It’s a TOOL, not a WEAPON!

by Ashley on January 17, 2012

There’s an alarming trend that is hitting record highs. People everywhere are using a useful and priceless tool as a merciless weapon to hurt themselves and those around them. They think they are doing themselves, their family, and their friends, and even complete strangers a favor, but really, they are just beating people over the head with no cause. What is this precious tool that is being used completely incorrectly? Nutrition.

Let me explain with a story.

Fiona Wantstobefit decides to go see a personal trainer and he starts her on her training plan and calculates out how many calories she needs to eat. He also tells her to avoid sugar, flour, and fruit, because they are “bad.” So Fiona gets started on her new plan with great intentions on rocking the world with rock hard abs.

The next day, Fiona tells all her friends and family that flour, sugar, and fruit will make you fat, and pleads with them to stop eating those things. She goes to the grocery store, and sees someone with delicious strawberries in the line ahead of her. At first she is jealous, but then thinks “good thing I know better.” That night Fiona gets home and calls up her best friend. They had planned to go on a trip together, but she decided she needs to cancel, because there is no way she can stick to her diet while on vacation.

Later in the week, Fiona is running late and has to run for the bus in order to make it to work on time. Getting on the bus, she feels exhausted and winded, but doesn’t think anything of it. By the end of the day, she was starving. But she had promised herself she wouldn’t go over her calorie limit, so she goes to bed hungry. The next day Fiona is ravenous. All she can think about are those strawberries from the checkout line. She considers buying some strawberries on her way home from work, but then sees doughnuts in the breakroom. She decides that if she is going to “cheat”, she might as well cheat big and eats three of them, something she never would have done previous to starting this diet. The next day, Fiona feels guilty and decides to work it off on the treadmill.

So maybe the story is a little extreme, but it does demonstrate a good point. How often do people use nutritional knowledge to beat themselves up, destroy their own lives, beat up their friends and family, and judge those around them based on what they believe about food? One answer might be to completely forget about fitness goals or health, and just eat whatever you want. The second is a much better answer… sanity and balance.

How do we do that?

- Stop labeling foods as “good” or “bad.” All foods can be incorporated into a healthy and successful nutrition plan… yes, even fruit, sugar, cupcakes, chocolate…

- Use calorie and macronutrient guidelines as…. well, a guideline. Not a hard and fast rule to live by “come hell or high water”. I have clients that are given calorie and macro guidelines, but there is always the caveat that if they are physically hungry, trust that. And if they are not hungry, trust that too.

- Be flexible. So you can’t eat what you choose while visiting your in-laws for a week. Doesn’t mean you should cancel the trip, but cancel the diet for the week instead. The more flexible you are, the more likely you will stick with it long term.

- Do what works for your body, and allow others to do the same. Don’t judge others, don’t try to change the way others eat. Sometimes, what works for others may be the thing that you would never do. For those who are not interested in health and fitness, be a good example, but give them the option to live a healthier life.

Nutrition is a powerful tool that can dramatically change lives for good. But used as a weapon it can damage lives, relationships, and bodies. Be careful how you use it!

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Hunger is NOT the enemy

by Ashley on January 16, 2012

So often, when weight loss is a goal, hunger is a dreaded phenomenon. We know diets make us hungry, we know that to lose weight we need to eat less, so we suppose that means that eating less will leave us hungry. There are drugs to suppress appetite, tricks to decrease appetite, and the like. But what if we could use our hunger to our advantage?

Here’s the deal: Hunger can be an important guide to understanding when and how much to eat. It can help us develop an understanding of our bodies, and a better grasp on our food intake.

A 2010 research study showed that in overweight individuals, training individuals to understand their hunger and giving them the charge to eat only when physically hungry showed more weight loss and more successful weight maintenance than those who were actively trying to lose weight. These individuals also improved their insulin sensitivity, just by waiting until they are physically hungry.

So what does that mean for you? First of all, understand the signs of physical hunger. Hunger comes on gradually. At first, you start thinking about food, your stomach feels somewhat empty, but you are not yet uncomfortably hungry and can still distract yourself from the thoughts of food. Then, you start to feel uncomfortably hungry. Your stomach might growl, you feel an uncomfortable pit in your stomach. If you postpone food after this time, you are likely to feel dizzy, lightheaded, and have a difficult time concentrating.

