There is no joy in struggling with weight loss and not getting results. It’s even more frustrating if you get results and they don’t last. 

Many people end up blaming themselves because they perhaps think they lack the willpower, or they have no discipline. Many just give up and accept that they’ll always be on the heavier side and never quite happy about how they look and feel.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Believe it or not it’s not that hard if you know what the right foods are for your body, and if you can overcome any thoughts that may sabotage your results.

Let’s look at the most common mistakes that make weight loss a struggle:

You view your “diet” as temporary

You start a fresh food eating program, your weight starts to drop and you achieve the results you want. However, if you go back to eating those foods that made you put on weight, the result will again be weight gain. Once you find the foods that give you the results you want then these foods are also what will help you stay at your best weight.

Your mindset is not focused on who you want to be

Many of us live in the past, or at least let things that happened to us in the past affect how we feel about ourselves now. It may be feelings of insecurity, of not being good enough, of always being the “fat” kid. And that may be who you were but it’s not who you are today and tomorrow. Being able to let go of this version of ourselves allows space for our new version to shine through and for us to embrace this new person.

You don’t give yourself a break from alcohol 

This is perhaps the biggest problem when it comes to weight loss. We call alcohol a “super carb” for a few reasons:

• It can’t be stored in the body so is metabolised first – before any food you’ve eaten or any stored fat you want to release off your body. It blocks fat burning.
• It lowers inhibition and makes it more likely to make poor food choices and crave sweeter foods and alcohol.
• It affects sleep quality. It may send you to sleep but often you wake later and find it hard to get back to sleep, spending hours trying to “will” yourself back to sleep.
• If you have less restorative sleep, you’ll be more inclined to eat starchy foods in the morning to “pick up your energy”.

You don’t monitor what and how much you eat and drink

We humans are not good at remembering what and how much we have eaten or drunk. However, if we have our meals pre-planned and written down in a planner or journal then our memories are more finely tuned and we’re not just “guessing” or “winging it”.  Portion sizes and portion control are also important to record as this leaves clues for what to do and what not to do. Staying ahead of hydration with regular water intake is also very important.

You don’t get an optimal amount of protein in all meals and snacks

Protein increases your satiety, boosts metabolism and fat burning, reduces appetite, hunger, and cravings, maintains muscle, lean tissue, and strength, reduces age-related muscle deterioration, can lower blood pressure, and help repair your body after injury. It’s one big vitamin pill.

Protein is also known as “essential amino acids”. They are essential as your body can’t make them. Both humans and the animal kingdom will be driven to keep consuming until protein needs are met. If your food choices are low in protein, you’ll be driven to eat more. 

You eat too little and exercise too much

A traditional diet is viewed as reducing calories (almost starving yourself and always hungry) and ramping up your calorie output by doing more exercise. This is a recipe for disaster that temporarily forces weight loss. Most people only last a few days on this type of diet, it’s not sustainable. Unless you can see yourself eating like this for the rest of your life this is not for you. 

You reward yourself with food or alcohol

Losing weight can be a long process and so we encourage rewards – but not with food or alcohol. Have a list of things that bring you joy and use this list as your rewards for milestones along your weight loss journey. Buy a book, go to a movie, have a massage, go to the theatre, meet with friend, get out into nature, whatever brings you joy to acknowledge your successes.

Thinking you need to cut out food groups

If you think pizza and donuts is a food group, then yes you should cut out that food group. A nutritionally-sound eating plan includes fresh food choices from protein, healthy fats and mostly non-starchy carbohydrates which should supply your body with nutrition, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. The outcome will not only be weight loss but having more energy and less brain fog. What a great outcome.

Overcompensating after a blow out

You may have a huge meal and eat all the wrong foods, perhaps drink some alcohol, and completely go off-plan. You wake up the next day ready to punish yourself at the gym or decide that you’ve blown it so you may as well give up. The best thing you can do is just get straight back onto your healthy eating plan. Don’t beat yourself up!!!

Success is gradual, but by doing small things to change our habits and thinking, and having small wins each day you develop a sense of achievement and a belief that you can do this. 

Of course, you can do this on your own, but having the support and accountability of a coach whom you meet with briefly each week can make all the difference.  

Healthy Inspirations has a unique nutrition program that helps you discover your body’s individual carbohydrate tolerance with foods and drinks you and your family enjoy. We offer accountability with weekly one-on-one face-to-face or Zoom coaching and back this up with educational handouts and online weekly education.

If you’re ready to get started with extra help from our coaches, fill out the form below and we’ll be in contact shortly.