Why is it SO hard to lose weight?

​How many times do you ask yourself this question?

Anyone with a weight loss goal, who is working hard on establishing healthy habits, and trying to decrease the frequency of making unhealthy choices knows that losing weight takes time! 

By now, you’ve likely heard our nutrition coaching staff say that progress is rarely a straight line and that your weight loss journey is going to take a long term approach to dial things in. This long term approach takes much dedication and patience on your part. Paying attention to nutrition and taking the time to learn healthy habits to keep the weight off and be healthy across your lifespan is tough, but rewarding work. 

As nutrition coaches, we work with clients at various points in their journey. Everyone has their own reasons for wanting to improve their nutrition. While losing weight is not a goal for everyone, losing weight and lowering body fat is the most common goal we hear. Many people acknowledge that they need an accountability partner to help lose weight because they encounter some all too common roadblocks during their weight loss journey.

Let's take a look at 3 of the most common roadblocks to lose weight:

Looking for quick fixes or following fad diets - 
It is often really tempting to follow a diet that you have heard has worked for someone else, which has led to a rapid weight loss. What you don’t know about this is that often these quick fixes or fad diets are super restrictive and are tough to sustain, leading to the regaining of weight. 

There is no one size fits all approach to weight loss. The benefit of meeting with a nutrition coach is that we work with you to come up with an individualized plan that fits your lifestyle. We also teach you to layer healthy habits over time and communicate with you regularly regarding strategies to stay on track with your goals. 

Not paying attention to what is going into our beverages - 
So many times, we look at incorporating lots of healthy foods in our diet when we are trying to lose weight, but we forget to pay attention to what we are drinking. Things like sugary coffee beverages, regular soda, and fruit juices are packed with sugar and extra calories that can stand in the way of our weight loss goals. 

Our nutrition coaches help to educate you about these commonly overlooked roadblocks, teach you the importance of logging, and help you learn to read food and beverage labels. These tactics will help you make a more informed decision about these types of items and see how drinking these beverages affect your goal attainment.  

Going all in and making too many changes at once - 
Weight loss is a marathon and not a sprint. There is a tendency to want to make too many changes all at once in order to meet our goals sooner. What we see is that this is WAY too overwhelming, and people aren’t investing the time it takes to make healthy habits part of their foundation. 

You may hear your coach say that there is a 3-month minimum time commitment required when entering a nutrition program. This is not to be mean, but rather help you achieve your goals by truly taking the time to learn healthy habits and avoid the temptation to make too many changes all at once. 

If you are looking to get some help with overcoming your own roadblocks on your weight loss journey, the nutrition coaching staff is here to help you be an accountability partner to achieve these goals. 

Have you ever gotten home from a long day at work and found yourself down a whole bag of crisps or sleeve of cookies? Maybe after your long day with the kids you sit down and relax with a little mindless binge on Netflix and automatically turn into a bottomless pit that eats through the pantry like the Hungry, Hungry Caterpillar? Raise your hand, because we have all been there! 

In general, if you’re not hungry, you’re emotionally eating! According to research, a high boredom task increases the desire to snack and it was proposed that increases in eating may be used as an attempt to distract from an experience, in this case being bored or stressed! We often see this while sitting in front of the TV or computer, when feeling stressed about an upcoming deadline, or simply needing a mental break from certain tasks like writing emails. What situations do you find yourself snacking more even though you aren’t hungry? Did you take the time to check in with yourself first? 

Just because boredom or stress eating is common, it does NOT mean we have to keep doing it! Here are 5 strategies to help you overcome this habit: 

Fix your mindset 
This is KEY! Instead of thinking thoughts associated with a negative emotion, try turning it positive. Instead of “this is boring” or “this is awful, I hate answering emails all day”, try asking yourself “how can I make this more enjoyable” or thinking, “Everyone has to do some tasks they don’t want to do in life, this is just one of those for me!” While this may seem small, changing negative emotions to positive just by mindset will make a world of difference! 

