Getting Healthy vs. Losing Weight
When working with clients who are on a journey to overall mind+body wellness, one of my key points is making sure they understand the difference between “getting healthy” vs “losing weight”. Do they go hand in hand? Sometimes. Yes, often times, it’s likely that you will lose weight when you focus on getting healthy. However, the most important thing to remember when it comes to being healthy, is that this is a lifestyle, NOT a diet!
A diet often means eating less than your resting metabolic rate, which means your body will instantly perceive that it’s in danger. This triggers the alarm system that protects you from starvation and in turn, actually slows your metabolism. Your body’s internal computer system will go into starvation mode and eat until you inevitably stop the diet — the classic rebound weight gain.
Ditching the diet mentality becomes crucial if you want to lose weight! You're embarking on a healthier lifestyle, NOT a diet! A few things to remember when working towards a healthier lifestyle:
1. Cut out the processed foods
Eating as many real, whole foods in your diet as possible becomes your best strategy to get healthy, lose weight and keep it off. Make a switch to whole, real unprocessed foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, olive oil, organic, range, or grass-fed animal products (poultry, lamb, beef, pork, eggs), and wild, smaller fish such as salmon. If you need a little help with choosing the right foods, check out the FREE resource library on the site - you’ll find downloadable worksheets which you can keep handy around the house!
2. Don’t skip out on breakfast
Skipping breakfast means you're technically starving your body, and throughout the day you eat much more food than you need to feel full. To optimize health and curb the cravings, you need breakfast to spread out your food intake, and kickstart your metabolism. From there on, you can take in smaller, lighter meals and feel full.
3. Mindful eating
Stress hormones actually slow the metabolism and promote belly fat storage. It’s important to check in with yourself when a craving hits, and really discern if you’re actually hungry, or is it possible that you’re acting out of emotion? Also, be mindful that it takes 20 minutes for the stomach to signal to us that it’s full - so eating too quickly can trigger overeating.
4. Get sufficient sleep
Try to get eight hours of quality, uninterrupted sleep every night. Believe me, with a little one, and another on the way, I KNOW this isn’t always possible! In the beginning, shoot for six full hours, and try to work your way up from there, adjusting your schedule accordingly. You'll become less prone to cravings and normalize fat-regulating hormones.
5. Get your body moving, and make it enjoyable!
The right exercise and physical activity can help you lose weight, and maintain weight loss! This can be something as simple as 30 minutes of walking every day, or even every other day to start. The point is, you don’t have to be a CrossFit fanatic, or train for the next Iron Man, find what works for you! Swimming is also a great form of cardio - whatever you do, make it fun and you'll be more likely to stick with it. The point is to get your body moving!
What are your thoughts on losing weight vs. getting healthy? If you found this info valuable, I’d love for you to share it with a friend!
xoxo,
Lindsay