Overcoming Weight Loss Challenges

People are overwhelmed by weight loss propaganda. We’re entering the holiday over-eating season, which certainly will be followed by the holiday-hangover diet season. Followed by endless reminders that we need help.

The latest-and-greatest diets create confusion, many questions, and require significant behavior change. If you feel like you need help deciphering the many offers, you’re part of a large contingent who feel the same way. To help move you toward a healthier, sustainable, fitter you, here are some tips to help you when it’s time to take action.

Support Networks

Surround yourself with positive, like-minded people who have walked the path to health through weight loss. First, look to family. There’s no more committed group to your success. If there’s inadequate support there, don’t despair. There are existing clubs, tea, ms, and groups committed to healthy living in your area. Whatever you do, find people who are committed to healthier living. Research shows that group settings or support groups provide reinforcement and ensure accountability.

If you want to start a group at work, start with your manager and human resources. Generally, instead of asking for permission with a new program and risking rejection, give it some thought. Talk to people and bring ideas to the table. Are you willing to organize it, if human resources will help you communicate it? How can we start slow, like a pilot program, and then demonstrate that this is a program people will be able to engage with?

It’s in a company’s best interest to support healthier lifestyles, but you have to help with answering how it can work. Healthier employees are happier, more productive, and account for fewer health care costs. Gaining support for wellness programs is not hard. What is hard, however, is integrating the program while not disturbing the needs of daily work.
This is how our corporate wellness program started at Standard Process. A simple walking program has grown to significantly and measurably impact our corporate top and bottom lines. Momentum grew by pulling people with common interests into small groups, demonstrating commitment, respecting the time granted to participate, and sharing the results of the effort. 97 percent of employees now participate in our corporate wellness program.

This level of participation demonstrates the positive impact of on-site wellness and how contagious wellness can be if structured properly. Employees have developed creative ways to combine exercise while discussing business. These are known as walking meetings and typically take less time and are more productive than “sit-down” meetings, where people become far too comfortable in their chairs. Fresh air is always good for the brain.

So, how do you get started? A simple flyer by the time clock, water cooler, break room (with approval by HR) can help get people engaged in the conversation. The C-suite will respect a considerate, unifying voice who brings ideas that people already support while respecting workday and business needs. If you are able to demonstrate that the program requires little investment, there is little ground for the C-suite to deny the upstart movement.

Alternative Support

If you look to social media for inspiration or motivation, try Instagram. You’ll love the support you get from strangers. You can find tons of FREE healthy recipes, healthier food alternatives to try, workout/exercise challenges, progress pictures/motivational stories, and most importantly, positive feedback and support from loved ones or other health enthusiasts. Remember, it is social media, so validate and research insights to ensure reliability.

Hydration

Attempt to drink water equal to half your body weight in ounces. So, if you weigh 200 pounds, you would work up to drinking 100 ounces of water daily. This is a process. You won’t be able to reach this level of water intake on day one. Start by drinking a quarter of your body weight for a few weeks. Then slowly increase your intake. It’s a lifestyle, not a quick-fix weight loss program or crash diet. Drink your water, er people.

Beyond water, you can drink unsweetened green tea and even black coffee! Limit sweeteners and creamers, or substitute with the healthiest option. Always have a bottle of water with you and drink a little bit all day long. Chugging water at the end of thnightg,t trying to reach yourgoal,al will only disrupt your sleep. Sipping all day will make you feel fuller throughout the day and give you more willpower to say no to the demons in your diet.

Meal Management

Try to eat five smaller meals each day if you can. This helps many people feel satisfied while giving them a near-term satisfaction milepost within reach at all times. It also avoids the midday exhaustion most people feel. The most important meal of the day is breakfast, however. Mama always said,, Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” Mama was right!

Eat breakfast no less than one hour after waking. No exceptions! Two hours later, try to eat a small 100-calorie snack. Two hours later, eat lunch. Two hours later, eat another small 100-calorie snack. Two to three hours later, eat dinner. One to two hours later (depending on the time you go to bed), eat a light snack. Try not to eat less than one hour before bed, especially sugary, fatty snacks. If you are busy like most, get into the habit of packing your food from home and limiting your choices to the breakroom vending machine.

Food Tracking

Not so long ago, keeping track of calories, nutrients, and other keys to optimal eating was a challenge. Now, tracking can be fun and simple. Think of it like playing Candy Crush, but with a real goal. Smartphone apps like My Fitness Pal make it easier to track food intake.

Track EVERYTHING you eat, EVERY DAY ,for a few weeks. You can easily scan food barcodes on packages into the smartphone app and see all the macronutrients (protein/fats/carbs). I like to scan food packages to compare similar products to determine if I want to eat them .Nerdy of me, I realize, but it’s scientific and fun. Believe it or not, this type of goal-setting activity plays well with brain chemicals. It’s very rewarding to achieve daily small goals!!!

Most people eat way too many fats, too many carbs, and not nearly enough protein. Simply buying a food scale can put an end to this. You will be shocked to see how little you need to eat versus what you actually eat daily. On average, I would say people eat at least two to three times what they think qualifies as a serving size. Weigh everything until you learn portion sizes. There are a million visuals online to determine portion sizes. Understanding food portions will make it easier to estimate how much of a given food you need and allow you to stop weighing the food.

Food Prep

Shop as frequently as possible. Many people find success by picking a regular food-prep day (usually Sunday) and planning the week’s main meals. If you can shop more than once a week, you can ensure your fruits and veggies are freshest. I like to take a bag (or two) of chicken, clean it, and throw all of it into a slow cooker with just a touch of water. Set it on high for about 5 hours. You will know it’s done when you stab it with a fork and it falls apart. Super juicy and tender. Ready for a week’s worth of lunches and dinners.

Always pack/prep food in advance. Include healthy snacks to support you between meals. Fitmark Bags work well and can fit up to six meals. My Fitmark Bag accompanies me at all times. Whether I’m at the office or in a plane, train, or automobile, I’m all set. The bag even fits under my airline seat, so there is no reason for me to have to purchase airport or fast food. If you fail to plan…plan to fail.

Be Consistent

Weigh yourself once a week. I recommend weigh-ins on Monday morning after using the restroom, but before showering. Wearing as few clothes as you are comfortable with allows for a consistent reflection of your true body weight. Make sure you remember your starting weight so you can determine your progress.

You might also take progress pictures of yourself each week. It will keep you visually motivated. Take one picture from the front and one from the side. Try to wear similar clothes for each picture. Use the same lighting and the same background. This makes it easier to see progress from week to week. Finally, pick one healthy lifestyle approach and stick to it. On-again, off-again consistency leads to unsustainable results and makes it easier to quit.