With this post I wanted to respond to the many people I talk to on social media who have tried every diet and exercise they could possibly do but with disappointing results.
First of all, let me explain that very restrictive diets or yo-yo dieting (alternate dieting and weight gain) tend to “confuse” the weight center in the brain so that it makes it difficult for you to return to a healthy weight. A diet that is too restrictive can also affect thyroid function, with the result of slowing down your metabolism even further.
Diets, intermittent Fasting and a “controlling” attitude to food can also alter hunger and fullness signaling, leading to binges and creating stress around eating.
You need a paradigm shift
When nothing has worked out for you, you need a paradigm shift. Instead of trying the latest diet or weight loss method, focus on your body and understand what works for YOU. We all have our specific bio-individuality and that also changes with different phases for life, especially for women.
It doesn’t matter if the latest diet has worked for your best friend, it might still not be the best choice for you. For example, Intermittent Fasting is generally considered beneficial for weight loss and metabolic health, but for some people IF can raise cortisol levels, which might lead to weight gain.
Weight loss is holistic
Weight loss is holistic. You may think of weight loss as “eating less and exercising more”, but in reality, a lot of other factors influence your weight, like sleep, chronobiology, hormones, and the stress response. So, it’s not that nothing works for you, but that you need to you may need guidance in creating a plan that addresses these complex interactions.
Take a step back and look the bigger picture.
Go back to the fundamentals
The wellness industry is a huge business and will always try someone trying to sell you something, whether that is their latest book, diet or metabolism hack. In reality most people need to learn the fundamentals!
Learning to choose the most wholesome foods, creating balanced meals, responding to their hunger and fullness cues and learning to deal with emotional eating. And then optimize from there. Healthy habits are not complicated. But creating new ones and sticking to those is the challenging part.
Master your fundamentals first, and the rest will come with it.
Make peace with your body
Make peace with your body. Many people, especially women, don’t feel good in their skin. Social media creates unrealistic beauty standards that create pressure and feelings of inadequacy.
Change the paradigm. Instead of focusing of adhering to external and unrealistic standards of beauty, focus on within. Start by becoming the best version of yourself, by focusing on your health, wellbeing and confidence.
Stop stressing about it
Stop stressing about weight loss and food. Weight management is important for health and well-being, but stressing too much about it can be counterproductive. Chronic stress can create havoc in your body, preventing weight loss and increasing hormonal imbalances.
Forgets to count calories, punishing workouts and or the latest fad diet, focus on what works for you and find a balance that is sustainable in the long run.
In a nutshell: Focus on what works for you, have a look at the bigger picture and let go of fads and hacks, but focus on fundamentals and building good habits first.
If anything of what I wrote resonates with you and you would like to explore how you could improve your lifestyle, get in touch. I do offer a complimentary disocvery call or a full paid consultation.
Leave a Reply