If you’re thinking this blog is about what bread you can eat to lose weight, it’s not. Hopefully you will continue reading and learn some strategies or ideas that you can implement for your own best weight and health.

For many who have lost weight only to regain that weight (and in many cases even more) it is frustrating and just does not seem fair. These people only see the “successful” people around them who have lost weight and remained at their new, best weight. Why is it so hard for some and yet appears so easy for others?

We have a saying – Weight Loss is just the beginning!!! 

What does that mean? The beginning of what?

To lose weight is just not about one thing, what you eat and drink. It’s about so many small things that we do and how we think that often determine our success. At Healthy Inspirations we want to empower women to learn how their bodies work, what foods and drinks work best for them, what exercise suits them with time available, as well as balancing family and work commitments.

Let’s explore some physical aspects this week that will make your journey easier and enjoyable and add fun and meaning to your life.

Breath – learning to relax with some breathing techniques will ease stress and anxiety. Chronic (long-term) stress leads to increased production of cortisol and insulin which increase appetite, usually for high-calorie sugary and starchy foods. Metabolism slows, fat storage increases and sends fat and inflammatory chemicals to the liver, which may lead to insulin resistance.

Relaxation – schedule regular breaks in your days to make some time for you. Take charge and control your stress by learning how to relax. It could be as short as 5 minutes to keep your body and brain relaxed. Positive effects include better clarity, more focused, better decision making, increased resilience, relaxed muscles, reduced blood pressure, and a more positive outlook – extremely beneficial for your weight.

Exercise – even though you do not need exercise to lose weight, your overall body and mind health will benefit from regular planned exercise. Choose what you enjoy doing but add some resistance or strength exercise to keep muscles toned, some huff and puff aerobic activity like running, swimming, or biking. If you enjoy team sports these often combine both strength and aerobic and add socialisation to the mix!!!!

Activity – our bodies are made to move. Each day go for a walk, do some stretching exercises for mobility and flexibility, or add yoga or Pilates. Climb stairs, throw a frisbee, chase your dog or kids around the park. Have some fun and laughs.

Diet – we are what we eat so make sure you are not eating and drinking empty calories. Treat food as medicine for your body. Nutrient dense foods like meats, seafood, green leafy vegetables, full fat dairy products (if you can tolerate), seeds, nuts, olive oil, water and add flavours with herbs and spices. Find what works best for your body and stick with those foods. Use portion control and mindfully eat and chew food, putting down cutlery between each mouthful.

Sleep – adequate good quality and restorative sleep is essential for long-term weight and health. Lack of sleep contributes to increase appetite, tending to crave sugar and starchy foods, increased oxidative stress and insulin resistance. Lack of sleep also disrupts the circadian rhythm which leads to weight gain. Feelings of tiredness reduce energy levels and desire for exercise or physical activity.

Being your best weight and having good health is a personal decision for you to make. It is a lifelong journey and having healthy habits and a healthy relationship with your body makes being healthy easier.

Next week we’ll look at some Mindset BREADS for weight loss.

If you would like some extra help adding these 6 tips into your life our coaches would love to help you incorporate them into your weight and wellness program. Fill out the form below for more information.