Weight loss: a holistic approach
This post is for you if you’ve been struggling to lose weight or are in a chronic cycle of trying to lose weight, plateauing, or even regaining old weight. You are not alone and there IS something you can do about it!
As a Clinical Nutritionist and Certified Nutrition Specialist, I see people daily that have been struggling to lose weight and keep it off. Most people come to my office with the same complaint; they’ve been “doing everything right” but always end up plateauing at a certain weight. When we explore further, we often find that they’ve been restricting calories and expect weight to come off since they’re eating less. This would make sense if calories in vs calories out was a valid approach, but there are other biological defense mechanisms at play. Your body views weight loss as a negative thing. Think about it from an evolutionary standpoint; our ancestors had to find food if they wanted to eat. The cells of your body start to think: if I’m eating less food, it must be because I cannot find food - so let’s just decrease the amount of food we need to survive by slowing down our metabolism to keep us alive! It’s a vicious cycle that can seem impossible to overcome. Fear not, you just need to approach weight loss from a different perspective.
It’s important to approach weight loss from a holistic point of view; one dietary or lifestyle improvement is likely not going to be THE game changer. Things that you should assess about yourself are:
Gut health
Do you have daily bowel movements? Drinking enough water and eating fiber can help.
Are you eating probiotics regularly? Things like yogurt, kefir, and fermented veggies are great sources. If you struggle with dairy or don’t like fermented foods, a supplement would benefit you. Try this one!
Do you consume enough fiber daily? Many people struggle in this area. You’ll find some high-fiber foods listed later in this post.
Do you consume too many pro-inflammatory foods / eat enough anti-inflammatory foods?
If getting enough fiber or anti-inflammatory foods seems stressful, let’s chat about ways you can incorporate them in an easy and delicious way!
Mental Wellness
STRESS! If you are under chronic stress, your body will have a harder time losing weight due to several mechanisms including disruptions in sleep, cortisol, hormonal imbalances, less energy for beneficial movement, loss of insulin sensitivity and may result in emotional eating or sporadic eating patterns.
Stress, anxiety, and depression also have a negative impact on your gut-brain connection. If you feel like stress is impacting your ability to lose weight, I recommend beginning your journey with mindful practices such as yoga, meditation, vagus nerve stimulation or whatever brings you peace on a daily basis.
Sleep
Lack of quality sleep is a stressor on your whole body. Prioritize getting the amount of sleep that leaves you feeling energized without needing that cup of coffee first thing in the morning. If you’re struggling with sleep, consider adding a Magnesium Glycinate supplement to your evening routine. My favorite one is this.
Other things you can do to support healthy sleeping patterns are to explore your sleep hygiene:
Reduce your exposure to screens in the 30-minutes prior to sleep
Avoid bright artificial lights in the evening - utilize dimmers, swap your bulbs for lower-intensity ones, or use a few nightlights
Get a noise machine if you typically wake during the night because of noises like traffic, animals or a partner that snores
Implement a bedtime meditation or breathing exercise
Begin an evening wind-down routine that you look forward to
Movement
It likely goes without saying that in order to lose weight, you need to be getting adequate physical activity. I often ask my clients about movement that makes them feel good. What physical activity feels good for your mind and body? What time of day does exercise feel the best for you? If you’re new to the exercise game, brisk walking is a great way to move your body more and feel results. I also recommend exploring a fitness app that has a wide variety of different exercises to choose from. One of my favorites is Daily Burn (they have a 30 day free trial).
Food
What you put into your body matters as much as how much you consume. Counting calories is not on my to-do list when supporting a person’s relationship with food or weight loss journey. Obsessing over calorie counts is another stress on your body that’s counterintuitive to your goals. The ultimate goal is to work with a nutrition specialist so you can gradually explore what quantities and types of food feel satiating for you.
Macronutrients: Ensure you’re eating protein and fiber with every meal
Protein: Prioritize protein throughout your day and understand how much protein you should be consuming. For weight loss, I recommend eating between 1.0-1.2 grams per kilogram of body weight. For example, a woman who weighs 180 pounds should aim to eat 82-98 grams of protein per day. Adding a quality protein powder like this whey-based protein or this plant-based protein can help you achieve this.
Protein sources: lean cuts of meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, edamame, tempeh, tofu. Beans, legumes, nuts and seeds also contain protein and are great additions to your diet.
Fiber: fiber helps to feed your beneficial gut bacteria and leaves you feeling full for longer. It also helps to improve insulin sensitivity, blood sugar control, cholesterol and blood pressure.
Fiber sources: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans and legumes. Some of my favorite sources of fiber are avocado, berries, kiwi, garbanzo beans, cannellini beans, broccoli, and brussel sprouts. If you struggle to get enough fiber, adding a vegetable side dish to each meal is a great start. You can also try out one of my go-to no-cook meals, Oats Overnight.
Hydration
Drinking enough water is key! Water supports daily elimination of toxins through your natural detoxification processes and bowel movements. You also need water for proper cellular function and absorption of many nutrients.
If you’ve been on a weight loss journey before, I highly recommend working with a qualified professional to explore what areas of your body specifically need more support to get targeted interventions. It can feel overwhelming to sift through the abundance of information regarding weight loss, health and wellness. If you feel like you could use more support and a plan personalized to your needs, I would be happy to work with you! Book a free Meet & Greet call to chat about your goals and book a consultation.
