As a Dietitian and Sports Nutritionist with over 30 years of experience , I believe that unless you are extremely disciplined , relying on self-control with a calorie-controlled diet is simply setting yourself up for failure in the long term . People tend to fall off the wagon when they are really hungry , or when life gets in the way . So an all-or-nothing approach to dieting creates huge self-disappointment , and people tend to throw in the towel when they have difficulty sticking to a set diet . It ’ s all about balance — with our diet , our exercise and our lifestyle .
Gradual Change Works Best
So at Garden of Life ® we don ’ t believe in “ diets ” per se , or calorie counting — we believe in enjoying wholesome , real foods . When it comes to changing habits , we know that if people dramatically change what they eat and go from one extreme to the other , they will have success initially , but more often than not , they will slip back into their old ways and regain weight if their new plan is too drastic a change from their old habits . Gradual change over time works best .
Get Moving & Up Your Protein
Exercise is such an important part of weight loss and weight management . Trainers will tell you that people actually need to eat more quality food to fuel their exercise . So there is good news coming here — you can eat more food when you start exercising , but it has to be good clean , wholesome , fresh food — ideally organic . You need to eat more to boost your metabolism so that you burn more calories and body fat . Eating more protein will help you in three ways , it will help you feel full longer , it will help boost your metabolism , plus it will help your muscles recover and repair after exercise . If you choose to follow a weight training program to build muscle — and you should — protein will support muscle building , but it will not create big muscles unless you are lifting heavy weights !
Change Your Lifestyle !
When you decide you want to lose weight , your first goal is to become more active and start exercising regularly . Please check with your doctor first and try to work with a trainer initially to make sure you are exercising in a safe and appropriate manner for your age , sex , size and current health . Do NOT start a diet — simply start eating real , clean foods rich in vitamins and other important nutrients and only use Certified Organic supplements , free of artificial junk and other chemicals .
Consuming quality wholesome food nourishes your body and enables you to work out more effectively so you don ’ t feel hungry and deprived . You are not going to get the most out of your workout if you are starving and running low on energy . People who are the most successful at long term weight management are the people who adopt this approach and eat healthy foods in moderation . If you feel hungry after eating a smaller amount of food , wait a few minutes . Allow your body time to digest and then decide if you still feel hungry . If so — eat . If not — tell yourself you are free to eat at any time and you don ’ t have to deprive yourself .
Moderation Not Deprivation — Portion Control
Eating in moderation is a way of life , not a way of dieting . If you choose to practice this health tool , you will begin to eat what you desire , in the amounts your body needs and you will probably find yourself eating a more balanced and wider selection of foods . Don ’ t fear this healthier diet — moderation never means deprivation . It really is about portion control and balance . If you stick to mostly natural unprocessed foods , you can eat practically anything providing you do so in “ standard ” portions which are so much smaller than what most people think !
Steps for success to jumpstart your weight loss plan today :
1 . Consider starting with a cleanse such as Wild Rose Herbal D-Tox
2 . Buy fresh real , organic foods
3 . Have a serving of clean protein at main meals e . g . grilled organic chicken or wild salmon
4 . Use organic protein shakes such as Raw Organic Fit as a meal or snack — up to twice per day
5 . Always eat breakfast & then small frequent meals throughout the day
6 . Eat a variety of fresh colored organic vegetables at each meal
7 . Avoid all processed foods , white flour , white sugar , artificial sweeteners and fast foods including anything deep fried
8 . Drink plenty of water and avoid all sodas , especially diet sodas
9 . Take organic whole food vitamins such as mykind Organics
10 . Take Dr . Formulated Fitbiotic ™ — a clinically studied probiotic with strains to support weight loss .
† These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration . This product is not intended to diagnose , treat , cure or prevent any disease .
Vol 29 • Extraordinary Health ™ 9