Wishing vs. Committing: Weight-Loss and Wellness Sabotage

    Most all of us are familiar with the reality of knowing we need to eat better, maybe shed some extra pounds, or worse, lower our cholesterol and blood pressure levels. We can pass by the mirror with a shrug, or push those once new jeans further and further to the side of the closet where “things used to fit and should again soon”, while days, weeks, months, and maybe more pass us by without any improvement towards where we know we should be heading. It’s easier to delay change, especially when we don’t exactly know how or take the time to make a plan with a commitment to execute it.
    The point of this posting is to help the majority of people that at least recognize and will admit to themselves they know they want to make positive changes to their health and the way they look and feel, but for some reason can’t seem to get past the “tomorrow” game that is so easy to play with ourselves.

    You see, I’m speaking from experience, and not just in relation to health and fitness, but in many aspects of my own life when faced with things I didn’t fully understand, feel comfortable with, or flat out didn’t want to do; even when I knew I needed to. Deep down, we all know we should, wish we would, but don’t always know we could, make lifestyle changes to better our health and start making the efforts it takes to achieve these changes. The magic ingredient is a simple concept that scares many people but once it is truly decided becomes the foundation of great accomplishments. We’re talking Commitment; Real Commitment. Not the kind where you might keep telling people you’re doing all you can, but nothing is working, commitment. But rather, the kind that comes with realistic goals, timeframes, and specific outcomes.

    Commitment to improve does not necessarily require drastic changes, complicated programs, and impossible lifestyle changes. That misconception is what scares many people away from the commitment to improve. Small changes lead to better results, which leads to a sense of accomplishment, which leads to motivation, which eventually leads to personal desire to continue setting bigger goals and reaching them out of heightened confidence, well-being, and the amazing feeling of self-accomplishment. 
                                                                    

    If you’re not sure where or how to get started, I’m the Fitness Nutrition Consultant at New Body Now and I’d be thrilled to talk with you about a simple plan to getting started towards identifying and reaching your goals. If the words I am saying is talking to you and you are committed, or at least close to committed, contact me today and let’s find and easy and sensible path towards progress.

    There is no fee for an initial consultation and no pressure to commit to anything beyond. I know it’s hard enough just to make the call.

To contact us, visit our homepage for New Body Now and you can call or text us at the number listed there:

We don’t promote crash diets or fad diets that come and go with hype and big promises because though they often will help you lose weight fast, they are often unsafe and extremely hard on your body.  Not to mention, those who follow these fads will likely put the pounds right back on as extreme diets are not a realistic lifestyle.  So, our advice is to continue educating yourself on how to eat smart, live an active lifestyle, and exercise regularly. 

Here are 7 tricks that will help you shave pounds during your journey to a healthier and happier lifestyle.

1)      DROP THE PROCESSED AND PACKAGED FOODS

Meals already prepared and packaged can often be overloaded with carbs, sugars and other hidden ingredients.  If you look at the ingredients list on a packaged food and it includes numbers as part of their name you should probably put it down because the food is likely full of fat and preservatives.  If you don’t know what you’re eating, you’re probably going to struggle losing weight.

2)      NOT JUST A SALAD FOR LUNCH

A plain salad with a few salad veggies is probably not going to be sufficient ingredients for success with weight loss.  Yes, it’s ultra-low carb and light on fat and calories without dressing, but it may be too light to help you mentally and physically maintain good control and make good eating choices later in the day.  This is because of the hunger hormone ghrelin, which signals the brain that the body needs to eat for more energy.  To help curb the production of ghrelin, add some fruit or half of a whole grain turkey sandwich with no cheese and honey mustard dressing with that super healthy salad.  It will help you later in the day and result in more weight loss long-term.

3)      SLEEP WELL; SLEEP PLENTY

Sufficient sleep every night is so very important for too many reasons to list.  In the context of weight-loss and weight management, too little sleep can also increase the production of ghrelin causing you to feel overly hungry.  Studies have shown that people who sleep less than 5 hours per night have a 73 percent chance of becoming obese.  That drops to about 27 percent getting 5-6 hours per night.  Seven to eight (7-8) hours per night is what your body needs to fully recover from the prior days’ activities.  Get the sleep you need; it feels great.

