14 Fantastic Weight Loss Tips

Worried about your weight?
Does your weight prevent you from doing the things you love?
Have you tried to lose weight, but somehow the pounds refuse to be lost?
Or, if lost, do they seem to find their way back home?

So many of us wonder why we are not winning when it comes to controlling our weight, despite our best efforts to do so.

We all know we should maintain a healthy weight. The problem is, that it’s just so hard to get there and stay there. Because it’s so difficult, we may wonder if it’s really even possible.

We want you to KNOW that… IT IS!

At Shea Aesthetic Clinic, our mission is to help you CHANGE YOUR LIFE FOREVER by creating a healthier place to live – a place within your own body and mind – a place where you will find joy and happiness for the rest of your life. You are much more likely to be successful in this when you get down to a healthy weight.

Arriving at this wonderful place requires a real journey. This journey requires the acquisition of new habits over time. Remember, it took years to gain the extra weight and it can take years of healthy choices to get it off and to become physically fit.

(Thank you Vladislav Babienko for the photo!)

We’d like to share with you some very specific ideas and recommendations that WILL HELP YOU GET moving and KEEP you moving in the right direction.

These principles have been proven by exercise and nutrition research. Following them WILL lead to weight loss and healthier living.

If you’d like to come in for a consultation with Mandy Baker, RN or Dr. Bass, our weight loss specialists, please call us at (865) 294-4114 or email us at sheaaestheticclinic@gmail.com

One. NO MATTER WHAT, it is NOT possible to out exercise your mouth. If we eat more calories than we need, we will gain weight. We cannot exercise away large volumes of excess calories. Extra calories simply add extra pounds to our bodies 100% of the time. Obtaining a healthy weight is 80% what we put into our mouths and 20% how much we exercise. Exercise certainly is important to obtaining a healthy weight and becoming physically fit. But, what occurs in our kitchens and what goes from our hands to our mouths is much more of a determining factor for our weight than how much we exercise. So, start eating proper portions. No second helpings. Avoid unhealthy snacks. Keeping track of how much you eat in a food journal or phone app can be very helpful.

Two. Significantly reduce carbohydrate intake. The standard American diet, also known as the “SAD” diet, is loaded with carbohydrates. The problem with carbohydrate intake is that our bodies respond to carbs by increasing our insulin levels. Insulin signals our bodies to store fat. The more carbohydrates we eat, the higher our insulin levels will be. The more often our insulin levels are elevated, the more fat our bodies will store. To lose weight, carbohydrate restriction is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. Additionally, carbohydrates are not created equally. “Bad carbohydrates,” are those found in candy, soft drinks, fruit juices, bread, and starches. Interestingly, these foods are usually white and yellow. “Good carbohydrates,” are those found in vegetables. So, start limiting the bad carbohydrates and choosing vegetables as your carbohydrate source instead. When you cut bad carbs out of your diet, you WILL begin to lose weight.

Three. Eat plenty of protein and vegetables. Protein and vegetables should be the mainstay of your diet. Our bodies require more energy to digest protein than is required to digest fats or carbohydrates. So, protein intake gives you less net calories compared to eating the same number of calories of fats or carbohydrates. As you eat only protein and vegetables, each meal, every day, and avoid bad carbohydrates, you will see the pounds melt away. This is because your body’s insulin level will remain low and your net caloric intake will be less than it has in the past. This works for weight loss every single time.

Now that we’ve discussed the basics of the diet necessary to lose weight, let’s address exercise and fluid intake.

Four. Exercise the correct way. Modern research has proven that “low and slow” is NOT the best way to exercise to burn fat. The key is to exercise in such a way that our metabolic rate will be increased, not only during but also after our exercise is finished. When the metabolic rate is increased, more calories are being burned. Thus, the longer our metabolic rate is increased after exercise, the more fat we will burn. High intensity interval training (HIIT) and strength training are proven to increase our metabolic rate and keep it elevated for hours after exercise. These types of exercise increase our fat burning capacity. High intensity interval training means aggressive, intense exercise for 30 second intervals alternating with 30 seconds of slow and easy exercise. This should be done for about 10 to 20 minutes a day, two to three times a week. Strength training is necessary because it builds muscle. Muscle burns calories, even at rest. The more muscle you have the more calories you burn. Strength training also increases your metabolic rate like high intensity interval training. It does so most effectively when the muscles are worked to the point of exhaustion. Strength training should be done 2 to 3 times a week. These methods of exercise, when done properly, will cause a sustained increase in metabolic rate (calorie burning) for up to 24 hours after exercise. The old fashioned and disproven low and slow “fat burn” exercise increases our metabolic rate during the exercise. However, the moment our exercise is complete, our metabolic rate goes right back to baseline. So, start adding high intensity interval training once a week for 10 minutes and work your way up from there. Look into adding strength training as well. There are lots of ways to do this at home if you don’t want to go to a gym (or if Coronavirus still has gyms closed).

