The problem is, when it comes to weight loss, the foundation is very simple. You must create an energy deficit. Meaning you must expend more energy that energy consumed.

Calorie counting is merely a tool we can use to measure that.

In my opinion, you really only have 2 options. To keep track of your calories, or to learn the skill of mindfully eating. And certainly there are times when it’s useful to use both as you get into the lighter weight ranges or closer to your end goal.

Today i’m going to give you a simple and visual way, to understand how you can achieve these 2 things

How to get results without counting calories, and

How you’ll feel fantastic as a result of practicing this skill.

1. Your body will send you signals to show you when to start eating

To recognise these signals you need to identify the different stages you move through as you begin to feel hunger.

When I teach this skill in the GenHealth Coaching Program we start by using the hunger scale.

You need to start eating when you’re at a 3 – hungry but definitely not a 4 and starving.

If you are eating at a 2, where you are only starting to feel the beginnings of hunger pains you need to sit on that 2 a little longer and allow it to get to a 3.

From experience it’s usually around 15 – 30 mins

It’s at this point you need to start moving in the direction of food.

If you have prepared a meal earlier, nice work. This is the easiest scenario because it means that you can continue doing whatever you were doing right until you are ready to eat.

Just remember to give eating your sole attention and focus while you are learning this skill.

If you sit on that 2 for too long perhaps up to the hour, and you moved past a 3 to a 4 then this is an indication that your body is producing stress hormones, and it’s extremely difficult to make positive decisions about what and how much you will eat at this point because

when your hormones come into play and take over, It’s no longer a head game, it’s become a physiological one.

If you can slow down when you’re eating, and in the beginning if you can stop multitasking while you are eating, then most of you will get the hang of it within the week.

1. Your body will send you signals to show you when to stop eating

You need to stop eating when you are a 2. Satisfied but not full.

In my opinion, this is really the most challenging skill to practice. Reason being, there’s something comforting about having a full belly. For some people it can be one of the few times in a day that their body feels safe, secure, and content. And that’s part of the reason why the hormones and mindset modules are such a crucial part of our program.

If you are in the weight range between 73kg – 90kg + then you will likely get great results by following the practice of stopping at 3 – satisfied but no more space for more food to begin with.

If you are in the lighter weight ranges between 60 – 72kg then you could begin with stopping at  3, and then progress to bringing it closer to a 2 – satisfied, but still space for a bit more food.

If you can get into the practice of eating until you are 80% satisfied, meaning that you can leave approximately 20% of the food on your plate that you would normally eat then this will contribute to creating a calorie deficit without having to count calories.

After approximately 3 days of practicing this skill, you will feel fantastic.

Here are some of the benefits

• You see your stomach will begin to shrink, meaning that it will
• Take less to fill it
• You’ll have more energy as your hormones stabilise
• You’ll feel less hungry as your blood sugars stabilise
• You’ll be able to go longer between meals as your blood sugars stabilise

All pointing towards getting results which will feel effortless once you have momentum, and with new found energy, you will feel and look fantastic.

Remember that this is a skill, and that it does mean it needs to be practiced.

Sometimes you might walk away from your meal a little too soon, so sit on it for 15 mins and if the desire to eat more passes, great. If not, then you probably stopped a little too soon.

This process helps us realise that we can confidently know when to stop and start eating, rather than solely relying on external cues like eating at a certain time intervals, using calorie calculators, or even listening to your mother’s voice in the back of your head telling you that you cannot leave the table until your plate is empty for frett of the hungry children around the world who are without.

As soon as you stop delegating your food control to these external cues, you will start to realise you possess the ability to eat an optimum amount of food to get results with weight loss, or to maintain your weight once you have reached it.    

This is one of the many great strategies that we teach on the GenHealth Coaching Program. If you’d like to see more of what we teach, head over to www.genhealthcoachingprogram.com and try our program for $49 a month with all the information at your fingertips, risk free with a 30 day money back guarantee.

The post How to get results and feel fantastic without counting calories appeared first on Generation Health.

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So let’s dive straight in and walk you through the hormone triggers framework. You can find an image of it below or download the pdf version of it here.

I’ve organised the triggers into 2 groups, fat storing and fat burning. Each group starts from bottom to top.

Let’s start by looking at the fat storing triggers.

At the very foundation is:

Refined Carbs, Added Sugar and Grains & Starches.

You can probably guess why they’re at the base. These 3 triggers produce the most amount of fat storing hormone, insulin. Insulin, even in small quantities nullify all of the fat burning hormones.

It probably goes without saying why added sugar would be at the base. We’ve all heard a lot about the effects of sugar in the diet, but worse than added sugar is refined carbohydrates.

This grouping of foods actually have a larger effect on Insulin production and fat storing than sugar itself.

In my signature GenHealth Coaching Program, we have a framework called the Be Free From Dieting Roadmap which identifies the 4 stages of the weight loss journey from Struggling to Thriving or what I like to call Sweatpants to Swimsuit.

To move past the struggling stage of the weight loss journey it become necessary to eliminate Added Sugar and Refined Carbs from the diet.

As far as grains and starches go, this grouping of foods are generally whole foods and do have health benefits. However, too many grains and starches in the diet, produce the main fat storing hormone, insulin.

The next group of triggers are:

Stress, Hidden Sugars, Excess Protein and Fruits.

These triggers are a little less obvious but still produce levels of fat storing hormone that can prevent you from losing the stubborn find of fat.

Stress activates the belly fat storing hormone Cortisol. Stress is cumulative and comes from many different areas. First and foremost, new stress triggers need to be dealt with. Having good stress release practices in your life is essential. Regular self care activities like, massage, taking relaxing bath, meditation are all example of stress release techniques.

The next 3 triggers… hidden sugars, excess protein and fruits, are all triggers of insulin.

Some fruits can produce insulin in amounts that prevent fat burning so it’s recommended to consume the smallest amount of fruit possible until you reach your goals.

Excess protein, actually triggers insulin in the same way as carbohydrates so it’s important not to over consume.

And hidden sugars, are the ones found in juices, sauces, dressing, marinades, flavoured yogurts, pretty much everywhere you look these days there’s hidden sugars.

In the last group, we have:

Estrogen mimickers and Artificial Ingredients.

Estrogen mimickers have an effect on the fat burning hormone estrogen. The main culprits are soy based products. Other culprits are chemical preservatives in skin care, the overuse of plastics like food containers and drinking bottles, chemicals sprayed on our food and the contraceptive pill.

