Episode 9: How To Ditch Yo-Yo Dieting For Good

Tired of yo-yo dieting? The typical calories in, calories out focus misses SO MANY super crucial pieces of the puzzle when it comes to sustainable weight loss. If you "know" how to lose weight, but it's not happening or it's not sticking, what that really means is that you know how to lose weight in a way that's not working for you. My Life Boost approach focuses on what really matters. In this episode we go over every piece of the puzzle that needs to be addressed in order to start working with your body to achieve sustainable weight loss that's actually enjoyable.

You can find my free Life Boost Troubleshoot Guide and learn more about the Life Boost Jumpstart program here: https://linktr.ee/Lifeboostwithamelia
Send me an email if you're interested in joining the Life Boost Jumpstart Program at amelia@lifeboost.today.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical, mental health, or professional advice. I am a certified health and life coach, not a licensed medical or mental health professional. Please consult with a healthcare provider before making any changes to your physical or mental health routines. If you are experiencing a crisis, seek help from a qualified professional or contact emergency services.

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To learn more about my approach and the programs and free resources available to support you, visit my website: www.lifeboost.today

I love to hear from you. You can always reach me at amelia@lifeboost.today.

Transcript

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Hello life booster. This is Dr. Amelia health coach and veterinarian here to help you ditch yo-yo dieting people pleasing and perfectionism by breaking the norm and living a life that energizes you from within. Let's talk about yo-yo dieting that. Is so normal and I'm all about all about breaking the norm. So we are going to tackle this big topic today. If you have fallen into this yo-yo dieting, if you. know how to lose weight. And if you have like an upcoming vacation or you have a big event and you want to look great, you know, you know how to lose weight, there have been periods in your life when you've felt good. but when life gets stressful or things change, then you tend to gain weight back. Or maybe even like right after a vacation, you just are like tired of. Resisting all the foods that you wanted. So then you kind of go to the other spectrum and you end up gaining the weight right back. we need to escape from that cycle, right? Cause that does not feel good with the life boost approach. We're all about taking care of your body, respecting your body and feeling great. And yo-yo dieting. Isn't consistent with any. The number one thing that I want you to know is that if you've experienced this, it's not your fault. There's nothing wrong with you. It's not because of a lack of willpower or discipline. I promise you are an amazing human it's because you are living in SSI. Where all of the messages and the food that are normal are setting you up to be exactly where you are now. Remember, I like the norm, we're living in a society where the norm is to be sick, overweight, and unhappy. So if you're just, if you're doing what is normal, which is to be expected, then there's a good chance you're stuck in this site. The other thing I want you to be aware of is that I so often hear the comment. Like I know what I need to do to lose weight. It's just not happening, you know, or I know what I need to do. I'm just too busy or, I just need more, I need the motivation. What you're really saying is that, you know, one way of losing weight and that way doesn't work for you. Otherwise you would be doing it already. Right? So just be aware that there are lots of ways to lose weight, but if you want sustainable weight loss, it's going to be much more involved than the whole calories in calories out approach. It's also going to be much more enjoyable and fun. Okay. So. The whole reason that sustainable weight loss is hard is because our society focuses so much on the calorie count and the calories in calories out and the working out. And the message really is that health is hard. It takes more energy. You have to do more, or you have to be meal prepping and forcing yourself to the gym. And you have to be restricting yourself from the foods that you really want. You're getting bombarded with these messages and what you really need to be digging deeper on is not about the calories that you're consuming or, burning. The big thing is why. Why is it hard to be losing weight? Or why is it that you can only be having like 1200 calories in order to be losing weight? Like what's going on with your metabolism and why are you having to white knuckle your way through these decisions what's going on in your brain? That's making this feel so hard. I have spent a lot of time reading about health and nutrition and weight loss. And it's finally led me to my life boost approach, where we focus on the things that truly matter, because when you bring these into. That's when you are starting to work with your body instead of against it. And that's when health starts to feel easier and more doable, and like you're working on the same team and that's how you can keep it up longterm. So my life boost approach, it's the lb approach and there are three B's. So we're going to talk about those first, their brain, belly, and blood. So