After working as a trainer for about one month (I started way back in 2011) I realized that losing body fat was tough for most people. Simply telling clients to calculate their maro-nutrient needs (protein, carbs, and fat) and coming up with a number to stay under didn't work very well....it hardly ever worked.
Weight loss is not simply a calculation in the real world! Nor is weight loss mostly about getting on a new diet or reading the latest diet book.
If these tactics worked, the USA would be trending out of the obesity epidemic, but we are actually heading towards a WORSE national health status.
It turns out that mindset work and behavior change is how people can actually lose weight and keep it off. Habit change is the key!
Like boxing, habit change is a SKILL-BASED undertaking. People need to learn how to change habits. Otherwise, willpower alone is used, which does not work long term for most people.
Ready to lose weight a different way?
Step One:
Mindfulness Training:
The first step to changing habits in how you eat is gaining "mindfulness muscles". Through some very brief education and practice you can start to gain more control over food habits instead of being beaten again and again by typical patterns and food addictions. (Is food really addictive and habit forming?....YES!)
Studies show that only 12 minutes a day of this practice yields substantial benefits!
Step Two:
Goal Setting and Habit Change:
This step is simple to start and yields the best results with follow through. Write out your goals for weight loss and habit change. To do this, get out a piece of paper and write down your specific goals that you have (example: I want to lose weight). Next make it specific and time bound...(example: Ok getting real...I will lose 2 pounds in the next 7 days). Lastly, write down how you plan on doing this and what habits must be changed (example: I need to forgo buying packaged carbohydrates. No more cookies, chips, and crackers. I also need to donate or toss my stockpile of cookies). Want to make this step even more effective? Tell others, post it up on the fridge, or have an accountability partner (or coach).
Step Three:
Get on a Real Food Diet
Notice that this is step three, not step one. You have to get your habits and mindfulness training going before you change your shopping list. With any diet, you have to find a diet that gives you results, keeps you happy, and is full of real food. This can be low, medium, or high carb. Everyone is different. If you stick with real food your chances for success are high.
Step Four:
Eliminate the Two Great Killers
Yikes, death and diabetes…curtesy of food chemistry and big food USA
Out of all the various foods available 24/7, 365 days a year there are two that remain the most deadly and addictive:
1. Processed Carbohydrates
2. Liquid Calories (Especially Sugar)
If you want to live long and prosper (and actually make your weight loss goals) these two items have to be greatly reduced and reworked on your menu.
Step Five:
Exercise High and Low
What is the best kind of exercise to lose weight?
Move often, in many different ways, and for as long as possible. What I mean by this for most people is walk more. Low level cardio and movement is what I call "exercising low" or in low mode. The human body was made to walk miles everyday. Walking is required in order to stay healthy for any able body. When people do not live out this biological necessity in some way, weight gain is a natural result. If you are struggling to lose weight and are not walking daily start by adding a 10-15 minute daily walk. Also, remember to add distance in your weekly routines, like parking near away from the entrances of stores.
On the flip side, "exercising high" is when people go to a place like a gym. In order to flip the switch and work “high mode” people need to sprint (or do interval training), lift heavy weights, and train power (think medicine ball slams). This form of exercise is much different than the “low mode” mentioned above. Exercising in high mode works different parts of a person’s cellular machinery. This mode is great to keep your body biologically young and metabolism high.
If you lack one or both of these modes, add them in and weight loss will likely follow.
Step Six (Bonus Step)
Brain Retraining
Above is a picture of the BrainTap headset in play. It uses unique blue lights, sound, and several different audio/ visual modalities to retrain the brain.
If weight loss is really about habit change, it would be prudent to think about where habits are formed and maintained. The answer? The brain. Our brains are the formers and propagators of our ideas and habits, for better or worse. Therefore, if one changes both their ideas and way of doing things the brain will change. Due to the science of neuroplasticity it is now known that any brain (regardless of how young or old) can change if properly stimulated.
In order to help facilitate better brain health and increase the ease of habit change people can use various brain training methods. One of my favorite methods is an audio program called BrainTap. I won’t go into all the details on how it works (feel free to ask me or go to their website). The short story is this: through the power of beats, music, emotion, and guided visualization your thoughts and literal brain structures can change for the better. BrainTap has over 100 different programs designed to help people lose weight all through the power of neuroplasticity.
Here is their website if you want to learn more:
https://braintap.com/
Ready to change your food choices and lose weight? Contact Jason Cornish, Medical Fitness Specialist, Personal Trainer, and Health Coach in Auburn, AL today at 402-521-0314 or email at jason.a.cornish@gmail.com.
Disclaimer: Please consult your doctor before you begin any exercise program. The content of this blog is for educational purposes only. You are responsible for the outcomes for the use, misuse, or lack of use of the information presented in this blog.