Artificial ingredients are food colours, flavours and sweeteners. Often these are hidden in our foods. Especially the flavour enhancer, MSG which is commonly used in asian restaurants.

That concludes the fat storing triggers:

Remember, in order to progress through the different stages of your weight loss journey it becomes a higher and higher priority to address the hormone triggers associated with each stage.

Lets jump over to the fat burning triggers now.

At the base we have:

Sleep and Vegetables.

The most fat burning occurs while you sleep. If you’re not getting at least 7 hours of quality sleep per night then it’s likely that fat burning is being prevented. Switching to a whole food diet and managing stress both help to improve sleep quality.

With vegetables, it’s the potassium in the veggies that we’re really after. Potassium helps your body store sugar as sugar, rather than sugar as fat, and is needed to help balance blood sugars.

The next grouping of fat burning triggers are:

Protein, Fat and Fibre.

Protein in the right amounts, triggers fat burning hormones. If your liver is not functioning well, you need to consume even less of it.

Fat is neutral when it comes to fat burning hormones, however it helps you feel fuller for longer which prevents hunger cravings.

And fibre, especially from vegetables, buffers, or slows down fat storing hormones and enhances fat burning.

Lastly:

Supplementation and Exercise

By supplementation I mean, a high potency, broad spectrum multivitamin at the very least. This triggers fat burning by reducing nutrient deficiency hunger cravings and improving your sensitivity to insulin.

Exercise triggers the most amount of fat burning hormones. The reason it’s at the top of the pyramid though, is because, to get the full fat burning effects from exercise requires the other hormones triggers to me mastered.

The right ratio of high:low intensity exercise is required to get the full fat burning effects.

So there you have the hormone triggers that burn or store fat.

Hopefully it’s given you another perspective to be viewing your food and lifestyle choices. Once again, study the pdf download of this framework and begin by focusing on the triggers most relevant to your stage of the weight loss journey.

If you need more help, leave a comment below or check out the replay of my latest webinar training. How To Lose Stubborn Fat and Keep It Off.

Yours in Health,

Tarryn Thompson

The post The Hormone Triggers That Burn And Store Fat appeared first on Generation Health.

Ashleigh’s challenge was stubborn fat around buttocks and thighs, low energy, mood fluctuations, and big cravings for sugar and carbs. Ashleigh had been dieting for as long as she could remember and her deepest worry was ever finding peace with body and if she would ever be happy.

In Ashleigh’s words

“I was self conscious and unhappy with my body about 90% of the time. Before I did Tarryn’s program, I was stuck in yo yo dieting cycle: I was absolutely constantly dieting. I was your classic tried everything but nothing works sort of person”.

The first thing Ashleigh did was address her unstable blood sugars by setting a meal plan she could follow for 7 days. This allowed her moods and energy levels to stabilise.

We she set a 6 week goal with a meal plan and initial exercise plan she could follow around her work schedule.

She had a plan for meals she could prepare, meals she could buy, and meals she could also eat on the run if required or if over the weekend she didn’t want to meal prep.

We also set her up on a supplement regime to address any nutritional deficiencies, liver support for stubborn fat around her thighs, and more recently a homeopathic remedy to help with liver detoxification.

Ashleigh’s biggest learning during the course was the effect her hormones were having on stubborn fat areas around her buttocks and thighs that wouldn’t shift with previous dieting.

“There were so many important and valuable things I learned during the program. The thing that has stuck the most is about hormones. Before I believed that a calorie was a calorie and they all had the same effect within the body. Now however I know that it is your hormones that are in charge of how much weight you can lose, where you lose it from and if they are not performing at their best, then it will be very difficult.”

Another challenge Ashleigh had was trying to unlearn the things she had previously picked up from other diets and information that she had been heavily consuming. The main problem with this is that there was very little – if any context to the bigger picture and where the information she was getting actually fit into her picture

“The year before, I’d managed to lose about 10kg on my own but I found it very hard to maintain, as I wasn’t really sure what I was doing – there are so many different messages out there about what to eat, what not to eat, exercise etc etc. As a result I ended up trying many different health fads but nothing seem to work and get the extra weight off. It was very frustrating! I ended up just getting fed up and realised that I needed to make the change for good if I ever wanted to be truly comfortable and happy with the way I looked.”

Here are more of Ashleigh’s own words as she describes her experience.

“I also learned about tying my goals to my personal values. In fact I’m quite pleased that for the first time in a long time, my weight is not at the forefront of my mind! I’m happy with where I’m at. In saying that, I know that if I ever wanted to get leaner, I know I’d be able to.”

Ashleigh felt relieved the more that she was able to put her dieting puzzle together.

“The weight loss and health approach was completely different to what I had learned in the past through magazines and other health professionals. I have never had such a successful weight loss transformation before”

“My experience working with Tarryn in GenHealth Coaching Program has definitely changed the way I view health. Before, I’d attempt to start some new fad diet but because I didn’t know WHY I was eating or doing something, the diet tended to fail. With this program, I learned the ‘why’. I now have so much more knowledge surrounding eating and exercise which I apply on a daily basis.” 

“I would recommend GenHealth to people that are struggling with weight loss, stuck in a cycle of dieting, and don’t know how to maintain weight once they reach their goal”

If you want similar results for you and your body then send me a message here. We’ll have a short phone call to determine your best next move.

The post [CASE STUDY] How Ashleigh lost 10kg and 40cm from her stubborn areas appeared first on Generation Health.

They’ve tried the traditional calorie restricting diets but when the ‘easy to lose’ fat is reduced, the approach they’re using no longer works leaving them frustrated and confused.

Weight loss does happen when you lower calories but losing those hard to lose pounds located on various parts of your body require a different approach: your hormones.

Quite simply, hormones are chemical messages your body produces to manage virtually all of our bodily functions. They even direct where your body should store its fat. Everything you eat, drink and think will influence these hormonal reactions.

You are about to discover exactly what you need to do to heal the hormonal weaknesses that are causing your stubborn fat areas.

A LIVER RESTORE CLEANSE + A STUBBORN FAT HEALING PLAN = LOSE STUBBORN FAT

Let’s dive into the formula now in more detail. I also recommend printing off this blog post right now, so you’ve got this for future reference.

PHASE 1: A THE LIVER RESTORE CLEANSE

The first step in addressing any hormonal weakness is to restore optimal liver function.

