A Simple Weight Loss Strategy

Undoing the damage from 2020 with a simple weight loss strategy 

Confession time from a Digestive Health Specialist. I’ve gained around 5 pounds over the past few months! Partially from stress eating, overeating, lack of physical activity, and way too much access to delicious food in South Carolina.

We have some of the best chefs in the country here and I was determined to sample every appetizer, entree, and dessert before I leave this earth. However, I realize this may be shortening my life span so I’ll rethink that one. My husband and I moved from the chain restaurant capital of the U.S. (where we rarely dined out due to such poor quality of food) to Charleston- a city that offers some of the finest cuisines in the country. My palette has done a happy dance but my waistline (and gut health) has not.

So what’s my plan? 

First, I need to address each area of issue that contributed to the event just like I do in my holistic health consulting with clients! I need to get to the root causes.  Well, I can blame 2020 as being the year of H-E-double hockey sticks but that’s another excuse and I seem to have plenty of them already.

The Issues

Stress eating and Overeating

Why I am stress eating? Well, now that we are 10 months into the “pandemic” and election debacle, I’m pretty sure most of us were in the same mode. Fortunately, I’m pretty much over the excess worry and trying to control what I can’t control. I’ve given it to God so I can eat when I’m hungry instead of stressed. However, recognize that our emotional stress impacts our physical stress so the cravings are real.

What’s stress doing to our body and how does it impact cravings?

Levels of the stress hormone cortisol, rise during tension-filled times. This can turn your overeating into a habit. Because increased levels of the hormone can cause higher insulin levels, your blood sugar drops and you crave sugary or fatty foods. So, it’s not all in your head! Those poor choices are driven by imbalanced blood sugar.

Lack of physical activity

My husband and I committed to walking every evening even though it will be dark when he arrives home from work. I’ve also committed to getting an extra 15 minutes in on my Max Trainer (a cross between a stair climber and an elliptical)

Since weight-resistance exercise is so important for improving bone density, I’ve committed to strength training three times per week.  You can use weights you have at home as you don’t need extremely heavy weights.

Last, I’m getting a bicycle or should I say Beach Cruiser for Christmas which I’m pretty excited about. My good friend and neighbor have a bicycle so I’ll be asking her to keep me accountable. It’s always more fun getting fit together.

The 3-step plan of action/resolve

How? Stop eating sugar and eat real food. The best way to manage your weight and digestive health is by keeping a Food Journal. Write down everything you eat or drink and the approximate time for at least a week. This creates awareness of the excesses and deficiencies in your diet.

1. Food Journal

Since I request a food journal from my clients, I guess I should start tracking everything that I eat. It’s not about counting calories or points, it’s looking at my excesses and deficiencies.

My journal is also a place to track my physical activity and other healthy habits. I love to bullet journal so each month I create a new page for tracking. It’s a great way to be fun, creative, and colorful with something that may not seem too fun or exciting!

2. Self Talk and Talk to my maker

Self-talk starts and is highly acceptable during this time. Mine may sound something like this. ” I control food.  It doesn’t control me.  I am finished eating for the night.  Sugar harms my body and creates inflammation, and now go brush your teeth before you’re tempted again!”

Or I may ask myself, “are you really hungry or just thirsty?” I’ll grab a glass of water before I open the pantry or refrigerator door.

I’ll also be asking God to help me with discipline and strength. So if you are a prayer warrior, please add me to your list and let me know so I can add you to mine.

3. Celebrate the small successes

I’m going to celebrate making it through each day by consuming whole clean food, exercising, hydrating, and limiting sweets or junk food.  Granted 90% of everything in our home is organic but that organic symbol doesn’t always make the food healthy. It can still contain excess salt, fats, and sugars. If you want to try organic food delivered right to your door, give Misfits Market a try and get a discount.