Closet Cleanout
Out of sight, out of mind! Don’t allow your junk food to be so easily available. Choose to get rid of them, place them in high cabinets, or even the freezer!

Change Up Your Routine
Winding down with TV at the end of the day? Decide how many episodes you are going to watch and think about setting an alarm. Rather than snacking, bring a water or seltzer to keep your hand busy. Getting more bored? Move to a different, more stimulating task. 

Learn Your Hunger & Fullness Cues
Take the time to check in with yourself and evaluate if you are truly hungry or just bored! Don’t eat until you’re full and SLOW DOWN! It takes time for your brain to get the signal from your stomach that you’ve had enough. 

Practice Mindful Stress Management
This is as easy as remembering “STOP”! Slow down, Take a breath, Observe how you are feeling/thinking and why, Proceed while considering multiple possibilities. 

Stress and boredom eating can create a cycle of continued negative self-talk, thoughts, and feelings. Keep these 5 strategies in mind the next time you feel overwhelmed or sit down to unwind in front of the TV. If you are looking for more guidance to create a better mindset and healthy habits, schedule a time to speak with our nutrition coach to help you find the path to success!

So you hear about these three little things called “macros” by surfing the web, social media, or even from someone in your social circle. Macronutrients aka macros are proteins, carbohydrates, and fats- these are the three main sources of calories consumed. Let’s start with a bit of information about each macro. 

Proteins are typically things like meat but also come from a variety of other sources. Proteins provide our body’s structure & components of enzymes, regulate body function & immune system health, and aids in hormone regulation. Calories from protein should comprise about 30% of our daily calorie intake. 

Carbohydrates vary depending on the source, but these are things like fruit, sugar, vegetables, and much more. Carbohydrates aka Carbs are our body’s main source of fuel. Carbs keep protein from being used as energy and aids in the oxidation (breakdown) of fat. Calories from carbohydrates should comprise no more than 40% of our daily calorie intake

Fats come from plant and animal-based sources. Fats are a component of our membranes, aids in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and is used as a source of energy. Calories from fat should comprise about 30% of our daily calorie intake.

Now that you know a bit more about them - should you be counting them and what does that mean? Macro counting is calorie counting, but with more specific targets to stay within a certain range of each macro. These numbers are determined in various ways but the main idea behind them is calories in vs calories out. In order to lose weight, you need to expend more energy than you consume.

Let’s move on to the most important question--should you be counting macros? For most people, logging food and counting macros will provide them with the guidance they need to meet their long term goals, but it isn’t always the best solution for everyone. Here are a few things to consider:

Does it fit in your current lifestyle? 

Do you want to weigh and measure the foods in order to log them?

Do you need the added level of accountability?

Can you consistently log everything you consume every single day?

If logging your food doesn’t seem like the right fit for you, then it probably isn’t. Here are a few things we look for in clients before asking them to log food:

 - Consistently eating vegetables
 - Eating every 3-4 hours
 - Has a good daily routine and can easily add this task (as far as time in concerned)
 - Is cooking and preparing at least 50-60% of their meals at home.

Do a quick self-analysis by answering these questions to determine whether or not you think macro counting is ideal for you.

Not sure or want to get more help? Just book a free intro and let one of our experienced nutrition coaches guide you to the right answer for you and your goals!

The CrossFit Lah Team

WOD:
PARTNER EMOM x 30 MINUTES
MIN 1 - :50 Up-Down Over Bar
MIN 2 - :50 Barbell Front Rack Hold
MIN 3 - :50 Front Rack Lunges (155/105)|(115/75)

Each Partner completes one minute of the movement, alternating movements each round.

Strength:
5 SETS ON A 12:00 CLOCK...
3/3 DB Turkish Get-Ups*

*Perform 3 reps in a row on one-side then 3 reps in a row on the opposite side. Execute perfect reps. Rest as needed b/t sets. 