Your liver converts stored fat into a form that can be excreted and is responsible for hormone regulation. It is your body’s primary fat-burning and hormone-balancing organ. Therefore, if your liver is not running at full efficiency, losing fat from your stubborn areas will be next to impossible.

A Liver Restore Cleanse should achieve 4 things:

1. ELIMINATE NEW TOXINS

WHY YOU MUST ELIMINATE NEW TOXINS

Toxins are poisonous substances that cause damage when introduced to your body’s tissues. This affects our hormone regulation and fat burning potential. Also our immune system and digestive processes. Our cholesterol and blood markers, skin related allergies and regulation of blood sugar.

HOW TO ELIMINATE NEW TOXINS

The majority of toxins enter our body from external sources, but we also produce toxins internally from normal bodily functions and dealing with emotional stressors. To eliminate new toxins we must be aware of how they enter our body through internal and external sources.

1. What we eat and drink

Toxins enter our system through the food we eat and as a result cause a whole host of internal reactions causing more and more damage. The main food sources to eliminate are:

▶ Highly processed and refined foods

▶ Acidic foods and beverages

▶ Foods and beverages containing additives: artificial colors, flavours, preservatives and sweeteners.

▶ Dairy products and meat containing growth hormones and antibiotics.

▶ Foods and beverages high in sugar or high fructose corn syrup

▶ Foods containing GMO’s

▶ Foods high in sodium

▶ Carbonated drinks

▶ Chlorinated drinking water

▶ Fluoridated drinking water

▶ Alcohol

▶ Energy drinks and diet pills

▶ Modified and low quality oils

▶ Trans fats  

▶ Medications

▶ Using non stick cookware

▶ Using plastics containing BPA

2. What we breathe

Toxins enter our system through the air we breathe and also cause a host of internal reactions causing more and more damage. The main sources of air-borne toxins to eliminate are:

▶ Store bought household cleaners. Even the ‘natural’ ones

▶ Vehicle cleaning and grooming products

▶ Dry cleaned clothes

▶ Air fresheners

▶ Environmental pollution

▶ Cigarette smoke

▶ Lead based paint

▶ Asbestos

▶ Mold

3. What we put on our skin

Whatever we put on our skin absorbs straight into our bloodstream and is passed through the liver in seconds. The main sources of skin absorbed toxins to eliminate are:

▶ Antiperspirants and deodorants

▶ Fluoridated toothpaste and mouthwash

▶ Skin care products containing parabens and and other preservatives

▶ Personal care products containing detergents and other foaming agents

▶ Tattooing and body painting

▶ UV radiation

4. What we think

Most people view the toxin definition to only physical elements but your actions and behaviour can also lead to increased toxins. The main toxics behaviours to eliminate are:

▶ Stressful situations

▶ Anxiety and worry

▶ Depression

▶ Anger and hate

▶ Physical and mental abuse

▶ Gossiping

▶ Resent

2. EXCRETE OLD TOXINS

WHY YOU MUST EXCRETE OLD TOXINS

Excreting old toxins helps to improve liver function and its ability to convert the nutrients from the foods you eat into essential components, storing vitamins and minerals and producing proteins and enzymes to maintain hormonal function in your body. Excreting toxins also allows your liver to spend more energy on fat metabolism, supporting your immune system to ward off infections, removing harmful bacteria and make bile, which is essential for digestion.

HOW TO EXCRETE OLD TOXINS

Your liver disposes of toxins in 2 separate phases. In the first phase, enzymes transform fat-soluble toxins into an intermediate toxin. Next, phase 2 enzymes convert the hazardous intermediate toxin into a water-soluble toxin to be pushed to the kidneys, along GI tract and ultimately excreted. Because of this 2 phase process there is potential for imbalance. If phase 2 is not able to keep up with phase 1 then you have highly concentrated intermediate toxin in your system. Furthermore, if the converted water-soluble toxins encounter an unhealthy ratio of good:bad bacteria in your gut the unhealthy bacteria can cause the water-soluble toxin to be reabsorbed by your body. Meaning the toxin must travel through the liver all over again to be excreted. Bottom line: you must give the liver what it needs to support phase 1 & 2 detox pathways:

▶ Low starch vegetables, especially dark leafy greens, organic if possible

▶ Low sugar, high fibre fruits

▶ Easily digestible proteins

▶ Raw nuts and seeds

▶ Foods high in omega-3

▶ Herbs and spices

▶ Liver support supplements containing milk thistle, dandelion, turmeric and green tea

▶ Multivitamins containing flavonoids, resveratrol and curcumin

▶ Omega-3 supplements

▶ Powdered green supplements

Next you must optimise your body’s detox pathways to allow toxins to be released. Your body has 4 built in channels for eliminating toxins.

1. Perspiration

▶ Higher intensity exercise (provided your body can handle the stress)

▶ Longer workouts (provided your body can handle the stress)

▶ Hot yoga

▶ Sauna

▶ Spicy food

2. Urination

▶ Purified water with a squeeze of lemon

▶ Herbal tea

▶ Green tea

▶ Unsweetened cranberry juice

▶ Saw palmetto, for men

▶ Herbs like rosemary

3. Respiration

▶ Higher intensity exercise (provided your body can handle the stress)

▶ Longer workouts (provided your body can handle the stress)

▶ Stretching

▶ Deep breathing

▶ Meditation

4. Excretion

▶ Foods high in fibre

▶ Fibre supplements

▶ Digestive enzymes

▶ Probiotics

▶ Aloe vera

3: REDUCE INFLAMMATION

WHY YOU MUST REDUCE INFLAMMATION

Fat accumulated in stubborn areas and increased inflammation work hand in hand. As body fat increases so does inflammation. This leads to an increase in cortisol, more body fat and the cycle continues. There are a number of factors that can contribute to increased inflammation. These include:

▶ An unbalanced ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 intake

▶ High sugar diets

▶ Processed carbs

▶ Trans fats

▶ Gluten

▶ Non-organic dairy

▶ Lack of sleep

▶ Lack of exercise

▶ Overtraining and insufficient recovery

▶ Emotional stress

▶ Poor gut health

HOW TO REDUCE INFLAMMATION

The foods you eat in a Liver Restore Cleanse are excellent for reducing inflammation. In fact the entire Stubborn Fat Healing Formula will do an excellent job at reducing your body’s levels of inflammation. It is beneficial to include additional supplement support for convenience and to provide a more precise dosage.

