How To Take A Total Body Approach To Weight Loss

Aug 22

Written By

I recently had a client come to me who was unable to lose weight despite her intense workouts and solid nutrition strategy.Before coming to me:

She was doing Orange Theory 4-5x per week.
Her nutrition was pretty solid.
Yet NOTHING was happening. Like ZERO results for MONTHS.

The problem with the strategy she was using was that she didn't realize she was still eating things that were causing HER body to hold on to stubborn fat! You see - she also struggles with Crohn's which means that her body needs a little extra TLC to feel it's best AND to lose weight effectively.What her body didn't need was more intense workouts and extreme calorie restriction. So I wrote her a plan that had her reducing her Orange Theory classes, adding in resistance training and eliminated common gut irritants (dairy, soy, gluten, etc). I also got her on a supplement regime that was specific to HER body (digestive support, nutrients that help cool and heal GI lining).By addressing BOTH her weight loss goals AND giving her body space and support for Crohn's in 1 month she has already:

Lost 8 lb in ONE MONTH after not being able to lose a SINGLE lb before!
Lost over 8 inches
Working out LESS
AND eating MORE calories !!!!

This is a perfect example of how we combined both a HEALING protocol and a WEIGHT LOSS protocol to get her losing weight AND feeling her very best.You see - your reason for stubborn weight loss might not be what you think it is. Remember, your body is a SYSTEM - and the answer isn't always "eat less, move more".But knowing how to tackle both your weight loss goals AND your wellness goals can feel challenging. Especially when your wellness challenges might be actually impeding your ability to lose weight.

Assess Where you're At

Sometimes it's hard to realize that our schedule and routine is just TOO much. Maybe your current workouts don't seem like a lot to you - but come to think of it you haven't taken a day off in 3 weeks and you actually HAVE noticed your tired at 3 pm (#tiredAF).Sometimes the very things that we think are HELPING us (i.e. intense HIIT workouts 4-5x per week for months on end) are really the very things that are hurting us (i.e. intense HIIT that often for that long causes water retention and can cause weight retention as the body adapts).What we have to do is create awareness. Take a moment and consider your current workouts and lifestyle choices. Ask yourself:

How often am I working out? What modalities am I doing?
Am I doing a lot of cardio activity (besides walking) and have I been for an extended period of time? (i.e. months?)
Do I feel tired during the day?
Am I relying too much on packaged food?
Have I been eating 1500 calories or less for an extended period of time?
Have I been eating TOO much?
Do I under eat on the week days and over eat on the weekends?
Am I getting in good quality fat sources?
Do I eat a lot of gluten and dairy (these are the two BIGGEST common irritants for people whether they are conscious of it or not!).
Am I sleeping well throughout the night?
Am I tired during the day? Do I get wired at night?

Put strategies into play

Here are my general recommendations for losing weight AND supporting the body through an imbalance. It is important to note that every health challenge and every BODY will need specific recommendations - but these are general places to get started.

If weight loss is your goal - calories DO matter, but make sure you are not going too low. Generally bodyweight x 11-13 is a good place to start
Carb Cycling - can help give the body a BREAK. This is a super effective strategy for both weight loss (when done correctly) AND energy
Elimination Diets - this can be VERY effective for people who are dealing with hormone/digestive issues. At the very least I highly recommend getting rid of dairy, gluten and polyunsaturated oils.
Practice good digestive habits (eat in a relaxed state, maybe take some digestive bitters before your meal, consider a digestive enzyme and a good probiotic)
Do not skimp on healthy fat!!! Think avocado, grass fed butter, ghee, oily fish (check out more options in my free guide!)
Reducing/stopping intense cardio - (walk 10,000 steps a day instead).
Add in resistance training so that you can build lean muscle tissue and change your body composition.

Pay attention to how you feel

Remember. Every BODY is bio-individual. It is ESSENTIAL that you learn to pay attention to the signs and signals your body is giving you. Did one supplement work well for your friend but make you feel worse? Toss it. Does rice hurt your stomach? Find a different source of carbs - try potatoes instead.The journey to feeling and looking your best takes continuous paying attention, tweaking and LISTENING to your body. That being said - knowing where to start can feel daunting at first. If you feel stuck and unsure of where to begin - I would love to chat with you to help get you on track. Click here to book a free consultation!