Weight Loss

Chances are, you’ve stumbled upon this blog post because you’re either eager to lose weight or you’re frustrated that nothing seems to be working. Before you embark on your exciting journey or give up in defeat, I encourage you to consider the options below for a successful execution.

If you haven’t read part 1 of “How to lose weight fast”, I urge you to do so before delving into part 2.

Part 1 touches on the scientific fundamentals of weight loss that are of upmost importance to any weight loss plan. Here, at Healthy Proportions, we realize that KNOWING what to do is one thing, and actually integrating that knowing  within your lifestyle, in a way that is realistic, doable and sustainable way is another.

“I’m eating three times a day, I don’t get why I can’t lose weight!”, “I move around enough with the kids, I just don’t have time for the gym”, “I’m too tired to do anything by the end of the day” I hear these statements freakishly often and I sympathize for all of them. They’re very real, very raw and epitomize the majority of people in our society today. American culture glorifies work, money, vacations, the material things, that at the end of the day, matter so little, if you’re going by your day to day feeling terrible.

I need you to surrender to the fact that you’re not superhuman, nor are you expected to be. You’re one person juggling the trails and tribulations of life with little prioritization of yourself. That’s what got you here, but that isn’t what is going to stick.

Read below for the tools and strategies that are going to get you to your highest vision that you have for yourself. The strategies that are going to make your efforts that much easier and significantly increase your likelihood of success without feeling like the whole world is collapsing around you.

I would regard these tools as greater importance than prioritizing nutrition, physical activity and hormones because without the below, the success of the above is very slim.

Weight loss requires patience, discipline and a consistent desire to put your goals above seeming temptations. It requires effort, structure, planning, diligence and a strong awareness of your desired goal including the “why” behind that goal.

You need to want it. And you need to want it bad.

No matter what your motivator. Whether it’s to look better, perform better, improve your health, play with your grandkids or just get through the day with a little more zest, the tools below will help you get there.

Step 1- Structure and planning-

This is the part where most people fail. Why? Because it seems daunting. Where do I begin? When do I have the time to plan? It seems stupid and redundant.

There are a million excuses to avoid integrating structure and planning. Trust me, I know, I was one of them! My partner would encourage us to write out our plan for the next day and I would roll my eyes thinking I knew better. Once I tried his method, I executed my days with intention and there was no going back from there! I had clarity and purpose. I was successful in everything I wanted to do and boy did it feel good at the end of the day!

Chances are, your health and fitness goals are not coming to fruition because other tasks are taking priority. It’s all fine and dandy to want to change your eating and exercise habits but unless you actually implement a strategy and get PREPARED those desires will remain stagnant.

A great place to start is by owning a planner or calendar and jotting down what days and times you will be exercising, picking up your groceries, cooking, preparing etc. You’ll be surprised at how much available time shows up when things are written down. Time when perhaps you snoozed a little too long, went to bed a little too late, scrolled on social media mindlessly or watched that Netflix show longer than ideal. Take inventory of how you can maximize your time and create a plan from there!

Only you know your exact schedule and without a blueprint for the week it’s much easier to come up with an excuse, fall behind and become increasingly frustrated.

Step 2- Get into a routine-

The best thing about developing a consistent routine is eliminating a phenomenon known as “decision fatigue”.

Steve Jobs famously wore the same black turtleneck, blue jeans and New Balance Sneakers everyday to make better use of his decision making muscle- his brain.

It is said that the average person makes 35,000 decisions a day, with our willpower only getting weaker as our day progresses. Successful CEO’s, presidents and entrepreneurs have figured it out and it’s about time that we do too!

To eliminate decision fatigue and maximize our willpower throughout the day, it is best to establish a solid routine, to enable you towards a path of better health and greater compliance.

If you aren’t regular with your wake-time, bed-time, breakfast, lunch, dinner, then I encourage you to get on top of that! Take it one step further and wrap your head around or PLAN your meals for the week ahead. It doesn’t have to be thorough, but you will need some sort of plan of attack.

Before you know it, you will have developed good habits and free’d up a lot of your mental energy stuck in decision fatigue or limbo.

Ninety-Five percent of my clients that first come to me struggle to eat enough throughout the day and end up confused as to why they aren’t seeing results. Here’s the deal, you NEED to be eating the right foods with the appropriate daily macronutrients and micronutrients to get results. Too many people are walking around malnourished, over-stressed and physically unwell yet expecting to see results.

Sure, intermittent fasting has its time and place whenever its intentional but most of the time, if we happen to skip lunch and eat too few calories, the end result is catastrophic. Binge eating at night or snacking on higher calorie foods is not uncommon, leaving you feeling defeated and more likely to give up.

Lack of planning along side a chaotic schedule is a recipe for disaster. Get into the routine of eating regularly throughout the day and say signora to your nasty cravings or late night binges.

Step 3- Be an Optimist.

Your sub conscious mind is 30,000 times more powerful than your conscious mind. You know that second brain that controls your breathing, your metabolism, your every movement, nutrient absorption, cell regeneration and everything else that comes automatic to you?

That is your subconscious in control.

