“If I can just stay in this calorie range for the day, I’ll be golden.” Well, not exactly. Counting calories is not the best answer to greater weight consistency.
For example, you might be technically under the amount of calories you’re supposed to have for that day…but still find yourself gaining weight the next day.
Hey, how did that happen?
Well, even if you had a day that included some cereal, low-fat English muffins and rice, how many carbs did you just consume there? There are other factors at work here to consider.
Some people go on “crash diets” that limit themselves. Actually, let me take that back – these diets are downright punishment to the body. As soon as you deprive yourself of calories, it actually creates more problems for your body in which you don’t have enough energy. Why is that? Because food is fuel and if you’re eating less of it, it can wreak havoc on your own biochemistry.
Here are 6 tips to keep in mind for longer-term success than calorie counting:
#1: Know the number you should really care about.
Sure, you always pay attention to the number on the scale. But the real number that could have value and matter more could be your waistline number. If you lose inches off your waistline and never lose a pound, are you going to be genuinely upset? Probably not, because you’ll be looking and feeling better.
#2: Make a nutritional shift that’s easy.
When I do nutrition counseling with clients, we don’t always pick one plan and stick with it forever. We need a plan you can stick with so you can hold yourself accountable. But that doesn’t mean drastic sacrifice. It means choosing a plan you can literally live with so you can make small, manageable shifts. That alone can cause you to lose a ton of weight.
#3: Create a “snack strategy.”
Having a snack handy for your nutritional balance, like a cheese stick, hard-boiled egg, nuts, celery and hummus can give you the necessary break to appropriately take care of yourself. See it for the important fuel that it is to help you energized, so you can take care of yourself along the way to your goal.
#4: Trade some of the coffee for H20.
It’s not that Starbucks run that’s going to get you through the day (especially as those Lattes add up). Instead, consider drinking more water. It’s a great way to stimulate the digestive tract as a slow burning fuel. This makes for a better alternative to caffeine, which is going to elicit a “fight or flight” response that puts sugar into the bloodstream. This will cause insulation to be stored for several hours, waiting like a hungry shark for you to put something into the body – and when you do, it’s going to be stored as fat.
#5: Happy you = better choices.
When you’re happy, you have the opportunity to reflect on making better choices and the feeling that accompanies these choices. You enjoy it and want to repeat the activity that lead to that good feeling. You’re driven by the response you get. If you haven’t eaten all day, you become a bit loopy, don’t you? And then what will happen? You’ll be in such a state that anything in front of you is going to be fair game to be eaten. Good choices won’t be made because you’re in a negative state of being deprived (“I haven’t eaten all day so I deserve this.”).
#6: Carve out your own “me time.”
On a related note, everybody needs “me time” for themselves, which can lead to healthier choices. Time in the sun, exercise, meditation, yoga, closing your door to have lunch and however else you can find clarity in your day will provide a healthy adaptation. Again, when you feel better, you do better.
How about one more strategy proven to be more effective than counting calories?
Like the help of Oak Park’s best trainer and nutritional counselor by your side? It can be just what you need to finally achieve your goals.
So call Body By G today at 708.267.7173 or email g@coachingbyg.com to get a free, 20-minute consultation either over the phone or in person. If you’d like to move forward after our conversation, we’ll schedule a physical assessment to determine where you need the most help and formulate a plan of attack that works for you.