Fat Loss

For a solid two weeks, you followed your weight loss program to a “T”.  You followed the menu plan, you bought new kitchen tools, etc. But you step on the scale and feel defeated -the number is the same as it was two weeks ago.  Or worse, it’s gone up! First, keep the motivation, but tone down the tension.  You are definitely doing the right thing.  Plateaus can happen.  The really good news is that most plateaus are temporary and short-term.

A study tracking 16,000 men and women provides strong evidence that the scale is one of the most effective tools for losing body fat and keeping it off.  So, if you have goals of losing weight, it might be better to shift your relationship with the scale.  Here are five ways you can begin to make friends with your scale:

1. Weigh yourself daily.
Provides accountability and you can see your progress. In one study, daily weighers dropped twice as many pounds as weekly weighers.

2. Take the weekly average.
It’s normal for your daily weight to go up and down.  However, the key is to avoid riding the emotional roller coaster with your shifting scale weight.  Keep the big picture in mind and look for signs of long-term progress.

3. Don’t sweat fluctuations. There can be so many reasons why the scale is not moving. Keep in mind all the reasons for scale fluctuations, including:

• You didn’t have bowel movement.
• You consumed a lot of sodium.
• You ate more food later at night, so it would be sitting in your stomach in the morning.
• Carbohydrates will hold on to water, so if you consumed more carbs yesterday, you would retain water.
• You are dehydrated.
• You’ve had intense workouts, causing inflammation.
• You’ve been sick.
• You started a new supplement.
• Your sleep hasn’t been consistent.
• You feel stressed out.
• Menstrual cycle approaching.

4. More muscle is a good thing.
If you are exercising, there is a good chance you are adding muscle! And muscle is much denser than fat, which means it takes up less volume than an equal mass of fat. This explains why it’s possible to become slimmer without a significant drop in weight.

5. Promotes good habits.
Another study found that daily weigh-ins led to “greater adoption of weight control behaviors”, such as reducing snacks between meals, cutting back on dessert portions sizes, exercising for 30 minutes or more and increasing daily steps.

A snack is generally defined as any food eaten between meals.  A snack portion should be enough to satisfy but not to so much that it interferes with your appetite for a main meal.  Snacks can absolutely fit into your diet if you are trying to manage your weight.  Having a plan on the type of snacks you pack for work and on the go will help diversify your food selection, vary the nutrients you get and keep you from getting hungry between meals.  Remember, think nutrient-dense (fiber, protein, vitamins, minerals) and your snacks will help you get the nutrition your body needs and keep you full.

Here are 10 healthy delicious snacks to try:

1. ¼ cup hummus and veggie sticks (carrots, celery, cucumbers, or peppers).
2. 6-ounce container plain low-fat Greek yogurt with berries (strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries).
3. 21 almonds, 12 walnuts halves, or 45 pistachio nuts.
4. 1 small banana with 2 teaspoons peanut, sunflower, or almond butter.
5. One ounce of dark chocolate (at least 70% cacao)
6. 1 slice 100% whole grain toast (e.g., Melba or Ezequiel) with 1.5 Tbsp. peanut butter.
7. 1 piece reduced-fat string cheese with 1 sliced apple.
8. Low-fat cottage cheese with blueberries and a sprinkle of granola
9. 1 hard-cooked egg and 1 slice 100% whole grain toast.
10. 4 cups organic popcorn sprinkle with 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan or Nutritional Yeast

Be mindful while you eat. Make eating a relaxing break, away from your computer and work. Enjoy it!

Losing weight as a couple, or even with a close friend, may increase your chances for success.

Trying to lose weight isn’t as easy as it seems, especially when you’re doing it alone. If you have considered starting a new health or weight loss program but hesitated, consider grabbing a partner.  Research shows couples were three times more successful at losing weight than people who were single.  Here are a few tips for couples:

Make a date and go shopping.
Having healthy foods at home sets the foundation for healthy eating.  Both fruits and vegetables should make up about half of your meals.  Help each other limit snacking.

Design a healthy eating meal plan together.
Sit down together and write out a week’s worth of meals.  Make sure that both of you agree on what you are choosing. Together, you can try new foods and explore new flavors.  Don’t be afraid to spice it up.

Focus on habits, not the number on the scale.
Focus on the eating and activity habits you want to change together.  Support each other.  Do not make competition.  It takes time to create new habits in order to lose weight with your partner.

Exercise together
Working out and exercising create bonding and intimacy between couples, which is very useful in successful relationships.

Spend more time outdoors.
A simple walk in a park with your partner may help to burn calories.

Although weight loss is difficult, keeping the weight off is even harder.   The truth is most people who lose weight will regain it within a few years.  How can you increase the odds that you will be in the group of successful dieters who keep the weight off? Exercise is a key factor in maintaining weight loss, in part because it stimulates your metabolism.  It can also help you maintain and increase lean body mass, which also helps increase number of calories you burn each day.
At the same time, it’s also important to keep focused on what you have learned about healthy eating.  Healthy weight management is not about dieting or counting calories.  It is about building healthy habits.  Eating healthy food that fills you up and provide real nutrients is key to maintain a healthy weigh.  Healthy food and exercise are vital strategies for losing and maintaining weight.
Here we have some general guidelines:

• Eat breakfast.
• 2-3 servings of fruit daily.
• 3-5 serving of vegetables daily.
• 9-15 oz of lean protein daily.
• 8 glasses of water.
• 3-4 times /weekly physical activity.
• Limit grains from 4-5 times/weekly.
• Avoid alcohol and processed food.
• Sleep 7-9 hrs. per day.