Fitness Truths: post-holiday weight loss, the healthy way

Want a quick fat loss fix post Easter? Think again, as slow and steady always wins the race, says Jean-Claude Vacassin

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Chances are you've just over indulged: Easter weekend is jam-packed with family gatherings, food, and of course - chocolate. So having assessed the damage done, you've probably set some pretty good eating and training intentions out again - but what kind of rapid weight loss and return to peak performance is actually realistic?

The reality is that weight loss never happens as quickly as we want it to and for many of us losing excess body fat can seem like an arduous and frustrating process. We are all guilty of wanting the quick fix when it comes to getting into shape, but it is almost certainly never the best way to approach it. Despite the continued presence of the 'lose weight in six weeks' crowd, overall we are starting to see a more positive shift towards longer-term approaches that are less about radical interventions and more about adopting more sustainable habits, which we can keep up.

READ:  - How to Change Your Mindset to Lose Weight

As a general rule of thumb, we should expect to lose no more than two pounds per week, if that is our goal is to lose fat and not valuable lean tissue, and we want to keep it off for good. Why two pounds? In simplistic terms, a pound of fat equates to 3,500 calories, which means that to lose two pounds of fat, we need to create an energy deficit of seven thousand calories each week, or one thousand calories each day, which we can do by eating less, moving more, or doing a combination of both.

It's not an exact science as all foods react differently in our body, but a thousand calories is a fairly significant deficit, which will require some pretty significant diet and lifestyle changes for many of us. The rationale is that if we go any faster than this, we are likely to have to adopt unsustainable behaviours, which yes, will get us quick weight loss results, but very often see us put it all back on once our resolve inevitably buckles and we go back to doing what we were doing previously, hence why so many of us yo-yo diet.

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This is a pretty sensible approach and one that works well for many of us, but in truth, how fast we lose weight will vary depending on our starting point, our previous nutritional approaches, our exercise history and many other factors. It is common to see people have a fairly significant drop on body fat at the outset, before it settles into more conservative pattern, which is particularly true for those of us with more weight to lose.

A typical pattern that I see, and one that I describe to people when helping them set expectations is the 5, 4, 3 ,2 ,1, 1,1 ,1, 1… example, which helps to demonstrate how weight loss works for many of us; it is not uncommon for those of us with more weight to lose to drop five pounds in the first week, four in the second, then three, two, and one per week thereafter. It is of course never as linear as this, and the rate at which we lose and continue to lose fat will be hugely individual, but helps to show that we won't continue to, and should expect to, lose weight at a radical rate over more than the first couple of weeks - we need to be patient.

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5 Ways To Stop Yo-Yo Dieting And Stick To A Healthy Weight

Why do so many people struggle with yo-yo dieting?

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One of the most common things I notice is that many people treat weight loss as a “project,” something to focus on for a few weeks at a time. 

You wouldn’t take a bath once and think you were clean for the rest of your life! Similarly, a few weeks of healthy eating will not help you to maintain your weight for a lifetime. 

As soon as you consider trying to lose weight, you need to make sure that whatever method you choose is one that is likely to work long-term.

When I ask people how they can avoid yo-yo dieting, most of their responses revolve around resisting temptation and persevering with unpleasant diets or exercise. But your real focus should always be on how to make changes that are long-lasting in the first place.

Here are 5 tips to ensure your weight loss really lasts: 

1. Make it easy to stick with. 

Most people approach weight loss with an all-or-nothing mentality. They think that in order to lose weight, they have to completely overhaul their life. They replace their old diet with a new one that is completely different. Even if they haven’t exercised for years, they decide they will wake up at 6am every morning and go for a 3 mile run.

It's very difficult to stick to these drastic changes because they are so different to what you were previously doing. And any disturbance to your routine (getting busy at work, getting a cold, going on vacation, or even a poor night’s sleep) can derail your progress.

For changes to have the best chance of succeeding, you have to make them as gradual and pleasant as possible. Make small changes each week, and build it up slowly.

