Gaining weight most of the time is an unconscious choice. Sometimes it is hereditary, other times, it is the environment, or sometimes it may be brought on by medications or disease or disharmony within the body. However, everyone has the authority to make decisions on whether; they gain or lose weight by the actions they take to resolve the issue. Obesity is a disease and a precursor to most chronic diseases that exist today. What do heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and arthritis all have in common? Five times out of ten, the person is overweight or obese that has these chronic conditions. For those who suffer from depression or anxiety, sometimes losing a few pounds via minor lifestyle behavior change is helpful in relieving acute, or chronic conditions.
What is Overweight & Obesity?
Having abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health or a BMI of 25 to 29.9 (overweight) and 30 or higher (obese) while not being pregnant. Being overweight or obese is caused by an energy imbalance between calories consumed and calories expended. According to the CDC, obesity is a common, serious, and costly chronic disease of adults and children that continues to increase in the United States. Obesity is putting a strain on American families, affecting overall health, health care costs, productivity, and military readiness.
BMI Classification Chart
BMI Classifications
< 18.9 Underweight
18.5 to 24.9 Normal or Healthy Weight
25 to 29.9 Overweight
30-34.9 Class I Obesity
35-39.9 Class II Obesity
40+ Class III Obesity (Morbid/Severe Obesity)
Consequences of Being Overweight or Obese:
Being categorized as overweight or obese can impact one’s mental health, causing anxiety, stress or even some form of depression. In many cases, being characterized as overweight or obese can lead to more serious issue too like:
Cardiovascular diseases (mainly heart disease and stroke), which were the leading cause of death today
Diabetes
Xerostomia or dry mouth
Breathing problems, such as asthma and sleep apnea.
Musculoskeletal disorders (especially osteoarthritis – a highly disabling degenerative disease of the joints)
Some cancers (including endometrial, breast, ovarian, prostate, liver, gallbladder, kidney, and colon).
9 Ways to Consciously Lose Weight & Keep it Off:
1. Decide & Commit to Change
a. Bad habits more than likely are the thing that has caused you to gain weight. If this is true, make a conscious decision to change these habits. Shift the mind in a new direction. Next, the scariest thing you can do is act in this direction. Seeing and saying you are going to do something and not taking the action does not produce results. So, if you are serious, visualize improved health, feel it, say it, write it, take action (the key) and then document the journey and results. Want to learn more. Contact us to set up a clarity call with a health and wellness or lifestyle (personal trainer, fitness nutrition, behavior change, personal, professional development etc.) coach who can help you dedicate some time to achieve whatever goals you seek.
b. Become mindful of the way your have lived and start making changes in a new direction since you seek new outcomes.
2. Become a Conscious Eater
a. Be more mindful of the foods that you put in your mouth. Focus on more fruits and vegetables since they are full of fiber, vitamins, and minerals
b. Eat in a bowl or smaller plate.
c. Eat slowly. Chewing about 20 to 40 times for most dishes and less for fruits. (5 to 15)
d. Minimize eating processed foods with no nutritional value.
e. Limit eating out, because you don’t really know what is in the food truly and most are filled with extra salt and sugars that are not helpful to one who is trying to lose weight or improve their health.
f. Have one cheat day a week until you can get to a month and a quarter. (This is your time to indulge a bit in something that may have more calories than you would eat every day of the week.)
g. Track & Monitor what you eat
i. Track & monitor how much you eat, when you eat, what you eat and how what you eat makes you feel. Is there a reason you pick some foods over others? What is your why in your food choices now vs. before?
h. Minimize your sugar and sodium intake.
i. Download one of our recipe guides here. They are full of delicious and nutritious meals that won’t have you lacking for anything because they are packed with all the vitamins and minerals you need as well as fiber. Pick one that fits your lifestyle and learn how to be a more conscious eater every day of your life.
3. Read Food Labels
a. Master the Art of Label Reading:Â Equip yourself with the skills to decode food labels, empowering you to make informed, mindful choices in the grocery aisle.
b. Shop Smart for Weight Loss:Â When you cannot get to a farmer's market, focus on the fresh produce sections and outer aisles of grocery stores. This strategy will support your weight loss goals and save you money and time during your shopping trips!
4. Physical Activity
a. Commit to getting at minimum 150 hours of cardio in a week and two sessions of weight training in a week. You can break down the time to 30 minutes a day or 3 (10) minute sessions a day 5 to 7 days a week. If you participate in more vigorous activities which gets the heart rate moving faster, you shall commit to a minimum of 75 minutes of cardio a week. No matter what, don’t forget to add some strength training to your workout regime. Just 1 in 4 adults meet the physical activity guidelines put forth here. Won't you commit to be more active beginning this week.
b. If you are senior, find time to get balance and stretching activities in too. This will help prevent falls and if you do fall it won’t be too severe, you will just brush yourself off and get up.
c. Aim for 10,000 steps most days of the week if you are into this type of thing. 3,000 steps if you are new and just freshly starting out or 5,000 within the same month until you reach 10,000 steps where you may stay at for eternity or of course you can do more steps if you feel compelled to. Get moving now, the more physical activity the better your body will feel.
5. Drink More Water
a. Water has 0 calories, that's right water has no calories, but most sugary drinks have tons of calories and most of the sugary alternatives lead to inflammation of some sort.
b. Infuse your water with fruits like lemons, limes, watermelons, or blueberries.
c. Sparkling water is a great option if you feel the need for some bubbles.
d. Consume water when you believe you are hungry (hence filling up on no calories means no weight gain)
6. Limit Intake of Alcohol
a. Alcoholic beverages have calories the more consumed the more weight can pile on. By being mindful and limiting your intake you can limit the weight you obtain from such activity.
7. Stress Less
a. When cortisol is release, it causes inflammation that almost always goes to the stomach area. In addition, stress sometimes causes one to eat even when they are not hungry.
b. Learn how to meditate and take charge of what you allow to stress you.
8. Track & Monitor your sleep patterns
a. Do you go to bed the same time every day? If not, believe it or not that can have an immense impact on your weight.
b. Avoid having blue light and/or electronics near you in the bedroom or wherever you sleep. It may impact your circadian rhythm.
c. Avoid eating less than 2 hours before going to bed.
9. Hire a Coach/Trainer
a. Having someone to hold you accountable, educate you, and help to set a foundation so that you can make the lifestyle changes needed to lose weight is imperative to your success. Isn’t it time to get serious about your health now? Hire Us! Set-up a 15-minute complimentary clarity call to discuss further.
Try one or all of the 9 ways to consciously lose weight this year. Action is imperative in order to witness change.
Conclusion:
Every morning, you catch that reflection in the mirror; you the one you try to avoid, but there is no running from. Your doctor's words echo: "You need to lose weight." But you brush them aside, like so many times before. You feel it with every step. That extra weight isn't just luggage; it become baggage, it's your life force being drained. Your energy. Your future. Your potential. "Tomorrow," you say. But tomorrow becomes next week, next month, next year. While you're busy making excuses, your body is keeping score. Each dismissed warning, each ignored symptom, each postponed change.
Why are you doing this? Who are you really hurting? Your family who wants more years with you? Your children who need your energy? Or yourself, the person who deserves to live fully, move freely, breathe easily?
Today can be different. Today can be the day you stop lying to yourself. Your next choice matters. What will it be? If you are tired of making excuses and want to get serious about your health, specifically your weight, contact us to set up a health strategy session. We will work with you to obtain your goals if you are serious about achieving them. Stop the excuses because Your Health Matters! You Matter! Remember to be mindful of the decisions you make in every area of your life from this day forward.
Reference:
Overweight & Obesity
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