The word obesity makes people uncomfortable. When we have conversations about obesity, the way we frame the conversation has a huge impact on the effect that it has on others.
Tag: obesity
Obesity isn’t always caused by eating ‘too’ much
A lot of overweight people will tell you one thing…
That they don’t actually eat that much.
And I believe them.
Many factors contribute to weight gain, not just quantity of food
Aside from metabolic diseases, there can be many reasons for weight gain…
- Genetics
- Not eating breakfast, but consuming more food at night time
- Too many simple carbohydrates like sugar
- Lack of fruits and vegetables
- Less than 6 hours of sleep
- Stress from work, family, life, and weight
- Insufficient quantity or quality of exercise
You gotta give your body a reason to burn that fat
I am all about nutrients. I care more about the nutrient-density of my food than any other factor.
The reason fruit and vegetables aid weight loss is not just because they are low-calorie. Actually, fruits and vegetables contain valuable antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients (many of which are still being discovered scientifically) that support the natural function of the human body.
Fat-burning is Natural
Our bodies are often utilizing fat for energy.
The people who lose weight are the people who burn more fat than they store. On the opposite side, the people who gain weight are people who store more fat than they burn — but they are STILL burning some fat everyday.
Ideally, you want to optimize fat burning by feeding the LEAN tissue in your body (especially muscles, but also organs). You also want to feed your bones to maintain healthy bone mineral density.
Without the proper nutrients, your body will store toxins in the fat while leeching minerals and amino acids from other parts of your body.
Fool-proof weight loss
Everyone can lose weight, I really believe that.
Here’s a simple way that WORKS:
- Eggs for breakfast
- Fruit for snack (different varieties of fruits)
- Quinoa + Vegetables + Guacamole for lunch
- Handful of nuts for afternoon snack (almonds, sesame seeds, and a brazil nut)
- Salmon + Vegetables for dinner
- Unflavored Yogurt 1 hour before bed
Continue this, and try to add some variety to it as well.
This isn’t “six meals” per day. It’s actually only three meals, with three snacks. By separating fruits from meals, you can aid digestion and keep your body energized.
It works, but are you dedicated enough to try it?
It has never been about eating less.
It has ALWAYS been about Eating Right
Eating right is about eating nutrient-dense foods at the right time during the day.
What is it that you are doing right currently?
What is is that you can do today to benefit your goals?
I’m not fat — I just have big bones: Self Deception and Weight Loss
Are you really being real with yourself and your weight?
At a training event for weight loss, when the topic of Body Mass Index came up, one associate made a startling announcement.
She exclaimed, “I don’t think the body mass index is correct, because at my height it says I’m obese, and that’s just not right.”
As we looked on, the entire room became silent — her blind spot was very evident to everyone around her.
Why do we underestimate our body size?
The mind is a tricky instrument. There are professional bodybuilders who look in the mirror and still see that skinny kid they used to be from high school. Similarly, there are obese people who feel that as long as they are healthy, their weight is acceptable.
Self-deception is a powerful tool for protection
I remember reading a book in college called Why We Lie: The Evolutionary Roots of Deception and the Unconcious Mind, which argued that there exists both synergistic and competing compartments within the brain.
Consider this: we are bombarded by billions of bytes of information per second, yet our reality is clear and comprehensible. How? Behind the scenes, our brains filter the information that it deems “important” and sends that information to our conscious mind.
Your conscious mind contains only the reality that you are currently aware of. You know your name, your birthday, whether or not you are hungry or thirsty — this is easy information. Yet, we all have blind spots — information that we don’t even realize is missing from our reality.
This may be explained as a self-defense mechanism because sometimes, the truth does hurt. Cold, hard realities can destroy an already sensitive self esteem.
Does it make sense to free ourselves from this?
Awareness of Yourself will help you become a high achiever
How many epiphanies does it take to realize that a particular lifestyle is unhealthy and needs to change?
Self-Awareness is the ultimate personal power. It is a matter of relationships. Understanding your own needs and desires helps you relate to others in positive ways, but more importantly helps your own relationship to yourself.
When it comes to fitness, we all have to negotiate with ourselves. Do you really want that pizza?
The difference between people who fail and those who succeed are the ones who can successfully negotiate with their inner self and consistently win.
Self-awareness is a bountiful resource, it is a life power, and it is so richly and so organically you.
No one can take your self awareness away from you, they can only contribute if you choose to let them.
So choose to accept this gift
At Ellison Fitness, we believe emotional intelligence is the key revolution in leadership. As a Personal Trainer, I do not wish to develop a following, but instead to cultivate and empower each person’s inner leadership.
The self-awareness, the negotiating power, and the success comes not from external sources, but from the most important being to ever exist: You.