4)      GET BUSY BEFORE BREAKFAST

However you need to.  The best time for an aerobic workout is first thing in the morning when insulin levels should be at their lowest; meaning the energy you use for exercise must come from stored fat.   

5)      AVOID OVERKILL ON WORKOUT SESSIONS

Prolonged sessions of exercise (typically 45 minutes or longer) can increase the production of a stress hormone called cortisol.  Excess cortisol can cause the body to store more fat.  One way to avoid this and help your body burn even more fat is to break a 60-minute exercise session into two (2) 30-minute sessions in a day.

6)      N.E.A.T. (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis)

Lack of activity throughout the day such as sitting behind a desk at work can have prolonged adverse effects that can’t always be compensated for later that day at the gym.  Try fitting some NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) activities into the daily routine such as a brisk walk during a lunch break can help elevate your metabolism during the more sedentary parts of the day and actually burn more fat and calories throughout the day.

7)      CYCLING FOOD INTAKE

Another way to trick the body into letting go of and burning more stored fat is to cycle the intake of calories over a 3-day period.  The way to do this is if a person’s target calorie intake is 1,500 per day, they would eat 1,200 calories on Monday, then on Tuesday they would eat 1,500 calories, and on Wednesday they would eat 1,800 calories.  On Thursday the cycle would begin again.  This constant change in calorie intake helps trick the body out of starvation mode and allows it to burn more stored fat.

 A recent Woman’s Health article listed the 15 best foods for fat-burning that helps build/maintain muscle, burn fat and burn calories.  I wanted to pass this great information on to our clients and readers as these are great staples and snacks to add to or replace the daily menu.  Remember; always consider your total calorie intake and portion control when planning your meals and snacks.

1)      Almonds and other nuts –High in protein and healthy fats, these foods will build muscle and reduce cravings for other less healthy foods.  In addition, almonds in particular, provide nutrients for the brain, help to regulate cholesterol, are good for the heart, good for skin, help regulate blood pressure, helps to prevent some cancers and diabetes, good in pregnancy, and also boosts energy.

2)      Dairy products (fat-free or low-fat milk, yogurt, cheese)-High In protein and calcium to build muscle and strong bones which will contribute to weight loss. 

3)      Eggs –A low-cost quality source of protein, eggs help build muscle which in turn will promote fat-loss.  Egg yolks are also rich in choline, which is important for cellular function and supports brain health.

4)      Turkey and other lean meats –High in protein to build muscle and also strengthen the immune system.  Being low fat and sodium, turkey breast has no carbs and no fiber, making it nearly pure protein making it a great fat-burning food.

5)      Berries –Improves satiety helping to control cravings throughout the day.  A mixture of different berries in the diet provides high nutrient, low calorie snacks between meals.

6)      Enova oil (soy and canola oil) –Helping to keep you feeling full longer, these oils do not easily become stored fat.

7)      Peanut butter –Boosts testosterone (which is good even for women) and is a good source of protein which again builds muscle and promotes fat-loss.

8)      Fatty fish (such as salmon, tuna, mackerel) –Contains healthy fats for the body and are also a great source of protein.  In turn, the fats help you feel full and the protein triggers fat-burning.

9)      Grapefruit –Helps regulate blood sugar and metabolism while lowering insulin levels.

10)   Green tea –The benefits of green tea are undeniable and plentiful in boosting overall health and supplying the body with an abundance of antioxidants.  However, green tea also boosts metabolism in turn cranking up fat-burning and weight loss.

11)   Chili peppers –Fires up metabolism and fat-burning.

12)   Spinach and green vegetables –Great source of nutrients which fight free radicals and improves recovery from exercise.

13)   Whole grains (quinoa, brown rice, whole grain cereal) –In smaller portions these grains help prevent the body from storing fat.

14)   Beans and legumes –Helps to regulate digestion while building muscle and burning fat.

15)   Whey protein –Helps build muscle and increases fat-burning.

With all the medical warnings about excessive consumption of sodium, it amazes me how so many people continue to look the other way and keep eating foods completely overloaded with salt.  The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting sodium to less than 2,300 mg a day.  That recommended sodium intake level drops even further to 1,500 mg if you’re 51 years or older, have high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease.  Unfortunately, according to the Mayo Clinic, Americans consume on average 3,400 mg of salt per day; way more than your body could thank you for.