WOD:
FOR TIME
400m Single DB Suitcase Carry (50/35)|(35/20)
20 Single DB Burpees
60 Weighted Step-Ups (24/20)*
20 Single DB Burpees
400m Single DB Suitcase Carry

*DB can be held any way for the Step-Ups.

Strength:
Establish a Moderately Heavy Set of the Complex

1 Snatch Deadlift
+
1 Hang Power Snatch
+
1 Power Snatch

WOD:
AMRAP x 12 MINUTES
50 Double Unders
7 Power Snatches (115/75)|(75/55)
50 Double Unders 
7 Push Press

WOD: 
EVERY 5:00 FOR 5 SETS
15 Toes to Bar
25 Slam Balls (30/20)
400m Run

Strength:

5 SETS*
1 High Hang Power Clean 
+ 
2 Hang Power Clean 
+ 
3 Front Squat

*Start Light and build to Moderately Heavy (Not Today's 1RM)

WOD:
​3 ROUNDS FOR TIME
15 Hang Squat Cleans (95/65)
35 Sit-Ups

Skill:
Practice Handstand Walk, Wall Walk Skill or Handstand Hold

WOD:
AMRAP x 15 MINUTES
25/20 Cal Row
20 Alt. DB Snatch (50/35)|(35/20)
15 Handstand Push-ups 

Growing up, there were many things that our Moms would say that we as kids would just roll our eyes at. Turns out, many of the things our Moms would say are actually things that have been proven to improve your health and wellbeing.
​
Let's explore some of the Top 3 Mom sayings:

“You need to eat your veggies!”
As kids, many of us turned our noses up at vegetables. In fact, our moms had our best interest at heart when asking us to eat those vegetables. Eating a diet rich in vegetables may reduce the risk for many adverse health conditions like stroke, cancer, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. When we follow the plate method, eating a ½ plate of vegetables with our meals, this gives us not only a lot of vitamins and minerals that lead to less risk of disease, but this provides us with a larger volume of food without a lot of calories, helping us to deal with hunger while losing weight and body fat if that is a goal. ​

“Turn off the TV, go outside, and play with your friends!”
This Mom quote carries a lot of weight. Let’s start by turning off the TV. Today, this also means turning off anything with a screen - phones, computers, tablets, along with the TV. As kids and adults, less screen time can lead to less time sitting and more physical activity, leading to improved body composition, as well as better sleep, better work or school performance, and improved interactions with people at work or school. Going outside not only encourages more activity and less sitting but also more exposure to natural light. Many people report improved mood by being exposed to more natural sunlight. Lastly, by participating in physical activity with your friends, you are engaging in a positive social network that encourages healthy behaviors. Surrounding yourself with people that share similar goals can definitely help you to continue engaging in healthy behaviors and improve overall well being for the long term. ​

"Turn off the light and go to bed!"
Our Moms weren’t just trying to be mean on this one either. Committing to a good sleep hygiene routine of turning off the lights, avoiding screen time before bed, and devoting at least 6-8 hours of sleep per night can improve our sleep quality. When we improve our sleep, we have improved energy, better mood, and have improved recovery from exercise. When we sleep better, we often make better nutrition choices because sleep regulates our hormones. With improved sleep, we balance our hormones that regulate our appetite, hunger, and stress: ghrelin, leptin, and cortisol. When these are in balance, we are less apt to make unhealthy nutrition choices and we often have improved body composition.  
​
Many of us as adults are looking for someone to say these things to us and hold us accountable for engaging in healthy habits. This is the role of a nutrition coach. A nutrition coach can set individualized action steps for us like working on incorporating more veggies in our diet, incorporating more activity when we aren’t at the gym, and getting better sleep, and hold us accountable to engaging in these habits long term, with a goal to help us become the healthiest version of ourselves. 
 
If you are looking for an accountability partner, book your free intro with the nutrition coach using this link below.