Our subconscious, quite LITERALLY, does as it is told by our conscious mind and cannot differentiate between that which is true and not true.

Being a “subconscious pessimist” is sabotaging your life without you even realizing it.

The words that you whisper to yourself are more powerful than anything anyone else says to you. Do you tell yourself that you’re “fat”, “unattractive” or “lazy”?. Do you have a tendency of looking at the glass half empty or the harsher subtleties of doubt, fear or worry? Have you wondered how anything could possibly work considering how many times you’ve failed before?

STOP RIGHT THERE. EVERY THOUGHT YOU HAVE AND EVERY FEELING YOU FEEL HAS A POWERFUL IMPACT ON YOUR MIND, BODY AND SOUL. Keep it up chronically and those very thoughts and feelings become engrained in your subconscious and make you the person that you are today.

Your subconscious, quite literally acknowledges the thought that you have, in agreement, and acts to keep you within that state, whereby it will down-regulate your metabolism, decreases your nutrient utilization, decrease your energy level and basically turns you into a sloth. Don’t believe me? Check out the placebo affect, spontaneous remissions of cancer or why successful athletes and entrepreneurs practice self imagery. Turn those thoughts around one by one and start by pausing and acknowledging them in the first place.

Create a new story of strength, resilience, joy and confidence. That my friend is the new you. Not whatever version you’ve told yourself so far.

Step 4-  Focus on small progress-

Rome wasn’t built in a day and results don’t happen overnight, but that’s not to say that you won’t be feeling fabulous instantaneously. Expect improved energy, focus, an increase in purpose, drive and a positive shift in self perception just by setting a goal or committing to something and striving towards it each day.

You’ll no longer associate with words such as “lazy” “fat” and “impossible” because you’re being proactive at changing your life and adopting a growth mindset. This improved mental state will rub off on those around you as your friends and family gravitate towards your improved energy while you’re empowered towards changing your life.

These gradual steps are part of what makes your journey unique and memorable. Pay attention and take it one day at a time.

If you could amass all of the wealth in the world overnight, would it mean as much to you as if you were to put in long hours, build partnerships, overcome barriers, build resilience and put in blood sweat and tears into acquiring your net worth?

Appreciate where you are in your journey and pay attention to small progress- that is where the beauty lies.

Step 5- Get better sleep.

I know I know, you’ve heard this far too many times before, but it can’t go without mention.

Lack of sleep not only impairs your brain and immunity but it can also substantially deteriorate your ability to feel full and satiated.

Leptin, the hormone that makes you feel full decreases and Ghrelin, the hormone that makes you feel hungry increases all while simultaneously becoming more insulin resistant, meaning that the food that you eat isn’t going to be shuttled as efficiently to your cells to be used as energy, but instead will convert to body fat more easily. You feel insatiably hungry, struggle to feel full and your blood sugar is experiencing highs and lows, leaving you feeling pretty shitty. This creates a less than desirable environment for fat loss, as you fight your own urges and blood sugar drops.

Next time you feel unrested, pay attention to your hunger cues and notice whether the candy bowl is calling your name. Don’t sabotage your progress, instead, acknowledge why you’re having certain cravings, give yourself some grace and then set some boundaries for yourself.

Start by setting a bedtime alarm on your phone to allow 7.5-9 hours of sleep and putting away electronics 1-2 hours before bed. If you’re having trouble falling asleep you might not be producing adequate amounts of melatonin therefore requiring additional steps and extra attention to get the rest that your body craves.

These methods include; switching off all LCD screens and electronics 1-2 hours before bed, taking a warm shower, drinking a nightcap tea containing camomile, valerian or passionflower, meditation or deep breathing (my favorite is the 4-7-8 method) or reading, just to name a few.

If you feel as though you’re doing absolutely everything in the gym and in the kitchen but are still falling short then take a hard look at your sleep.

Step 6- Stay hydrated.

I cannot emphasize this one enough! You would be surprised at how common it is for people to not drink enough water. We’re often too busy, don’t remember, even though its right in front of us or we simply satisfy our thirst cues by drinking something other than water i.e LARGE coffee’s or diet soda’s.

Unfortunately, if you struggle in the hydration department, you are not maximizing your mind and body’s true potential.

Do you experience low energy? Arthritis? Pain? Constipation? Tight muscles? Illness of any kind? Depression or lack of weight loss? This little culprit might be why.

Water acts as a natural detoxifier, keeps your lymphatic system moving and organs functioning properly. Did you know that your brain is 80% water? That’s right, it isn’t coffee that you need…it’s H2o.

Shoot for a minimum of 64oz per day or half of your bodyweight in ounces and notice the difference in how your body and mind feel!

Keep all of the above factors in mind while embarking on your exciting new journey, wishing you the very best and cheering you on always!

I appreciate you taking the time to read our article and hope that you’ve found it informative and beneficial to you and your progress. If you want to schedule a consultation so that we can trouble shoot together and create a plan towards your highest self, don’t hesitate to reach out through the contact form, at b_risteski@live.com.au or all social media platforms. Thank you and stay connected for what’s next!