Well, its February and Xmas seems a long and distant memory. We still want to lose the weight and have that model like body. Except we didn’t start out with one, so it’s going to take a lot more work to get there!!
Gym memberships go up in January but people have often given up before the end of February and yet still continue to pay their subscription. This is definitely an example of doing the exact same thing and expecting a different result. So, before you start on your weight loss journey, you need to change your mindset first. This is a lifestyle change for the long haul. It’s taken you, probably years to attain the body you already have, so making a noticeable and sustainable weight loss is not going to happen quickly. A few tweaks in how you view things, why you want to lose weight and the life you see beyond it, will help you when those cravings kick in.
SO WHAT CAN WE DO TO CHANGE OUR MINDSET?
Firstly, we need to control our stress hormones, in particular cortisol. When we are chronically stressed and cortisol remains high, it causes us to store fat. Historically, this chemical is telling your body it’s famine. Therefore, it will hang on to as much fat as possible. However, modern life and stresses can trigger this hormone whilst being stuck in a traffic jam, running late for work or emotional stress. If we can reduce our stress and keep our hormones on an even keel, then weight loss will naturally result, because the body no longer feels it needs to hang on to unnecessary weight.
NEXT FOLLOW THESE TOP TEN WEIGHT LOSS STEPS.
- Start the day with a glass of water to break the ‘fast’. Your body has gone over 8 hrs without a drink. If you can pop a squeeze of lemon, you are helping your liver too!
- Take time to relax every day, even if it’s only 5 mins. Deep breathing relaxes you and takes you away from the fight or flight response( high adrenaline & cortisol) and back into rest and repair. When the stress starts to build, take a break and concentrate on slowing your breath down. Try 3-4-5 breathing. In for a count of 3 hold for 4 and out for 5.
- Get a good night sleep. Not sleeping properly will keep your cortisol hormone high and this is the fat storing hormone. Aim for at least 8hrs a night, the hours before midnight really do count. Try going to bed half an hour earlier than normal for 1 week and see how you feel.
- Sit down to eat your food, at the table, no mobile phones, no TV on. If we eat mindfully and chew our food, our digestion will thank us for it. Remember, your stomach has no teeth!! You will also statistically eat less and enjoy your food.
- Always have breakfast. You can make healthy options to eat on the go, like smoothies etc if you are pushed for time.
- If you are reaching for the biscuit tin by 10am then up the protein levels in your breakfast. Eggs are always a good option.
- Try to eat all your meals within a 12hr window
- Don’t eat late at night as it will disturb your sleep, the food will be slower to be processed and lead to weight gain.
- Don’t beat yourself up if you have a bad day. Just start afresh the next day. When you learnt to walk or ride a bike as a child, it took focused action but you didn’t give up when it got tricky.
- Lastly, NO JUNK FOOD IN THE HOUSE! Why make it harder for yourself? If it’s not there, you can’t be tempted.
Check out my Nutrition Coaching page of this site to find out how correcting the gut microbiome can impact your weight loss and overall health.
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