Weight. A topic of discussion I am now able to share. From a historical struggle in the college era, to body confidence and weight management on autopilot. The physical and psychological framework I use to manage my weight.
Weight loss tips:
- Drink 16oz of water before every meal
- Drink at least 64 oz of water per day
- Only drink water or coffee/tea- zero calorie beverage
- Use a small plate for eating rather than a large dinner plate to control portions
- Eat small portions and go back for more- your body and mind think they have had more
- Eat real food- food that comes from the produce asile of the grocery store
- Eat foods as minimally processed as possible
- Essentially everything from a vending machine will make you gain weight - so just avoid
- Focus on getting at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetable per day. Ideally 10 different fruits and vegetables to build a healthy gut microbiome
- Eat the vegetables on your plate first- this creates a fibrous meshwork and slows the rate of absorption of sugar
- Eat a savory breakfast- If you eat sugar in the am you will want it all day long
- Fried food and sugary foods are the main dietary culprits for heart disease - so definitely avoid fried foods and sugary foods
- Avoid anything with > 10g of sugar - stimulates appetite
- Sugar is the BIGGEST thing to avoid
- Eat only 10/10 desserts- not 6/10- eat high quality foods that are worth it
- If you do have dessert or snacks, don’t try to eat more healthy foods to make up for it (that just adds more calories to your day)
- If you end of eating more of something than you planned to- just acknowledge it and let it go
- All or nothing thinking - ex: “I either followed my plan or failed the plan” can make us feel defeated so then we keep eating. Instead, just acknowledge that you had more than you wanted to- own what happened, STOP eating, and move on
- Your brain thinks of things in the positive so if you think “don’t eat…” your brain understands “eat…”- so become busy and distract yourself from constantly thinking about food- eventually what you are eating and your healthy food choices will be on autopilot and it doesn’t need to be such a mental priority and given so much energy
- Eat foods with fiber, protein and fat- lentils, quinoa, nuts, vegetables
- Do short strength training exercises - push ups/one minute work out, walking (in fat burning zone- hr 90-120bpm). Does not stimulate appetite and builds muscle
- Move for at least 5 minutes every hour- if you're at a desk you could do some total body strengthening exercises like a squat press (with or without weights), go up and down the stairs a few times, take a walk
- Understand what your eating triggers are (ex procrastination)
- Focus on what you have to do that day rather than thinking about eating and what you should eat
- If you’re out and about/on the go- make decisions about eating before you’re at the restaurant this will help to make good choices- choose vegetables, whole grains, fats and protein (avoid sugary foods and fried foods)
- Remember- fat doesn’t make you gain weight, sugar does
- Make rules for yourself (ex never eat food at work that other people bring in)
- Salad dressing- balsamic vinegar
- Remember that you have tried almost all of the foods you will encounter before and you already know what it tastes like so you don’t have to have it again unless you choose to
- Time restricted eating- 10-11 hrs. Ex. Eat breakfast ~7am and dinner around 5/6pm then done eating for the day
- Plan to eat 3 meals per day and only snack in between if you really feel you need something to eat. If you do snack, choose something like unsalted mixed nuts and water, or a piece of fruit
- Eat fresh vegetables, whole grains, unsaturated fats and protein - organic and non-GMO (organic to avoid pesticides and chemicals like glyphosate and non-GMO because genetically modified foods are nutrient poor)
- Walk as often as you can
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