Top 10 Tips for Weight-Loss

1. Set realistic goals. Each one of us was given a unique body with it's own genetics, biochemistry, environmental, and spiritual aspects which come together to form our health. When considering your weight-loss goals start with something achievable and concrete, like loosing 10 lbs or 2 pant sizes, and keeping that weight off.  

• Instead of comparing your unique body to others with unrealistic expectations...honor it!  

2. Focus on the big picture. To achieve and MAINTAIN your weight loss goals, you have to focus on the big picture and choose to make a lasting lifestyle change. 

• Eating a healthy diet is an evolution over time. Start somewhere...maybe with cutting back on your intake of soda and sugary foods. Once you've successfully cut back on those foods - keep moving forward. 
• When you eventually reach your healthy weight, continue to eat a healthy diet and live your healthy lifestyle or all the pounds will eventually come back. Many people reach their target weight and go back to old habits - only to be saddened when their extra fat tissue returns. 

3. Address any underlying health conditions and imbalances. Health imbalances and disease states can make it nearly impossible to maintain a healthy weight (whether your are over or under weight). 

• Seek whatever care or therapy your body needs to begin healing in addition to following a healthy nutrition plan. Hopefully, down the road you'll be able to decrease doses of any medications and possibly eliminate them entirely.
• Nutritional supplements are an excellent way to boost your body's health without a long list of side effects. Seek out expert advice on supplements to assist you.

4. Be prepared to be imperfect and reach plateaus. I always struggle with this one. I'm sorry to tell you this but you are human and you will make mistakes, bad choices and reach plateaus at times. As Paulo Coelho said in his famous book, The Alchemist, "The secret to life is to fall seven times and to get up eight." 

• When you step off track, get up the next morning and start over again - it's really that simple. It's natural to take 3 steps forward and one step back... overall, you are still making progress! :-)
• Plateaus are a natural part of weight loss. When the body becomes accustomed to a certain weight, as a survival mechanism, it will resist shedding those pounds and create stalls in any weight loss program. When you hit a plateau, trying shifting the types and quantity of foods in your diet around. 

6. Eat less carbohydrates. All carbohydrate foods whether whole grain, natural or heavily processed will eventually be broken down into a simple sugar and released into the blood stream. When the blood sugar is high, the bodies hormone balance and fat regulation is thrown out of balance. Leading to the buildup of fat stores in the tissues. When the body's fat stores increase, so does the blood triglyceride levels. When blood triglyceride levels are high, you are at greater risk for diabetes, heart disease, and other serious illnesses. Eat less carbohydrates to promote a healthier metabolism and prevent disease. 

• Aim for less than 150g per day. Popular low-carb diets recommend ranges from 20-150g for weight loss or weight maintenance.

7. Eat fat to lose fat. Current nutrition research proves that fat is not the devil it was once portrayed as (and in the mainstream...still is). Eating fat from animal proteins, butter, avocadoes, olives, nuts, seeds and oils paired with a low-carb diet turns the body into a fat burning machine! Fat helps to support a healthy brain, improves moods, encourages balanced hormones and fat regulation. 

• Aim for 6-7 tablespoons equivalent per day. In some cases, ingesting even large quantities of fat is necessary. 

8. Eat adequate protein. Consumption of adequate protein will keep you satisfied and full so you know when to stop eating and when to eat again. Also, doing so will encourage you to shed weight from the fat stores of your body instead of lean tissue (muscle mass). 

• Aim for 12-18 oz per day. Spread your intake out throughout several meals and snacks. 
• Avoid over-consuming protein, and eat in balance.

9. Eat lots of fresh low-carbohydrate vegetables and fruits. Vegetables and fruits are rich in dietary fiber in addition to vitamins and minerals. Dietary fiber helps to flush toxins and waste products out of the body. 

• A healthy digestive system is integral to your well-being. Eat vegetables and fruits to feel well and keep your body running clean! 

10. Keep healthy foods on hand and plan ahead. It's easy to make a healthy choice when you have nutritious, tasty foods and beverages readily available. :-)

• Wake up early enough to eat breakfast, take lunch and snacks with you to work rather than grabbing a cookie from the coffee shop mid-afternoon, and throw dinner in the crockpot so it's ready for you when you get home! 
• Plan your meals and write up a grocery list to save time and money.
• When eating out, do your best and stay on track when possible. 

*Post and photos by Keri Rogers.

Keri is an internationally Registered Yoga Teacher, Creator of Yoga Props, and Nutrition/Wellness Educator.  She owns and operates BAYA Wellness, LLC offering Yoga and Nutrition Education Services.  Keri teachers both privately and publicly around the Greenville area offering on-going classes and special events.  Her path as a nutritionist is all about making healthy living approachable... she teaches the components of healthy cooking, eating, and thinking while also offering specialized services like menu planning.  Healthy living is about the whole pictures of wellness... find your path to living well.

BAYA... Be As You Are!Contact for details: Website  BAYAWellness@gmail.com or 864-430-1275