let's first focus on belly and blood sugar and belly is meaning gut health, but I want it to be cute and have three B's. Okay. So. The normal food that our society is eating is not setting us up for success when it comes to our belly or blood sugar. And the most important thing to understand is that that is literally influencing the way that your brain is working. And it's making it really hard to be making the most nourishing choices. So one thing to be aware of is if you are consuming a lot of packaged food, which walk into a grocery store and look around, like it's everywhere, like colors, boxes, like the real food is kind of limited, you know, just to the perimeter. And even there there's a lot of packaged food. So all of that processed food it's engineered for you to want to. All right. That's the goal of the companies make food so that you want to eat it. And they're literally, so many of these foods are designed to reach the bliss point. That's really what they call it. So they are finding just the right amount of like salt and fat and sugar that is going to just light up your taste buds and make them so happy. And when that happens, You're not satisfied. Right? You want more? And on top of that, the other thing that's happening is that when you are processing food, it's no longer of course, in that whole food form. And so you're, you're losing the nutrients and the fiber and all of the good things that are in that food are getting taken out of that food. So like, for example, when you look at cereal and you say, see that it's enriched with vitamins, that's because they've stripped all of the nutrients out of those grains, and now they're just artificially adding them back on. That's not the same. So the tricky thing is that you're eating food that was designed for you to not be able to stop and on your body is also crazy confused because you're eating enough calories, but you're not getting all the nutrients that your body actually needs. And so it's like, I think I need more food. And so that's where your cravings come from. So you're, you're not getting that balance that your body really needs. We're going to dive a little bit deeper and we'll talk specifically about blood sugar and ballet. Let's start with blood sugar. If you have been with me for very long, you know, that I'm really big on checking at an added sugar and foods. And that is because sugar is added, have everywhere. It is literally. Everything and you, it's just, it's so unnecessary and it's so frustrating because you may not be feeling like you're eating anything sweet, you know, especially like if you're dieting or trying to like resist the cookies or cake, that kind of thing, you still could easily be exceeding the daily recommended limit of adage. Because it is hidden and even the super, super savory foods. So if you just start peaking at the food label, you're going to find that there is a line for total sugar, and then there's a line for added sugar and that added sugars everywhere. So salsa meat. Even like deli meats, sausage crackers, salad, dressings, just check your pantry. Tomato sauce. Dried fruit is a really annoying one because dried fruit is already really sweet. And then they dump a huge amount of sugar onto them. So that alone is really frustrating that when you feel like you're making healthy choices or you're resisting the sweets, you are still consuming a lot of sugar. So the thing with added sugar is that even if you aren't aware that you're consuming a lot, like your taste buds, aren't detecting that it's sweet. your body is, and that is literally influencing the way that your brain is working and your ability to be making decisions that are consistent with your. So when you're having a lot of added sugar and this also goes for highly processed or like ultra processed food, it's making your amygdala more active than your prefrontal cortex. And that's a problem because the amygdala is like the child in the room, you know, it's acting on emotions and impulses. Doesn't think things through it's doing. Versus the prefrontal cortex is more the adult able to kind of survey the whole situation, able to know that you want something, but it's also able to think ahead and realize that maybe even though you want the candy bar, that is not actually going to make you feel very good, an hour or two later, and that's maybe not consistent with. So because the amygdala is taking over, that's why it feels to you. Like you need more motivation or you need more willpower discipline because right now your brain is not. Cooperating with you. And it's just like, Ooh, sugar. Yes. And then you go for it and then it's too late. And then that's when you're left feeling guilty or feeling regret. And then that just leads down that cycle of feeling like you need to punish yourself. And that's something we really have to escape from. So not only is the sugar influencing your brain, but it's also, it's influencing your body and your energy and your cravings. Because if you're just having a lot of sugar that is making your blood sugar go on a roller coaster ride and your energy is going to go right along with that, you're going to have highs and lows and you are not going. Stable energy, which is what you want in order to be making good decisions and to not reach that like hangry point, you know, when you're just like suddenly lightheaded, and you just like hate everybody and everything because you need food stat. When