Rethink Weight- Loss Truths

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Susanna Caldwell
6 years ago
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1 Rethink Weight- Loss Truths (That Aren't ) A few sessions ago, you dealt with emotional roadblocks standing in the way of weight-loss success. Now let's dig a bit deeper to uncover any limiting beliefs about food and exercise that could also be tripping you up. 126 REAL APPEAL VOLUME THREE 126 REAL APPEAL VOLUME THREE REAL APPEAL VOLUME THREE 127

Classic Limiting Beliefs (and How to Help Yourself See the Other Side) The Limiting Belief: The fastest way to weight loss is cutting all carbs out of my diet or (going fat-free or

Others might be unique to you, or to your family. The problem is, many of these beliefs are not based on fact!

If you re holding onto a half-truth (or complete fiction) that s interfering with your weight loss, it s time to let go, so you can free up your path to a healthy weight.

2 Classic Limiting Beliefs (and How to Help Yourself See the Other Side) The Limiting Belief: The fastest way to weight loss is cutting all carbs out of my diet or (going fat-free or [fill-in-the-blank]). P eople tend to have a lot of firmlyheld beliefs about food and exercise. Some, like the quotes on this page are widespread lots of people believe them. Others might be unique to you, or to your family. The problem is, many of these beliefs are not based on fact! And, worse, they can make your weight loss/maintenance efforts way harder than they need to be. If you re holding onto a half-truth (or complete fiction) that s interfering with your weight loss, it s time to let go, so you can free up your path to a healthy weight. I must have a drink before bedtime in order to get to sleep." You d think that cutting out an entire chunk of your diet would mean automatically dropping a boat load of calories. But it doesn t work that way you ll either make up for the missing calories by eating more of the allowed foods, or you ll start yearning for the forbidden foods and break your diet. Take a look at these two scenarios to see how it typically plays out. Scenario 1: You re on 1,500 calories, which has produced a nice, steady weight loss without much hunger. One day, you decide to go fat-free (or as close to it as you can get). The result? You re hungry! So, you eat more of the allowed foods, like skinless chicken, fat-free cereal, salad with fatfree dressing. But now your diet is out of balance, because without fat, meals aren t as satiating. You get hungry soon after eating. This drives you to eat more, and before you know it, you could be taking in a lot more than 1,500 calories and there goes your weight loss! Scenario 2: You ve plateaued or have gained back a few pounds. You know what s to blame the muffins and cookies you ve started eating. You decide to dump them along with all starchy foods. No sweets, no cereal, no bread, no grains, no legumes. You do lose weight for a little while. Then it starts to unravel. You get hungry and start eating more protein and fat, adding more calories so weight loss slows a little. And then you start missing your carbohydrates even start obsessing about eating them. It s never good to go to extremes with any dietary pattern. Sticking to the Real Appeal way of eating allows you to eat everything in moderation including treats! If you have the proper portions and a healthy mix of nutrients, you ll feel satiated and satisfied, and still achieve your weight-loss goals. It s stress, not calories, that s putting on weight. I didn t exercise when I was younger, so it s too late to get in shape. Real Appeal allows everything in moderation 128 REAL APPEAL VOLUME THREE REAL APPEAL VOLUME THREE 129