2. Have a life. 

“No pain, no gain” is a great motto for weight trainers, but not for dieters. So many people think of losing weight as a painful and depriving activity. They put off vacations, and avoid eating out during these times.  Long-term changes cannot be painful or depriving. You will not stick with them unless you can still “have a life.” 

This means you have to learn how to eat out, travel and enjoy life, while still losing and maintaining your weight.

3. Welcome the bad days. 

Most diets are strict regimes in which, if you do exactly are you're told, then you're "cheating" or "failing." 

But life really doesn’t work that way. Think of a child learning to walk. Falling over is part of the process. And when you’re trying to change a lifetime of eating and exercise habits, you need to expect to have a few setbacks along the way. Not just expect them, but welcome them. Because they are a key part of improving your eating habits.

What this means on a practical level is that you need to expect:

• A day, a weekend or even a week, when things don’t go to plan. (Expect lots of them!)
• A week or more, in which you're doing all the right things, but your weight still doesn’t budge ( a weight loss plateau).

This is really important! Your weight loss will more than likely not go smoothly, and the more you expect this and plan for it, the more likely you will succeed.

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4. Abandon all deadlines and expectations of speedy weight loss.

Most people who lose weight have built-in expectations of how fast they should lose weight. 

Much of this is the result of brainwashing from fad diet promises  like “lose 30 pounds in 30 days.” 

If you want to lose weight and keep it off, then you need to shift your focus from the speed of weight loss, to the stickability of weight loss. The less you focus on deadlines, the more you can focus on making long-term changes.

Often this is one of the hardest things for people to accept. We all want results quickly. But once you can let go of deadlines, you take the pressure off. If you are in it for the long haul, then the only way things can go wrong is if you give up.

5. Always think long-term. 

Ultimately making weight loss last, and avoiding yo-yo dieting requires staying focused on the long-term. You must always be thinking, Would I still be willing to do this in two years? How about five years? Or ten years? 

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When you put every new action through that filter, you can ensure that you lose weight in a way that makes it much easier to keep it off.

Have you found any tips that have helped you stop the yo-yo dieting cycle? Comment below and share your experiences!


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How to Stop Yo-Yo Dieting

Weight gain, weight loss, weight gain... we've got 8 tips 

for keeping the pounds off for good

Are you constantly losing weight—only to gain it back again? You might be starting to wonder if you'd be better off just accepting your belly rolls. But we promise, the perils of being overweight still outweigh the risks of yo-yoing.

So how do you quit the cycle for good? It is possible:

Be realistic
"Make sure your diet is one you can stick with," says Anne Fletcher, R.D., author of Thin for Life. No crash diets or fads that will be impossible to maintain. In fact, reconsider the whole notion of dieting as a temporary fix. Think of what you're doing as a permanent lifestyle shift: "This is how I eat now."

Be patient
Don't try to lose too much too soon. A healthy goal for slimming down, according to the National Institutes of Health, is to reduce your weight by approximately 10 percent over six months.

Be supported
Researchers have found that socializing with others who have successfully lost weight improves your odds of maintaining your own weight loss. So enlist a buddy or join a group.

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Be analytical
Record your mood changes and hunger levels so you can learn to distinguish when you're eating for emotional reasons. 

Be vigilant
"If you lose 30 pounds and then gain three, it's easy to think that's no big deal. But it's a slippery slope," says Gary Foster, Ph.D., director of the Center of Obesity Research and Education at Temple University in Philadelphia. Especially if you have a history of yo-yoing. Weigh yourself weekly, and have a clear plan of action ready if the scale swings too far. 

Be flexible
"Switch eating plans if you get bored," says Michael Dansinger, M.D., weight-loss and nutrition advisor for The Biggest Loser and assistant professor at Tufts School of Medicine in Boston. Research indicates you're more likely to be successful. 

