Category: Permanent Weight Loss

Five Basic Tips to Help You Lose Weight This Fall

Young woman at autumn forest

For many people Labor Day usually means that summer is coming to an end.  The kids go back to school (if they haven’t already returned), the air gets crisper, and the light begins to change. And even if you live in a place that stays a little warmer (like parts of my home state of California), the new fall season usually means a much busier or, at the very least, a different schedule.

A shift in schedule can potentially derail your weight loss goals if you let it. I’ve put together some simple guidelines on how to stay on track while adjusting to the new season.

FIVE EASY WEIGHT LOSS TIPS FOR THE FALL SEASON!

1) Plan.  Fall usually means a more set routine. This can be used for your benefit to help you lose weight. Pull out your calendar and determine when you have time for exercise, meal planning, and healthy meal preparation. Write these activities in like like any other important appointment.

Avoid biting off more than you can chew. Look at your calendar before saying yes to extra projects. If saying yes will interfere with your weight loss goals, you may want to take a pass for now.

2) Brown bag it. Breakfast is key to successful weight loss. If time is tight in the mornings, a healthy egg sandwich or smoothie are easy to eat on the go. Do your best to eat by 9:00 am, and no later than 10:00.

Pack lunches and have healthy snacks on you at all times. No matter what your day looks like, busy and hungry are a dangerous combination for weight loss. By planning ahead, you’ll have more control over the food you eat.

And if you are shuttling kids, pack snacks to have on hand. Not only will it contribute to their good health, it will save you time as well.

3) Order out.  After looking at your schedule, you may realize that cooking some nights will be a stretch. Let someone else do the cooking for you! Order healthy pre-made meals from companies like Munchery or Spoon Rocket.

4) Get creative.  If your normal exercise time is conflicting with your child’s activity or sport, go for a walk while you are waiting for them. One of my clients decided to get a low-cost membership at the gym across the street from her daughter’s dance class. She’s going to run on the treadmill while her daughter is taking class. Another option would be to see if there was an adult class to try during her daughter’s class.

Early morning and lunch time workouts are a great way to sneak exercise into the day. This strategy helps you avoid missing workouts due to evening interruptions such as working late.

5) Create a fit lifestyle.  One of the reasons people are so much more active in the Summer is all of the fun outdoor activities that are available. That doesn’t have to end just because it’s Fall. Like the beach or hiking? Bundle up and take a walk. Personally, I think Autumn is one of the most beautiful times of year!

Choose active recreation on the weekends to counter the less active time during the week. Recreational activities are a great cross-trainer if you are doing more formal gym workouts during the week. Try turning off screens (computers, TV, phones, etc. ) as much as possible on the weekends!

All it takes is a little bit of planning. Fall is a great time to meet your weight loss/management goals. Embrace this time of year and all of the fullness it brings!

Blessings!
Jennifer

Why You Shouldn’t Count On Exercise Alone to Lose Weight

iStock_scale saying help

Have you been exercising regularly without seeing much weight loss? If so, you may need to make some adjustments to your eating plan.

THEY EXERCISED FOR FIVE HOURS A WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS AND ONLY LOST 1.5 LBS!

A recent study at the University of Texas has shown that exercise alone without adjustments to diet produces minimal weight loss. The University studied two sedentary control groups. One group of 50 people made no changes to their diet or activity levels at all and were monitored for 12 weeks.

The second group of 50 people exercised with a personal trainer up to five hours per week for a total of 12 weeks and made no changes to their weekly diet. This group lost a mere 1.5 lbs in 12 weeks. I know what you’re thinking, not that impressive.

I’ve been in the fitness industry for over 26 years and I can confirm that these statistics are unfortunately true.  Unless you are exercising at the level of an Olympic athlete or a professional football player, it’s pretty tough to lose weight with exercise alone.

Please understand, this DOES NOT mean you should quit exercising. Quite the opposite! The study reveals that exercise alone makes it hard to lose weight.  There are many reasons we should all be exercising regularly.  Research shows that exercise can help with depression, lower the risk for heart disease and cancer, reduce the risk of diabetes, and even grow new brain cells.  Exercise is an excellent anti-aging tool. It’s just not that effective when it comes to weight loss.

The best way to shed pounds for good is a combination of a healthy eating plan AND regular exercise.

HERE’S FIVE SIMPLE DIET CHANGES TO BOOST WEIGHT LOSS

1)  Eat carbohydrates.  This is where the media often gets it wrong.  Your body needs carbohydrates to lose weight.  What’s most important is the type of carbohydrates you are eating.  Skip the processed white flour and focus on whole grains like wild rice, quinoa, brown rice, organic corn, and beans.

Sweet potatoes and other root vegetables are great options as well.

2) Plan your meals.  Planning your meals helps you eat regularly and choose the right foods to stabilize your blood sugar.  Stabilizing your blood sugar helps you avoid “storing fat.”  You need to eat food to burn energy or “calories.”  However, what you eat really does matter.

Try websites or magazines like Cooking Light and Eating Well.  Make sure your three main meals are balanced and have a combination of complex carbohydrates (whole grains), protein, healthy fats, fruit, and lots of vegetables.  You can never go wrong with plenty of veggies!