Five. Increase your protein intake. This is especially important as you add the habit of daily exercise to your life. Many people, as they get older, eat less protein. This is exactly the opposite of what should happen. As we age, our muscles begin to atrophy (shrink and go away). Beginning in our 40s, we can lose up to 7 to 10% of our muscle mass EVERY decade. This occurs because of INADEQUATE PROTEIN INTAKE and LACK OF EXERCISE.

As we age, our protein intake should increase not decrease. Protein provides the building blocks (amino acids) needed to maintain and build muscle. As we age, if we don’t consume enough protein and don’t exercise, our muscle mass will steadily shrink away. Decreased muscle mass means decreased metabolic rate as well. A slower metabolic rate means that less calories are burned every day. So, as we age and lose muscle mass, we will gain weight if we continue to eat the same amount of food we’ve always eaten. So, eat at least 2 palm-sized portions of protein daily and start doing some kind of weight training, even if it’s push-ups and squats in your bathroom each morning.

Six. Drink the right fluid during exercise. Exercise is most effective at burning calories when there has been a period of fasting prior to exercise. The body will not burn fat until it has used up its current carbohydrate supply. If you eat or drink carbohydrates before or during exercise, then your body will burn the calories you just consumed for energy instead of burning the fat stored in your body. Conversely, if you eat nothing for several hours before you work out and drink only water before and during exercise, your body WILL burn fat for energy while you are working.

So, if exercising for less than one hour, drink ONLY water before and during exercise. If doing very intense exercise (including heavyweight training) for more than 30 minutes or exercising for more than one hour, consider adding protein and electrolytes and a SMALL amount of carbohydrates to your fluids. MOST people only need water during exercise. So, no more “sports” drinks, unless they are ZERO carb drinks.

Seven. Don’t consume any drinks that contain sugar (carbohydrates). So many of us consume massive amounts of sugar in the liquids we drink. Fruit drinks are some of the unhealthiest fluids we can take into our bodies. They are NOT good for us and they are NOT a substitute for whole fruit. Fruit juices are full of sugar with a little bit of fruit juice sprinkled in for flavor. Fruit drinks are simply sugar in disguise. Drinking fruit juice or soda is exactly the same as drinking straight sugar.

Before you drink anything, LOOK AT THE LABEL. If there are any carbohydrates in the drink – DON’T drink it. Replace your favorite sugar beverage with water. If you must have some flavor in your water, buy a product that you can add to your water to provide a few extra electrolytes, but no sugars (carbohydrates). These electrolyte additives are often flavored and are great to drink during and after exercise. Look for NUUN and MIO products in stores or online (there are many other great products out there as well). Find your favorite non-carbohydrate electrolyte additive and start making water your beverage of choice.

Now let’s turn our attention to gaining support from those close to you, snacking, and cheating.

Eight. Ask your family and friends for help. Tell them you’ll be talking with them about your plan and your progress. Share with them how they can best support you. When you have gained their full attention, tell them clearly that you need them. Before you begin your journey, especially if other people live in your home, sincerely share with them your hope to get to a healthy weight and become physically fit. Ask them if they will support you and help you by not complaining when the pantry is devoid of chips, soft drinks, cookies, baked goods, and candy. Tell them that you are going to need their help and support. Help them by encouraging them to adopt more healthy eating habits themselves. Share with them the cheat dates you’ve planned and got excited about these times together. Don’t ever nag or hound anyone in your home about their diet. Just love them, be patient, teach them by your example, and most of all, be happy. Your example will go a long way to helping them become more healthy as well.

Nine. Do we really need something sugary after each meal? The SAD diet (standard American diet) has conditioned us to desire something sweet after we eat, especially if the food was salty. The best way to decrease our desire for sweet stuff after meals are to brush our teeth right after we eat. This changes the flavor in our mouths and turns off the association in our brains that something sweet must be followed by a salty or fatty taste in our mouths.

Interestingly, many of our mouths and minds are also trained that something salty must be followed by something sweet. This very common pattern of alternating between salty and sweet foods leads many of us to overeat and steadily gain weight. So, get in the habit of brushing your teeth after you clear the table.

Ten. Healthy snacks. If you must eat between meals, choose healthy snacks. What are the healthy snacks? Vegetables, seeds, nuts, protein. A key to your success is to not only buy but also prepare these foods so that they are easily accessible. This is super important: Don’t buy snacks that you know you shouldn’t eat. It’s simple. If it is in your pantry, you will eat it. So, throw away all the unhealthy snacks today. From now on, buy only healthy snacks. If your family members complain, sit them down, and explain to them what you are doing and why. Ask them to help you.

Eleven. When it comes to following a diet, CHEATING IS NORMAL. Do not be discouraged if you find yourself cheating on your diet. This is normal behavior. The key is to reduce the number of times that you cheat to as few as possible. One way to decrease the cheating problem is to plan a few “cheats” each week. When you do cheat, be excited about it! Don’t stress out and worry, because, CHEATING IS NORMAL BEHAVIOR. Instead of feeling guilty, ENJOY the sweet treat when you cheat.

