There is no quick fix to losing those unwanted pounds and keeping them off. It takes time, effort and commitment - despite what all the glossy ads may say. If you are serious about looking and feeling your best, then it’s time to stop outsourcing your health decisions and start trusting your body… owning your health. The following six strategies will help you succeed not only in pounds lost but also in overall health gained.
- Discover Your Why-Be clear about why you want to lose weight. This will serve as your inspiration and motivation. Studies show that people motivated by health and fitness versus appearance, are more likely to keep up with their weight loss efforts over time. Losing weight will have a profound impact on your overall health allowing you to to feel better, look amazing and be able to enjoy life to its fullest.
- Set Specific Goals-Set the right goals, not broad , general goals but targeted realist goals. For example - I want to decrease my body fat percentage by 5% and want to reach this goal by April 1st. Setting specific goals can help you stay on track and set you up for success.
- Track Progress and Adjust-I am a huge fan of the InBody scan that breaks your weight down into fat, muscle and water - giving you a more insightful look at your weight. The InBody scan helps you focus on body recomposition rather than just weight loss - losing fat while maintaining and building muscle. The InBody also tracks your progress keeping you motivated and informed.
- Balance Blood Sugar-You can’t burn fat when your insulin levels are high and that is why it is so important to balance your blood sugar with lifestyle changes. Here are a few suggestions::
- Drink a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in 4oz water 15 min before you eat to improve digestion and stabilize blood sugar.
- Go for a ten min walk after your main meal to help with digestion and clear blood sugar.
- Avoid sugars and carb and add more high quality protein to your meals.
- Incorporate intermittent fasting - after a period of time without food, your body starts burning fat for energy instead of sugar.
- Reduce and manage stress as cortisol, your stress hormone, makes your cells less sensitive to insulin, preventing the lowering of blood sugar.
- Use supplements like Berberine, GLP1 probiotics and Chromium to help balance blood sugar
- Move Every Day-Exercise lowers blood sugar, so find a way to move every day. Join an exercise class, work out with friends to keep you consistent and engaged. Resistance training in addition to cardio will help preserve and build muscle mass. Exercise is also a great way to reduce stress.
- Prioritize Sleep-Sleep is like a reset button and vital to your health and wellbeing. Studies show that sleep deprivation, even for a night, can reduce insulin sensitivity. A good night’s sleep is vital for optimizing blood glucose levels. Make sure you remove blue light sources like your phone and television a half hour before going to bed and don’t charge your phone near your bed. Take Magnesium glycinate before bed to relax and calm you.
Take Away
Instead of broadly focusing on weight loss, a better, more sustainable strategy should be improving your body composition - losing fat and gaining muscle. It is a more targeted goal that can be measured and tracked. And when you are tracking your progress you are more likely to stay engaged and motivated with greater success in reaching your goals.
Adopting lifestyle changes to help balance blood sugar are a less costly, more natural and a healthier alternative to long term fat loss than medications.
Eat healthy, fast intermittently, move more, manage stress and prioritize sleep. This is your life - if you want change, then you have to be that change. OWN YOUR HEALTH.
Reference:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5111772/
https://www.jmir.org/2023/1/e43869/
Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2014 Sep 1.
Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. 2013 Sep;42(3):617–634. doi: 10.1016/j.ecl.2013.05.001