Welcome to the final part of the “Beyond Weight Loss” series. The last article focused on changing our mindset and outlined Keith Klein’s 5 Steps to Self-Change. I hope you were able to begin to recognize where you are in your journey and that you’re armed with a bit more information that will help you move forward to the next step. Remember that revisiting a previous step is not a sign of failure, it’s just that you need to find what works for you. Please be patient with yourself as the path to Healthy is not easy. But it’s totally worth it.
Today I bring you a recap of the documentary as well as a few more pieces of advice from the experts. So far we’ve learned some great information about the secret of losing weight and the best ways to keep it off for good. We know to steer clear of fad diets that can make us fatter by actually slowing down our metabolisms and plunging our bodies into survival mode rather than revving them up into super-charged fat-burning machines. We also learned that eating well and staying hydrated are key ingredients of the process. That means incorporating the right amounts of protein, carbs, and fats as well as lots of good water in order to keep ourselves properly fueled every day. And of course we can’t forget to exercise, we just need to remember to do meaningful strength training plus cardio and mix those with flexibility training and fun activities that keep us moving. Finally, we must transform our way of thinking so that the changes we make will stay with us for the rest of our lives.
Throughout the documentary, the panel of experts offers up some words of wisdom that resonated with me. For example, Larry North tells his clients that success is made up of the “3 Ps: Persistence, Perseverance, and Passion.” If you stick with it, you will succeed, and it’ll become part of who you are and what you love to do. Dr. Roxanne Edrington mentions something particularly meaningful to me. She reminds us that our “why” is extremely important to our success. I speak from experience when I say that, while we may start our health journeys for many different reasons, if it’s not for the right reason(s), we’re setting ourselves up for failure from the very beginning. Definitely something worth chewing on . . .
Now, if you’re anything like me, every once in a while I crave something unhealthy. I tell my clients that I’m a sucker for pretzels, peanut M&Ms, and tiramisu. And sometimes I just have a hankering for a burger and fries. Or a little ice cream. Well, we know that depriving ourselves or trying to eat perfectly 100% of the time will only make us want it more and there we go, down that slippery slope once again. So what do we do when this happens? Keith Klein offers up a great nugget of assistance. He calls it the 3 steps of making “better bad choices”. I know. Whaaat? Here’s how it works. When those naughty nibblies are calling your name, you can:
- make a more positive food selection. Keith says to try lower fat or lower calorie ice cream. Craving a chicken sandwich? Try the ‘grilled’ instead of the ‘crispy’. When you’re in a snacky mood, try air popped popcorn instead of potato chips.
- cut back on the frequency. Instead of eating out twice per week, maybe just make it once every two weeks. You can also go get an ice cream cone every once in a while rather than buying the half gallons on sale and eating it every day.
- cut back on the amount. In other words, don’t have as much or as many. Keith suggests eating an 8 ounce steak rather than a 12 ounce. I’m thinking maybe I could just eat 1 or 2 cookies instead of the whole batch.
This documentary really is a worthwhile investment of your time and consideration. There are so many things that we can take away from it that mean something to us – and that’s as it should be. We need to figure out what works for us. As individuals. Here are the main tips and tricks the experts suggest:
- Eat the correct foods. (Whole foods rather than processed)
- Eat the correct combination of foods. (Protein, fats, and carbs)
- Eat the correct portion size. (And preferably lower than 20% fat)
- Eat every 3 hours (About 5-6 small meals)
- Drink water (Half your body weight in ounces)
- Don’t let a lapse turn into a relapse (“Don’t slash the other 3 tires.”)
- Join a community (Accountability and fun factor)
- Make it a lifestyle change (Make sure it’s sustainable)
- Make sure to include weight training and cardio in your exercise routine (Do something you enjoy too)
- Cook and carry your food (Cuts down on eating out or on-the-go)
I sincerely hope you’ve gotten some interesting and useful information from these articles and that it moves you to watch “Beyond Weight Loss: Cracking the Fat Loss Code”, discovering the facts and advice that mean the most to you. But more than that, my wish for you is that it inspires you to take action regarding your health now and for the rest of your life. Until next time . . .
#personalgrowth
#BeyondWeightLoss
The information provided on this website is intended for educational purposes only and is, in no way, a substitute for professional medical advice. The events, practices, and opinions discussed here are those of the author and should be treated as such. ALWAYS talk with your doctor about conditions, medications, and concerns you have about your health and work together to determine the best course of action for you.
Wholeness Health and YOU! 