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Losing weight takes more than just packing the fridge with healthy foods. There are many tips for weight loss success. On the latest episode of Let’s Get Moving, Maria Shilaos spoke with Ali Spencer, Intermountain Health Care Nutritionist. They discuss how awareness, planning, balance and consistency are key ingredients to long-term results.
“The best diet for you to be on is one that you can maintain long term,” Ali Spencer says.
According to Spencer, it is important to really become aware of what you are doing.
“Keep a log of amounts of what you are doing…so that you can start identifying patterns,” Spencer says. “Are you skipping meals? Are you having chocolate every afternoon as a snack? You thought you really weren’t drinking that much soda, but actually you’re having a can of coke everyday,” Spencer explained.
“Once we start really becoming aware of what those habits are then it helps us to identify where we need improvement and what we need to do going forward.” States Spencer.
My Fitness Pal is a great resource for keeping track of your daily intake!
Observing the food on your plate can be beneficial in making sure you get all of the nutrients needed. According to Spencer, when it comes down to all foods, we divide them into three macro nutrients: protein, carbohydrates, and fat.
“We want to have that balance of those nutrients throughout the day…” says Spencer. “Protein, some sort of carbohydrate source, and some sort of color. When I say color I mean fruit or vegetable.”
Next time you make a meal, look at your plate and ask yourself if you have the components listed above and really analyze if what your eating is going to give you the nutrients you need. Take the time to balance everything out.
“We’re gonna fill up on balance,” says Spencer.
Be consistent about when you are eating and what you are eating. It is recommended that we eat every 4-6 hours according to Spencer.
“It’s very easy for us to ignore hunger cues, or to work through lunch, or skip breakfast because we don’t have time,” states Spencer.”…and that leads to inconsistencies in our blood sugars and it also leads to us getting too hungry.”
“If you are trying to lose weight, if you’re trying to be healthy, you never want to get to the point where you are too hungry,” explains Spencer. “You don’t make smart decisions when you are hungry.”
Maintaining this consistency during the week is one thing, but moving into the weekend can be a whole new challenge that is full of different obstacles, so do your best to follow your plans and keep it consistent 7 days a week, without being too hard on yourself!
Making a plan falls in to place with all of the tips listed above. Planning will allow you to stay ahead of your cravings and keep your awareness, balance, and consistency in check!
It is very easy to miss a meal without planning, according to Spencer.
“Once you are aware of what you are doing, then you can start to plan for those higher risks times of day, and higher risk meals, so that you have healthier options at those times, so when you find yourself in those situations you know what to do,” says Spencer.”
“If you fail to plan, you plan to fail,” Spencer says.
Simple changes within your lifestyle can contribute to extensive achievements in your weight loss goals. Keep your focus, balance things out, and when it all comes down to it, don’t be so hard on yourself! Take it one step at a time!
Listen to the full episode for more advice on these tips for weight loss success!
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