you're not getting nice balanced meals, then. It's going to be really hard to be making good decisions. And then on top of that, your brain already, isn't working in your favor. So that is number one. Um, thing that I recommend focusing on, if you were on to do one thing this week, just start checking in and looking at the amount of added sugar in some of the foods that you're eating and almost always, you can find like the same. Swap that just has fewer added sugars. And so you could really not even feel like you're making that many changes to your food, and yet you could have a dramatic decrease in the sugar, which is awesome. Right? It's just, you have to look at those food labels. Cause I promised the front as well. You can absolutely never tell by the front of the package, if a food is actually healthy or not, packaging is so deceiving. So let's go on to belly and gut health. Now you may be thinking, man, I got health is just fine, but that's not the norm. We're going to talk about why. So I think it will be helpful to start with what optimal or like, I want to say normal gut health is, but not normal. Isn't healthy. So what is healthy for forgotten? Number one for bowel movements. Let's just dive right into there. What you want is to be having at least one daily bowel movement that is effortless. It's quick. You shouldn't be being reading on the toilet. It shouldn't take a long time and it should be kind of like a snake, you know, not like little balls or anything like. And you should feel like you have complete evacuation, this feeling of like, almost like satisfied and empty afterwards, you shouldn't feel like there's more. Okay. So here's a little crazy fact. You could be having daily bowel movements or even diarrhea, and you could be constipated and. I think a lot of our society is constipated, which also ties in with probably why a lot of people aren't feeling great because it doesn't feel good to feel constipated. I think that alone is an issue that our society is having, that it is normal to be constipated. And it's really hard to be like a positive, happy person when you're dealing with that. So, Number one with gut health is just to make sure that things are regular. You're going to feel better. And if you need help with that, then that is where coaching comes in. Now say you are doing great in that department then gut health could still be an issue. And that's because. When your gut is unhealthy, that can show up in the weirdest ways, anywhere in your body. So if you're suffering from headaches or migraines, if you're just kind of have like achy joints, if you suffer from brain fog, just like this kind of dazed feeling, or it's hard to focus, um, if you have a sinus congestion, if you have skin problems, it really can show up anywhere. And. Um, be very hard to make that connection that it's related to your gut. And so I'm going to try to put things into perspective about how important your gut health is. Your gut has a lot of microbes. It's kind of like this little universe of little organisms that all have a job. You have 39 trillion of those little guys living in your intestines right now. And I know that that's like an insane number, so it's hard to really put that into context. So here's another thing. So you have 39 trillion. That's compared to 37.2 trillion cells in your body. So you know what that means. That means that you are outnumbered. I know you feel like you are just you, but you're outnumbered by her gut microbes. And. The thing is those guys can be working in your favor or they can be working against you. And unfortunately, if you're eating the food that is normal in our society, that is feeding the bad guys that you don't want. They're not feeding the good guys. We're just living in a society that is creating an unhealthy. So the other things that can really influence your gut health would be stress. I think we all experienced that medications, so definitely antibiotics. long-term use of inseds birth control can, and then smoking alcohol, those processed foods, refined flours, and refined sugar and try. All of those things, the bad microbes thrive and that causes inflammation in our body. That is a problem because our intestines have a very, very thin lining. It's just one cell like. And we're right on the other side of that is 70% of our immune system. And so if you've heard the phrase leaky gut, what happens is normally those cells they have these tight junctions. So it's like, they are really like tightly packed in there. It's really hard for things to get through. And there are like these bouncers who make sure that like only the important nutrients that are supposed to are getting into your body and your bloodstream. And when. You have inflammation? What happens is it causes those really tight junctions to separate. So that now. That's those single cells there's room so that bigger pieces can suddenly be coming in contact with our immune system that aren't supposed to. And that's when you start to develop things like food intolerances or food sensitivities, because your immune system is seeing these like foreign pieces of food and they are. Mounting a response to them. And that is how you start to get super weird signs throughout your body. So how do you get the good guys? You got the good guys put eating plants because plants have fiber and fiber is what feeds the good guys that you want. The optimal amount of plants to be getting per week, like