But, instead of gobbling it down and swallowing it super-fast, create a new habit of ENJOYING EVERY BITE for as long as possible. Chew very slowly. Think about how much you love the savory flavor of every single bite. Also, make it a point to eat LESS of the sweet foods that you eat when you cheat. If you usually have five or ten cookies when you cheat, reduce that by half. Amazingly, you’ll still get the same pleasure from eating less sweets, because you’ll be eating them more slowly and thinking about how much you love the flavor in each bite. PLEASE do NOT feel guilty about these cheats. PLEASE KNOW THAT THIS IS NORMAL BEHAVIOR. God created sweets for a reason, right? The key is moderation and control. People that obtain a healthy weight usually do eat sweets, on occasion. But then, they go right back to their low carbohydrate diet that is comprised mostly of protein and vegetables. You can totally do this too!

SO, IT IS OK TO CHEAT. But, these are the keys: consistently decrease the number of times you cheat AND eat less of the sweet treat than you did last time. Eventually get to twice a week, then to once a week, then to once every two weeks or even once a month. Plan your cheats when you get together with family and friends. There is something wonderful about enjoying amazingly tasty sweets with those we love. Don’t give this up AND don’t feel bad when you mess up! THIS IS NORMAL. Everyone does it and it’s OK. So, start planning your cheats today.

To wrap it up, we’ll next discuss alcohol, the myth of “low-fat” foods and teach you about healthy fats.

Twelve. Reduce alcohol intake. Alcohol is LOADED with calories. When you eat one gram of protein, you take in 4 calories. A gram of carbohydrates is also 4 calories. When you eat one gram of fat, it’s 9 calories. When you drink one gram of alcohol, you’ve taken in 7 calories. So, drinking alcohol is almost like drinking fat! Now you know why people get those beer bellies. If you are serious about losing weight, avoid alcohol intake altogether, or save it for special occasions with family and friends.

Thirteen. Avoid everything that says “low-fat” on the label. Sadly, this is just an advertising scheme. “Low-fat” is equivalent to “high carbohydrate.” Some pretty wonderful flavors come from the combination of fat and sugar in foods. When fat is removed from food, the flavor suffers. To compensate for this, food manufacturers typically increase the amount of carbohydrate in the food to compensate for the lack of flavor without the fat.

THUS, EATING LOW-FAT FOODS IS A GREAT WAY TO GET FAT. Know that eating “low-fat” foods is equivalent to eating high carbohydrate foods. Remember that carbohydrate intake increases your insulin levels. Elevated insulin levels tell your body to store fat. Researchers used to think that fat intake made us fat. This simply is NOT true. It’s the carbs! Fats probably received this bad reputation decades ago, because fatty foods are often combined with lots of carbohydrates. When lots of fat (which is loaded with calories) and carbs are eaten together, the carbohydrates tell the body to store ALL those calories as fat. This fat accumulates around your waist, on your hips, but also in your blood vessels. The medical world has learned that carbohydrates are the real killers when it comes to coronary artery disease. Not fat. In fact, the Keto diet is comprised mostly of fat and it is a very effective way to lose weight. So, avoid those low-fat foods. Reach for vegetables instead.

Fourteen. Eat healthy fats. Ensure that your intake of healthy fats is adequate. What are the healthy fats? Omega-3 fatty acids are the very best. About 60% of your brain is composed of fat. Omega-3 fatty acids make up at least 30% of your cerebral cortex, the part of your brain that is responsible for thinking and moving. So, doesn’t it make sense that our omega-3 fatty acid intake should be at least adequate? Where do omega-3 fatty acids come from? They come from fish, nuts, and vegetables like avocados.

Do a google search for foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids. If you are not getting enough omega-3s in your diet, our favorite fish oil supplement is Barlean’s Mango Peach Omega Swirl®. This doesn’t taste fishy and won’t give you those awful fish burps as is common with fish oil capsules. You can also consider buying enteric coated fish oil capsules, this will help reduce the dreaded fish burp as well. The main ingredients that you want to see on the label of omega-3 supplements are docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). So, eat fish several times a week. Start buying avocados and find ways to add them to lots of your meals.

We know that you can take the necessary steps to improve your life. You can totally do this on your own. There are no secrets and no real shortcuts. It just takes steady, consistent work at changing your choices. As you become fit and thin, your satisfaction with life will soar! Your ability to interact with the ones you love will increase. You’ll have more joy. This is our hope for you. At Shea Aesthetic Clinic, our Weight Loss for Life specialists is here for you every step of the way. We love helping our patients through this process and seeing each one of them find more fulfillment and satisfaction in their everyday lives. If you’d like to receive some help on your journey, come in for a consultation with our weight loss specialist when we reopen. You can call (865) 294-4114 or text us at (877) 585-0091 or email us at sheaaestheticclinic@gmail.com

Start your journey to better health and more happiness now.

Have a happy and wonderful day!

Sincerely,

J. Kirk Bass, M.D.

Shea Aesthetic Clinic

Share the Post:

Related Posts