▶ Increase omega-3 intake

▶ Stop using vegetable oil for high heat cooking

▶ Get the correct ratio of high:low intensity exercise

▶ Improve sleep and recovery time

▶ Improve gut health

▶ Spend time in nature

▶ Turmeric

▶ Resveratrol

▶ Grape seeds extract

▶ Green tea

4: SUPPRESS HSD

WHY YOU MUST SUPPRESS HSD

The ‘fat storage enzyme’ called HSD – short for 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase-1, can reactivate inactive cortisol meaning your fat cells can produce their own fat storing cortisol even when stress levels are low. This is the reason why many people have a hard time losing body fat .

HOW TO SUPPRESS HSD

Other than high cortisol levels, high insulin and low growth and sex hormones also stimulate HSD activity. Fortunately there are some naturally occurring compounds called flavonoids that suppress this fat storing enzyme. These can be found in:

▶ Onions

▶ Curcumin

▶ Licorice

▶ The peel of some citrus fruits

▶ Citrus peel extract

▶ The upgraded Usana CellSentials multivitamin  

PHASE 2: STUBBORN FAT HEALING PLAN

Once you’ve completed a Liver Restore Cleanse you’re ready to tackle any specific trouble spots that remain. This is where you need to personalise your program based on your own stubborn fat areas.

Your hormonal weaknesses exert a powerful influence over where you carry your body fat. Take note of these stubborn fat areas and the corresponding hormonal weakness.

If you’re unsure which plan to choose, start with the Adrenal Healing Plan. In many cases when cortisol issues are resolved, other hormonal begin to resolve themselves as well.

ADRENAL HEALING PLAN

When the adrenal glands are overworked they produce more stress hormone: cortisol, which can destroy muscle protein and accumulate fat around the midsection. Elevated cortisol interferes with the function of other hormones and can result in insulin and thyroid resistance, estrogen imbalance, progesterone deficiencies and even testosterone fluctuations. Our everyday lives are filled with all kinds of stressors which elevate cortisol levels. When these stressors become chronic it may lead to adrenal resistance and affects levels of DHEA, a precursor to your sex hormones.

HOW TO HEAL THE ADRENAL GLANDS

After following a Liver Restore Cleanse for 1-4 weeks you may require additional strategies to shift stubborn fat from your belly.

▶ Eliminate alcohol

▶ Cut out caffeine

▶ Stop any high intensity exercise

▶ Limit protein intake to 50 – 75 grams per day

▶ Supplement with vitamin C

▶ Supplement with magnesium & calcium

▶ Supplement with B vitamins

▶ Take BCAA’s. Branch Chain Amino Acids

OVARY HEALING PLAN

A weakness with the ovary glands causes fat storage in the lower poochy part of your stomach, and also your hips, butt and thighs. Other symptoms include PMS, menstrual clotting, low energy, fluid retention, cramping, depression and mood swings. This can be triggered from environmental factors like estrogen mimicking synthetics but usually it’s a response to recycled estrogen. If estrogen cannot be converted by the liver and excreted, it is pushed back into your body and stored as a cellulite fat in the lower body around the weakened glands.

HOW TO HEAL THE OVARY GLANDS

After following a Liver Restore Cleanse for 1-4 weeks you may require additional strategies to shift stubborn fat from your hips, butt and thighs.

▶ Eliminate alcohol

▶ Cut out all dairy products

▶ Limit protein intake to 50 – 75 grams per day

▶ Include more raw fruits and vegetables

▶ Double or triple your omega-3 intake

▶ Have more foods high in sulphur

▶ Do a combination of low and high intensity exercise

▶ Continue a liver support with milk thistle, dandelion, turmeric and green tea

▶ Supplement with vitamins C & E

▶ Supplement with selenium

▶ Supplement with magnesium & calcium

▶ Supplement with B vitamins

▶ Take amino acids

▶ Avoid estrogen mimicking ingredients like herbicides, pesticides, growth hormones, parabens

▶ Consider natural forms of contraception

THYROID HEALING PLAN

A weakness in the thyroid gland causes an overall appearance of weight gain, not just in one location. A poor functioning thyroid will result in a slow metabolism and low energy levels. It can be from a result of infection, poor liver function, lack of iodine, selenium, and iron, calorie restricted diets or stress. If the ovaries are producing too much estrogen then the thyroid will decrease its function as a secondary problem.

HOW TO HEAL THE THYROID GLAND

After following a Liver Restore Cleanse for 1-4 weeks you may require additional strategies to shift ‘all over body’ stubborn fat.

▶ Eliminate fluoridated and chlorinated tap water.

▶ Limit animal protein to 35 grams per day

▶ Limit broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, mustard greens, kale, peaches, pears, radishes, spinach, turnips – they can further suppress thyroid function

▶ Choose only organic dairy products

▶ Perform exercise daily to improve circulation

▶ Continue a liver support with milk thistle, dandelion, turmeric and green tea

▶ Supplement with B vitamins

▶ Supplement with zinc, selenium, iodine & iron

▶ Have more raw fruit and vegetables

YOUR BEST NEXT MOVE

The Stubborn Fat Formula is perfect for anyone at any stage of their weight loss journey.

Finally losing fat from your stubborn areas is the greatest feeling, especially if you’ve been struggling with it for a long time.

I’ve created an easy to follow system for addressing your stubborn fat areas inside my signature GenHealth Coaching Program

Click here for a full breakdown of the GenHealth Coaching Program to see how it can support your stubborn fat weight loss

Tarryn Thompson

Your Virtual Health Coach

The post HOW TO LOSE FAT FROM YOUR STUBBORN AREAS appeared first on Generation Health.

Sleep is a very important to hormonal balance, muscle building and fat loss. As a matter of fact 98% of fat burning happens while you sleep.

 A lack of sleep increases inflammation in the body which in turn increases both cortisol and insulin, leading to fat accumulation on your mid-section. If that wasn’t bad enough, sleep deprivation also affects all important hormones involved in building muscle and burning fat.

Your body does all of its repairing while you sleep. The muscles you stimulate during exercise do all of their growing repairing during deep sleep.

In order to have optimum sleep, recovery and fat burning, you should adhere to the following sleep guidelines:

▶ Buy the best quality mattress and pillow you can afford. The average person spends 26 years sleeping. So it’s worth investing in.

▶ Go to bed at a regular time each night, it helps regulate your body clock.

