“I was expecting a crash diet and to be somewhat miserable for a few weeks, but nothing could be further from the truth. I lost the weight I wanted and picked up some new eating habits that are easy and sustainable.“ -Michael M. SF
Time to get off the self-loathing bandwagon
We’ve all been conditioned to think that if we’re overweight, it’s because we have no self-control. If we could just stick to that diet, we’d be skinny, beautiful, and happy! So we make ambitious New Years Resolutions, we give them our all… and inevitably, we fail. We set ourselves up for that failure by failing to understand that a diet is not the answer when it comes to losing weight and gaining health.
Myth #3: As long as you are self-disciplined, a diet will always work
It’s a Weight Loss Myth that self-discipline is all it takes to lose weight. There are actually a lot of factors that influence our ability to shed pounds. Dieting does play a role, but our metabolism is affected by many other factors, including lifestyle choices.
Hormones play a big part in weight loss. Our body’s “thermostat,” the thyroid gland has primary control over our metabolism, and the thyroid is highly influenced by stress hormones. When you are under chronic stress, your body is constantly attempting to conserve energy and is reluctant to burn body fat. In fact, an overabundance of stress hormones can make it impossible for you to lose weight.
Severe calorie restriction, in fact, imposes a sort of stress on the body, which slows our metabolism and makes us retain weight. In fact, severe calorie restriction, ironically, is one of the best ways to slow down your metabolism permanently.
So what should you do?
- Stay away from refined carbs and sugars
- Eat more vegetables- (like 1/2 your plate)
- Increase the amount of natural fats in your diet to boost your satiety
- Add sweet vegetables to your diet to satisfy your craving for sweets
- Make lunch a bigger meal than dinner
- Don’t skip breakfast and make sure it’s full of protein and fat to keep you satisfied and less likely to need a sugar hit later in the day
- Swap out desserts for fresh fruit
The bottom line: Chasing skinny with fad diets and unreasonable expectations will make you crazy. Restricting calories might give you an illusion of control, but it’s not a viable way to lose weight for the long run. Instead, free yourself from the diet obsession and learn real tools to help you eat healthier and lose weight.
CURB YOUR CRAVINGS
Lose Weight for the Long Run Learn to Eat for Nutrition & Enjoyment
Trying to lose weight? You’re not alone. Today more than two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese—not surprising when you consider our culture of take-out and eating on the run. That’s why we’ve developed our Curb Your Cravings Weight-Loss Program. Now you can lose weight and feel great with the right support tools to finally get long-lasting results while becoming a healthier and more balanced you.
“I highly recommend Happy Belly Health if you’re looking for a reset and a better relationship with food.” – Maddy, San Francisco
