I want to lose weight but I’m so hungry
If you were wondering if there’s more to life than checking food labels for calories, fat content, and carb intake…. then I would like to be that person to tell you…YES. Yes, there is.
Food was made to be eaten, not counted.
Who decided that to be healthy, or to have your ideal weight, meant you had to count calories, or watch your carb intake. That thought alone is deeply depressing to me as it will leave anyone in a vicious cycle of measuring the value of one’s health by the numbers on food labels and then, eventually, the numbers on your scale.
What if I told you that you could drop that whole concept entirely, and that a healthy lifestyle and body were achievable without counting calories, fats, or carbs? And that the main side effect would be dropping that unwanted weight? I don’t know if you’re interested yet, but I’m interested.
I would like to demonstrate how this is possible with a simple math equation. Do you think that 100 calories of a broccoli = 100 calories of a Twix bar? If you answered no, you’re correct. Why? Because broccoli contains vitamins and phytonutrients to heal and repair the body, where the Twix bar’s 100 calories is filled with artificial and processed ingredients doing the exact opposite, creating inflammation, weight gain, and disease.
So enough with the equation…. I know you have a few questions for me.
What’s my solution to dropping weight? Load up on all things whole, natural, and nourishing. Throw out the idea that you need to count anything besides the weight you will be losing.
Where do I find whole, natural, and nourishing foods? The produce section of any grocery store. It’s free reign in there. This also includes beans/legumes (lentils, black beans, peas, etc), nuts/seeds (cashews, almond, macadamia, pumpkin, flax, chia, etc), frozen veggies and fruits, brown rice pasta, herbs, roots, etc. The best part is you will leave the grocery store not spending as much as you normally would.
What if I need/want to buy something processed? This is the time when checking the label is beneficial. Read the INGREDIENTS list to see what your “food” actually contains. Make sure you find a seat, as you might be shocked to find out there’s MUCH more in processed foods than you might believe. If you do go for processed foods, try to choose something with less than 5 ingredients in it (that’s me being lenient). When reading the label, look for things like sugar (sugar has many different/hidden names on food labels, so be conscious while reading), chemicals (yes, food companies put chemicals in our food), common allergens, and inflammatory oils (corn, soybean, safflower, sunflower, soy and vegetable oil).
When should I expect results? I believe the cleaner you are with your food choices, the faster you will see results both mentally and physically, and by fast I mean pretty much within in a week.
This seems too good to be true.. what’s the catch? Truth is… at first, eating clean is hard. Our bodies are accustomed to the addictive and sugar-filled foods we normally consume. It takes time, and there is a learning curve. If a lifestyle change were easy, everyone would do it.
How can a health coach help me with this process? As your health coach, I would start off by addressing the food in your pantry and refrigerator by getting rid of harmful foods and condiments. Next, I would take you on my Grocery Store Safari to help assist you in what may seem like an overwhelming task. This speeds up the learning curve I mentioned and gets you going quickly so you can live your best and healthiest life.
Here’s my story and why I know this works!
When I first began my health journey, I was following strict guidelines for the foods I could and could not consume. This was challenging for me as I used to pride myself on being a cheese fries girl, and you can guarantee I was proud of that.
I followed these guidelines religiously with the help of my family. There was one factor, however, that I didn’t follow: I did not follow the portion sizes. I would go through a whole box of macadamia nuts throughout a work day when I was supposed to have only a handful.. Why? Because I was hungry. Why was I hungry? Because my whole childhood was centered around family and food, but mostly because I love to eat.
My goal was not to lose weight, but to get my body clean. Regardless of my goal, the “side effects” of this clean diet had me dropping weight regardless of the portions I was eating. It was the quality of what I was putting in my mouth that mattered. It was here I learned that this whole clean eating stuff was the best solution I ever had. Not because I felt amazing, and because I looked my best.. but because when I ate clean I could eat endless amounts of food and feel GOOD. Sign me up!
I will be the first to tell you that this clean lifestyle did not happen overnight. After my first clean diet, I congratulated myself with a pint of ice cream (I think I blacked out when I ate it). I was back with my one true love and addiction: SUGAR. As much as I craved the bad foods, my body kept signaling signs of how fabulous I felt the time I was clean. I kept returning to this clean diet every few months with reconfigured rules that worked for my body and life. I learned how to make food that was DELICIOUS and filling. Over the course of this time, I kept making small but meaningful improvements which changed my life. It’s not always that easy, but it’s that simple. This is what a lifestyle change looks like.
Now what? Well, it’s time to go shopping.
Here are some examples of filling, nutritious, and delicious snacks I would recommend throughout the day.. ALL inspired by rice cakes. I buy the rice cakes with rice as the only ingredient. Here you go:
Avocados smash: There are tons of ways to make avocado “toast”. It can be simple or elaborate. If you’re feeling simple, add ‘everything bagel’ seasoning from Trader Joes, and or salt/pepper and olive oil. If you’re feeling fancy, you can add tomatoes, onions, lemon, cucumbers, and cilantro. If you want to add extra protein, you can add an egg on top. Feel free to add any veggies— the more veggies you add the better!
Banana & nut butter kush: Add the nut butter of your choice on the base and then add sliced bananas on top. This alone is delicious. I personally like to drizzle honey on top along with chia seeds, flax seeds, and a little bit of cinnamon.
Tuna delish: For all the tuna lovers out there, this one hits the spot. Mix your tuna with olive oil, finely chopped celery, onions, and black pepper/salt. Add lettuce as a base to your rice cake, then add the tuna on top. I also like to add sliced cherry tomatoes on top.
Hummus lummus: This one might be the easiest to make. Just add organic hummus to the rice cake. In addition, you can add onions, tomatoes, kalamata olives, and cucumbers. Sometimes I drizzle balsamic vinegar on top.