3 The Limiting Belief: I can eat whatever I want if I workout. The Limiting Belief: I can t live without chocolate (or other high-calorie treat)! A 30-minute aerobic workout burns about 225 calories if you weigh 160 pounds and about 335 calories if you weigh 240 pounds. That s fantastic! But here s the rub one glazed doughnut is 340 calories. An 8-ounce serving of very creamy mashed potatoes is 320 calories. You can see the problem! You d have to be running marathons nearly daily to get in the eatanything-you-want realm. (And even then, you could still overdo it.) However, those workout calories you re expending are nothing to sneeze at! That calorie cushion allows you to eat a little more, which is always nice. Just as importantly, exercise can suppress appetite, as well as build muscle, which offers a slight bump in all-day calorie burn. All of this does work to drive down body weight, plus a long list of health benefits which are priceless! But just remember that, as hard as you work out, it s impossible to outrun the effects of excessive overeating. Just remember to watch your energy balance You can probably live without chocolate ha! but fortunately, when you follow the Real Appeal program, you ll never need to try! Delicious foods like chocolate are a true pleasure, and enjoying them helps keep you from feeling deprived. If you stick to about an ounce a day (150 calories), and make that your one daily treat, even a piece of chocolate every day shouldn t affect your weight at all. (See Session 9 s lists of treat calories for your daily calorie level.) But portion reality check: An ounce of chocolate is about ⅔ the size of a smallish chocolate bar! If you re going through more chocolate than that, it might be showing up on the scale. (Ditto for other high calorie treats.) Now, if you believe you can t live without large amounts of chocolate or other treats, here s another way to look at it. Instead of focusing on what you ll be giving up, think of everything you ll be getting. I ll keep my weight down. I ll feel in control of food instead of letting it control me. When I do indulge, I ll enjoy it all the more. I may reduce cravings, because the fewer sweets I eat, the fewer I tend to crave. I won t feel completely deprived, as I can have some every day. These plusses look a lot better than the effects of those extra chocolate calories! Turn it around to: I can live even better if I don t exceed my treat calorie level. Stick to about an ounce a day (150 calories) 335 Calories 340 Calories 130 REAL APPEAL VOLUME THREE REAL APPEAL VOLUME THREE 131

The Limiting Belief: If I awaken during the night, I must eat in order to go back to sleep. Eating is not a magical sleep remedy. Perhaps it works for you because it s become a habit!

4 The Limiting Belief: If I awaken during the night, I must eat in order to go back to sleep. Eating is not a magical sleep remedy. Perhaps it works for you because it s become a habit! What s not working for you is the sleep disruption and the excess calories, both of which contribute to weight gain. How many calories are you eating at night? If you re just having a banana or another 100 or 200 calorie nibble and staying within your daily calorie target, it s not so bad. But more than that could put you into the calorie danger zone. If you ve been eating a sizeable number of calories to put you to sleep, you may have night eating syndrome. This form of disordered eating is more common in people who are overweight or obese and tends to run in families. (You can find more information about night eating syndrome by searching on ANRED.com.) Whether it s just occasional, or full-blown night eating syndrome, doing one or more of the following can help get you out of your night-eating habit. Stick with a fairly consistent eating schedule, eating breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks at roughly the same time every day. Don t skimp on calories. Eat enough over the course of the day so that you keep your weight in check but aren t waking up with true, physiological hunger. Exercise to help prevent insomnia. Relax before bedtime with a warm shower and progressive muscle relaxation, in which you tense, then relax each part of your body. Practice good sleep hygiene by avoiding caffeinated beverages after midday and reading a book instead of staring at your phone or laptop before bed. (See Session 11 for other sleep hygiene tips.) real tip tip Plan B If these don t work, don t lose hope there are various ways to treat night eating syndrome, including with antidepressants, cognitivebehavioral therapy, and insomnia therapy (described in Session 11). Seeing a professional therapist or sleep doc is probably the way to go. zzz REAL APPEAL VOLUME THREE REAL APPEAL VOLUME THREE 133

5 Commitment Contract I realize that certain beliefs can limit my progress and prevent me from achieving and sustaining a healthy weight. I also know that being open to reconsidering them can help break their hold on me. To that end, I will carefully consider the validity of my closely-held beliefs by asking myself: Are my food or exercise belief based on science? Have I been told that the belief is suspect? Is the belief interfering with my weight loss? I will consider the validity of my beliefs I am open to seeing another point of view, which is Meanwhile, I ll continue my other healthy habits to the best of my ability. My signature: 134 REAL APPEAL VOLUME THREE REAL APPEAL VOLUME THREE 135

Grant High School Dance Team. Nutrition Plan

Grant High School Dance Team. Nutrition Plan Grant High School Dance Team Nutrition Plan I. General Tips 1. Proper Nutrition is Important The right balance of calorie intake is an important part of a good dance diet. Stay away from calorie dense