Healthy Weight Through Eating Well and Exercising Regularly

 

Do you feel bombarded with so much information about what you should and shouldn’t eat? What is good food, bad food, nutrient dense food, empty food, and whole food?

It can be a minefield to try and navigate through all of this information and then try and decide what is real, and what is just hype.

On top of all that are the fad diets: lose 10kg in two weeks, eat this one food and see amazing results. It worked for this person so it should work for you too!

 

Many of these posts you see are well meaning from people who have achieved amazing results. But you need to remember one very important fact before you jump on board, and try a new ‘diet’ or eating program.

 

What works for one person will probably not work for another in the same way.

 

Every body is different, everybody’s living environment, daily stresses, economic circumstances, mental state, access to good food, daily activity levels, family dynamics and a multitude of other factors will influence how that eating program works for them.

Do you have food allergies or intolerances, are you on medications that can interfere with your bodies ability to process food, do you have access to the same foods as the eating program you are looking at and are they affordable for you? All of these things will influence whether or not that program will work for you. Is it sustainable so that you can eat that way full time not just for a few weeks? This is often the crux of the matter, because if you can’t stick to it for just a few weeks, then it is probably not realistic to expect that you can live that way permanently.

 

The magic equation

Do you still hear about the “magic” equation that is used constantly in the fitness industry, that if you reduce your caloric intake by x calories each day and exercise to burn more calories you will lose x kilos each week?  Guaranteed!!

If you don’t achieve the goal that is set either by yourself or your trainer then you have done something wrong, you have ’fallen off the wagon’, so it is your fault that you didn’t meet your goal! You failed!!

Firstly, what wagon, where did it come from and when did you get on it anyway? This approach to weight loss is very simplistic and depends on so many factors, but most importantly your mental state. You can do all the exercises, eat all the good food and still not lose any weight no matter how hard you try if you don’t believe you can lose weight.

You will be self sabotaging without realizing it, because you simply don’t believe that you can lose that weight, so you set yourself up to fail before you start.

I’m sure many of us have been down that path. Constantly beating yourself up for failing yet again! It is highly unrealistic to expect that by reducing a set number of calories in one week and matching that with an increased caloric output of equal value that the kilos will magically fall off! Really…….

Then why hasn’t it worked for all of us, it works on paper, so why not in real life?

Again, because every body is different, everybody’s circumstances are different, and quite simply most of the time it just doesn’t work. Life just doesn’t work that way, it is not an equation.

Everyday is different, your body functions differently each day depending on what your external environment is, your food intake, your energy expenditure and a multitude of other factors.

 

So, what can you do?

Time for change

It is time to change our thinking about weight loss, body image and the obsession with Abs. So much of the fitness and weight loss industry focuses only on how your abs look. You only need to look at the covers of fitness magazines to see the obsession at its worst. Almost naked bodies all showing off airbrushed abs that look totally unreal. Surely the rest of your body is important too. Are we judged as individuals based on what size and shape our abs are?

Surely strong shoulders, arms, legs, hips, backs and core muscles are more important in the daily functioning of your body rather than flat abs. Sure, a belly that is covered in multiple layers of fat is not healthy, but it is the health aspect you need to focus on not the aesthetics.

Your body should be a well oiled machine that is strong all over, is given good quality food the majority of the time and is exercised regularly to achieve good mobility, flexibility,balance, cardiovascular health and strength well into your 80’s and 90’s.

 

• Experiment with food, find out what works for your body. Listen to your body, it will tell you when it doesn’t like what you are giving it. Bloating, windy, gassy, swollen limbs, depressed, little aches and pains, arthritis, inflammation, reduced immune system, poor sleep quality, and constantly unwell. These are all signs that your body is saying that it is not being looked after properly. It wants better quality food. Less of foods that make it feel bad and more of the healthy nutrient laden fruit, veggies, nuts, seeds, legumes, pulses and healthy whole grains. Dairy if you are able to tolerate it, alternatives if necessary, and eggs.  Enough hydration from food sources as well as by drinking water; plenty of Vitamin D, calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamins, and minerals, most of which can be found in food. What you don’t get enough of from food; you can get from a good quality supplement.
• Exercise every day This could be as simple as going for a walk for 30 minutes in the sunshine, doing some gardening, walking to the supermarket, playing with your pet, going for a swim.
• Add at least one or two class a week of strength training, balance and core work to keep your body balanced and strong.
• Eat only when you are hungry, and stop when you are full. Don’t keep sugary snacks in the house and then you are not tempted to eat them mindlessly. Eat good quality protein that is lean. Don’t overdo the red meat, and eat plenty of oily fish. Try to cut back on added sugar and refined carbs such as cakes, biscuits, sweets, soda and sugary drinks.
• Eat well 80% of the time and be consistent. Avoid going on diets, simply change to a healthier way of eating permanently.
• Enjoy some indulgences, just not every day.
• Watch portion size, and make sure half of your plate is always veggies. Split the rest between good protein and healthy carbs such as quinoa, brown rice, wholemeal pasta and healthy grains.

 

Enjoy life, keep a positive attitude and keep moving

 

A good tip to know if a food is right for you is to keep a food journal for a while. Record what you eat and how your body feels after eating that food for a while. You may start to notice patterns when you only eat a particular food sometimes. Note how you feel mentally as well, as food affects your mental state too.

Try to avoid using weight as an indicator of health and look at how your clothes fit, how you feel physically, what are your energy levels like, are you tired, are you happy or depressed etc.

Most of all, take the focus off weight, your abs and how you ‘should’ look according to some unknown ‘they’, and start to appreciate the fact that your body is strong, flexible, healthy; takes you everywhere each day, lets you play with the children, grandchildren, your pets and gives you good quality sleep each night.

Greet each day with a positive mindset and give thanks for good health!

 

 

 

Looking for an exercise class that will provide strength training, balance, core strength, cardio health and gentle Pilates?

Try Momentum Fitness for a fun social challenging class.