3) Snack wisely. A small serving of chips is about 150 calories on average. But, did you know you can eat four cups of popcorn for only 60 calories? Popcorn is way more filling, and will keep you satisfied longer. Not crazy about popcorn? Eat a piece of fruit.

4) Limit the fast food. I realize this may be obvious to some. However, with 25% of our nation eating fast food daily, I do not like to ignore this one.  One of our family members lost 22 pounds when she gave up her daily trip to the fast food joint and started brown-bagging her lunch.  And, she did not add any exercise to her daily routine.

Most of us picture a drive through window when we think of fast food. However, fast food can come from restaurants that are considered “healthy” as well. When you let someone else cook the meal, you have zero control over how the meal is prepared and/or the ingredients.

Take a look at what’s on the menu at your favorite take out restaurant and decide if the food choices meet your weight loss goals. If not, look for other take out options. Or, have some healthy frozen food on hand and combine it with a fresh salad for a last minute dinner option.

5) Eat Breakfast! This important meal jump starts your metabolism. Once you are awake the body has already been fasting for an average of 10-12 hours depending on eating and sleeping patterns.

Skipping breakfast increases the fast to approximately 15-20 hours. This keeps the body from producing the enzymes needed to metabolize fat to lose weight. When you skip breakfast, you risk sabotaging your weight loss efforts.

Not hungry in the morning? Start with something simple like a piece of a fruit, and have the rest of your breakfast as a mid-morning snack.

A well balanced eating plan is critical for weight loss. When you combine exercise with the right nutrition, it will be easy to lose weight and keep it off for good.

Any questions? Please ask me in the comment section below. I’m happy to help!

Blessings!
Jennifer

How To Enjoy This Holiday Season Without Weight Gain

It’s that time of year again! The Christmas decorations are going up and the parties have already begun.

Personally, I am so excited we are entering this time of year! However, from years of experience in the fitness industry, I know some of you are already thinking about how to enjoy the holidays without the weight gain. You might even be a bit nervous about succeeding.

The good news is it is totally possible  to enjoy the holidays without the weight gain!  All you need to do is follow some easy tips:

1) If you are currently losing weight congratulations! During the holidays, I recommend you set a very vital yet realistic goal. Maintain your weight. If you maintain your weight, you are already ahead when January comes! Keep it simple and realistic.

2) Now is not the time to stop exercising. As tempting as it is to skip exercise and snuggle on the couch with a glass of wine or cup of your favorite hot beverage, you want to get your calories burned so you can enjoy the special treats without the unwanted pounds.

3) Plan ahead. Schedule all your commitments for the season on your calendar. Schedule exercise time too. You may decide to exercise at home rather than drive to a gym. Try a mini-trampoline or an exercise video.

On days that are tightly scheduled, do your best to commit to a minimum of 20 minutes of exercise to keep your momentum and your metabolism boosted. Take advantage of every opportunity to be active that comes up.  Something is always better than nothing. Every minute of exercise counts!

4)  Do some off line shopping. You can get in your exercise while supporting your local businesses and salespeople. Win-win.

5)  Pay attention to portion sizes. Scan the table before serving yourself to help you plan your meal. Take larger portions of the fruits and veggies and smaller than normal portions of the richer fare like scalloped potatoes, prime rib, desserts, etc. Watch the dressings on the salad– put it on yourself and be conservative. Go for the dressings that will drip to the bottom of the bowl.

6)  If you do not already track your daily calorie intake, consider keeping track for the next 26 days to catch any potential weight gain before it happens.

Remember, it boils down to calories burned versus calories consumed, so choose treats wisely. Most of us only need about 1500-2000 calories daily, depending on the type of exercise we do and how much “lifestyle” activity we do each day. Save the higher calories for super special treats. Trade-offs work well. For example, if I have a glass of champagne, I will probably have only a bite of dessert.

7)  Wear form fitting clothes. This is a great way to keep weight from piling on. You will know if your weight is out of whack if those jeans feel a bit snug. You can take action to prevent further gain. – Courtesy of InStyle magazine

8)  Lighten up traditional recipes. Got to have your pumpkin pie? That’s okay! Choose lighter recipes than the more traditional fare. Cooking Light is one of my favorite magazines; however, there are many recipes on the web that have been modified to reduce calories and taste delicious.

9)  Avoid showing up to a party hungry. Keep low calorie snacks like fruit with you.  Eating something before you arrive will keep you from eating mindlessly. When you are starving, the tiny quiches look much more appealing than the fruit and veggie platters.

10) There are only a few days that are actual holidays–eat normally the rest of the days. Allow yourself to indulge on the actual holidays themselves — like Christmas Day, or New Year’s Eve.

On the rest of the days, stick as close to your normal healthy eating plan as possible. If you allow yourself a daily treat, that’s the time to work in a small piece of peppermint bark, or a small cookie.

Use these tips and you can enjoy the holidays without stressing out about the weight gain

If you have any personal secrets to keep you from gaining weight during the holidays, I’d love to hear about them.  You can share them by leaving a comment below!

Blessings to you and yours!

Jennifer