Weight Loss Ramblings & Solutions
I had a wake-up call. I caught myself laughing at a neighbour telling me about a personal trainer reprimanding someone for eating 6 mince pies over Christmas. To be fair, the first thing that went through my head was, "wow, that guy was honest with his trainer!". Only a moment later to follow it up with, "Hey, the guy eating the mince pies is super slender, it's a bit harsh for the trainer to criticise 6 mince pies over 2 weeks. I've eaten a whole Family Circle pack of bickies in one sitting, and I don't mind, it's all a matter of balance, just eat well the rest of the week!!".
The reason for my reaction was that I've seen it all before so many times. I know we eat pizza and guzzle wine sometimes, other times we are salad eating, health freaks who laugh at a 50mile cycle!! I guess I was thinking that the trainer may be new to the business and feels that he/she is MEANT to be getting their clients to eat clean. After all, that is their job, isn't it? Having thought about it, maybe it was me who was wrong. I've met the mince pie eater in question and I know he is slender, active, & seemed content...but what do I know really? Perhaps eating clean or calorie control IS part of the remit. Perhaps that was the goal the trainer and client agreed and the PT was just keeping him in check... as agreed? That would make him/her a great trainer.
I have no right to ridicule a trainer (albeit in my own head) as being over zelous or a client for letting someone else tell them what to eat. I don't know what they are working towards or how they have agreed to do it. Why have I become so over-protective of my clients and the tendency to chastise any minor eating habit slip? Because for the past 14years I have been round the same cycle with my own clients where they are their own worst critics. They wallow in how terrible it was to binge, I tell them it is natural, lets make the remainder of the week a great one regarding food. They bemoan the extra piece of toast they didn't need to eat for breakfast and I ask whether they ate fewer pieces of toast and bread over all this week than last and could they continue eating better.
If your goal is to maintain a healthy weight or lose weight the studies show that doing it steadily, over time with the support of a friend to keep you accountable is the best way long term. It is normal to slip off he wagon, they key is to then to bring everything back into balance with better eating the rest of the week. It is NOT going for a 3 hour run out of guilt, which trashes your muscles, or worse creates a stress fracture so that you can't train healthily the remainder of the week. Your head is your own worst enemy. If you eat badly, studies show that we then continue to make worse eating/drinking choices for the remainder of the day, maybe even week until Monday comes round and we start trying again. Just think about that. You eat really well Monday, half of Tuesday, badly Wednesday, worse still Thursday and on until Sunday. You would have done better to just eaten slightly healthier than normal all week with a few naughty foods allowed and no guilt.. then you'd have done better for 7 days, not excellent for 1-2, then badly for 5 and left feeling deflated.
Top Tips Proven to Aid Weight Loss:
Be accountable to someone - share your measurements with them each week if it helps
If you fall off the wagon, STOP. Don't let rip with bad foods, just stop eating walk away with a pint of water in your hand.
Soups and liquid foods help make us feel fuller with the same volume of nutrition. If you don't like soup, have a pint of water before your meal.
Avoid watching TV or going on your phone when eating. You won't notice when you are full.
Careful of the weekends and evenings. These are when our will is weakest. Eat and drink healthily 7 days a week with a few naughty foods/drinks carefully chosen before the week starts.
Allow yourself to celebrate that anniversary, wedding or christening, but halve the naughty foods you would normally have.
For more tips on how to gradually eat healthier you are welcome to have a chat with me.