Be active
Besides consuming a low-calorie, low-fat diet and being mindful about self-monitoring, you must exercise. This is the key strategy that keeps the 6,000 members of the National Weight Control Registry (an ongoing study of adults who have lost at least 30 pounds and kept it off for a year) from regaining weight. That doesn't mean you have to train for a marathon: Half an hour of walking every day is all you need to burn calories, build muscle, temper cravings, and increase "feel good" endorphin levels. 

Be optimistic
"One of the most important tips for being a successful weight loser is not to let past failed attempts keep you from trying again," Dansinger says. "Every time you fail, you get more insight about what to do differently next time."

Have you struggled with the effects of yo-yo dieting? Comment below tips you've found helpful to conquer your yo-yo diet cycle!

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End the Yo-Yo Diet Cycle

Tired of watching your weight go up and down (and up again)? Here's how to ditch diets forever and get happy, healthy, and body confident.

Why Yo-Yo Dieting Is Bad for You

Last spring you reached your goal weight and celebrated by hitting the beach in a bikini. Then your job got stressful, you had trouble finding time to work out, and your cruise vacation had a round-the-clock all-you-can-eat buffet. Now when you step on the scale, you realize there's no way you're going to fit into the dress you bought for your friend's wedding next month unless you start dieting...again.

We're betting that this scenario sounds all too familiar. Yo-yo dieting — or weight cycling, as experts call it — is practically a national pastime. An estimated 54 percent of people in the United States are currently trying to shed pounds, fueling a $59-billion-a-year industry of supplements, books, and packaged foods that promote weight loss, according to Marketdata Enterprises, a marketing research group. But our efforts don't stick. Most of us will regain almost all of what we lost, according to research, which is why the typical dieter tries a new plan four times a year. "We have this mentality that a diet is something to go on and then get off as quickly as possible," says FITNESS advisory board member Madelyn Fernstrom, PhD, founding director of the University of Pittsburgh's Weight Management Center. "But lasting weight loss requires making lifestyle changes that will work long-term."

It's not only your waistline that suffers from yo-yoing. "Repeated crash dieting increases metabolic hormones, such as insulin, and elevates levels of sex hormones, including estrogen," says Andrea Pennington, MD, author of The Pennington Plan for Weight Success. "These changes cause you to start putting on weight around your middle, which research has linked to insulin resistance, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease."

Your confidence also takes a hit. "The more times you go through the gain-lose-gain cycle, the less convinced you become that you can break free from the constant ups and downs," says Keri Gans, RD, a dietitian in private practice in New York City. "No one wants to diet forever; it's hard work."

Which is why we know you're ready to lose the weight and keep it off. Here top experts spill the success secrets that will help you balance the scale for good.

Tips to Stop the Yo-Yo Cycle

Soothe Without Food

You've got a looming deadline at work, your in-laws are coming to town, and the house is a mess. Before you know it, you've demolished an entire bag of chips while freaking out over your to-do list. "Stress eating can quickly turn into a binge: We don't register what we're munching on because the food's going down so fast," says Martin Binks, PhD, assistant consulting professor at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina. Make a list of calming strategies that don't involve reaching for the cookie jar, Binks suggests. When you feel overwhelmed, consult your list and pick out something you can do in the next 10 minutes. Go for a quick walk or post a Facebook status update. Either will distract you long enough for your stress levels to come down.

Change Your Goals

There will always be a reunion, wedding, or vacation to slim down for. But once the big event has come and gone, what will keep you from splurging on dessert every night? "With special-occasion weight loss, it's all about dropping pounds quickly," Fernstrom says. Do this too often and you may find that it's even harder to lose than before. "Constant crash dieting causes your body to cling to the calories you do eat because it's not sure when it's going to get more," she explains. Rather than keep the pounds off just long enough to impress strangers on your vacation, think about rewarding long-term achievements. Maybe you want to train for your first half-marathon or get in shape to hike the Grand Canyon. Setting a big new goal each time you check one off your list will keep you headed in the right direction.