different types is at least 30. So that's something to check in and see for the next week, pay attention to how many plants you're eating. The diversity is important because you don't just want like an army of one, you know, that does one job and all those little microbes, they all do different things and they help to, digest your food. To support your immune system and they are very busy. So you want to have a resilient get right. That, if there's a little insult that it's okay, it's able to cope with that. And so having a variety of plants gives a variety of fiber and it makes more happy gut microbes. So I good. So much more in depth about like why there are good gut microbes and what's, that's doing, I don't think we need to go way into details. but another notable thing in terms of like what a healthy GI tract is, is that you shouldn't be experiencing like bloating after eating. You shouldn't be experiencing gas, that type of thing. you should be able to eat and then just feel good. So. If you are experiencing gas bloating, that's a sign that, your gut health is not balanced. and it's also notable that to know that when you are having gas, that is from ear little gut microbes. It's not your body producing it. It says they're fermenting the foods. So there's a lot that you can do to really balance your body, to just feel so much more comfort. And I've got health is important because your brain and your gut are very closely linked. And if your gut health is not balanced, that can even be contributing to feelings of like stress and anxiety. So it's, again, whole body, you know, everything is connected, influencing everything else. Gut health is something that you really can't ignore if you want to be feeling great. So that covers in a nutshell, belly and blood sugar, and then that leaves us with the brain. Which is a big topic, that's relating to mindset, stress, happiness, all of that plays in with your ability to be having sustainable weight, loss, success, and ditching yo-yo dieting. So much of what I see being the biggest issues comes down to mine. And there are a lot of beliefs that you may have right now about food and what's healthy and like good versus bad food that is really not setting you up for success. we're living in a society that is just constantly bombarding you with two. Different competing messages. One is that food is like bliss and it's a reward and it's how we connect with each other. And it's a part of your, like your everyday lifestyle and your habits. And when you feel. Happy, you know, you drank, or if you've had a stressful day, you have some sweets, like everything like food is tied to an emotion. And yet the other message you're getting is that if you want to be healthy and you want to lose weight, then you need to resist all these foods that are so important in our society. So. That no wonder you're constantly yo-yo dieting because life is constantly filled with stress and celebrations and different emotions. And you have these goals and depending on how much willpower and discipline you have is going to depend on what choices you make. So if you were struggling with yo-yo dieting, there's a lot that needs to be addressed with what's going on in your brain. No doubt. And one thing that I would recommend if you are dealing with yo-yo dieting. As a first step is to absolutely get a copy of my life boost, troubleshoot guide that is free for anybody. And it's going to walk you through, just a simple thing to do each day for a week, and that's really going to help you start looking at. Three B's in order to figure out which one is getting in the way. And there are some different questions and looking at your stress and that those types of things that are going to help you to start getting more of an idea of how your brain might be getting in the way. And this is also why I talk so much about people pleasing and perfectionism that absolutely ties into. So when all those bees are balanced, That is when you can start working with your body. That's when your body is able to be communicating with you in a way that helps you both to be on the same P. So I said that my life boost approach is the lb approach. And the other important key is the three L's and that's love lifestyle and longterm. So if you are starting to pay attention to your blood sugar and your belly and your brain, you want to always make sure that the changes that you're making. Enjoyable. You want to love them. You want to love the food that you're eating. You want to find the movement that you love, and you want to love the way that that's making you feel. Because if you don't love the food that you're eating or the things that you're doing, then you're not going to be able to keep it up. Of course it has to be something you actually enjoy. Same with lifestyle. It has to fit in with the amount of time that you have available. So if you're able to be on track and lose weight, when you devote, you know, like two hours of meal prepping every Sunday, Is that actually realistic? Or do you just do realistically not have that much time to be meal prepping? Do you not want to meal prep? Do you just need super simple options? Like do you like to cook or do you not, do you travel or do you need to be able to order food? Like this is a really important thing to think about because it needs to work with your lifestyle. Not again. And then the third is long term, you know, you always want to be thinking