Spring is coming fast, which means bathing suit season is quick on its heels! Before getting started on setting your goal weight and starting that ‘great’ new diet, read these realistic ways to shed the pounds and keep them off for good. Healthy weight loss will make every bathing suit season fantastic!
0 to 60! Then, back to 0.
One of the biggest mistakes we make when deciding to drop the pounds is to go full throttle ‘health-nut’ overnight in an effort to embrace our new healthy lifestyle. Although it seems like the best plan to stop eating sweets, exercise 5 days a week, stop smoking, and start shoving nutritious foods down your throat the very second ‘being healthy’ starts—it is not. In fact, going full throttle overnight can send you crashing from the overwhelming changes being made across everything. Drastic changes are not good for your body or mind, no matter how healthy the intention. Additionally, it’s just too hard to feel deprived of everything you like all at one time. So, as you think about setting your goal weight, be realistic about the ways you will get there and the time it will take. Start with small and moderate changes you can stick with and enjoy having as part of your individual lifestyle.
Losing the Wrong WAY
Okay, so while the scale seems to dominate our focus when ‘dieting’ or ‘getting healthy,’ the number lost is not reflective of the true weight loss you NEED to lose. Losing one pound a week is practical and healthy for the average person. When unhealthy dieting practices are taken on, the body doesn’t get all of the protein necessary to perform critical functions in the body and loses the ability to build and repair tissues. This results in the loss of precious muscle mass. In other words, eat the protein you need so your body doesn’t start eating itself to survive.
The Rollercoaster Effect
Even though we’ve all been told a million times rollercoaster dieting is bad for our weight loss goals, it’s rare the real reason behind the warning is discussed. Adaptive thermogenesis. Okay, so maybe it’s just easier to say rollercoaster dieting is bad. At any point, adaptive thermogenesis is the process causing what we cringingly have named the weight ‘plateau.’ When the human body constantly goes from one drastic measure to another (such as weight loss programs, fad diets, detox crazes) it eventually quits trying to respond. This triggers an autoregulation of the metabolism, which can have negative impacts for people suffering with multiple conditions and diseases.
When Dieting Makes You Want To Puke
First and foremost, if you are eating healthy foods during the day, there is no reason to go crazy with your weight loss efforts. Actually, there is little need for extreme calorie reduction. If you are on such a diet, it should only be under the guidance of a physician. If the approach you take to weight loss has your head spinning, you are doing it wrong. If the you way you are eating and ‘getting healthy’ makes you ill—dizzy, nauseous, tired, exhausted, headaches— then it’s unhealthy and will not actually result in long lasting weight loss.
Eat More to Lose More
The more fruits, vegetables, nuts and lean meats you are able to get into your belly throughout the day, the better! It will lead to bountiful positive consequences, including natural weight loss and feeling better mentally and physically. Hormones, blood sugar, metabolism, and numerous other body functions are improved with the nutrients found in real food. The habit of snacking on processed foods will minimize as your body becomes accustomed to properly functioning. The best part is you don’t feel deprived as you can still have your ‘favorite bad’ snacks—you just won’t want them as much because you are full and no longer craving the artificial sugars and carbs.
Weight Loss Wrap-Up
In conclusion, it’s important to remember as you prepare for bathing suit season that weight loss is never easy, not if it is healthy weight loss. Healthy, progressive weight loss is a much better method of achieving weight loss goals. Learning to love the way you eat every day is what will lead to long-lasting weight loss and an enjoyable lifestyle you can maintain. For those already physically active, weight loss may happen slower than desired. Don’t get discouraged! With a healthy and consistent daily routine of good foods and joyful activities, you will achieve sustainable results and look even more phenomenal than you do now!