Top 10 Tips for Maintaining a Healthy Weight

Clients and friends often ask for this advice, so here are my top 10 tips, in no particular order.
Pick 1 to start with - whichever one you think would be easiest to achieve consistently - then add on to your personal program by implementing another every few days until you are following all of them. Remember that every journey starts with a single step!

1. Drink water - This will help curb hunger and provides many benefits to digestion, circulation, muscle function, and skin health. If you feel a sensation that seems like hunger, drink at least 8 oz of water then wait 30 minutes. If you're still hungry after that, then eat something. Daily hydration is incredibly important, so use a tracking app or simply mark your water bottle each time you finish drinking the contents. A general guide per day is half your body weight in ounces if you are sedentary, or equal to your body weight in ounces if you are active. (ex/ If you are 160 lbs and active, drink 160 fluid ounces (10 pints) per day.)

2. Pace your eating - It takes approximately 20 minutes for the stretch receptors inside your stomach to signal your brain that food is filling your stomach. So if you finish your meal in 15 minutes, you may still FEEL hungry when in actuality your stomach is already at capacity. Since it is easy to overeat, slow your chewing, savor your food, and drink between every few bites. Eating with friends and family will occupy your meal time with conversation, which also helps you take longer to finish your food.

3. Stay active - Think in terms of "fuel in/fuel out." You need to use the nutrients you take in when eating, otherwise your body converts this to fat and saves it for later. It is not necessary to devote hours of your day to physical activity - you can break it down into more manageable chunks of time. For example, 3 blocks of exercise or physical activity for 10 minutes each can be just as beneficial as 30 minutes straight through. Using sets of HIIT or Tabata workouts with multi-planar (multi-directional) movements is a great way to maximize your calorie burning during and after your exercise. Physical activity also improves sleep and mental well being. Be sure to get your heart rate up during activity for the greatest benefit. Workout smarter, not harder!


4. Don't skip meals on a daily basis - This creates inconsistent blood sugar levels throughout the day, so your body becomes confused on how to regulate energy levels with insulin and other hormones. Skipping meals sends your body into "crisis mode" as if you were trying to survive in a drought or food shortage. As a result, your metabolism slows, your body breaks down muscle tissue for immediate energy, and more fat is stored as a source of reserve energy. Spreading your food intake throughout the day helps maintain stable energy. A meal can be something as small as apple slices with peanut butter and a small glass of soymilk, or a chocolate protein shake with 1/2 an avocado blended in and a handful of raspberries on the side, so don't feel like you have to put a ton of effort into staying nourished. Periodic fasting is ok for detoxifying, as long as it is done under your doctor's guidance.

5. Sleep! - Lack of sleep can negatively impact hormones that regulate hunger and appetite, so sleep deprivation means you could eat more than needed. Your body also uses sleep time to repair and build cells/tissue and take care of many important processes to prepare you for the next day. Use an app or try journaling for a week or two to find the ideal amount of sleep you need each night. Here are some tips to ensure sleep success: https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/healthy-sleep-tips


6. Reduce stress - Most people get sick of hearing this one because our lives are filled with stress in our daily struggle to find a work-life balance. Stress is another trigger that sends your body into "crisis mode" which contributes to fat storage. An easy way to de-stress is to take just 5 minutes a day to sit in silence or calm music and just BREATHE SLOWLY. There are apps, YouTube videos, and even TV on-demand videos if you are interested in guided meditation. You can also reduce stress by prioritizing and de-cluttering your schedule and To Do list by delegating, postponing, or eliminating tasks. Another personal favorite of mine for reducing stress is laughter - listening to stand-up comedy, watching funny videos, etc.


7. Don't deprive yourself - The key is to balance your "calorie budget," so if you treat yourself with one item, then you need to compensate somewhere else. Thankfully this means you don't have to go cold turkey if there are one or more "less than healthy" foods you enjoy... as long as you add physical activity or downsize one or meal meals/snacks elsewhere to balance your budget. Completely severing ties with a favorite food could cause you to binge on other things to satisfy your cravings, or to completely lose willpower one day and binge on the "forbidden" item. A more productive approach would be to find healthy alternatives, or to eat the thing you love in moderation or in significantly smaller portions. For example, if cheesecake is your weakness, then instead of eating a 3" wide slice several times a week, you could reduce your serving to a smaller 1" portion size once every 2 weeks. If you include fresh berries and a drizzle of melted dark chocolate, then it will seem even more decadent and satisfying. You could also create a healthier version of your favorite cheesecake using recipes like these: https://www.eatthis.com/skinny-cheesecake-recipes/

8. Put away your scale (sort of) - Many people use their weight as a measure of health and fitness, when in fact body shape and function are better indicators. It's ok to weigh yourself once every few weeks, but if you really want to track progress more effectively, then use photo comparisons of how you look in a swimsuit over time, or use periodic tape measurements around your waist, hips, right mid-thigh, right mid-upper arm, and chest. Keep in mind that muscle is denser than fat, so it is possible for your weight to stay the same while the shape and composition of your body is changing. Also think about how you physically feel - are you less winded during activity, do your joints feel less stiff/painful, are you sleeping better, are you less stressed?

9. Set goals with rewards and accountability - Making a lifestyle change is less overwhelming when done in smaller chunks, so set yourself up for success by choosing a goal that you can easily achieve such as exercising 10 mins a day for 3 days in a row. Then expand that to 15 min every other day, then 20 min for 4 days a week, etc. Set up an accountability plan such as a friend, a reminder app, or a note to yourself that you will see everyday. For each mini-goal or checkpoint you reach, reward yourself with something like $5 in a jar and work towards earning enough in the jar to buy a pair of shoes you've been wanting. Or you can give yourself a star or check mark on a tracking sheet, and once it's filled, treat yourself to a manicure. Think of things that motivate you... other than food. (It would be counterproductive to set fitness goals in order to earn a special cupcake from your favorite bakery.) The big picture - the end game - is to change your relationship with food and to change your physical health!

10. Forgive yourself - This is one of the hardest yet most important tips! The expectation of yourself should be progress, not perfection. No one is 100% perfect, not even fitness professionals! So if you slip up, take note of how and why it happened, set up a plan to correct it, and then do it! When you learn to ride a bike, you will have some falls - but if you brush the dirt off, encourage yourself and keep trying... you will eventually succeed! Remember, you've got this!!