As I close
in on my first year working as a health coach, I have noticed many reasons why
women are choosing to work with me to improve their health and well-being, but
weight loss always seems to be a big factor. I often
hear women say, “at my age I just cannot lose weight anymore”, “my body is
different than 10 years ago and now I can’t eat certain foods”, “I just have to
accept this weight I am at, and I can’t do anything about it”
While I
believe as we age our body’s requirements do change and that we should accept
our body types and love ourselves at every weight; I strongly believe that all
women can drop unwanted pounds and gain more self-confidence and energy by incorporating
many of these tips I share in my Health Coaching Program. Here are just 4 that
I share with all of my clients
1) Are you drinking enough water?
Often your body is dehydrated but the signals are similar
to hunger signals. Try drinking a tall glass of water and wait 20 minutes. If
you are still feeling hungry than it probably is real hunger not thirst. If you are not
drinking enough water, your kidneys are not functioning optimally and your
liver is working hard which stresses your liver and stops it from metabolizing fat as quickly and
efficiently as it should. As a result, your metabolism slows down to conserve
water, which causes you to retain weight. Try increasing your water intake and
see if this helps your weight loss efforts.
2) Are you getting enough sleep? When you sleep your body regulates 2 hormones, leptin and
ghrelin that impact weight loss. Ghrelin increases your appetite and leptin
signals to your brain that you are full. Without enough sleep, ghrelin levels
rise and leptin levels fall. Can you see the disaster that is created without
enough sleep…your hormones will increase your appetite and decrease your body’s
ability to signal to your brain that you are full. Try getting 7-9 hours of
sleep in order to help balance these important hormones which can sabotage your
weight loss efforts.
3) Are you eating mindlessly? Mindless eating done standing at a table, while driving, or
staring at a TV screen can cause you not to pay attention to your true hunger
levels. Try to eat in a relaxed setting whenever possible, and focus your
attention on the food and your body. Chew slowly and notice your pace. I often
give my clients chopsticks to train themselves to slow down while they eat.
Think about where you food came from, and be grateful for it. This simple act
of being mindful and grateful can help satisfy you longer and prevent you from
overeating.
4) Do you have an accountability partner? Often when women are struggling in their weight
loss efforts it is because they do not have a friend or spouse who is there to
encourage & support the healthy changes they are trying to implement. Seek
out support from friends who share your desire to be healthy, educate your
family on why you desire to be healthy, and educate yourself on what is right
for your individual body type. Hiring a health coach who can guide you,
motivate you and hold you accountable while you begin to make gradual changes
can be just the tool you need to help you sift through all the confusing and
conflicting information out there. A health coach is trained to create the
perfect solution for you, as our motto is, there is no one way of eating that
works for everyone, we are all unique and our bodies all have different needs.
Interested in getting more support? Let’s get together for an initial Health History Consultation and talk about your goals and what is standing in your way,email Suzy
