How to keep the weight off

 

On this episode of the 40+ Fitness Podcast, I respond to a Facebook Group member question.  How do you keep the weight off after you've lost it?

1. KEEP AT IT – If what you’ve been doing has been working, keep doing what you’re doing. Find your comfortable set point where your body wants to be and work to maintain that weight.
2. REVISIT YOUR WHY – Make sure that your why is solid in your mind as why you wanted to lose weight and be on this journey. Use this to help you stay on this path.
3. SET NEW GOALS – Find a new fitness goal that will keep you active and excited. Keep moving towards something.
4. FIND FIT FRIENDS – Surround yourself with like-minded people to keep you engaged and accountable.
5. THROW AWAY YOUR FAT PANTS – You don’t need the reminder and you won’t be needing them again!

 

Another episode you may enjoy

Essentials of weight loss

Essentials of weight loss

Losing weight is not hard if you properly apply these essentials of weight loss.

Wanting to lose weight is different than committing to it. Commitment is needed to drive you. To make a commitment to yourself, you need to have a compelling why. When you feel your willpower starting to slide, remind yourself of your why.

Be realistic about your expectations. Realistically, you can lose one to two pounds per week.

Don’t let you stop you. Weight loss is a mindset game. Understand your behavior and know the points when you might try to self-sabotage.

Weight loss is not a straight line. There are going to be plateaus in your journey. Approach it each time as a different problem and try something a little different, but stay on course.

Don’t forget to have fun. Be sure to do the things you enjoy while going through this process.

Not all weight loss is good. Weight lost using diet pills can be detrimental to your health.

Don’t be afraid of lifting weights for fear of putting on muscle and adding weight. Weight loss is about fat loss, not muscle loss.

There are no shortcuts. Focus on healthy living and positive lifestyle changes.

Find people who will hold you accountable and serve a support network through the process.

Forget the past. Focus on tomorrow and make positive steps forward each day.

It’s really about hormones, as they drive every action in your body. Avoid sugar, get quality sleep, and lower your stress to keep your hormones in check.

Common sense goes a long way. Reward your hard work with something else other than food.

Document your wins and use them to fuel you through the tough times.

You will not out-exercise a bad diet. Focus on food first and then exercise.

If you need assistance on your weight loss journey, you should check out Surefire Results for Weight Loss.

 

 

Another episode on weight loss you might enjoy

11 Best weight loss lessons

11 Reasons you’re not losing weight

Losing weight is an emotional game. If you’re not losing weight, consider these 11 reasons as to why you may not be reaching your goals:

1. Not committing – Connect your why with your vision. Why do you want to lose weight? Commit to do the things that are necessary for reaching that vision. Until you make that commitment, all you have is a want.
2. Quitting too soon – Many quit because it gets difficult. You must give your body time to adapt to a new lifestyle. Once you start on a plan, stick with it to see results.
3. Get duped by marketing – Don’t believe all the marketing claims. Success stories and marketing can be misleading.
4. Rewarding workouts – Rewarding exercise with food dismantles any weight maintenance you will have. You cannot use food as a reward.
5. Portion size – Restaurants have inflated portion sizes. Learn the appropriate portion size and eat slower, healthy foods.
6. Mindless eating – Be mindful about what you’re eating and why you’re eating it.
7. Eating inflammatory foods – Sugar is your enemy in weight loss. Eating inflammatory foods leads to weight gain. Consider trying an elimination diet to see what works for you.
8. Exercise is greater than food – You cannot out-exercise a bad diet. Start with eating healthy foods to see real results.
9. Undereating – If you skip meals or eat less than you should, your blood sugar will plummet and your metabolism will slow. Find balance in an eating program that you can maintain.
10. Having no plan – Without a plan, there will not be any weight loss. To see results, create and stick to a plan.
11. Doing it on your own – You may need accountability. Reach out and ask for that help.

Reflect on your own personal experiences with weight loss. Use these tips to consider what you can do to improve your approach and achieve your weight loss goals.

