Kick Start Your Weight Loss Again

Julie Doherty Naturopathic Physician Mount Gambier, South Australia

My Commitment and Dedication - Is to provide Evidence Based Guidance and Support that will enable you to Build a Firm Foundation to Master a Life of Optimal Health, Happiness, Vitality and the Best Quality. Beginning with the Key Essence to Build a Brilliant Mind. How Fuelling your mind to positive changes, understanding... more

We have all been there! Doing really well losing weight, feeling fit and healthy. Then it just seems that all the hard work and effort has just stopped working!

This is what is known as the weight loss plateau, when you still have a few kilos you would like to lose to reach your goal and optimal weight for your height and age.

The body is very adaptable and what it is great at doing is working at maintaining equilibrium, otherwise known as homeostasis. Homeostasis is how the body maintains optimal physiological processes. This information is not included in many weight loss or dietary programs as these are usually short bursts for people to lose weight. However if you want to not only lose weight but maintain a healthy weight, your body needs changes in the foods you eat, the types of foods, and also when you eat them. It will be helpful to implement changes to keep things interesting as well as support your body’s homeostasis and metabolic rate.

6 Easy Steps to Kick Start Your Weight Loss

Flexible eating: As you well know there are times when you just can’t seem to get enough to eat and then there are days when you can just seem to live on water. This is your body’s way of speaking to you in regards to what it needs. On the days where you aren’t as hungry, incorporate foods such as roasted almonds, walnuts, yogurt, an apple, a banana. Fresh veggies such as carrots, capsicum, celery, cucumber etc. Still ensuring that you are eating regularly but allowing your body time to rest and recover from digestion of heavier foods. These days it is great to incorporate a vegetarian dish for your evening meal. On the days that you are ravishingly hungry you may want to incorporate additional protein based foods such as lean meat, chicken and fish. If you are vegetarian then chick peas, lentils, tempeh, tofu, quinoa, peas, Edamame, nuts and seeds. Also good sources of protein are Soy and Almond milk.
Forget calorie counting: Calorie counting is only going to stress you and your body out big time. If you have changed your diet to being mainly plant and vegetable based, avoid processed foods and drinks. This is the best start to keeping your weight loss happening and maintaining a healthy weight. There are foods known as catabolic foods that will actually help you to lose weight with no need to calorie count.
Change your exercise routine: You may have begun walking each day, it might be time to include some yoga or stretching exercises when you come back from your walk. You may want to join an aerobics or dance class. Here is a link to an article I wrote with stretching exercises to help overcome rheumatic/arthritic pain that you may find helpful. If it is winter you may find it helpful to join a gym and if it is summer then head to the beach.
Forget the frustration and focus on your health: It is normal to become frustrated and annoyed when you feel that you have been doing everything right and yet have stopped losing weight. This is why it is not recommended when entering a weight loss program to focus only on the weight loss, but to focus on health improvements, having more energy and feeling better in your clothes.
Focus on the foods you are eating: Yeast, gluten, sugar, salt, biscuits, cakes, pasta, rice, lollies, processed cold meats, soft drinks, sauces, pastries and juices: Replace these with fresh foods such as vegetables, include fruits such as kiwi fruit, apples, bananas, berries and grapefruit. Minimizing animal protein and portion sizes will over time help you lose weight to the point where your body is able. Each and every one of you are different as is your weight loss regime.
Be patient and praise yourself for how far you have come: It is so much easier to come down hard on yourself because you feel that you haven’t done well enough. But I want you to stop that! Make a note as to how well you have done and will continue to do. Understand that not just your weight but your health is a daily achievement and each day is a new day to put further improvements into place.