I Eat Well...I Think?

Every day, I hear the chit-chat of the women at Integrity Health Coaching for Women in Londonderry NH.

Sometimes I hear very funny things; sometimes I hear very serious, real concerns. But the most common denominator seems to always stem around this phrase, "I struggle with weight loss and can't seem to lose anymore!" 

My first response is usually, "What have you eaten today?" If they reply, "Nothing," or "A bowl of cereal, with OJ, and toast," then I reply, "Come to my office; we need to talk food!"

There can be several reasons why one cannot lose weight, but the most common culprit is food. Even if you think you are "eating well," more than likely you aren't and you don't even realize it! Marketing techniques trick us into thinking we are eating well, when the reality is it's loaded with sugars, controversial ingredients, GMO's, pesticides and just plain ole' crap not meant for human consumption.

You see, a lot of the time, we are eating food like substances and not actually food.

Our food supply is loaded with things our body cannot handle if fed day in and day out, year after year. Our bodies will eventually say, "ENOUGH!" and things will start to show a negative effect through our health; maybe in the form of Type II Diabetes, depression, anxiety, high cholesterol, difficulty breathing, sore back, sore knees, excessive sweating, high blood pressure, lack of sex drive, certain types of cancers, etc., etc.

I truly believe that food will either be a healer and giver of a quality filled life, or a slow poison and death sentence depending on the choices we make.

Here is an example about making a "good" food choice, versus a better food choice.

Chobani low fat yogurt with fruit (I'll pick on the cherry flavor): 6 ounces contains 140 calories, 14 grams of protein and 21 grams of sugar! Yikes! And....they use GMO.

An even better choice: Organic Cottage cheese. One cup of 1% low fat cottage cheese is 162 calories, 6 grams of sugar and 28 grams of protein! Nice! This one is low in sugar, and an excellent source of protein.

Now this doesn't mean you can never have that Chobani yogurt. However, if you are trying to reach a weight loss goal and you are trying to watch your sugar intake, I would limit the Chobani choice to every once in a while or opt for the plain yogurt and add your own fresh fruit. If sugar is a trigger food for you, I would definitely avoid the cherry flavored choice. 

Reading your labels and portion control will be part of the solution when trying to lose weight, especially if your body composition is over 30%. If it's over 30%, that is a very reliable indicator that there is much strife in your diet.  

All three Integrity locations in New Hampshire use the EZ Coach Fitness prescription and this system, along with the assistance of your Health Coach, will be able to tell you what your body composition is.  

I cannot stress enough that you cannot out exercise a poor diet. When you have a weight loss goal in mind and you are internalizing with yourself, "Just one slice of apple pie won't hurt will it?"  Just remember you could eat that slice of pie, but that one slice of apple pie means you have to exercise on a stationary bike at a moderate pace for 57 minutes!

Ugh...and then there are the sugar cravings. The more you give into feeding that sugar craving, the more you will crave it and the more you will feed it. It's a vicious cycle. I bet the meer mention of sugar is making you think about it right now! It's evil. 

Remember, it's life; enjoy it once in a while. Make healthy choices 80% of the time, and you will be fine!

Journaling your food is always helpful. You can also record your mood when you eat, that way you can see if certain foods and moods trigger cravings, and then in the future you can try to avoid those certain foods. I usually stay away from dried fruit, because that is a trigger food for me and the sugar cravings drive me insane; so I just stay away from those types of foods.

If I do have a craving, I try to turn towards an apple. That usually curbs it for me.

Here is a sample of what eating clean for a day looks like:

Meal 1: 6:30am -7:00am

Snack 1: 9:00am - 9:30am

Meal 2: 11:30pm -12:00pm

Snack 2: 2:00pm - 2:30pm

Meal 3: 4:30pm - 5:00pm

Snack 3: 7:00pm (Optional)

You don't have to make all your changes at once; that can be very overwhelming for some people. Make small changes. Try to incorporate 1 new healthy habit a week. By the end of the year you will have 52 new healthy habits. Habit Example 1: I will eat breakfast every day. Habit Example 2: I will walk at least 10 minutes after my lunch. Habit Example 3: I will take 5 minutes to clear my mind before I sleep.

Every accomplishment begins with the decision to try! If we take responsibility for our own health, we will develop a desire to accomplish our health and fitness goals. I found when I started my journey to better health, my biggest challenge was myself.

Just remember - YOU, and YOU alone, have the power to change the way you look, think, and feel.

Take care of your body; it's the only place you have to live.

-Laurie Gouley