6 Healthy Ways Everyone Can Lose Weight, Part 1

You know how weight loss works: Eat less and move more. But if it were really that simple, we wouldn’t have our current obesity epidemic. With diabetes, heart disease, and other life-altering health woes on the rise, something’s gotta change. But we don’t all gain weight (or fail to lose it) for the same reasons and we definitely don’t all respond to the same fixes. I know the Biggest Loser and other popular reality shows, workout programs, and diets out there would like you to believe that what works for one will work for all, but in my experience (and if you’re reading this, most likely it’s your experience as well), it just doesn’t play out that easily. I get asked almost daily to tell others how to eat and workout, but I can’t honestly do that until I know the person and their habits, lifestyle, culture, genetics, and even their mindset. What works for you may not work for your sister or father or children. So with that in mind, I’ve identified six most common reasons people struggle with their weight. This week I bring you the first three; to be followed up by the final three in the next newsletter. Find the one that describes your biggest obstacle and follow the strategies. If more than one applies to you, mix and match in whatever way best addresses your situation. Start this spring on a whole new track!

1. THE WRONG FOODS

Your afternoon chocolate habit isn’t just a failure of willpower, there’s actually proof out there that sugar is addicting. If you have a sweet tooth, chocolate or sweets are your comfort food. You become dependent on sugar to feel good...only you don’t feel so good after you eat it. What to do:

• Re-design your breakfast. If you start the day with highly refined foods like a bagel or sugary cereal, you’ll crave those types of foods all day. At breakfast, avoid sweetened foods, juices, and products made from flour (like cereal and bread); instead, power up on protein-rich foods like eggs, some dairy if you can tolerate it, nuts and seeds, and whole grains like steel-cut oats.

• Reach for fruit first. You’re thinking fruit is sweet, so why should you eat it after I told you to avoid sugar, right? The naturally occurring sugars found in fruit don’t cause the same spikes in blood sugar and insulin that refined sugar does. So the next time you crave something sweet, eat an apple, plum, or some berries. It may take 20 to 25 minutes to feel satisfied, so give the sugar from the fruit some time to enter your blood stream.

• Do a body check. While you eat, pause every few bites to take a deep breath and ask yourself how the food is making you feel. Most of us are so concerned with how much fat or calories something has that we don’t actually think about how the food tastes or makes us feel. When I realized the cereal I was eating every morning for breakfast was making me feel bloated and tired, even though it was a healthy and trusted brand, I re-vamped my morning meal and it’s made a world of difference.

2.GETTING OLDER

You may have noticed your metabolism isn’t what it used to be, and you aren’t crazy for thinking so. Metabolism slows down about 5 percent every decade, starting in our mid-thirties. But don’t toss in the towel on the extra pounds. For most people, lifestyle and environmental factors are more important than age or genetics for controlling weight. What to do:

• Quality over quantity. Now’s the time to trim empty calories from your diet. Middle-aged woman who aren’t conscious of eating less as they age are more likely to gain weight over the years. Don’t think of it as curbing your intake, but instead think of it as choosing worthy foods that will keep you satisfied. That means less refined flour, sugar, and snacks and more vegetables, fruit, legumes, nuts and seeds.

• Build more muscle. Strength training is critical for keeping metabolism buzzing as you age. Muscle burns more calories than fat does, and without doing something about it women start losing muscle as early as mid-thirties. To boost it back up, strength train two to four times a week and you’ll burn more calories even at rest.

• Drink more water and green tea. Green tea contains antioxidants known as polyphenols that have mild metabolism-boosting properties. I recommend drinking two to five cups of green tea a day for its calorie burning potential, and at least 48 ounces of water to support your metabolic process.  That sounds like a lot of green tea, but try it for a week and you’ll know why!

3. POOR PORTION CONTROL

Go out to eat at any given restaurant and notice the portion size. It’s ridiculous! Portions have substantially increased, and since we’re used to a certain portion size when eating out, we have increased portion sizes even when cooking at home. While you can eat as many non starchy veggies as you want, most of what we overindulge in (simple carbs, fats, meat) affects our weight and health. What to do:

• Divide up your plate. Make sure half your meal is vegetable-based, a quarter is made up of healthy protein, and the final quarter consists of a whole grain or starch. This works every time for me.

• Use a bowl that fits in your hands. I have a special place in my heart and tummy for frozen yogurt, but at the self-serve places popping up everywhere, the size of the bowl is out of control. Same goes for Mongolian. To regulate the amount you eat (and also cut back on wasting uneaten food), use a bowl that fits inside your two cupped hands and sip water before deciding if you want an additional helping.

• Chopstick it. While using chopsticks has never worked for me unless I’m truly eating Chinese food, I will occasionally eat with my fork in my non-dominant hand, which slows me down and brings the focus back to the food I’m eating. I never overeat when I do this.

*Stay tuned – the next newsletter’s packed with 3 more ways to lose!