 

Another episode you may enjoy

11 Best weight loss lessons

11 Best weight loss lessons

Throughout my own journey with health and fitness, I learned a number of weight loss lessons that I want to share in today’s podcast:

My best weight loss lessons

1. Exercise is important, but not for weight loss – You can’t exercise yourself out of a bad diet. The food you eat is key to your weight loss.
2. Insulin – To lose weight, reduce your total insulin load so the body can burn fat for energy. Do this by limiting your sugars and simple carbs.
3. Ghellin – This is a hunger hormone that tends to be cyclical, usually highest in the evening and lowest in the morning.
4. Leptin – This hormone signals to the brain that you’ve had enough food. Slow down on your eating so you allow time for this signaling to occur. This will prevent overeating.
5. Cortisol – When your body is in a stress mode, it produces the hormone cortisol, which leads to storing body fat in your mid-section. Manage your stress levels to avoid this.
6. Sleep – Get quality sleep and your hormones will balance out and work in harmony, promoting a good Circadian rhythm.
7. Out of sight out mind – Don’t buy unhealthy foods. If you must, keep them in a separate space from the healthy food you are consuming.
8. The decision isn't enough – Make a commitment to be healthier for the right reasons, perhaps an emotional one.
9. Love yourself – Have internal self-love and make a commitment to yourself to be healthier.
10. Scale movement doesn't equal health – Don’t let the scale define you. Focus on how you look and feel.
11. Don't go it alone – Find an accountability partner or support network.

Perhaps you have some of your own weight loss tips. Share them in the comments!

Is your inner voice a nice person?

Our inner voice is a very powerful thing.  It drives our mood and feelings, and it can determine whether we will be successful in our health and fitness journey.

I'd like you to take a few minutes to do an inner voice audit.  Answer the following questions (you may want a pen and pad to write down a few notes):

• Think about your current health or fitness.  What words come to mind?
• What are your health and fitness expectations in one, three, and ten years?
• When you slip up, what is your tendancy?  Do you stay focused on that or do you look to move on?

Now take a few minutes to think about this.  Would you use the same words to address someone you love?

The good news: you can change your inner voice.

I'm currently reading Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck, PhD. Yes, I actually read more than just health, fitness, and weight loss books. This best-selling book has been out for a while and has gotten a ton of praise in the business and education fields. That said, I think there are some very practical applications for someone on a health and fitness journey. I'll include a link to the book at the end of this post.

In the book, Dr. Dweck explains that mindset typically takes one of two natures:

1. Fixed Mindset – People with this mindset believe that we are who we are and cannot change.  They believe intelligence is fixed and cannot be improved with effort.  They believe we are who we are and cannot change our behavior, habits and thoughts. When they fail at something, tend to stick with things they're good at and avoid the challenge.
2. Growth Mindset – People with this mindset believe that we can change and improve.  They believe intelligence can be improved with effort. They believe we can change and become better people. When they fail, the see it as an opportunity to learn and improve and relish the challenge.

Maybe you feel you have a little bit of both. Or maybe you think intelligence can be improved but we can't change who we inherently are deep inside.  That's okay.  Rather you're squarely in one or the other, or have some of both, you can move into a growth mindset, which in the end is the inner voice you need.

How do I change my inner voice?

You can improve your inner voice with a few practices:

1. Awareness/mindfulness
2. A proof-based mantra – I know I will be healthier because…
3. Gratitude
4. Immediate return to plan

So, is your inner voice a nice person?

If isn't, now you know you can fix that.

The love diet | Dr. Connie Gutterson

Naked in 30 days | Theresa Roemer

 

Health and Fitness Foundations

When I first launched 40+ Fitness Podcast, I posted an episode each Monday for the first ten weeks that was a lesson that touched on each of the health and fitness foundations in my Forever Fitness Personal Training Program.  These are the principles I share with my clients to help keep them progressing and meeting their health and fitness goals.

