How many times have you wondered how a ‘fit’ mom got in shape?
Part of why I got certified as a nutrition coach was to finally answer those questions…I was tired of wondering if the new ‘it’ thing on every podcast or best-selling book was real. Maybe it was. Or maybe I’d look like a fool 3 months from now for falling for it.
I bet you’ve been there too. Does apple cider vinegar really have any health advantages? Can the Keto diet help me lose weight? And will it hurt me in the long run? Do I really have to drink 8 glasses of water every day (I’m tired of living in the bathroom!)?
The answer to ‘how she did it’ probably falls into 1 of 2 categories:
- She used a fad diet . There are a ton to pick from and most have at least a kernel of truth at their core…but they frequently take it to an extreme. Examples would be Keto, Paleo, Low Carb, Apple Cider Vinegar, liquid diets, only eating certain foods together, fasting for weight loss, eating mainly cabbage or grapefruit, etc. You can certainly lose weight on any of those, but scientific studies show that it’s usually not sustained in the long-term. You can also do some pretty wacky things to your body that make life harder years from now…but you’ll be skinnier for the moment.
- She didn’t use any ‘secret’ method…she started eating healthier food in reasonable amounts and probably became more active. I know, you wanted something with more sparkle. Me too, but what worked 100 years ago is still what works today (and it’ll work 100 years from now). The magic in this approach comes from the work she did behind the scenes: getting junk found out of the house so it wasn’t available to eat, slowing down and paying attention to her body so she could feel hunger and fullness, dealing with stressful issues or old habits that had been encouraging her to use food for comfort/entertainment/avoidance/etc.
I don’t know about you, but I’d rather be part of the second group. Fast weight loss is great (and possible even in #2), but when it’s at the expense of our long-term health it’s not worth it.
So, no, you don’t need to drink a liter of apple cider vinegar a day, give up whole food groups or drink so much water you spend your day in the bathroom. What is helpful?
- Aim to consume at least 5 servings of produce each day, with at least 3 of those being veggies (bonus points for green leafy ones!)
- Drink water instead of soda/Coke/pop/sports drinks/loaded coffees. Whenever possible try not to drink your calories because it’s usually nutrient-poor, but full of calories and it doesn’t fill us up.
- Move! Go for a walk, stretch, join a class, pop in a video, do some yard work. Use your body and it’ll work better.
- Do these consistently. One night of pizza, wine and sitting in front of the TV doesn’t ruin your progress…it’s what you do consistently that adds up and matters!