Scale Back

Yes, the point of dieting is to ditch pounds, but focusing solely on calories in and calories out can make it hard to stick to your plan if you aren't seeing results. "Even if you're doing everything right, your weight can fluctuate based on the time of day or how hydrated you are," says Evelyn Tribole, RD, coauthor of Intuitive Eating. In fact, research shows that women who fixate on counting calories and restricting their food intake report more stress and have higher levels of cortisol, which is linked to overeating. "Instead of obsessing about every morsel, think about how eating right and exercising make you feel," Tribole says. "Do you have more energy? Are you able to keep up with your kids?" If you take the time to notice the positive effects of each healthy behavior — whether it's pushing away from the table before you clean your plate or biking for 30 minutes a day — it's easier to motivate yourself to stay on track.

Share Your Meals

Studies show that tracking what you eat every day can help you lose up to twice as much weight as people who wing it. But forget the pen and paper. Social-networking Web sites like TweetWhatYouEat.com and FoodFeed.us upgrade old-school food diaries and give you something a journal can't: a virtual support group. "It's much easier to pass up the piece of cake when you know that other people are going to hold you accountable," Fernstrom says. Plus, your online pep squad will provide you with the support you need to stay on track.

More Stick-to-It Weight-Loss Strategies

Kick It Up a Notch

Your weight isn't the only thing that can yo-yo; motivation can wax and wane too. Instead of skipping your workout when you're feeling less than inspired, get over the hump by intensifying your efforts. "Pushing yourself a bit harder than usual shows that you can take on and tackle tough challenges, which boosts your confidence," says Christina R. Johnson, PhD, professor of sport and exercise psychology at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. The more pumped you are, the easier it is to bounce back from inevitable setbacks and plateaus. The next time you're dragging, partner with a faster friend for your usual four-mile run or opt for the advanced yoga class rather than the intermediate one.

Know How Low You Should Go

If you find yourself stuck at a certain weight for more than a month, it could be that you're fighting an unnecessary battle. "You may want to be 130 pounds, but if you're doing everything you can — watching portions and exercising — it may not be right for your body," Gans says. To gauge whether you've lost enough weight, take a good look at your body. If you've got a lot of excess around your tummy, you probably should keep trying to lose a few more pounds, Dr. Pennington says, since belly flab is linked to heart disease, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and even cancer. But if the fat is in your hips and butt and your body-mass index is within a healthy range (18.5 to 24.9), it may be time to stop dieting and start maintaining.

Find a Success Story

You know that sticking to a diet is easier if you have a friend who is also shedding pounds. But teaming up with someone who has already lost the weight and kept it off can be even more useful, says Judith S. Beck, PhD, author of The Beck Diet Solution. "A mentor can empathize, help you navigate potential pitfalls, and remind you of how good it feels to be in control of your body," Beck says. You can find your own successful loser on our message boards or at group meetings of a program like Weight Watchers.

Make a Clean Sweep

A messy house can interfere with your efforts to make smart choices, says Peter Walsh, an organizational expert and author of It's All Too Much. It's hard to feel inspired to hit the treadmill if it's serving as a clothes hanger or to go for a walk if you can't find your sneakers. Plus, "an overflowing pantry or fridge makes it more likely that at mealtime you'll opt for takeout or packaged food instead of digging around to see if you have healthy ingredients to cook," Walsh explains. A few hours spent cleaning can do wonders for your waistline. Walsh suggests starting with the kitchen: Clear the counters so you have no excuse not to prepare meals. Then clean out and restock your pantry and fridge with good-for-you picks — fruits, vegetables, lean meats, soups, and whole grains. It's simple to whip up a quick, satisfying dinner when you know you've got tasty foods on hand.

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3 Ways to Change Your Weight Loss Mindset

Losing excess weight shouldn’t be so difficult – but it is for many people

Here you are sitting in the nutritionists’ office asking for yet another diet plan. But, deep in your heart you know this is not what you want. You know that you will follow the diet plan for a while, you will lose some weight, but then the weight will start creeping back on.