A small amount of salt daily is crucial to the body ensuring the proper balance of fluid levels.  The kidneys process the salt and excrete excess amounts in urine.  Too much salt overloads the kidneys and results in the sodium accumulating in the bloodstream.  Because salt attracts and retains water, this causes the blood volume to expand throughout the body forcing the heart to work harder pumping the blood.  Not a great way to love your body.

If anyone’s wondering where all of this salt is coming from, look no further than all the favorite foods Americans cherish each day as our waistlines expand beyond the point of embarrassment.  Processed foods that you bring into your home along with all those tasty saturated meals prepared at a restaurant are the primary culprits attacking your heart and your health.  Need I even say, if you’re grabbing the salt shaker to add to this dilemma, this could be likened to slow-motion suicide.  Sodium is also found naturally in many foods such as milk, meat and shellfish.  These natural sources of sodium will add up to typically healthy amounts throughout the course of a day when consumed in limited amounts.

To give you an idea of how much sodium is packed into foods we eat every day, here is a sample list (keep in mind the daily recommended level is less than 2,300 mg):

1)      One teaspoon of table salt = 2,300 mg

2)      One cup of vegetable juice = 650 mg

3)      One cup of canned cream-style corn = 720 mg

4)      One cup of canned chicken noodle soup = 866 mg

5)      One cup of spaghetti  sauce = 1,050 mg

6)      One ounce of dry-roasted, salted peanuts = 230 mg  (now who eats just one ounce of peanuts at a serving?)

7)      Top Ramen Oriental Noodles (1 pack) = 1,600 mg

Ready to put the salt analyzer on some popular restaurant menu items?  Take a look at this:

1)      Arby’s Regular Curly Fries = 1,476 mg

2)      McDonald’s Quarter Pounder w/cheese = 1,190 mg

3)      Jack in the Box’s Bacon Ultimate Cheeseburger = 2,040 mg

4)      McDonald’s Chicken Selects Premium Strips (5 piece) = 1,550 mg

5)      McDonald’s Egg McMuffin = 820 mg

6)      One slice of peperoni pizza from Pizza Hut = 680 mg

7)      Two World Famous Fish Taco from Rubio’s = 860 mg

8)      Lunch portion Almond and Cashew Chicken at PF Chang’s = 4,170 mg (no kidding, says two servings, so if you only ate half the plate it would be 2,085 mg)

Bottom line is it’s best to prepare your own meals and be aware of the nutritional values of the foods you eat.  Be cautious when trying to search out lower fat foods as this often results in higher sodium content.  The flavor of sodium becomes a craving for the body so as it is reduced you will eventually become used to the flavors of the actual foods you are eating. 

As the late, great Jack Lalane said, “If it tastes good, spit it out!”

Good health, fitness and happiness overlap each other and contribute to one another in ways most people fail to realize.  To achieve overall better health and maximize the potential of the human body, there must be physiological harmony within the body.  The three critical factors to finding this harmony and balance are through a good nutritional meal plan, regular exercise and living an active lifestyle.  The results are a healthier body composition, increased energy, the ability to perform better both mentally and physically, and better overall health leading to a potential increase in lifespan and quality of life. 

It all sounds pretty basic, yet, it poses such difficult challenges for so many people leaving them uncertain as to how they are not as healthy as they want to be, and discouraged as to what to do next.  Education is the first key to making changes that will get positive results.  In many cases, people believe they are doing all they should be doing to live a fit and active lifestyle but are confused as to why the scale and mirror doesn’t reflect all of their good faith efforts.  Truth is, if the results aren’t meeting expectations, it is almost certainly one of two reasons.  Either someone has a great plan and is simply not executing it, or, it’s not a very good plan.

New Body Now is moving beyond just body wrap and detox treatments.  We want to help our clients and members realize the health and fitness levels they’ve been only dreaming of.  We’ll do this in a number of ways and starting this blog is one of them.  We hope to educate and shed light on topics that may be of interest to people hoping to change for the better.  Check back regularly for new posts on topics that can help you make realistic and safe lifestyle changes.  We welcome your feedback and thanks for visiting us.