▶ Establish a bedtime ritual. We know it works because we do it with our children. Try dimming the house lights and bathing with epsom salts and essential oils.

▶ Limit screen time especially right before bed as the light from your screen interferes with melatonin production.

▶ Keep calorie intake at maintenance levels or below.

▶ Avoid caffeinated beverages after midday.

▶ Ensure optimal vitamin and mineral intake.

▶ Keep your bedroom cool (but not cold).

▶ Develop a good exercise routine. It stimulates growth hormone which is active when you sleep.

▶ Go to sleep in complete darkness. Block out all light from street lamps, clock radios, alarm clocks, etc. Light can interfere with melatonin secretion.

▶ Having regular chiropractic adjustments. Chiropractic is a complementary medicine based primarily on the treatment of misalignments in the spine which directly affect the nervous system. I’ve seen a chiropractor on and off for the last 11 years.

▶ Try gratitude journaling before bed. This can help calm your mind and improve your ability to fall asleep.

SLEEP SUPPLEMENTS

Improving your diet is the first priority in your pursuit for better sleep.

In addition, the following supplements may be helpful for improving the quality and quantity of your sleep:

MAGNESIUM

Magnesium calms the sympathetic nervous system helping your body to relax. Supplementing with high-quality magnesium, from about 150 mg/day to 500 mg/day, can help you get optimal sleep. The best magnesium supplements contain magnesium citrate, glycinate, taurate, aspartate, malate, succinate or fumarate. Other forms may not be absorbed as well by the body.

VITAMIN D3

Optimal Vitamin D3 is important for proper insulin management and better sleep. It also influences many other hormonal processes in the body including metabolism, digestion and cardiovascular health, all of which can impact your sleep. Recommended dose is 3,000 IU’s to 10,000 IU’s per day. Take in the morning as evening use may disrupt melatonin production and sleep.

B VITAMINS

B vitamin deficiencies have been linked to sleep problems as B6 and B12 are important for calming the nervous system and mind. B vitamins also help with detoxification and lowering inflammation. Recommended dose is 100 mg twice daily.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE MULTIVITAMIN SUPPLEMENT I USE AND RECOMMEND TO GET HIGH DOSES OF IMPORTANT SLEEP NUTRIENTS. Then, continue to read online below & leave a comment.

MELATONIN

Melatonin is beneficial for helping to restore sleep cycles. Recommended dose is 0.5 to 3 mg at bedtime.

CHAMOMILE

Chamomile has a mild sedative effect and may calm your brain and help you go to sleep sooner. Most people drink it in the form of a tea and consume one to four cups daily.

ACUPRESSURE

Acupressure is not a supplement but a technique that’s proven to extract stress from your body and improve sleep. It also improves circulation to lose weight and helps to strengthen your digestive system that will help you control your appetite. All you do is apply a little pressure on the special energy meridian points on your body.

DOWNLOAD MY DO-IT-YOURSELF STRESS EXTRACTION TECHNIQUES GUIDE. Then, continue to read online below & leave a comment.

MEDITATION

Meditation is also not a supplement but another highly effective way to reduce stress and promote good sleep. The importance of meditation is at an all-time high. With our fast-paced lives placing huge stress on our bodies and minds, the practice of meditation has gone from something that we should do to something that we must do.

HOW DOES MEDITATION HELP WITH WEIGHT LOSS?

Your mind has the power to influence your fat storage hormones.

If you’re stressed out, worried, fearful or lonely, the impact on your health is immediate—and the hormonal imbalances created are the same imbalances that cause food cravings that lead to weight gain.

Most people have been unsuccessful with diets; and in most cases, it’s because they failed to address the real issues underlying the weight gain. The hard truth is that mental and emotional stresses can be more toxic to your health than junk food.

But the good news is that there is a solution, and it comes from transforming your body from the inside out… starting with your mind.

I call this “inside out weight loss”. We start on the hormonal level, balancing your biochemistry, and then the food choices, the cravings, the overeating—all those so-called “bad habits” fall away natural and resolve themselves without restriction or frustration.

START WITH GUIDED MEDITATION

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE GUIDED MEDITATION I USE AND RECOMMEND. Then, continue to read online below & leave a comment.

I often get resistance when I suggest meditation and visualisation to my clients as the foundation of their weight loss journey.

But if you can’t sit still or relax, this is a clear sign that meditation is exactly what you need. Like anything, you learn to meditate with time, and using a guided meditation, is a very simple way to get started.

Guided visualisation is the ideal way to meditate for weight loss – especially for beginners It allows you to sit back, relax, and be guided through an experience which is easy for your mind to follow – no matter how unfocused or stressed you feel. With guided visualisation, you can rewire your neural pathways to create new ways of thinking about your body and your life.

STEP 1: FIND A QUIET PLACE

Any place will do. Your office, a bedroom, even a corner of your house can work. I’ve even done it in the bathroom because it’s the quietest place in their house. Literally, any place where you feel calm and can sneak away to for 10 minutes is just perfect.

STEP 2: TAKE A SEAT (OR LIE DOWN)

Seated positions are preferred for meditation. Sitting helps you focus, but if it’s just too uncomfortable at first, lying flat on your back is fine too. If you’re seated, try to sit up tall but without straining or forcing. You want to feel naturally balanced and relaxed in an upright position, close your eyes and relax. That’s it, you’re ready!

STEP 3: PUT ON YOUR HEADPHONES & PRESS PLAY

The best way to listen to guided meditations is with noise cancelling headphones. They block out other noises and can be very helpful for total concentration. That said, if you are unable to use headphones, using any type of speakers will work just fine too. Once you press play, your job is not to “do” anything. Your job is simply to relax and listen. With guided meditation practices, you’ll find your mind will drift in and out of focus—this is normal. You might doze off to sleep occasionally, that’s perfectly fine. There is no right or wrong way to meditate—just keep pressing play and let it happen.

Tarryn Thompson

Your Virtual Health Coach

The post HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR SLEEP FOR WEIGHT LOSS appeared first on Generation Health.

You’ve heard it a million times before: calories in minus calories out = weight loss.

For decades, this has been the most widely accepted “answer” to the weight loss problem. But with an estimated 95% of people failing to achieve lasting weight loss and the average woman spending 17 years of their life dieting, it’s obvious this conventional approach is not the whole picture.

Those who subscribe to this antiquated approach generally produce unacceptable amounts of muscle loss and hormonal disfunction in the pursuit of reducing the number on the scale.

