Do you believe that you have to join a gym, hire a personal trainer, or buy a bunch of equipment to lose weight? 

You don’t have to do any of that to lose weight.

Consistent, focused exercise is crucial for fitness. It’s important for our overall health and wellness, both physical and mental. (It’s certainly helped mine quite a bit.)

But what you consume accounts for 90% of your weight loss efforts. And I’m talking about ALL consumption…food, drinks, and information. (More on that last one in an upcoming blog.)

I emphasize movement in my coaching program over exercise. Why?

Well, not everyone is a regular exerciser. In fact, most people live a relatively sedentary life. So I like to begin at the beginning and start to focus on moving your body more than you are now.

Start by doing things like walking for five to ten extra minutes a day. A morning walk before you start your day is a really beneficial way to do this…getting outside, even when it’s cold, and moving your body first thing in the morning is not only good for your circadian rhythm (your body’s natural wake/sleep cycle), but it also gives you a dose of Vitamin D and gets your daily movement off to a great start.

Five to ten minutes a day of walking isn’t a big ask toward improving your health.

As far as food goes - I advocate eating the foods you’re already eating, just in smaller portions.

To do this, start paying attention to your hunger cues. Eat when your body is actually hungry. And when you’re in the process of eating, tune in to your body (undistracted by your phone, the TV, a book, etc) and notice when it’s telling you, “Okay, that’s enough food; I’m satisfied now. Time to stop.”

Now let’s talk about eating when we’re not actually hungry. This is typically the root of being overweight (medications or other unusual circumstances aside).

This is where the real work begins. 

Start asking yourself why you’re eating when you’re not hungry. Ask from a place of kindness and curiosity, not shame or judgment. 

Write down all of the things you hear in response. Here are some that I’ve heard more than once:

• It tastes so good

• I’m bored

• I don’t know

• I need to eat something sweet/salty/savory in order to feel better

• My mouth gets lonely (that’s my personal favorite)

• It’s the only thing that makes me happy

Okay, let’s take those one at a time.

“It tastes so good.” 

Yes, food tastes good. Eating can be a pleasurable experience, but if your body has had enough then that’s the time to stop eating and save the rest for later or throw it out. 

Note: “Wasting food” is not a morality issue - it’s waste whether it goes in the garbage or in your mouth.

Also keep in mind that processed foods - basically anything with a label - are designed to taste really good in order to keep us buying and consuming more. 

And the more processed a food is, the worse it is for your overall health. (Generally speaking…don’t come at me with protein shakes and supplements.)

“I’m bored.” 

Boredom is part of life; filling the time with food isn’t helpful for your weight or overall health.

“I don’t know.” 

That’s a non-answer. Look deeper.

“I need something sweet/salty/savory in order to feel better.” 

The only thing we need food for is to survive and nourish ourselves. Telling yourself that you NEED it is setting yourself up to stay dependent on it.

Now I’m not saying that you can’t eat sweets or salty things or savory things. That’s not what I’m saying at all. There’s room for all of the foods that you enjoy while also learning how to incorporate (and also enjoy) healthy foods.

What I’m saying is that, in order to lose your extra weight and get a handle on emotional overeating, that’s a thought that you’ll want to work on changing. 

“My mouth gets lonely.” 

I read this in one of the Facebook groups I’m in and it made me laugh. I get it! Sometimes it feels like my mouth is asking me to eat something that I know wouldn’t be good for my overall health goals in that moment. 

Don’t get me wrong - I still eat unhealthy foods, but my personal food protocols have a good balance. And when my mouth gets lonely it wants to disrupt that balance, so I (usually) tell my mouth that loneliness doesn’t require a bunch of unplanned sugar and find something else to do.

“It’s the only thing that makes me happy.” 

Ooooof. That one hurts my heart. Is that thought true? Really think about that for a minute.

If food is your only source of happiness and you want to change that, then let’s get to work on why that is. 

I’m currently available for one-on-one coaching sessions outside of my 12-Week Program. Contact me at dana@revolution-within.com to schedule a free 20 minute consultation session.

All will be well, beauties and cuties.

Love & hugs, 

Dana