Commitment

I start with commitment because without it, you'll never see success.  Willpower fails, motivation wains and resolutions are dropped.  When you know your “why” and a vision of what health and fitness looks like for you, you can put these together to make a vow.  This vow paired with self-love makes all the difference.  If you really want it, go past making a decision and commit.

Sugar

We get fat because of sugar.  The average American eats 150lbs of sugar per year.  Sugar raises your insulin, which is the core hormone for fat gain.  The only way to successfully lose weight is to reduce your sugar intake.   Aim for 50 grams or less per day and you're going to see great results.

Success Keys (Persistence, Progression, Patience)

Persistence is what keeps you going, Progression is what keeps the results coming.  Patience is where you're going to face this challenge over the long-term.  Applied together, these three keys are what all successful people have.

Sleep

Our body goes through some very important functions while we're asleep.  Our hormone cycle is driven by our sleep.  Memory development and muscle repair also occur during this time.  You'll want to get 7 – 9 hours per night, but focus on quality rather than quantity.

Water

The liver is responsible for dealing with toxins.  It makes its job easier by pushing the toxins into the fat.  Now that we're losing weight (aka burning fat), we're releasing these toxins and the liver is forced to deal with it.  Beyond not adding more toxins, it is important to give the liver plenty of water.

Our brain, joints and skin all use water to perform well.  If you are dehydrated you're going to look and feel worse.  Your

Plateaus

Our bodies were built to find balance.  For this reason, we will often find ourselves hitting plateaus. You can build in strategies to break through plateaus or avoid them all together.  Periodization can be effective particularly in muscular strength, muscle mass, or endurance.  Or you can look for a way to push past it.  Just don't quit.

Lab Rat

You are a unique individual.  As a result, what works for someone else may not work for you.  Don't be afraid to experiment to find the things that will work for you.  Take the time to educate yourself and then apply and tweak your programming and food.

Fitness Modalities

Recognize that there are different fitness modalities and you should consider most of them.  Focusing on one at the detriment of the others will keep you from meeting your goals or accomplishing your vision.  A few fitness modalities to consider follows:

• Muscular strength
• Muscular mass
• Mobility
• Endurance
• Balance
• Agility
• Speed

Strength

Of all the fitness modalities, the one I almost demand my clients do is strength training.  Strength is the most important factor to being healthy and fit.  Heavy lifting boosts testosterone production (libido) and helps maintain strong bones.

Lifestyle

Once you've seen success, it is important to shift from this being a project to it being a lifestyle.  If you've made good healthy habits, this becomes easy.  Avoid language like diet.  Diets are temporary and when you go back to eating the way you did before, you'll go back to what you were.  Health and fitness is a continuum.  You can always get better.

Health and fitness is a state of being, not a destination.

We are 100! Best of the past.

 

A funeral for my fat | Sharee Samuels

In her book A Funeral For My Fat, Sharee Samuels chronicles her 100+ pound weight loss over a five year period.

Self Love

One concept that Sharee recommended was for you to write a letter to yourself.  This letter should demonstrate the strength you have and the love you have for yourself.  Documenting this self-love is valuable because you are able to go back and read this letter to yourself when you're down and out.

Find something you love

Sharee also recommends you find something you love.  For her, workout out was a drudgery, and she could never motivate and push herself.  That was until she found Zumba.  She loved Zumba and that helped her stay motivated and on track with exercise.

Know yourself

Sharee is a big proponent in knowing yourself.  She knows she is not one who can handle moderation.  Therefore she can't approach food and have just one chip.  She now focuses on her strength, which is planning.  Knowing yourself allows you to take your own path to health and fitness.

Plateau

Sharee uses an acronym – EFFORT to break through a plateau.

• Exercise – Are you doing enough?  Are you doing too much?
• Food – Are you eating too much?  Are you eating enough?
• Focus – Are you focused on your goal?
• Organization – Planning and setting yourself up for success.
• Rest – Are you giving your body the rest it needs?  Are you resting too much?
• Time – Are you rushing the process?  Do you have realistic expectations?

 

Links:

A Funeral For My Fat

Sharee Samuels

 

Todd loses over 300lbs