10 POUNDS VS 50 POUNDS, Part 2

So, this is Part 2 of What it Takes to Lose 10 Pounds versus What it Takes to Lose 50 Pounds.

The infographic I saw said these are the “key traits” for people who want to lose a full 50 pounds instead of just 10 pounds.

Losing 50 Pounds:

• Track Food To Eat in A Calorie Deficit and Also Spend a Year or More Learning about Food and Nutrition.
• Start Cooking at Home and Build Up to 5 Days a Week After A Year.
• Start with Exercises You Enjoy a Couple of Days a Week, Then Gradually Build Up from There.
• Focuses on Losing the Desire to Snack and Get Rid of That Habit for Good.
• Finds a Way to Lose the Desire to Keep Eating When You’re Already Full.
• Focuses On Changing the Contributing Habits and Behaviors (like mindless eating, eating take out, etc.) as well as losing the weight.

These are my thoughts on each point.

Track Food To Eat in A Calorie Deficit and Also Spend a Year or More Learning about Food and Nutrition – I partially agree. 

I think this one depends on the individual. Some people have a good idea of their calorie intake/macro ratios/points each day. Others DO need to track regularly, either with an app, writing it down, etc. Spending a year or more learning about nutrition may or may not be necessary, again, depending on the person. I think it’s fair to say MOST people know that eating an apple is healthier than eating a cookie. Or Broccoli is healthier than French Fries. It might not be so much about LEARNING what’s healthy and what’s not, but learning how to CHOOSE the healthier option – the broccoli over the fries.

Start Cooking at Home and Build Up to 5 Days a Week After A Year – I partially agree.

Again, I think this comes down to a case-by-case basis. Does cooking at home help you lose weight? YES! Better control of ingredients and portion sizes. But is it REALISTIC to expect a busy mom to be able to cook at home 5 days a week? That kinda depends on your lifestyle and what phase of “Mom Life” you’re in. If you have active kids, good luck cooking at home 5 nights a week. You will have to be diligent with a capital “D” to make that work. It’s not IMPOSSIBLE, but it is DANG HARD! If you don’t plan ahead (packing healthy meals and snacks for on-the-go), it might not be possible to eat healthy, homecooked meals every night. Some nights it might come down to the “lesser evil” choice out of a concession stand – nachos, a hot dog, or popcorn. In those instances, I usually choose popcorn and a bottle of water to hold me over until I can get home to eat something healthier.

Start with Exercises You Enjoy a Couple of Days a Week, Then Gradually Build Up From There – I agree. 

As mentioned in my previous post, I don’t like “exercising”. I like moving my body in ways that are comfortable to me (walking, dancing around, random exercises throughout the day, pacing to get my steps). I will move my body all day long. Finding movement/exercises that work for you, get you moving, and that you can consistently do is the most IMPORTANT thing. If you hate it, you won’t stick with it. I’m not saying you have to be in LOVE with Cross Fit, or whatever, but you should be experimenting with physical activity that fits your lifestyle and that you are CONTENT to keep doing and gradually increase.

Focus on Losing the Desire to Snack and Get Rid of That Habit for Good – I disagree. 

I don’t think having a snack is the issue. I think WHAT you’re snacking on is an issue. I think HOW MUCH you’re eating when you “snack” is an issue. Again, I think circumstances play a key role in this suggestion. If you are a busy mom, rushing from sun-up until sun-down with work, kids, activities, errands, etc., you might have LONG stretches of time between meals. Having a healthy snack might be the thing that keeps you from hitting the drive-thru and super-sizing EVERYTHING on your way home. The key is making healthy choices and moderation/portion control (an apple and string cheese, a banana with nut butter, carrots and hummus, etc.). Not a brownie and a bag of potato chips.

Finding a Way to Lose the Desire to Keep Eating When You’re Already Full – I agree.

However, this one is tricky, to be honest. You’re actually fighting neurobiology here. Primal instincts hardwired into the brain to keep you alive. And you’re fighting genetics. Your upbringing. Socio-economic factors. And more. It’s a lot. This is also part of the reason why “willpower” doesn’t cut it. It’s time to use my husband’s favorite term – trickery. Time to trick your brain into thinking everything is fine when it comes to portion control and hunger levels/feeling full. Some tricks include drinking a glass of water before you eat (makes you feel fuller faster); load up on high fiber foods (feel full faster); load up on protein (feel full LONGER); eat as SLOWLY as you can to give your brain a chance to get the chemical signal (the hormone Leptin) that you are full; eat until you are 80% full and then WAIT! Give yourself 15 to 20 minutes for the feeling of being full to kick in. These are just a few of the things to try, and eventually become a habit, to help you stop overeating.

Focus On Changing Habits and Behaviors as well as Losing Weight – I agree.

Emphatically. In fact, I am firmly convinced, as busy moms, that we MUST focus on healthy habits and behaviors in order to not only lose weight, but to meet ANY health goal we wish to achieve. By focusing on the habits and behaviors, the results will follow. When we try to fast track the results (crash diets, jumping on an exercise trend we HATE, or implementing every hack/tip/trick we come across on social media) we are setting ourselves up for failure because these are not habits we are forming. They are short-term patches on a pothole covered road – eventually a good, hard rain is going to wash them out again (the temptation of a cupcake in a weak moment) and you’re going to be right back where you started and possibly even worse off than before.

Those are my thoughts on what it takes to lose 50 pounds versus what it takes to lose 10 pounds. And as a disclaimer, I think any amount of weight you would like to lose is completely up to you, or if you just want to feel better and improve your health, that is also an important and worthwhile goal that shouldn’t be under-appreciated.

The most important takeaway I would like to emphasize from these two posts is that no matter WHAT your goal is (weight loss, improved health, longevity, managing a medical condition), it’s important to remember that creating healthy HABITS and doing them CONSISTENTLY is what is going to get you results. 

That’s why it is SO IMPORTANT to figure out what works for you on a regular basis. Can you maintain that style of eating (ex. Keto or Vegetarian) for the MAJORITY of the rest of your life? Can you keep up with that level of exercise, whatever it may be?

Consistency in health and wellness is what will win in the end. Whatever you are able to do consistently is what will determine your health and change your life.

And if you would like help in reaching your health and wellness goals, don’t hesitate to reach out. Book a FREE Consultation Call with me to learn more about how Health and Nutrition Coaching may be what you need to reach your wellness goals.