It’s almost the end of January and one year since Jerry Agar started on his weight loss journey. I’ll check in with him tomorrow for a final number of how much he has lost. If you’re curious, tune in and listen to our segment.
Feeling inspired?
How long have you been wanting to shed some weight? Feel fitter? Have more energy and not feel like you’re dragging yourself through the day? Did you make changes at the beginning of the year? Have they stuck or are things starting to slip?
I commend anyone who has acted on the choice to make changes and improve eating, exercise and how you feel. If you haven’t, don’t overthink it, just do it. One change a day is a tremendous success. It’s enough.
I see many of my clients beating up on themselves for not eating right, especially when relying on will power alone to change eating habits. Many also try out the latest fad diet with the hopes that it will be better than the last. I see more defeat than success, sadly.
If you’re the type of person that needs strict boundaries, to count calories or points, then you know that you need a plan. Some plans work better than others. I’ve been asked about the Whole30 diet, for instance. Is it good? Yes, it’s fantastic! It’s not the diet that’s the issue, it’s whether you can follow it, to what extent and what are the repercussions if you try it and don’t succeed (in your own eyes anyway)? In case you’re not familiar with Whole30, the premise of that diet is this (from their website):
Eliminate the most common craving-inducing, blood sugar disrupting, gut-damaging, inflammatory food groups for a full 30 days. Eat moderate portions of meat, seafood, and eggs; lots of vegetables; some fruit; plenty of natural fats; and herbs, spices, and seasonings. NO sugar, alcohol, grains, dairy, legumes, sulfites, MSG, baked goods with artificial anything in it.
Basically, for 30 days you’re eating real food, homemade, not from a package.
That’s pretty hardcore in my books, depending on where you are right now. I’d love clients to jump into super healthy choices. For those who I see follow something as rigid as this, my observation is that it’s tough to sustain after the initial diet and then integrate back into real life. People do it. I’ve seen it. It’s exciting to try something new, I get it. I help people with the big picture. What they want now, in six months and in one year. I help hone in on the goals, and what to do to make changes that will stick. Essentially, it’s how to stay on the wagon, then fall off and get back on – without guilt – and then have a way not to fall off as far next time and therein create a balance called healthy living.
I also get asked about intermittent fasting a lot. Some people do it without knowing it. They don’t eat breakfast and so fast (no food) for 16 hours without difficulty. Others think they would die without eating for that period of time.
Here’s a rundown of the fasting options:
- Choose a time period in which to eat each day, while refraining from eating outside of this. For example, the 16:8 diet involves fasting for 16 hours per day and eating within an 8-hour window. One of the most common ways to do this is by skipping breakfast and only eating from noon to 8:00pm, so you are fasting for 16 hours per day (between 8pm and noon the next day). Other variations of the diet involve 6-hour eating periods or shorter.
- Choosing a regular day of the week or month during which to fast for a full 24-hours. For example, if you finish dinner at 8pm one evening, you would fast from food until 8pm the next day.
- Choosing certain days of the week to consume very few calories, while eating a normal number of calories during the rest of the week. For example, the 5:2 diet involves eating only 25% of a normal calorie intake (500 cals for women, 600 cals for men) on two days per week, then eating a normal and unrestricted amount on the other five.
Ease Into It
Start with 12:12, where you are not eating for a full 12 hours and then progress after 10 days to the 16:8 diet. Either skip breakfast or dinner. The window options are eating from noon to 8:00pm or from 8:00am to 4:00pm.
I prefer my ease into it idea to start. Especially for those who usually jump right into a fad diet. If this is you, there’s balance to be had first before more changes.
There are so many ways to make changes. Choose what feels right to you. What you know you can achieve without beating yourself up if you don’t, and what will push you outside your comfort zone just enough to see change.
If you’re overwhelmed by the choice and don’t know what’s right for you, reach out. I’m always happy to help!