The trick is to eat when you are at that second stage, the uncomfortably hungry stage. This is your body’s signal that it is time to eat. How much do you eat? Until that hungry feeling goes away, and you are comfortable. Not full, not stuffed, but comfortable. You will miss these signals if you aren’t focused on eating. If you are eating fast, distracted, or feeling upset, you are likely to pass this comfortable stage.

Learning to understand your body’s hunger cues can help you regulate how much you eat, without feeling hungry. You will have the ability to listen to your body, work with it instead of against it, and be able to self regulate the calories you eat from one meal to the next. This will also improve your health and weight.

Reference: Ciampolini et al.: Sustained self-regulation of energy intake. Loss of weight in overweight subjects. Maintenance of weight in normal-weight subjects. Nutrition & Metabolism 2010 7:4.

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5 Reasons You Should Stop Dieting –

by Ashley on January 3, 2012

It’s January 3rd. That means two days ago, many people started a new diet or better yet, a “lifestyle change,” which is really just a diet in disguise. But here’s the deal: The diet that you think will improve your life, make everything all better, and get you to a size 2 in no time, might actually do the opposite. Here are 5 unintended consequences of dieting that you should be aware of before you make the leap to calorie counting, restricting certain foods, or even just “watching what you eat.”

1. Dieting is unlikely to be successful in the long run – Many studies have shown this, and it is very evident in our society. More than 80% of individuals who lose weight on a diet will gain it back within 1 year, which can lead to even more difficulty losing weight the next time around. The failure of dieting as a whole can be seen from some seriously scary statistics. 1 out of 2 adults is attempting to lose weight at any given time, yet more than 65% of American adults are overweight or obese.

2. Dieting can cause overeating – There is evidence that restricted food intake will actually lead to overeating, inability to understand your body’s hunger signals, and a desire for more high sugar, high fat foods. Food “cravings” are often the result of food restriction.

3. Dieting will make you unhappy – Dieting has been associated with negative emotional states such as depression, anxiety, lower self esteem, irritability, and nervousness. Plus, it can cause isolation from family and friends due to the inability to participate in meals, celebrations, and events.

4. Dieting can cause negative hormonal changes – Studies have shown that a number of hormonal changes take place during dieting. The psychological stress can cause increased cortisol levels, a stress hormone that has been implicated in fat storage. Other hormone alterations may also lead to an increased appetite, increased fat storage, and resistance to future weight loss.

5. Dieting may not provide your body with what it needs – Chances are, when you tell yourself what you are “supposed” to be eating, you’re not listening to your body’s internal signals that are telling you what it really needs. Rather than helping your body, you may in fact be harming yourself by providing the wrong nourishment at the wrong time.

In this diet-failed society, what’s a person to do to lose a few pounds (or maybe more)? Some people take the above evidence to mean that it isn’t possible to lose weight. However, that is not the case. It is absolutely possible to lose weight without hitting these obstacles above, but it requires a different perspective.

Rather than focusing on willpower, discipline, or what you “should” do, learn to develop a relationship with your body so that you can understand how to nourish it best. This happens by learning to work with your body instead of against it. Learn to understand your body’s hunger signals. Discover which foods provide the most nourishment, energy, and stamina. Rather than listening to outside sources telling you what to eat, learn to listen within. By bringing your food intake in harmony with what your body needs, you will be able to reach a naturally healthy weight, without the struggle of diets.

Coming tomorrow– The #1 most important tool for understanding your body.

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We all know how to eat elephants….

by Ashley on October 18, 2011

One bite at a time. Right? We’ve all heard the phrase. So why is it that sometimes we want to rush progress, rush success or take too many bites at once? Is it because we feel pressure from the outside? Fear that if it doesn’t happen now, it won’t happen? Fear that others are getting there faster than us? Taking an inventory of what is causing the haste often allows us to give ourselves permission to slow down and enjoy the ride. After all, the journey should be fun, not rushed.

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