Why do you do this to yourself time and time again? Why do you try each and every new diet that hits the market thinking that this will be THE one?

You no longer trust yourself to listen to your body to guide your eating

You only know how to listen to and follow the diets. Let’s face it. When you go on a diet, you are following the eating recommendations that the “diet expert” is telling you to follow. Why do you think that expert knows what your body’s cells are asking for?

They don’t.

Yes, if you are speaking with a reputable registered dietitian nutritionist with training in nutrition and whole foods, he/she can teach you a lot about how to nourish and fuel your body for best performance and optimal health. But that is not what I am referring to here.

Does the following scenario sound familiar to you?

You’re standing in front of the mirror having changed your clothes three times already this morning.  Nothing seems to fit right.  You are discouraged and start with the negative self-talk you are all too familiar with.  “Why can’t I just stick to my diet”, you say to yourself.  “I am such a failure; I will never succeed at weight loss”.

This inner conversation and negative self-talk is cementing that lack of trust in yourself, your body and your food choices. You then say…“Tomorrow I will start my diet again”.

If you have been battling your weight for some time, then you are reading this and shaking your head in acknowledgment. You have been on countless diets that have not worked long term and you have become very good at berating yourself for your failures.

The commercials all sound so promising!  The radio ads promise fat burning powers of the miracle pills you just bought at the health food store.

MORE: 3 Mindset Shifts That Help Weight Loss

Why aren’t you able to lose weight?

The answer likely lies in the fact that you are trusting the diets, and not yourself. Yet the diets fail you each and every time. It’s not you who fails, it’s the diets. You see, nobody lives on a diet.  One goes on a diet but eventually goes off the diet.

The statistics on dieting

40-50% of American women are trying to lose weight and are on a diet at any point in time. Half of pre-teen and teenage girls are on diets. However, 95% of all dieters regain their lost weight and and add more on top within 1 to 5 years.

 These are very alarming statistics because dieting clearly doesn’t work and repeated “yo-yo” dieting has been shown to have negative health effects, including an increased risk of heart disease and long-lasting effects on the metabolism.

The best solution to achieving weight loss and a body you love is to embrace an intuitive eating approach to food.  

Intuitive eating is eating based on your physiological hunger and satiety cues, not based on situations or emotional cues.  So that means eating when you are hungry and stopping when you are satisfied or comfortably full.

I recognize that for the chronic yo-yo dieter, this is not necessarily easy.  It requires you to explore how you got to where you are today in your eating habits and understand deeply what it means to become an intuitive eater.

During this process, it is important for you to begin to get rid of the diet mentality that you have, and to truly believe that you will never diet again.

If you continue to think there is “just one more diet, this time I’ll be good”, then you won’t be able to move forward to becoming an intuitive eater. You will continue to have foods that are “good” and “bad” and you will continue to think of yourself as being “on” or “off”.

It all starts with your mindset

Here are 3 ways to change your mindset around weight loss:

          1. Commit to NEVER following a diet again. I know, this sounds scary. But until you recognize that you must give up the restriction and deprivation that dieting brings with it, you will continue on the diet roller coaster you are on.

          2. Understand your big WHY. Why do you want to lose weight? What lies underneath your desire you shed the excess weight and how will it affect your life long term?

          3. Seek out caring support to help you on your journey.  Don’t think you have to “go it” alone. Changing your mindset around losing weight is a process and it’s important to surround yourself with like-minded people and a supportive coach who can provide guidance and positive feedback along the way. Here is a FREE Online Support Group for women who have committed to giving up dieting and are supporting each other on this new journey. Come and check it out.

Losing weight and keeping it off does not have to be impossible

You were born with the natural instinct to eat when hungry and stop when full; to trust your inner wisdom to guide your eating. You can reclaim this and achieve guilt-free eating, a body you love and a life free of dieting. Intuitive eating is the answer you have been looking for and it all starts with your mindset.

Comment below mindset strategies you've found helpful to assist in your weight loss journey. Love to hear your tips :)





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