If you are someone who lost excess weight and kept it off, how did you do it? Have you adapted new habits? Do you stress less about weight than you used to before you learned how to keep it off? Do you feel better?
As a health coach, I study all aspects of nutrition, including weight loss. There are many factors that enter into success or failure for anyone seeking to lose weight.
Secrets That You Need to Know
- You are unique. All aspects of your life story matter when you make a plan to lose weight. A one size fits all does not work with weight loss.
- The proportion of fat and muscle in your body influences the amount of food that’s right for you. Fat/muscle ratio affects your metabolic rate. Muscle is lost when weight loss is rapid, so don't try crash diets.
- The number of hours you go without eating may affect your weight. You should have a minimum of 12 hours of not eating to burn stored fat and better regulate your body’s hormones.
- Learn to LOVE YOUR BODY. It’s very hard to eat healthy and take care of yourself if you hate your body. Stop criticizing your body and honor it as if it’s a temple. You’ll treat it better when you do.
- Be patient. No one gains their extra weight at one time; it is a gradual process that sometimes spans decades. When you decide to lose weight, focus on your improved eating habits and how they make you feel. Consistent healthy eating will trim the excess pounds.
What I Recommend as Essential Practices for a Healthy Weight
- Move your focus away from the scale and calorie counting and focus on eating well and eating with awareness.
- Eating well means eating simple whole foods, mainly organic, that you prepare at home
- Eating with awareness means consciousnly enjoying the experience of eating and noticing when you have had enough.
- Hydration is an important factor in weight management. You should take your present body weight, divide it in half, and drink that many ounces of water, herbal tea and other liquids each day. It not only hydrates your body, it also gives you a feeling of fullness and supports regular bowel movements.
