A Slow and Steady Plan for Weight Loss

It can be a bit icky writing about weight loss. It’s almost gimmicky. Google ads like “lose weight in just one night by drinking this MAGIC TEA”.

Weight loss was a popular topic when I asked for your help in a recent survey. Here I am.

Although I would love to say that I have a secret plan for losing weight fast, I do not. But I do have a SLOW & STEADY plan that will work for you. Weight loss shouldn’t be difficult. If you find it difficult, there’s probably something else at work. You can’t simply eat less and exercise more. If you follow the steps below, I am confident that you will reach the weight you desire.

Before I give you my recommendations, let me remind you of two things:

1. Treat Yourself to Some Self-Love

Instagram is full of perfect people, but it’s just a highlight reel. Guess I’m also guilty of posting only my best photos! Negative self-talk that is associated with feeling unhappy about your body can actually cause stress on your body. And guess what? Too much stress makes weight loss difficult! As cheesy and cliche as it may sound, try to think of some nice things to tell yourself about your body. You should only buy clothes you like, and not one size smaller in hopes they will fit next week.

2. Be Honest with Yourself

Be honest with yourself. What is the healthy weight for your body? When you are relaxed, eating healthy and exercising, what weight is easy to maintain? Even if you’re not a size 2, and even if your weight is 5 to 7 pounds more than you want, having a six-pack and a zero body fat percent isn’t ideal from an estrogen standpoint. You’d be amazed at how many fitness models lose their period because they lack enough body fat. Be honest with yourself, and stop worrying about a few extra pounds! !

Now that those two things are out of the picture, here’s my best recommendation for losing weight in a sustainable way that’s not miserable and keeps the weight off.

1. Note it down

When I work 1:1 with clients, I ask them to fill out some paperwork before our first meeting. In the first questionnaire, they are asked to list their “typical” breakfast, lunch and dinner. The second questionnaire asks them to keep a food diary for four days, detailing everything they ate. It happens that what people “typically” consume is usually MUCH BETTER than what is actually recorded in their food journal. Our brains are able to forget the bad things.

You may be underestimating your crackers and cheese intake before dinner or how often you have dessert. It’s more than a treat, it’s an addiction. It’s amazing how much you learn when you write it down. It doesn’t need to be done forever. Even a few days can help.

2. Keep Alcohol In Check

Did I mention that you may want to include alcohol into the above journal. Your body may love a glass or two of wine but I don’t. The alcohol is full of hidden sugars, and can quickly add too many calories into your daily routine.

3. Test Your Hormones

Hormones may be at work if, despite eating and exercising well, you are gaining weight, or simply cannot lose any weight without starving yourself. You can test your hormones at home. Click here for more information.

Here are a few of the hormone systems that affect weight:

Thyroid:

Here’s a little more on how your thyroid can affect your weight .
Most often, thyroid disorders are not diagnosed. When your GP tests your TSH, the acceptable range is wider than when it’s tested by a natural healthcare practitioner. This means you could be told that everything is normal, but your thyroid may not be in the ideal range and you are still experiencing symptoms.
Weight gain is one of the most common symptoms of a HYPO thyroid.

Estrogen:

In excess, estrogen can cause weight gain around the hips and thighs. I would recommend that you test this using my hormone testing at home.
Here you can find out more about estrogen dominance, weight gain and obesity.

Remove the Thinking

Some sources estimate we make 35,000 decisions a day. We make A LOT of decisions, regardless of the number. Many times, when it comes to eating, it is an emotional decision or your brain will tell you that you really want something you may not want. Meal planning is effective because it removes a lot of the thought process.

Harvard as well as Mayo Clinic have both emphasized the importance of meal planning for your waistline, wallet, and stress levels.

Check in with Your Emotions

Cravings for food are emotional. Who hasn’t eaten a sweet when they were feeling down, stressed or tired? I’m sure I have. You can stop emotional eating by following my 7-step process. The most important thing is to be aware and understand that eating a sweet will not help you after the first minute. After one minute you’ll feel worse.

Get 6 Servings of Veggies

Last but not least, instead of focusing on the things you shouldn’t eat, try to focus on eating more green vegetables (or any other colour for that matter). Would you be able to eat six servings of vegetables a day? Our meal plan will make you eat WAY more vegetables than you are used to.

Increased consumption of vegetables has a number of benefits: