6 Steps to Balance your Life to Reach your Weight Goals

Do you want to get your weight down? Dreading the thought of another diet? You don’t have to follow diets to manage your weight. There are many people discovering this for themselves and they are finding long term weight loss opposed to short term fixes. The key to weight loss

is finding the right balance of what you eat, what you think, and what activity you do. It is not about following a perfect plan. It is impossible to be perfect every day! Finding the right balance helps you to decrease your calorie intake, increase your metabolism and keeps the self-sabotage at bay. Here are 6 steps to bring more balance into all corners of your life so you too can find weight loss success.

1.  Portion Sizes

We hear this message a lot but, the reality is appropriate portion sizes are still quite misunderstood. Most Americans are eating 2-3 times the recommended portion sizes. Keep this in mind when eating out. Eat half of the food on your plate, if the portions are large- take the rest home for lunch the next day. Studies show that when people are given large portion sizes, they eat up to 56% more calories without realizing it. To add insult to injury, our portion sizes are larger than they have ever been. Start being more aware of the portions you are served wherever you are.

2.  Eat the right fats

Yes some fat is important. Omega 3 fatty acids are an important strategy for weight loss success and yet most Americans are not eating enough of these healthy fats. Some reports show these fatty acids may be helpful in increasing your metabolism. It also is shown to be a wonderful mood supporter and people report significantly less food cravings and triggers to eat when they incorporate omega 3 fatty acids on a daily basis. This is especially important for any emotional eaters out there. Omega 3’s are found in fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, cod; they are also found in canola oil, walnuts, and ground flax seeds.

3.  Eat when you’re hungry, Stop when you’re full

Our bodies have an innate weight management mechanism. It performs this task by making us feel full when it is time to stop eating. Unfortunately, many people ignore this internal cue. Every time you eat past full you are taking in more calories than your body needs which will result in weight gain. Start to become more aware of your internal cues for hunger and satiety (fullness). You will be amazed how many times you wait too long to eat and how often you eat past full and enter into stuffed. It’s common for all of us to do this from time to time. However, it’s time to check in with yourself and see how often you are falling into these food patterns. Listen to your body, it will tell you when you are physically ready for food and when you are ready to stop.

4.  Exercise regularly

I know, this isn’t anything you haven’t heard before but is a crucial part of weight management. It is important to engage in regular aerobic and weight bearing activity. The aerobic exercise helps you to burn the fat and weight bearing activity increases your metabolic rate. Muscle burns up to 90% more calories than fat. The more muscle mass you have, the more calories you will burn in a day. By adding three to five pounds of muscle you could actually burn 100 - 250 additional calories a day. This combination of aerobic and weight bearing activity is what really kicks weight loss into gear.

5.  Limit Sugar

Sugar becomes a major issue for many people wanting to lose weight. Not only does it add calories, it also causes insulin spikes leading you to store more calories as fat, it stimulates your appetite, and is a major food trigger for emotional eaters. However, it doesn’t mean we need to go all or nothing. When people try to omit all sugar from their diet they can become obsessed about sugary foods and end up in a binge. Find the right balance for sugar. Avoid daily use of sugar and instead have some guiltless treats once in awhile. A little cake at a birthday party or some ice-cream with friends is a good way to incorporate sugar once in awhile to avoid the negative outcomes.

6.  Pamper yourself regularly

Who wants to argue with that?! The reality is many people eat for emotional reasons. Food makes us feel good on many levels or helps us to "tune out" so we don't have to feel at all. The problem occurs when eating becomes the only coping mechanism your subconscious knows. This is why that pesky urge to emotionally eat is so strong. It is hard to reason your way out of it. When you start to do other things that make you feel good on a regular basis such as taking a hot bath, going for a walk, having a hot cup of tea; then your subconscious starts to register these activities as coping mechanisms as well. Over time this will decrease the constant urge to use food. You can’t expect to have a bad day, go take a bath and not have an urge to eat. It is something you need to do regularly and something you truly enjoy so your subconscious starts to recognize it as a new choice.

(c) 2006, Meri Raffetto

Often times it is unclear how to make changes, or it feels like it is difficult getting started. We would love to help you get the information and professional advice regarding your unique situation and help you step into change with weekly support and coaching from your own Registered Dietitian. We are committed to your success!

Learn more about how our programs can help you reach your weight goals.