Diets Promising Quick Weight Loss Have A 95% Failure Rate!

It’s hard to believe we are more than half way through January. Did you set weight loss goals that you haven’t been able to commit to? Did you have every intention to set goals and you still haven’t put them on paper? When setting health and fitness goals, use these trainer tips to give you the edge needed to succeed for the long term.

  1. Know why you even want to lose weight in the first place. It usually has to be a burning desire for us to stick to something long term. (like being sick and tired of laying down to zip up your jeans). First thing you want to ask yourself is who and what motivated you to set this goal? Is it your spouse, pressure from the media or friends? If this is not your decision and you are doing it for approval from someone else, it is very unlikely you will succeed.

  2. Set a realistic goal. Often times new clients will set weight loss goals that are so difficult to maintain that they can’t even go out to dinner once a week, or have a few glasses of wine without tipping the scale or feeling guilty. This is not a life. It’s an emotional prison. You want to select a healthy weight, one that allows you to feel proud in your clothes; have lots of energy; move with ease; and that can be maintained while you enjoy the weekly/daily splurges like a dinner out, a full dessert or a nightly glass of wine. Many times that is about 3-5 lbs heavier than most people aim for.

  3. I tell my clients to set a goal of ½ pound per week. This can to be achieved through a moderate lifestyle of healthy eating and exercise most days of the week. Over time we will find out what that ideal weight is. Statistics show that this type of weight loss has the highest success rate for permanent weight loss. Diets that promise quick weight loss have a 95% failure rate, and often you will gain more weight than you lost when the weight reappears.

  4. Set moderate lifestyle goals. Are you currently exercising, meal planning, and cooking for yourself? If not, setting a goal of exercising six days per week could be a bit daunting and cause more stress in your life. Look at your calendar and pick two days per week to exercise to start building a habit. Pick something that you enjoy doing (like walking a nice trail or a class you like to take at home or in a studio). This makes exercise fun and not a chore. If you eat out most of the week due to time constraints, experiment with cooking on the weekends and make extra to freeze for some of those days. Find low calorie recipes on the Internet or in magazines. Set a goal of eating out ½ of the week. This will help cut back on the calories and fatten the bank account as well.

  5. Don’t quit! This is the most important goal of all . You are creating a new lifestyle. It takes time and perseverance to create the changes and habits needed to maintain your weight without dieting. It may be work on the front end; but on the back end it is complete freedom. It is definitely worth the effort to abolish the word “diet” from your vocabulary forever. You will love your body. You will enjoy eating without any guilt; , and exercise will become enjoyable rather than a chore. You can do it!

I’d love to hear from you! Have a discouraging diet story you want to share? Leave a comment and I will be happy to encourage you to the path of success!

To your health!

Jennifer Ledford

10 Tips to Enjoy the Holidays – Without Weight Gain

It’s that time of year again! The house has been decorated for fall, the house filled with the smell of homemade soups and stews and you’re starting the holiday card and gift list.

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 you do not have to gain weight this holiday season! You can fully enjoy the festivities times without gaining weight! 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 the gym. Try a mini-trampoline or an exercise video. On days that are tightly scheduled, commit to a minimum of 20 minutes of exercise to keep your momentum and your metabolism boosted. 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. 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 calories intake, now would be a good time to start to can 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 such as 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 fruit, nuts, energy bars, shakes, whatever is your go to snack, with you. When you are hungry, you can eat mindlessly going for the tiny quiches, which look better than the fruit and veggie platters. Start with a glass of water and then check out the food platters.
  10. There are only a few days that are actual holidays–eat normally the rest of the days. When you treat every day like it’s Thanksgiving Day with the excuse “it’s the holidays,” you pack on the pounds.

Have fun! Enjoy yourself and time with family and friends.

Please comment below how this has helped you. If you have any personal secrets to keep you from gaining weight during the holidays, I’d love to hear about them. I’m sure the rest of our readers would as well! Blessings to you and yours!

