Let me start out by saying that I am not a weight loss coach or personal trainer or anything of that sort. I am a holistic wellness practitioner, and as such, my focus is not on weight loss. My focus is always on optimal health and sustained wellness.
Just like our weight can affect our health, our health can affect our weight. For me, I found this to be absolutely the case, but it took a long time for me to get ‘there’ mentally. That being said, hitting your ideal weight goal, does not guarantee that you are or will be healthy. Still, I find that as a holistic wellness practitioner, when I speak to people about their wellness goals, at least 95% of them list weight loss among their top three goals. Some have always struggled with their weight; many women, only really began to struggle after having children, but most have found that losing weight after turning 40 seems like ‘mission impossible.’ I fell in to both of the latter categories, being that I had both of my children after 40 and within 14 months of one another.
Gaining weight after turning 40 and struggling to lose it is quite normal. As we get older, we begin losing muscle mass and at the same time begin storing more fat. While that can be quite frustrating, there is a divine design at work. It is kind of easy to make the connection between muscles and energy, but many people do not realize that adipose tissue, or fat containing cells, act as long term energy stores.
If you think about it, the lives of our ancient ancestors were quite different from our lives today. They had to work hard for everything they had. They had to hunt and gather. They had to fish and farm. They had to make their own clothes, build their own homes. They had no cars or bicycles. They had to physically defend their territories with hand-to-hand combat. The terrain was much less friendly and weather patterns were different. They needed a significant amount of strength and energy in their youth.
As they got older, there were things they were no longer doing or doing less of, so the same amount of strength and energy was no longer needed, but they had access to longer and slower burning energy from that which was stored in their adipose tissue—which stores fat cells. Other essentials stored in adipose tissue are vitamins D, E, and cholesterol. Toxins are also stored in fat tissue, though. In short, there is some value to those extra fat stores, but you don’t need me to tell you that too much of anything is not good, especially body fat.
So the question is, how did I go from pushing 150 pounds to 125 without counting calories, buying into special diets, a regular workout schedule, or a gym membership? Well, first, let me tell you this, it did not happen overnight and it did take some discipline and willingness to pay attention and listen to what my body was telling me. Over time, I stopped drinking sweet tea, juice, and sodas, and started drinking more water. I cut out highly processed foods and foods with high sugar content and started eating more fruits and nuts for snacks. I eat when hungry, and stop eating when full. I stopped eating “low-fat” foods and eat whole, good, quality fat foods in moderation. I eat a lot of home cooked meals, and am willing to experiment with eating foods outside of my comfort zone.
Finally, I saw the most change after going on a 21-Day Reset at the beginning of this year. From January 1 to the 21st, my family and I went sugar-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free. It was so difficult at first, but after the second week, we felt so good that it began to get easier. By week three, our taste palettes had changed so much that we didn’t have any desire for foods with added sugar, dairy, or gluten. From that point, the pounds began to drop much more quickly for me.
Now each of us is different and it’s nearly impossible to pinpoint how each of our bodies will react to various changes, but you can best believe that taking a break from highly processed foods and foods loaded with added sugar will be game-changers for everyone. If you are trying to shed some stubborn pounds, I encourage you to begin there. Try it for 21 days like I did and pay attention to how you feel. You may be quite surprised.
Are you wondering what that might look like for you? Well, it could be you choosing to avoid all juice, and sweet tea for 21 days. If you really want to be aggressive, you may opt to replace coffee with warm water with a squeeze of lemon in it. It could be that you are going to cook your meals instead of going out to eat for 21 days. Maybe you are ready to take on a greater challenge and you opt to eat foods in their whole form, without more than one ingredient, for 21 days. Maybe you will give up specific foods that are problematic for you for 21 days, like chips or ice cream. You take on what you are ready for and believe you can experience success in doing.
Of note: unless you are under the care of a medical professional, I do not suggest you add “low-fat” to your plans. Your body needs good, healthy fats to process vitamins A, D, E, & K.
I believe in you and your ability to make a decision, set a goal, and go after it. If 21 days is too big of a leap to begin, start with two weeks, one week, or even one day. You’d be surprised to know the impact that one right or wrong decision can make on your wellness. I’d love to know what you’ve decided to do. Please share in the comment section or in the forum what you have decided to try. I’ll be there to cheer you on to victory!
Be well!
Robyn
Disclaimer: The information, material, and content presented on this site is intended for educational and informational purposes only. This website does NOT provide medical advice. None of the opinions, recommendations, or information contained on this site have been independently evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. No information on this site should be used to diagnose, treat, prevent or cure any disease or condition under any circumstances. I am not a doctor or registered dietitian and should not be construed as one. Always consult with a qualified medical professional before engaging in any dietary, exercise or lifestyle changes.
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