My Tips for Sustainable Weight-Management
I hope I am not the first one to give you this bad news, but as it turns out, there are no shortcuts to sustainable weight-management and health. Now before you come at me with every “drop a dress size in thirty days” trick you have, there are a few important distinctions to my statement: sustainability, weight-management rather than weight-loss, and pairing weight-management with health.
First, to be sustainable, the change you make has to be something that you are willing to commit to for at least the foreseeable future, if not forever. This likely rules out long-term fasting, extremely restrictive eating, and possibly even permanently cutting your favorite (unhealthy) foods because let’s face it, we are human and fallible, so why set yourself up for failure? Plus, life is short and you should be able to have your favorite foods…at least in moderation…occasionally.
Second, weight-management is more important than weight-loss. Weight-management is the process of changing your lifestyle and habits in order to accomplish and maintain a healthy body weight. Weight-loss, on the other hand, is simply lowering the number on the scale by any means necessary. The reason that you should focus your efforts on weight-management is because the changes you make are more likely to yield the results you actually want. To paint a clearer picture – a weight-loss plan could successfully lower your body weight, but unless it’s paired with dietary changes and exercise…a lighter body does not always equate to a better-looking body. A better-looking body takes time and self-discipline, something that a weight-management plan can help you with.
The third distinction is pairing weight-management with health. This is very similar to the previous distinction in that weight-management is a process of making changes, but it’s also important that those are healthy changes. If the change is, for example, to only eat cottage cheese from now on, I suppose that could be considered a change intended to maintain bodyweight…but it won’t last very long because you won’t last very long.
Altogether, I believe this trifecta constitutes a long-game strategy rather than a short-cut. It may seem like a lot, but it’s not that hard to do! To illustrate how low-impact it can be, I would like to share my recipe for success that has worked for me over the past few years.
A few notes: I am not a certified nutritionist or trainer, there are no physique competitions or athletic events in my future, and the things that work for me may not work for you because science (specifically, genetics). Remember, this is free advice that you elected to read on the internet (and thank you for doing so!).
- Lowering Sugar Intake: I’m sure that no one is surprised to hear that you shouldn’t eat a lot of sugar. I have lowered my sugar intake in three ways. First, I aim for at least three days a week of low carb days. My normal schedule doesn’t include breakfast, so a low-carb day usually means a spinach/tomato/bleu cheese crumbles salad for lunch (for some reason, when I have bleu cheese crumbles, I don’t feel like I need dressing) and then a protein/green veggie dinner. Second, I drink a Plexus Slim everyday between lunch and dinner when I normally reach for something sweet. The drink tastes really good and helps to curb my sugar cravings like magic. I love the Plexus option because it doesn’t taste like aspartame (the absolutely disgusting taste in diet soda and a lot of sugar-free drinks), but I have seen other options out there for similar products. Third, I drink a “super coffee” every morning, which means I put a tablespoon of coconut oil and a teaspoon of collagen supplement in my coffee. This makes me less hungry in the morning and keeps me away from the sugary drinks of Starbucks.
- Boosting Immune System: Next, I take a twice-daily pro-biotic supplement to boost my immune system. Again, I use two Plexus products for this, BioCleanse and ProBio, but no matter where you choose to shop, I think a probiotic is important. In addition to keeping me healthy, probiotics help me maintain my weight by balancing the types of bacteria that live in my stomach, which helps my body get rid of what it doesn’t need and absorb only what it does – at the very least, it keeps me from looking bloated, which makes my gym-results more visible, which keeps me going back for more. Also, probiotics often contain nutrients that boost your immune system (vitamin C, vitamin B6) and if you are sick less often, you can maintain your gym routine, which brings me to my last point…
- Gym Consistency: My goal is to go to the gym more times per week than I don’t, which means I’m aiming for four times per week. If this is something you struggle with, start by making a list of all of the barriers between you and the gym. You may not be able to eliminate all of these barriers, but you can probably make a few changes or decisions that tick off a few. For me, a barrier is leaving a comfortable place to be (my couch), so I just have to get in the door of the gym. Once I am physically inside the gym, I have never even once walked out without exercising. It might not be a great workout, but it’s better than nothing. To make it easier to get to the gym, consider choosing a gym that’s close to home or work (depending on when you want to exercise). Or consider a gym that is close to somewhere you have to go, like the grocery store. Keeping a consistent exercise habit will go a long way – my first martial arts instructor once told me, “it takes two weeks to get in shape and two days to lose it”. That might not be true…but it keeps me in check, because I’m not willing to lose two weeks of progress for a few days off, so maybe it’ll work for you too!
Another quick note: I mentioned a few Plexus products I use – if you want to try these products, please use my link! As I mentioned, there are alternatives to these products, I just like getting everything from one company, and a company whose mission I support.
These ideas and product recommendations meet my criteria to represent a long-game strategy for sustainable weight-management and health. I would love to hear about your tips & tricks for staying healthy and happy with your weight, so please let me know in the comments and as always, thanks for reading!