Weight loss tips that don't involve dieting
I meet many women who have been chronic dieters their whole lives. Not only do they feel miserable they tend to plateau with their weight goals or actually gain weight over the whole term. Diets don’t work people! So please save yourself the time, money, and frustration by saying no to yo-yo diets and extreme restrictive diets.
The calories in calories out model is outdated. And does not accurately depict the complexity of weight management in the human body, especially with women! Restricting your calories is only going to set you up for metabolic damage and angry hormones, no bueno.
There is a better way, I assure you.
Well thank goodness right? Because who wants to go on a diet anyway? Not me…
So why don’t diets work then?
Diets aren’t sustainable. Do you want to eat “diet” foods every day for the rest of your life? Do you enjoy dieting? Does it make you feel good? My guess is no. Good luck keeping this up in the long-term. This is why it’s called a diet, you get on and off it, it’s not a lifestyle change. And you end up craving more junk food and even bingeing due to the restrictions. Not only does it not satisfy you emotionally it doesn’t satisfy you physically either, which means your body is going to keep telling you it wants more.
Dieting leads to a slower metabolism decreasing the number of calories the body burns. So now you have to eat less calories in order to maintain or lose weight but you feel less satiated and hungrier.
Low caloric packaged foods are commonly the most unhealthy ones severely lacking nutrition, which causes inflammation. Chronic inflammation makes fat cells resistant to fat loss, worsens insulin resistance, and drives up fat storage.
Diets lack nutrients - if your body isn’t satisfied it will keep telling you to eat more. Instead, this means you need to focus on eating enough macronutrients to fuel you and micronutrients to nourish you.
Diets wreak havoc on hormones. The female body is highly complex and relies on regular nutrients and calories. With restrictions, this communicates an emergency state of famine which can cause dysregulations in hormones and increase fat storing. We typically see higher cortisol and estrogen and lower progesterone in women these days which can be made worse with dieting. This promotes fat storage, especially around the tummy area. Insulin, leptin, and ghrelin can also become dysregulated under chronic dieting increasing cravings and hunger while decreasing satiety. Overall a terrible outcome for weight loss and not mention hormones.
Dieting and restrictions place a huge stress on the adrenals and thyroid. Restrictive diets can result in lowered thyroid function which means less thyroid hormone production and conversion which lowers the overall metabolic rate and promotes weight gain.
Dieting causes muscle loss. Muscle is metabolically active and continues to burn calories even at rest while also regulating blood sugar and insulin - 2 CRUCIAL factors in health and weight management. You need enough calories and protein to maintain muscle, paired of course with resistance exercise. A mistake I see with a lot of women is chronic cardio or only using the elliptical or treadmill at the gym. Chronic cardio can actually promote muscle wasting and encourage fat storage. Strength and resistance training can actually help increase your metabolic weight but also support bone health and blood sugar regulation. So lift some weights and get enough good quality protein in your diet.
Dieting does not address the core imbalances such as emotional health, mindset, metabolic dysfunction, hormones, toxins, adrenal stress, inflammation, etc. This is where the calories in calories out model fails. It’s not as simple as just the numbers.
Crash diets or severe carb restrictions cause serum tryptophan and serotonin to plummet which can lead to intense cravings. Which means you’ll have a harder time avoiding the chips and chocolate.
Weight loss tips that don’t involve dieting
Eat a high protein breakfast. Protein helps to maintain muscle mass (important for insulin and blood sugar regulation but also increasing your metabolism as we talked about above) and it helps to keep your blood sugar stable and keep you satiated throughout the day. Starting your day off with a protein-rich breakfast helps you to make better choices throughout the day and keep your metabolic rate high. And this doesn’t mean you have to have a steak for breakfast!
I love a good smoothie with a quality protein powder, chia pudding, eggs sautéed with veggies, or a savory meal with quality animal protein! Check out my blog post for more ideas.Eat real food. If there is one thing you take away from this post, let it be this. Your body doesn’t recognize the fake processed foods. But the more you eat them, the more you want them. When you are eating highly inflammatory foods they contribute to dysbiosis in the gut as well as trigger cravings because your body wants nutrients, not more junk food. Yet we wonder why we never feel satisfied, are constantly hungry, and feel fatigued all of the time? Start with real food, avoid packaged foods and buy foods that you can recognize and pronounce, this should make up the bulk of your diet.
Eat enough. I usually suggest tracking your calories and macronutrients for a few days to assess whether you are eating enough or too much. Many people actually are under-eating which puts the body under a lot of stress and can down-regulate the metabolic rate. It is absolutely crucial that you eat enough for your body especially if you are an active person! Anything under 1600 calories for an adult is too little, don’t go there.
Include healthy fats. Especially omega 3 fats. Omega 3 fats are found in algae and fish. These are essential, meaning we need to obtain them regularly from our diet or supplementation. These fats do not get stored as fat, instead they help to reduce hunger, improve the metabolic rate, support healthy hormones, help build muscle mass, support insulin regulation, and support mood. Unless you eat wild fish 2-3 times per week a good quality supplement is probably a good idea. Always look for the EPA + DHA content on the bottle and third-party testing. If you are vegan look for an algae supplement, I love this one.
I also love healthy fats such as coconut, raw nuts and seeds, avocado, olives, grass-fed butter, and ghee.
Eat at least 1 cup of cruciferous vegetables daily. These contain indole-3-carbinol, a phytonutrient that helps to metabolize and clear estrogen from the body. The more fat cells you have, the more estrogen in the body since fat cells secrete estrogen. Specifically, if you store body fat in your thighs and butt, estrogen dominance could be a factor but also if you suffer from PMS symptoms. This typically means you are getting too much estrogen from your environment (like through animal products or cosmetics or plastics) or you are not detoxing estrogen efficiently from the body. Cruciferous vegetables are great in helping to eliminate too much estrogen and support the liver in detoxification. So load up!
Avoid inflammatory foods. Inflammation drives up fat storage and makes fat cells more resistant to fat loss. Fat cells also produce inflammatory chemicals. It’s a vicious cycle. Visceral fat and this stubborn belly fat that surrounds your internal organs have been linked to high levels of inflammation. Where does inflammation come from? Common sources include hydrogenated oils (vegetable oils), food sensitivities, gut microbiome imbalances, elevated mercury, nutrient deficiencies, chronic stress, excess sugar and refined carbohydrates, excess animal products (especially conventional), dairy, gluten….
The first step is to always avoid packaged and processed foods and to choose whole foods. Swap your vegetable oils for coconut oil or grass-fed butter for cooking and olive oil for salads instead. And ditch the canola!
Want to learn how to ditch the diets and develop a healthier relationship with food and your body? Together we address your health concerns and goals holistically, focusing on nurturing and nourishment instead of the restrictions and rules to help you heal on a cellular level, learn more about my programs here.
Disclaimer: Information on this site is intended only for informational purposes and is not a substitute for medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare provider before implementing changes. Read additional disclaimer info here.