I still acknowledge calorie management as the primary driver of weight loss but there is a lot more to the weight loss equation than simply calories in minus calories out.

This is precisely why I created the Be Free From Dieting Formula and I’ve put together a comprehensive checklist to review so you can eliminate confusion and get started immediately.

To achieve lasting weight loss follow this simple formula:

ENVIRONMENT + HORMONES + HABITS + MINDSET = FREE FROM DIETING

Let’s dive into the formula now in more detail. I also recommend printing off this blog post right now, so you’ve got this for future reference.

DOWNLOAD: THE ULTIMATE ‘BE FREE FROM DIETING’ CHECKLIST (PDF) Then, continue to read online below & leave a comment.

STEP 1: CREATE THE RIGHT FAT BURNING ENVIRONMENT

I like to think of my body in terms of being a machine that once given the right environment can work FOR me to achieve my goals…. and that’s how I’d like you to think of it as well.

In fact this step alone allowed me to lose 85% of my 30 kilo weight loss and today I’m going to show you how you can create this very same environment in your body.

NO SUGAR SPIKES

Your body needs a zero sugar environment in order to burn fat. If you spike your blood sugar you make insulin. Insulin is a fat storing hormone and insulin, even in small amounts has the strength to prevent you accessing your fat reserves.

The majority of people simply don’t understand this fact. When they start a diet, what occurs is; they lose some temporary water weight and they hit a plateau, thinking that’s actual fat, but they never actually burn fat.

MANAGED STRESS

Your body requires an environment of managed stress in order to burn fat. For this reason you must address the one hormone that can impact all others – cortisol. High cortisol levels are a result of your body’s response to excessive amounts of stress. Unfortunately, our everyday lives are filled with psychological, physical, nutritional and environmental stressors, which in turn flood our bodies with high levels of stress hormone. The majority of people simply don’t put in place strategies to empty the stress from their life.

NO OVER EXERCISING

If you think doing more and more exercise will get you to your goal faster, then think again. Over exercising is one of the major contributors to elevated stress hormone. If your body is already under stress, over exercising will make it worse. One of the biggest frustrations I hear from my clients is this “I’m exercising my butt off but seeing no results”. The majority of people do not align their exercise regime with their ability to manage the stress it creates.

SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT

Sleep is a very important component to hormonal balance and fat loss. A lack of sleep increases inflammation in the body which in turn increases both cortisol and insulin. Sleep deprivation also lowers all the important hormones involved in burning fat. The hormones you stimulate during exercise help the body do all of its growth and repair during the deep, dark, restful sleep. The majority of people simply do not have the quality and quantity of sleep required for optimal fat burning.

NO HUNGER

Going too long without eating will cause your blood sugars to drop too low, leaving you feeling hangry (angry – hungry). At this point you will literally eat anything in sight. This situation is an insulin and cortisol producing environment. Most people simply do not plan ahead to their next meal and find themselves riding the blood sugar roller coaster all day long.

HIGH NUTRIENTS

A high nutrient environment reduces nutrient deficiency hunger cravings, supports your hormonal systems and your liver’s detoxification pathways. The majority of people are just not consuming enough nutrient rich foods, nor are they supplementing with a high enough quality of vitamins, minerals and other important cofactors.

BOTTOM LINE: If you’re just starting out in your weight loss journey and you have a lot of weight to lose, creating the right fat burning environment first will help you lose major weight.

STEP 2: ADDRESS YOUR STUBBORN FAT AREAS

The truth is most people are more frustrated by their inability to lose fat from their stubborn areas.

I’d created the fat burning environment talked about in step 1 but I still held onto stubborn fat around my hips, butt and thighs. I was convinced it was impossible to lose. Even to the point of considering liposuction.

Then I discovered, our hormonal weaknesses exert a powerful influence over where you carry your body fat.

Quite simply, hormones are chemical messages your body produces to manage virtually all of our bodily functions. Everything you eat, drink and think will influence these hormonal reactions.

Weight loss does happen when you create the right environment but losing those hard to lose pounds located on various parts of your body requires a different approach. For this reason you need to begin by addressing your body’s primary fat-burning and hormone-balancing organ.

PHASE 1: LIVER RESTORE CLEANSE

The first step in addressing any hormonal weakness is to restore optimal liver function.

Your liver converts stored fat into a form that can be excreted and is responsible for hormone regulation. Therefore, if your liver is not running at full efficiency, losing fat from your trouble spots will be next to impossible.

A Liver Restore Cleanse should achieve 4 things:

1. ELIMINATE NEW TOXINS

The first step in eliminating toxins is to stop introducing new ones. Toxins enter the body in 4 ways:

▶ What we eat and drink

▶ What we breathe

▶ What we put on our skin

▶ What we think

2. EXCRETE OLD TOXINS

At the same time you must optimise your body’s detox pathways to allow these toxins to be released. Toxins exit the body in 4 ways:

▶ Sweating

▶ Urinating

▶ Breathing

▶ Excreting

3: REDUCE INFLAMMATION

Fat accumulation in stubborn areas and increased inflammation work hand in hand. As body fat increases so does inflammation. This leads to an increase in cortisol, more body fat and the cycle continues. There are a number of factors that can contribute to increased inflammation. These include:

▶ An unbalanced ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 intake

▶ High sugar diets, processed carbs, trans fats, gluten, non-organic dairy

▶ Lack of sleep, overtraining and insufficient recovery

▶ Emotional stress

▶ Poor gut health

4: SUPPRESS HSD

The ‘fat storage enzyme’ called HSD – short for 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase-1, can reactivate inactive cortisol meaning your fat cells can produce their own fat storing cortisol even when stress levels are low. This is the reason why many people have a hard time losing body fat . Other than high cortisol levels, high insulin and low growth and sex hormones also stimulate HSD activity. Fortunately there are some naturally occurring compounds called flavonoids that suppress this fat storing enzyme. These can be found in:

▶ Onions

▶ Spices

▶ The peel of some citrus fruits

▶ The upgraded Usana CellSentials multivitamin  

PHASE 2: STUBBORN FAT HEALING PLAN

Once you’ve completed a Liver Restore Cleanse you’re ready to tackle any specific stubborn areas that remain. This is where you need to personalise your program based on your own stubborn fat areas.

Having worked with hundreds of clients over the years, a person rarely struggles with only one problem fat area. Typically, they come in groups. That’s because hormonal issues are all connected.