My Story

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I grew up on the beach in California, competed in ice skating, surfed, rode horses, and studied ballet very seriously. At age 14 it became painfully clear to me there was a very slim chance of being selected by a major ballet company. I hung up my toe shoes and became a cheerleader, rode in the high school rodeo, and did lots of socializing.

At the age of 19, I went to the doctor and discovered I was 30 lbs overweight. Holy cow! How did that happen? Oh yeah, lots of beer, wine coolers, and fish and chips. That wasn’t on the menu at home.

I decided to join a gym and take aerobics classes. As a former ballet dancer and ice skater, I realized fitness might be a good part time job. After getting certified, I began teaching aerobics classes: high-impact, low-impact, step, aqua, kick-box fitness, senior classes, stretch classes, Pilates Mat and several hybrids in between

Yes, I lost the 30+ pounds, but not without the ups and downs of dieting, over training, and serious self-image issues that had been imposed on me very early in life.

I developed a horrible relationship with food and became a slave to an exercise routine just to maintain what was considered a “healthy weight”. Food was not something I could just simply enjoy, it was either all or nothing, either dieting or splurging. I did not have a moderate lifestyle.

Workouts were only for the purpose of “looking good” and the bonus was good health. I did not have a menstrual cycle for years, was too skinny, and went from being completely overweight to being thin and a complete slave to my insecurities. As long as I was skinny I was happy.

Now, don’t get me wrong, we are all happier with our bodies when we are at our personal best, and for those of you who have struggled with weight loss your entire life you may be thinking “I’d like to have that problem!” My friends, wouldn’t you rather be slightly overweight than experience that type of bondage?

There is a reason why 95% of the dieters fail. The other 5% end up slaves like I was. Diets mean you hand the control over to another authority. That’s why only 5% make it. Self-control is not part of the equation.

At this point, I’m a size 2 (extra small) burning about 5,000 exercise calories per day (the average office worker burns about 250 calories in and 8 hour day), my metabolism is slowing down from over training, and every other day I am limping to the bathroom first thing in the morning due to muscle fatigue and pain.

Can you believe it? I was still dissatisfied with the way my body looked because the stomach wasn’t perfectly flat! I decided to have liposuction on my abdomen and thighs with zero regrets about the surgery and the great results. While there is nothing wrong with using technology to enhance your appearance, I’m simply painting the picture of how obsessed we can become with our looks.

Oh, and by the way, I am not the only one in the fitness industry who has had cosmetic work done, but may be the only one willing to confess it on the Internet and tell you the truth.

Now for the good news! I had reached a pretty low point in my life and knew things had to change. I am so grateful that I was rescued when I attended a very special spiritual equipping event and met people that were not religious (I was not so crazy about church). Instead these people had a personal relationship with God and had such great success in every area of their lives. It was at this event, I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and began to feel things change inside of me.

I had always believed in God, but did not understand what it meant to know Jesus. For the first time ever, I was getting comfortable in my own skin. He became my rock and reminded me how uniquely and wonderfully I was made and to stop trying to be someone else, follow the desires of my heart, and be the best “Jennifer” I could be.

Self-image issues were healed and I learned to speak life over my body in order to succeed after reading the best success book ever written, the Holy Bible. Wise life coaches who were experts in this area counseled me and I began to share these principles in practical ways with my clients and watched their lives change. Whether they shared my belief in Him or not they could apply these principles to their lives for success as well!

My own personal healthy weight is stable and I wear a size 6-8 (depends who makes it). Hollywood calls that large. Can you believe that? No wonder we have so many people in this world with disordered eating and body image issues! I also enjoy great food, drink wine at the beach in a bikini, and have a fun exercise routine that suits a healthy lifestyle without ever setting foot in the gym. I am free and passionate about helping you avoid the mistakes I have made and teach you the successful way to live a healthy life where you enjoy yourself, have lots of energy, do not diet, look your personal best, and exercise is fun and play instead of a chore.

So, whether you want to maintain your weight, lose weight, exercise more, learn to eat healthy and have fun doing it, or just change up your routine, let’s work together as a team to achieve your success!.