it's so easy. I know to just be focused on that vacation, that's in a few weeks and you just have to lose all this weight now, but really thinking about like, what do you want in the long-term? How do you want to feel? How would it be to not have to be always thinking about. Losing weight or beating yourself up or not feeling good about what you see when you look in the mirror, how would it feel to step on the scale and to just feel good and to not let that number dictate the way that you feel the rest of the day. That is what I help my clients do. And that's what I really want. That you can start to see that it truly is possible to be getting sustainable weight loss in a way that's enjoyable, but it does take an entirely different approach and that approach is not normal. So if you're feeling like this sounds appealing, but you're a little bit overwhelmed. Cause that was like a whole lot of information I just threw at you. That's why I created my life boost jumpstart program because I have designed a program that is. Focusing on all of those things and is basically like it's named jump-starting your success and it's giving you a restart. And the biggest thing that it's going to do for you is to get you and your body working on the same page in a respectful way. you're going to be able to start understanding what your body needs and you. Been creating the habits that are going to make that sustainable. So in order to do that, what happens is that we do. A reset for your body and that involves the body vacation. And so there are certain foods that you take a break from because those are the foods that have been just totally making it so that your body truly can't tell you when it's hungry, when it's full. So that it's just like overwhelmed by. Cravings. We need to have you connecting back and we need to start getting that prefrontal cortex work. A, we want that adult who is able to kind of think things through a little bit. We want that to be active. And so. That can feel hard. Absolutely. Which is why I have created just like an insane number of resources. I'm all about throwing together super healthy meals because personally I am all about like the ultra quick meals. I, I do lots of things, so I don't have time to just be cooking all the time. So I make that totally doable for you. And as a group program, and that is hugely valuable because it can feel really lonely when you are. Making these healthy changes, especially if your friends or family aren't doing it with you, then it's like, you're constantly seeing these temptations all around you. And so having a group that you can talk to who actually understands the same challenges that you've had, who can be there to share their ideas and their successes, but also to talk about the challenges. That is hugely valuable having that community and that group support. And when you join a program, there's a Facebook group and you get lifetime access. So even after you've finished the program, you're still connected with all these amazing people who have been going on the same journey and are constantly posting tips and resources. And I love sharing, new recipes, all that type of thing. You get you're in it for. And then the big thing is that you can't just be focusing on the food. Right. And so the huge part is that while you're making these changes in what you're eating, we're addressing all of those mindsets. You know, limiting beliefs, everything that's been getting in the way. And I want you to be having challenges because that's when we can be working together. And so there are weekly coaching calls where we're able to dive deep into kind of struggles that you're having thoughts and feelings that are making it hard. It's also hugely valuable to be listening to us. Being coached because there's always something that you can take out of that. So that is a little bit about the life Booz jumpstart program. If you're feeling like you really I've just had it with a yo-yo dieting and you're ready to make big changes, but you feel like you need some guidance. it's a really incredible group and program and. I do only I have small groups because I think it's important that you're all able to connect and I want to give you, you know, individual attention. And so I'm not yet sure when the next, um, program is going to be starting. It probably won't be until at least April. Um, but if you are interested, these are the things that I recommend to do. Number one is make sure that you've already have the life boost troubleshoot guide, because that is, um, important pre-work to do before even starting the program so that you have a baseline. And then if you are interested, please send me a DM or you can email me@ameliaatlifeboost.today. because. If I do end up having two groups, I want to make sure that the people are all compatible. That it's a really good, good vibes. If you're interested, just send me a message. If you have any questions, you can always send me a message. And if you have been struggling with yo-yo dieting, these are the things I want to leave you with. Number one, it's not your fault. You are amazing. Number two is you need to start respecting your body and learning how to work together and listen to it. And number three is remember to start focusing on your blood sugar, ballet, and brain. And if you do that, you are going to be blown away at the way that your life changed. Okay, so cheers to your health, happiness, and success.