10 Responses For Common Thoughts People Have Along Their Weight Loss Journey

There is an alternative:

Begin with where you are now.

Incrementally test new, basic, foundational eating habits.

Test things that you are actually able to stick to 80% of the time or more.

Objectively measure the results, usually weekly or bi-weekly.

Use the feedback loop to continually progress & adapt.

It's worth noting that this process is NOT a diet that worked for someone else.

There are books & documentaries portraying sugar as the devil, and to a large degree, they're right; as a nation we have injected sugar into everything we can, and we are dying because of it.

However, there's a big difference between a diet of soda & donuts, and healthy carbohydrate intake.

Most people need carbohydrates; they just don't need processed & refined sugars, certainly not in large quantities.

Yes, sugar is addicting, biologically and mentally.

Here's the good news:

When you rebalance yourself, you can break the cycle.

You can get to a point where the taste of a Snickers bar is so overwhelmingly sweet that you would spit it out.

I know, because I have done it myself, and coached many others to do the same.

And I used to eat the classic Standard American Diet.

Each person's path is different.

I don't know very many things for certain, but I do know this:

You CAN break your sugar addiction.

Obviously this is frustrating.

Generally speaking, it's the result of a lack of incrementally building sustainable eating habits.

Example: crash diets, shake diets, rapid cleanses.

Full disclosure: I sometimes coach low calorie, rapid weight loss cleanses.

Also, it was originally Robb Wolf's 30-Day Paleo Challenge (that's not low calorie) that I did in 2010 which was pivotal in turning my nutrition around for good.

So, these things have their place.

But they MUST have a solid exit/long-term plan attached and be for the right person / right reasons.

Most people do not need, nor should they take, the 'quick-fix' approach.

I don't recommend extreme diets or massive sea change for most people that I speak with.

If I told you that you could lose 50 pounds this year and keep it off forever, would you be happy with that?

That's about one pound a week.

Very attainable.

And sustainable.

This happens for various reasons.

The body likes to settle in.

That's what it does - constantly. It's always seeking homeostasis.

There are ways to shake this up, for example: carb cycling, fat cycling, seasonal eating, etc.

It depends on the individual and their goals/situation.

I have no experience with this.

All I can say is that if your short-term health is at risk, and you are confident with your doctors' recommendations, then you should listen to them.

If you feel like you're at the end of your rope with non-surgical nutrition, I would ask:

What approaches have you tried?

There may be one or two you missed.

I'm going to make a blanket statement here, which I rarely do: this is not true.

Sure, maybe you're not going to run a marathon tomorrow, but, can you walk?

Walking for 20 minutes per day counts as exercise. Also, it's one of the commonalities shared by centenarians in the Blue Zones. (People who live to be over 100 years old.)

If you can't walk, and you're bedridden, you can lift up your arms and legs and make small motions of some sort. You can start somewhere, no matter how small, with the help of a PT if needed.

Exercise does NOT mean 'going to the gym' ... which is a phrase that I will branch another list about.

Move your body, well and often.

For some people, that's gardening.

I'm a big fan of weightlifting. I have a garage gym.

But I don't assume that everyone should pick up a barbell.

A few thoughts here:

- Home cooking can (and probably should) be very simple. You don't need to make 5-course meals. A few basic utensils, a little guidance, and some practice is all you need.

- IF for any reason you are not able to do the above (time, resources, fear, other) then you can find healthy food in other ways. Of course, home cooking will always be the most economical, but, you can get your meals delivered with a few clicks these days.

This is may be a matter of what you really want.

Do you want to cook?

Maybe you don't.

Maybe you like not cooking.

If cooking is not a change that you're ready for, that's OK.

We need to focus on a change that you are ready for.

Yes.

And, that does NOT mean that you have no control.

You have genetics, and you also have epigenetics.

Epigenetics are how your environment (which you control to large degree) change which genes are expressed.

Look, I won't pain too rosy of a picture here: you may have conditions that are difficult to overcome, and which may require medical guidance.

But even if you do, guess what?

Getting your nutrition in balance will only help whatever efforts your doctors are making.

If you give your body half a chance, it will begin to heal itself.

That is what the body does.

A qualified medical practitioner can address this specifically ... and guess what:

If he or she is a good one, they'll tell you to get your diet in order, in order to help the process.

I know one good functional medicine practitioner (link here) who can help.

There are many others.

Probably, yes, and ... you can ask me questions about the approaches I've mentioned above. If it's within my scope of practice, I'm happy to help. If it's not, I'm happy to point you in the right direction.