Category: weight loss

Is it A Good Idea To Weigh Yourself?

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A few years ago I was at the doctor’s office for an annual check-up. The nurse asked me to stand on the scale. I hopped on and she told me the number, “134.” Next, she escorted me into the room and left me by myself.

What happened next is very significant. I looked in the mirror and thanked God for my curves and my healthy body. And I thanked God for something even more important.  My freedom!  It is so liberating to look at weight and clothing size as simply a number.

There was a time when I weighed 116. Quite honestly, back then I considered 120 lbs or more to be unacceptable.  I wasn’t very healthy mentally or physically. My philosophy was the lower the number and the smaller the pants size, the better.

Hopefully, body image is not something you struggle with. But if you are someone who does and are tired of it, you may be wondering how I have become so comfortable in my own skin. Let me share some secrets with you.

Ignore your scale for a week. I have nothing against weighing yourself periodically, but this day and night weighing in can drive you insane. Weight fluctuates for many reasons. If you are someone who looks at those numbers as simply data and do not get emotional about it, I see no issue with a daily weigh-in.

However, if you get all worked up or even depressed, then I suggest a once a week weigh-in. It should be on the same day, same time of day, and without clothes. This will help you track your positive progress and catch any small weight gain quickly.

Embrace your body type. Avoid comparing yourself to others. Some are long and lanky, some are curvy. Some build bulk and some do not. I am not suggesting you accept being unhealthy or uncomfortable in your clothes. My desire for you is that you achieve your personal best–not what the media tells you is best for you.

My weight is considered heavy or overweight in Hollywood. But walking down the street, I am considered slender. Once I stopped comparing myself to the models in the magazines and focused on looking my personal best, I stopped obsessing about my weight.

Decide what YOU want. You may want to “look” like the guy or gal on the cover of Mens’ Health or Shape Magazine! But do you know what your role model eats? Do you know the amount of time he works out—or that he’s paid to work out?

Have you considered the photograph may have been air brushed–or the possibility that he’s had cosmetic surgery? A better idea might be to set a goal of feeling confident on the beach this summer. Or dropping one or more clothing sizes. You might even simply want to get the thumbs up at your next physical from your doctor.

Change your language. This is critical. Maintaining a healthy, trim, toned body for life requires a variety of different steps. However, without this one you will have a tough road. I absolutely cringe when I hear men or women announce they have fat thighs, or ugly calves, or a “jelly” belly. The brain fights to be right. So each time you speak this over your body, you are telling your subconscious that you are fat. This will cause behavior that is opposite to your desired goal. To quote Dr. Jack Atnip “Focus on what you want, NOT what you don’t want”.

Substitute negative self-talk with phrases like “body, you are strong and losing weight every day,” or “body, you burn off all calories I consume and my abs are getting tighter.” This can be tough for women who have friends or family that sit around and talk what I call the “fat language.” In the beginning you may just have to start with “if you don’t have anything nice to say to YOURSELF, don’t say it all.”

Your weight is very personal. Earlier I mentioned my weight of 134. This is the weight I currently maintain without dieting or damaging my body. At this weight I’m comfortable in my clothing, including my bathing suit.  I can afford to eat out once a week without even thinking twice about it.

Choose a weight that you are able to support long-term without feeling deprived or compromising your health and be content with it.  I’d much rather you be satisfied with a weight you can realistically maintain than suffer the emotional roller coaster that is attached to chronic dieting.

I tend to weigh myself periodically and it’s usually when I take one of our dogs to the veterinarians office. This helps me pay attention to any changes in my weight before things get out of hand.  I know what causes me to push the needle up, so I make healthy choices without depriving myself.

Avoid focusing on only numbers and pay attention to things like: how your clothes fit, the results of your most recent physical, your energy levels, and how strong you are.

Remember–there is only one you! You are uniquely designed.  Don’t let anyone set your goals for you—not the media, the medical community, your friends, or your family! When you are living your own life, you can achieve anything!

Blessings to you and yours,
Jennifer

Straight Talk About The Fitness Industry

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I’ve been in the fitness industry for over 26 years.  Coaching people on how to stay fit and healthy is my passion and extremely rewarding.  I really love seeing people thrive in every area of their lives.  Can you tell that I love my job?  I hope so, because I do!

However, there is a very superficial and at times even judgmental side to the fitness industry that can frustrate me as a professional and often times cause more harm than good to the public.  Lofty unrealistic goals, low-calorie restrictive diets, before and after pictures, and peer pressure can result in physical and emotional injury.

The fitness industry has a tendency to base a healthy lifestyle on how your body looks on the outside. Oftentimes, they show you images of air-brushed professionals that workout for a living.  I’m not knocking their hard work and dedication, but how you look on the outside is only one piece of the puzzle.

When I was a size one and ripped, my body was completely broken down from over training and I went into a depressed state.  Fortunately, God used this time in my life to help me figure out what a healthy lifestyle was really all about, and I figured out it is VERY personal.  I’m now a size six and much healthier than I was back when I was a size one.  I’ve got more curves and I’ve learned to embrace them and enjoy my life to the fullest.

A happy and healthy lifestyle is SO much more than how you look on the outside. It’s a total package that includes things like having healthy relationships, working with purpose, exercising or participating in physical activity you enjoy, having enough energy, eating well and dining with the ones you love, having fun, loving yourself and the people around you, eliminating unnecessary stress and in some cases people in your life that may be causing it, getting good rest, drinking lots of water, getting good check ups at the doctor’s office, growing spiritually and emotionally, and having self-confidence in who you were designed to be.

Please understand there is plenty of good in the fitness world.  My hope for you is that you will pick and choose what’s right for you during each season of your life.  Just because your neighbor is getting strong and lean at the local bootcamp class doesn’t mean you are a slacker if you choose walking in the park with your dog to stay fit.  You could be raising four small children and she is an empty-nester that has a completely different schedule.

Avoid copying someone else’s life.  It’s like borrowing shoes that are too tight.  Figure out what works for you and stick to it.  Don’t allow the marketing of the fitness industry to steal your identity, push you into something you may not be ready for, or make you miserable.

I’m not saying you will love every minute of your exercise routine.  It’s okay to suck it up and do your abdominal exercises when you know spending those few minutes working hard will keep your back healthy.  That’s called pushing through your comfort zone to keep your body strong enough to do the things you are most interested in.

However, for the most part, a fit and healthy lifestyle needs to be sustainable and enjoyable.  Suffering is not natural.  You were designed to enjoy your life.  And that should include your exercise and meal plan!  When your fitness and health goals are obtainable and match the type of life you want to live, success will follow.

With love,
Jennifer Ledford

P.S.  Have a question or story you’d like to share?  Please leave a comment below.  I love to hear from you!

 

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

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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