As a Nutritionist and Health Coach I love helping working women lose weight whilst being well nourished, so that they can feel comfortable and confident in their clothes again, without just eating rabbit food. And I hear a lot of stories from my clients about what they have been doing to try to lose weight themselves… and while I am happy that they’ve been so proactive, sometimes what they’ve been doing is doing more harm than good and holding them back!
And so today I wanted to share with you 3 of the most common mistakes I see working women making with weight loss, so that you can avoid this! And, I will also share what you can try instead.
So if you’re a working woman really struggling with your expanding middle and feeling flat, then read on because these are 3 mistakes you do not want to be making!
MISTAKE #1: Not eating enough or starving yourself to lose weight.
This is one of the least effective ways to lose weight. Skipping meals, eating just lettuce or tiny meals and punishing yourself by not eating because you went off track, makes your blood sugar unstable. Your body holds onto everything and stores it as fat for times of famine. Your metabolism slows down and you burn less energy and make you feel sluggish. This also puts stress on your body, so it goes into fight or flight mode and digestion shuts down. When your digestion is not working, you do not get everything you need from your food. Remember that food is the fuel that powers your body.
What you can try instead
Eat 3 balanced meals a day. By eating 3 meals a day and not snacking you are balancing your blood sugar and allowing insulin to function as it should, making it easier for your body to burn fat and release weight. It is also important to make sure that each meal is balanced with a good source of protein (animal or plant) and vegetables or fruit. Each meal should also be made from whole real food. Not processed “food”. Your body knows what to do with real whole food. It nourishes and heals.
MISTAKE #2: Following generic meal plans or fad diets.
There are so many crazy fad diets out there and generic meals plans. We are all different and need different nutrition. Foods that work for one person may not work for another person. Following something generic or extreme is not sustainable and may not be what your body needs. It may even damage your body.
What you can try instead
Eating whole fresh food and excluding processed foods, and reducing alcohol and sugar is a great start. But if you are really wanting to cut out the guesswork and actually understand exactly what your body needs, I recommend getting an individual plan. I use Metabolic Balance with my clients as it is set on your own blood chemistry, so it is exactly what they need. The plan is easy to follow and fully supported by a trained professional. Personal nutrition at its best.
MISTAKE #3: Over exercising to lose weight.
This is one of the classic mistakes that I often see. A bad diet cannot be fixed with exercise! In fact if you are fuelling your body with rubbish, then your results will be rubbish and in the long run, this could affect your health. If you are exercising all the time and your waistline is not moving, then you might actually be causing your body harm and increasing inflammation. An inflamed body is trying to heal itself, not burn fat. You may even be causing your body more stress, releasing stress hormones which can lead to bad moods, increased appetite, insomnia and increased weight.
What you can try instead
First of all, get your nutrition right. Even if you are not following a plan, eat fresh, real whole food, 3 times a day. To get the best out of your workouts, give your body time to heal in between workouts. I recommend 2 to 3 sweaty sessions a week, weights are great to include for building muscle and increasing the metabolism. Then on rest days, you can still move your body with walks or yoga, stretches etc. This creates a lovely balance for your body of moving daily, but also allowing it to heal and for digestion to do its job.
Next steps?
So, now you know the 3 biggest mistakes that working women make when it comes to trying to lose weight and feel like themselves again. Are there any of these changes that you’ve perhaps already made?
The most important thing to remember is fuel your body with real food 3 times a day and alternate movement with rest.
And remember, you have one body, treat it well, be kind to yourself and it will treat you well. Food is what fuels your body, so put the good fuel in to get great results. Food can harm and food can heal, so choose wisely.
If you would like my help to lose weight and feel confident and comfortable in your clothes again, and even enjoy the summer in your swimmers again, then click the link below to book a free call. www.zestnutrition.org/appointments
Would you like a free resource to get you started on your health and weight loss journey? Download my free Real Food Challenge eBook here: https://www.zestnutrition.org/real-food-challenge
Thank you for reading my blog. I hope this has been helpful for you.
Creating the best version of you
Zita Dixon