January begins a new year and most of us will have a few goals we would like to make for 2018. Almost everyone has some form of health improvement on the list.
Losing weight tops the list every year for most people. Almost 70% of Americans are overweight. Additionally, I hope you will adopt a healthy lifestyle to meet your health goals. Why not focus on total health and not just a macro part of it. Total health is called wellness and it is a balance of diet, exercise, stress reduction and spiritual and social happiness.
Every year round the beginning of March something happens. The wellness warrior becomes the wellness whiner. I notice that the gym has fewer people, my classes get thinner and clients and friends begin to avoid me because they don’t want me to know they are off of the new plan. I am glad they feel a sense of accountability to someone. However I never judge anyone. I want to help you!
This year, merge this affirmation into your daily routine as part of your New Years Resolution “I am sticking to the goals I have set, I am not quitting!” Really, doesn’t this make sense? Why put all of this effort into your goals for two or three months and then give up.
Let’s explore how to keep your health and weight loss goals going. I want you to get healthier and lose all the extra weight you have gained and keep it off forever.
1) Set your date to begin your change. Get rid of bad foods in your house. Buy healthy foods for meals and snacks.
2) Tell your friends and family what you are doing. This sets up a level of accountability for you. Ask your friends to urge you or even join you in this new lifestyle.
3) Be realistic about your diet and weight loss goals. Set goals for weight loss in 10 pound increments. The first goals is 10 pounds, the second is 10 pounds. Do you get it? This makes the goal very achievable and builds confidence.
4) You must understand your energy requirements. If you eat to many calories or under consume your calories you will not lose weight. Try to eat 500 to 1000 calories less than you actually need. However never eat less than 1200 calories per day. You can use our daily calorie calculator to help you understand how many calories a day you need to eat. Also, understand that a calorie is a unit measure. A calorie from broccoli has a much different effect than a calorie from a donut. Healthy foods provide nutrients and reduce inflammation while unhealthy foods deplete nutrients from the body and increase inflammation.
5) To lose and keep off significant weight you must exercise. If you have not exercised in a long time start slowly and consult with your doctor. If you can only walk for 10 minutes, then walk for 10 minutes and work your way up to at least 1 hour. You can even break up the walking and exercising into 20 or 30-minute sections and do them multiple times per day. This actually keeps your metabolism burning fat at a higher rate for more hours in the day. This translates to faster weight loss. To lose weight you need to work up to 60 to 90 minutes of vigorous exercise daily, 5 days per week.
6) Never deprive yourself of any food. If you must have that brownie eat just 1 and be happy. The next time you eat, it should be healthy. If you eat healthy 80% of the time it will allow you to indulge or splurge 20% of the time. This will keep you happy and help you lose weight by not bingeing.
7) Never beat yourself up for having an unscheduled indulgence. Look at it as a treat because you have done so well. The next time you eat make healthy choices. Never beat yourself up over it.
8) Eat a lot of plant foods like vegetables, fruits, beans and nuts and seeds. Most are very low in calories and very high in nutrient content. They also have a lot of fiber, which is satisfying and filling. Aim for a minimum of 7 servings of veggies per day. However, limit your fruits to 2 servings per day. They have a lot of sugar in the form of fructose that can interfere with your weight loss.
9) Seriously consider getting grains of all types out of your diet. If not, at least limit your grains to whole grains and then even limit those to no more than 4 servings per day. Grains cause cravings and can raise blood sugar levels. There is a reason they feed grains to livestock. It fattens them up. I don’t think you want marbling in your muscles like a steak has.
10) Get at least 7 hours of sleep daily. Sleep is necessary for the balance of all the bodies thousands of chemicals and compounds such as hormones, enzymes, neurotransmitters, blood cells, immune cells etc.. plus it gives the body time to heal and repair.
11) Make sure you drink plenty of water. Water is necessary to breakdown fat and create cellular energy. The general rule is to consume ½ your weight in fluid ounces of water per day. If you weigh 150 pounds you would need 75 ounces of fluid per day. If you exercise, are ill or sweat a lot you may need more fluid.
I want you to have great success! So, please start planning, get excited about the new body you are going to have, the new health you are going to enjoy, the new clothes you get to buy!
It’s simple; plan, execute, do it, lose it, and keep it off by continuing to live a lifestyle of wellness and healthy.
Healthy Wishes for a new year!
Wally Bishop I.N.H.C.
Integrative Nutrition Health Coach
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We recommend that you do your own independent research before beginning a new lifestyle routine or purchasing anything. Please consult with your physician or health care provider if you have medical issues and before changing your diet or lifestyle or taking herbal or dietary supplements. Never start an exercise program with getting your doctors approval. Never quit taking medications unless advised to do so by your doctor. Only your health care provider, personal physician, or pharmacist can provide you with advice on what is safe and effective for your unique needs.