“Can you help me lose weight?”

As a health coach, the title of this post is usually a prospective client’s #1 question, which makes perfect sense – who doesn’t want to look great in a bathing suit?  Although my answer is usually “yes, I can help you lose weight”, I always make sure I provide plenty of clarification: my methods never involve crash diets or quick fixes.  I’m strongly opposed to loosing weight in these ways, not only because they’re unhealthy but because they simply don’t work. help me lose weight

Study after study has shown that ‘going on a diet’ usually causes people to weigh more than they did to begin with, at least in the long run. So if I don’t believe in calorie counting, low carb, high carb, watermelons, grapefruits or whatever else the fad diet of the week may be, what do I put my stock in?  Read on and find out!

1) Ditch the term ‘diet‘ and start focussing on ‘lifestyle’. If you truly want to loose weight, you need to stop looking for a quick fix, and start thinking about something you can stick to for the rest of your life.  And no, this is not a prescription for no more fun!  What I’m talking about here is a way of eating that is delicious, nourishing and sustainable.  You can finally say bye-bye to counting calories, eating ‘cardboard’ diet products and feeling deprived. Isn’t that something to be happy about? help me lose weight

2) Eat real food – not a science project. Whole vegetables, fruit, meat, fish and grains – these are the foods that have nourished the human body over hundreds of thousands of years. Your body knows what to do with them.  It is much less savvy about dyes, preservatives, artificial sweeteners and many of the other ingredients you find in processed foods.  So if you want to loose weight, do your body a favor and help it function at it’s best – with food that is actually nourishing, not toxic, harmful or confusing.  A good rule of thumb is that if your great-great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize the ingredient, don’t eat it!

3) Mind your munching. Do you eat in front of the TV, at your computer or while you’re multitasking?  If so, STOP!  If you don’t pay attention to the fact that you’re eating, you’re likely to eat more than your fill or go back for more (because it won’t feel like you ate in the first place!) Mindless eating is one of the most common reasons for packing on the pounds.  Don’t do it.  Just don’t.  From now on please promise to give the food you eat – even the smallest of snacks – the courtesy of your full attention. help me lose weight

4) Be more like a 3 year old – ask “why?” To many people, probably most people, food is a huge source of emotional comfort, but the brief (and powerful) gratification of emotional eating usually causes long-term pain.  So next time you find yourself at the fridge, cupboard or pantry, ask yourself “why am I eating?” (you can even put up signs as a reminder to question yourself).  If the answer is anything besides “because I’m hungry”, forego the food and go do something else that will make you happy.

5) Drink to your health (with water). Studies have shown that water can raise your metabolism and help flush out toxins and fat. It also fills you up so that you’re less tempted to overeat.  At a minimum, you should try to have at least one 8oz glass of water before each meal (not with each meal), and if you’re not a fan of plain water, you can spice it up with a dash of lemon juice or add some mint leaves or cucumber (like spa water).  Whatever you do, do not drink soda, coffee or tea and think you’ll be just fine. The caffeine in these beverages is actually a mild diuretic which ends up dehydrating you – the opposite effect of what you really need.

6) There’s nothing sweet about (most) sweeteners. So here’s the deal, we’re all hardwired to like sweet food. In nature, sweet foods are usually very nutritious.  In the supermarket, however, sweet foods will put us on the diabetes fast-track.  I could devote a whole article to sweeteners (and I will) but for now, I’ll give it to you in a nutshell: fruit is the best sweet food to eat; if you really need a sweetener (e.g. in beverages, recipes etc.), try to stick to stevia. Small amounts of raw honey, pure maple syrup and blackstrap molasses are also okay because they contain a good amount of nutrients. Most other sweeteners (including agave syrup, I’m sad to say) have little to no nutritional value and will either spike your blood sugar and insulin levels or potentially give you a host of other unpleasant side effects.  And if you haven’t heard, a study by the University of Texas Health Science Center reported that people who drank 2 diet sodas per day “had a six-times-greater increase in waist circumference at the end of the 10-year study span than those who didn’t drink diet soda at all”!

7) Eat good fats, sparingly. Fat has gotten a bad rap but not all fats are bad.  In fact, good fats are essential.  The trick, when you’re trying to loose weight, is to eat good fats sparingly and to get them from sources like nuts (e.g. 10 almonds), olive oil (a teaspoon) or avocados (1/4 avocado).  When it comes to meat, even a skinless chicken breast contains a significant percentage of fat (including saturated fat). That’s not to say that you shouldn’t eat meat, but be aware of its fat content and try to focus more on eating vegetables.

8. Quality carbs in moderation. Good news! To loose weight, you don’t have to banish carbohydrates from your plate.  Instead, focus on small portions of quality carbohydrates like whole grains, legumes, sweet potatoes and yams. The closer the carb is to it’s natural source (i.e. the less processed it is), the more nutritious and filling it will be and the more fiber it will contain.  And if you haven’t already heard…

9) Fiber is our friend! Where do I begin in praise of fiber? For weight loss, it will help you feel full and keep you feeling that way longer. It also counteracts the sugar in your food by slowing down its absorption into your blood.  Fiber is great for your digestive tract and helps keep you regular in the bathroom department (you should have at least one bowel movement per day).  The best way to get fiber is by eating a healthy diet of whole grains, vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds.  You can also get added fiber in the form of a supplement.

10) Exercise (you didn’t think I’d let you off this hook, did you?) If you hate exercise, I can definitely sympathize.  I was never much of a fan. That is, until I learned the secret: to choose something that’s fun!  From kickboxing to yoga to ballroom dancing and so much more, there’s something for everyone’s style.  Take a few classes, join forces with a friend or pop in an exercise DVD.  You’ll be amazed at how much fun you can have.

11) Plan for your success. With weight loss, as with all things, planning and then sticking to the plan ensures the desired outcome. In my practice, I help clients prioritize their goals and then figure out all the steps necessary to achieve success…from meal planning, to exercising to scheduling time for fun, sleep and other r&r.  I advise setting goals that are challenging but not too extreme (otherwise you may be tempted to give up).  Then, implement a detailed plan that gets you from day to day and promise yourself that you’ll stick to it – even if it means just showing up.  Most importantly, don’t forget to acknowledge and appreciate yourself even for the smallest victories.  Any step towards a healthier life is a step in the right direction!