning after you have pooped/peed and feel skinniest) and ensure that you only weight yourself weekly...ladies please take into account your cycle and you may be retaining water!

2. Shoot for a weight loss goal of 2lbs per week; anything more than that and you will have trouble keeping it off.

3.  Eating foods that are high in fiber will fill you up and be colon friendly!  I totally understand that during the winter you will want more yummy warm foods, but instead of a high fat, meaty stew, try a black bean stew or instead of regular pasta use spaghetti squash as the "pasta."

4.  Try to limit sodas and take in around 2 Liters of water and/or coconut water a day.  It will help to flush out  toxins from your body and keep you feeling full.

5.  Keep your fat intake to less than 25% of your total daily caloric intake.

6. Hold yourself to your workout goals of working out 3-5 times a week (whatever works for you) and if you have trouble doing that, then work out with a friend, group classes, OR hire a personal trainer...it will hold you accountable for work out and/or weight loss goals.

7. Make plans with your friends that also want to lose weight so that you will do something active and watch what you eat!

8. Lay off the alcohol for a while...if you are trying to be really active and watch what you eat, one hangover day will make you not only feel like crap because you are hungover but will make you feel super guilty about "cheating" on your diet, and that mental downer will make it much harder to get back into gear.

9. Allow yourself a "cheat day" each week. Give yourself a day where you don't go crazy, but if you want pizza (for example) go and have some, but just try not to eat the whole pie!  Or allow yourself some ice cream- whatever it is you are craving, allow yourself to have it, and do so completely guilt-free!

10.  Don't STARVE yourself!  If you allow yourself to get so hungry that by the time you see food, you eat everything in front of you...not a good plan! I find that the best tip is to go and eat 6 small meals (snacks a day). Eating small one serving size snacks every 6 hours will keep your metabolism revved and you will never feel hungry.

11. Get sleep!  If you are exhausted, you will be less likely to make your own food, and your cortisol levels will be up due to stress and make you crave carbs/high fat foods.  So, make sure that you are getting adequate sleep, and making time for relaxation before bed...so that you can wind down before hitting the pillow.

12. Don't set goals that are outrageous!  I have friends that say "I just want to lose 10 lbs" when losing 10 lbs would A) make them look anorexic and B) never be attained.  Every body is different and not everyone can look like a super model...but you can be healthy and shapely!

13. Start your day with a smoothie full of fiber and fresh fruits!  It will fill you up and keep your glucose levels maintained so you won't be starving and you will be full of healthy vitamins and minerals to start off the day!!

I hope that some of these tips help you out.  Basically, you need to make lifestyle changes...and keep at them.  If you make changes and lose weight, going back to your old ways will just allow the lbs to pack back on.  So make a commitment to yourself and your decision to become healthier, and have people join you on your path to a healthier you, I promise, it will be so much easier!

Yours in Good Health
B