Losing weight is almost NEVER just about the food you eat

It's been awhile since my last newsletter because life has been full and exciting and there's new work happening in my realm (see below). My son has been healthy for a good long while (!!!) and there's a lot to report on that, but I'll be putting that in another email to you soon.

For now, I wanted to share some reflections on weight loss, because I'm running my 6-Week Vitality Reboot with an incredible group of women who are super committed, and I can safely report that they're rocking it and seeing major positive change so far.

After working with women over the past eight years, I've learned a hugely important lesson and it's this: 

Losing weight is almost NEVER just about the food you eat. 

I would go so far as to say that 95-99% of the time, this is true. We've all heard that 99% of people that diet gain the weight back (and then some), but why is that?

Well, for one, it's because "diets" are all about restriction and deprivation, and that's an incredibly hard thing to sustain. I've seen so many women follow a plan perfectly, lose the weight...but then months later gain it back because it wasn't a sustainable plan to begin with. It's HARD to stay on diets like Paleo and Keto, long term. It takes a lot of planning and work. It's absolutely possible, but again, it isn't easy and if you don't have the right mindset, it's easy to backslide.

This leads me to the psychological tools that are imperative for success on any endeavor toward better health-be it diet, exercise, self-care...you name it. White-knuckling big change is HARD. And willpower only goes so far. We all have things going on in our lives that make us want to throw in the towel. 

Do you eat because you are literally hungry? I bet you don't. I bet you eat because you "deserve" it, or you're bored, stressed, tired, or happy. Without the right tools to change your mindset and your way of thinking about all this, we all go back to what makes us feel good in those moments (which isn't always helpful stuff). 

Then there's gut health and hormones. When women come to me wanting to feel better, or they've tried everything in the book to lose weight but can't, 99% of the time it's a hormonal, gut, or sleep issue. Hand to heart, this is the truth. And it's frustrating, isn't it!? 

Recently, a study came out in the Scientific Journal that links gut health (your microbiome) to obesity! 

What the WHAT?!?  We have 100 trillion gut microbes, and they all have little minds of their own. I encourage you to read this as it's fascinating and full of hope!

"New evidence indicates that gut bacteria alter the way we store fat, how we balance levels of glucose in the blood, and how we respond to hormones that make us feel hungry or full. The wrong mix of microbes can help set the stage for obesity and diabetes from the moment of birth."

I also believe that how we talk to ourselves is another huge piece of the pie (if not most of it). When our inner critic voice is using mean, often nasty words, this gets etched in at a cellular level, and pumps out more of the stress hormone cortisol, and you know what that does...stores fat on your bod, hinders digestion, and myriad other health problems can occur. 

Research done by Dr. Andrew Newberg and Mark Waldman shows that concentrating or meditating on positive thoughts, feelings, and outcomes can be more powerful than any drug, especially when it comes to changing old habits and beliefs.

As you can see, there's a lot involved in feeling vital, healthy, and finding your natural body weight, but it's 100% possible, and you can get there by doing things that make you feel good about yourself, bring you joy (because you'll have more energy for FUN), and connect with others on the same journey.

If you want to know more about my next group starting May 21st, click here. 

Here's a few snippets from the current group (just three weeks in now):

"I had a stumble...but I am right back in the game and feeling proud. I am crazy busy right now with work and life. That is when the clean eating stuff gets serious. The self talk and the 'why's' are super helpful!"

"I don't have a scale but I know I've lost some weight. My pants are feeling a little looser. Yay!! I am feeling good and notice that my energy is more consistent throughout the day and wake up feeling rested and ready to go."

"Meal planing is going great so far, I even hauled my lunch with me to our costume warehouse yesterday and sat outside in the industrial complex to eat it. I'm down 6.5 pounds from when I started!"

"I'm loving the urge jar. I managed to bake cupcakes for a decorating party on Sunday and made a ton of frosting and didn't even lick my fingers. Craziness!"

"I am feeling strong and lighter physically and emotionally. Making healthy choices - a walk instead of a snack, 5 minutes of deep breathing/stretching instead of the glass of wine. Down another pound and up on energy."