Take note of these stubborn fat areas and the corresponding hormonal weakness.

If you’re unsure what plan you should follow, start with an Adrenal Healing Plan. In many cases when cortisol issues are resolved, other hormonal begin to resolve themselves as well.

ADRENAL HEALING PLAN

An Adrenal Healing Plan needs to provide further support to the health of your adrenal glands. When the adrenal glands are overworked they produce more stress hormone, which can destroy muscle protein and accumulate fat around the midsection. To take the pressure off your adrenal glands you must stop causing it more work and give it what it needs to heal.

▶ Caffeine needs to go as it’s a direct line to the adrenal glands

▶ No high intensity exercise until sleep has improved

▶ Meditation or deep breathing to calm the mind

▶ Extra vitamin C helps bring down elevated cortisol levels

▶ Extra calcium & magnesium help your muscles relax and improve your sleep

OVARY HEALING PLAN

An Ovary Healing Plan needs to provide further support to the health of your ovary glands. A weakness with the ovary glands causes fat storage in the lower pooch part of your stomach, and your hips, butt and thighs. Other symptoms include PMS, menstrual clotting, low energy, fluid retention, cramping, depression and mood swings. To restore balance in this area you need to eliminate all estrogen mimicking substances and help your liver convert and excrete recycled estrogen.

▶ Eliminate estrogen mimickers like herbicides, pesticides, growth hormones, parabens

▶ Consider using natural forms of contraception

▶ Give extra liver support ingredients like milk thistle, dandelion, turmeric and green tea

▶ Double or triple your omega-3 intake

▶ Extra magnesium, calcium, potassium, selenium and sulphur

▶ Extra vitamins B, C & E

THYROID HEALING PLAN

A Thyroid Healing Plan needs to provide extra support to your thyroid function. A weakness in the thyroid gland causes an overall appearance of weight gain, not just in one location. A poor functioning thyroid will result in a slow metabolism and low energy levels. It can be from a result of infection, poor liver function, lack of iodine, selenium, and iron, calorie restricted diets or stress. If the ovaries are producing too much estrogen then the thyroid can decrease its function as a secondary problem.

▶ Stop severely restricting calories

▶ Limit intake of broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, mustard greens, kale, peaches, pears, radishes, spinach, turnips – they can further suppress thyroid function

▶ Limit animal protein to a maximum of 35 grams per day

▶ Give extra liver support ingredients like milk thistle, dandelion, turmeric and green tea

▶ Extra zinc, selenium, iodine & iron

BOTTOM LINE: By addressing your hormonal weaknesses you’ll allow your body to access fat from your stubborn areas.

STEP 3: DEVELOP THE RIGHT HEALTH HABITS

Once you’ve created the right fat burning environment and addressed your hormonal weaknesses, the next part of the Be Free From Dieting Formula is to develop the right health habits.

Ultimately your habits are what determine your results long term. It’s not what you do once that matters it’s what you do consistently over a long enough period of time that gets you to your goal.

There are 10 Health Habits that must be created to set you free from yo-yo dieting and create a lifestyle of permanent fat loss.

They’re so important to the Be Free From Dieting Formula that I wrote an entire 60 page book on the subject.

DOWNLOAD: ‘HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT THE HEALTHY WAY – The 10 Health Habits You Must Develop’ (ebook). Then, continue to read online below & leave a comment.

HABIT 1: I eat within 30 minutes of waking up and I do not eat within 2 hours of going to bed.

This habit is about setting up your day with stable blood sugars and finishing it well by making sure insulin is cleared from the blood to give you an optimal fat burning sleep. Provided you’re not following intermittent fasting protocols.

HABIT 2: I eat every 3 hours. If I’m hungry before then I’ll eat and adjust my time accordingly.

This habit is about meal preparation and meal timing to keep blood sugars stable and tuning into to your body’s hunger cues to adjust your plan according to your lifestyle.

HABIT 3: I eat according to my goals. Low GL to lose weight, and Medium GL to maintain.

This habit is about understanding the effects of carbohydrates and managing your carbohydrate intake so you don’t spike your blood sugar.

HABIT 4: I eat enough protein with my meals and snacks.

This habit is about knowing how much and what kind of protein to consume for your body type and activity level.

HABIT 5: I eat good fats with my meals and snacks. Especially the Omega 3’s

This habit is about recognising the difference between different fats. Getting an optimal ratio of omega 3’s and 6’s, knowing how much fats you need to eat daily, and taking a practitioner grade fish oil supplement.

HABIT 6: I get at least 35 grams of fibre per day.

This habit is about maintaining excellent digestion and gut health. Knowing the high fibre foods and incorporating them daily.

HABIT 7: I stay hydrated throughout the day.

This habit is about recognising that a focus on optimal vegetable intake is required for proper hydration.

HABIT 8: I take a high potency, pharmaceutical grade multivitamin 2x a day.

This habit is about understanding that optimal health needs optimal micro-nutrition that can only be achieved when supplementing with a high potency, pharmaceutical grade multivitamin 2x per day.

HABIT 9: I have a modest exercise program. One that is aligned to my goals.

This habit is about knowing the difference between high and low intensity exercise, aligning your exercise regime with your ability to manage the stress and knowing how to progress using the following variables: frequency, the level of difficulty or intensity, the distance or duration.

HABIT 10: I get adequate rest and recovery

This habit is about understanding the true value of recovery. Not over exercising, and developing a good sleep routine so you can maximise your fat burning potential.

You can start by taking the Health Habit Self Evaluation. Rank yourself out of 5 for each Health Habit to see how you score.

DOWNLOAD: THE HEALTH HABIT SELF EVALUATION Then, continue to read online below & leave a comment.

BOTTOM LINE: Practice the 10 Health Habits long enough and you will create a lifestyle of permanent fat loss.

STEP 4: POSSESS A WINNING WEIGHT LOSS MINDSET

The last part of the Be Free From Dieting Formula is possessing a Winning Weight Loss Mindset.

If you study the habits and traits of successful people, and unsuccessful people, there are clear differences in their habits and thinking…

So how does someone with a Winning Weight Loss Mindset think?

▶ They manage their expectations to avoid disappointment

▶ They create accountability around their goals

▶ They embrace failure and challenge

MANAGING EXPECTATIONS

People generally overestimate what they can achieve in the short term and underestimate what’s achievable long term. You must manage your expectations throughout your weight loss journey to avoid disappointment.

The major disappointment usually comes after some initial water weight is lost and your weight loss starts to slow down. At this point you need to understand the maximum amount of fat one can lose in a week is just 900 grams. And that’s if you’re doing everything perfect. 300-500 grams weight loss per week is good result.

Set realistic goals based on your willingness to adhere to your plan. If you’re only sticking to it 50-60% then don’t expect fast results. The closer you get to your goal weight the stricter you need to become as well. And remember the scale weight does not tell the full picture. As you’re progressing your exercise you might be increasing muscle mass. This could explain a negative scale weight reading in any given week.

CREATING ACCOUNTABILITY

If you’ve ever found yourself struggling to do the things ‘you know you need to do’ to achieve your health goals, it’s probably because you haven’t implemented the right form accountability. When accountability is done right; you have a very clear reason for why you need to achieve your goal and a very clear consequence for not achieving it.

The reason for achieving your goal must be linked to your highest value areas of life and it must involve someone or something other than yourself. The consequence you set in place has to be your own idea and it has to be large enough to motivate you to keep going.

Most people are not prepared to do this to themselves but successful people know that their goals are always outside of their comfort zone. Being ok with feeling uncomfortable is a part of a Winning Weight Loss Mindset.

EMBRACING FAILURE & CHALLENGE

One thing that’s absolutely certain about your weight loss journey is there will be numerous failures and challenges along the way. It comes with the territory. Once you accept that fact and you’re prepared to embrace it, you are on the right track.

The road to success is basically a series of failures with small corrections followed by another failure and small correction until you reach your goal. At times you may even be failing more than succeeding. Its at this moment you’ll feel like giving up the most and 95% of people will.

But someone who has the body they want simply carried on. Realise the challenge you’re experiencing is actually there to serve you. It’s hard to see it at the time but when you push through you will breakthrough. I’ve experienced this many times on my weight loss journey. It’s a great feeling and the experience will serve as fuel to push you through the next challenge that is sure to come.

For more on developing a Winning Weight Loss Mindset see my blog post ‘3 Ninja Mindset Strategies To Getting Your Before And After’

BOTTOM LINE: Realise you already possess the traits of a Winning Weight Loss Mindset in the areas of life you highly value. You just need to shine your light on the health area and apply the same mindset you already possess.

YOUR BEST NEXT MOVE

At this point its very important you acknowledge the Be Free From Dieting Formula is a marathon not a sprint.

Sometimes it’s easier to shift our attention on another terrible diet, or misinformation, or lack of support rather than having to face our own lack of commitment to grow and become the best version of ourselves.

The good news is I’m running a free webinar training that will walk you step by step through the Be Free From Dieting Formula and provide you the support you need to:

▶ Create The Right Fat Burning Environment

▶ Address Your Stubborn Fat Areas

▶ Develop The 10 Health Habits

▶ Possess A Winning Weight Loss Mindset

Click here for more details of the free training

Tarryn Thompson

Your Virtual Health Coach

Creator of the Be Free From Dieting Formula & GenHealth Coaching Program.

The post THE ULTIMATE ‘BE FREE FROM DIETING’ CHECKLIST appeared first on Generation Health.

Most people at some time in their lives have tried to lose weight and failed.

What they seek is an elusive weight loss formula that creates lasting results and frees them from the world of yo-yo dieting.

Unfortunately, they’re not aware that almost all the mainstream recommendations for losing weight are completely outdated. They’re also not aware that achieving lasting weight loss requires a combination of different strategies working in-conjunction with one another. The challenge is in knowing what strategies to use and at what point in their journey.

So, today we explore the 29 Reasons Why Your Weight Loss Efforts Have Failed. Based on over 7 years of personal experience and then working with hundreds of people from all walks of life. You’ll quickly discover ways to set yourself free from the cycle of yo-yo dieting.

Let’s dive straight in with number one.

1. SPIKING YOUR BLOOD SUGAR

Fat will simply not burn in the presence of insulin in the blood. Fat loss is achieved when blood glucose levels remain stable so there must be no spikes from excess sugar, carbohydrates, or overeating protein. Even if you are eating “healthy” the tiniest spike in blood glucose can cancel out fat burning efforts for up to 72 hours.

2. ACCUMULATED STRESS

Studies have linked cortisol, a hormone released during times of stress, to cravings for sugar and fat. Higher levels of cortisol have also been linked to the accumulation of belly fat. Sometimes stress can be unavoidable so you must put in place strategies to deal with it.

3. OVER EXERCISING

If you think doing more exercise without allowing yourself optimal recovery time will get you to your goal faster, you are mistaken. Over exercising causes stress hormones to remain high which doesn’t create the right environment to burn fat. If your body is already under stress, high intensity exercise is a no no. Introduce low intensity exercise in between days so you don’t stress the body too much.

4. EXERCISING TO BATTLE OVEREATING

The purpose of exercise is to stress the body just enough to stimulate fat burning hormones. It’s not merely a burning of calories. The trick with exercise is to trigger fat burning hormones so that while you sleep your body will be accessing your storing fat for recovery and repair. The problem is, the exercises that trigger the most amount of fat burning hormones are the same exercises that trigger the most stress. You must start with low intensity until your body’s capacity to deal with stress improves.

5. NOT SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT

98% of your fat burning happens at rest. If you’re going to bed too late, waking up during the night, waking up to pee, having difficulty falling asleep, waking up in the morning feeling unrested – these are all signs of high cortisol which is not conducive for fat burning. Reduce stress and stabilise blood sugars to improve your sleep.

6. GOING TOO LONG WITHOUT EATING

Going too long between meals will cause blood sugars to drop too low (with the exception a controlled fasted environment). This will leave you feeling hangry and the desire to eat the next thing sight. This situation is insulin and cortisol producing, elevating fat storage hormones. Manage your hunger and meal frequency by keeping healthy snacks on hand. In your bag, in your glove box, in your office.

7. NUTRIENT DEFICIENCIES

Almost every craving you experience is a result of nutrient deficiencies. Hunger cravings are the only way your body can communicate to you “give me nutrients”. Its called artificial hunger cravings and it’s the last thing you need when trying to stick to your plan. Your best defence against this increasing vegetable intake and daily supplementation with a high potency multivitamin.

8. NOT EATING ENOUGH VEGETABLES

Vegetables contain important minerals required for hydration and fat burning. One of the most important nutrients is potassium. Potassium is an important mineral and electrolyte. It balances out sodium, keeps you hydrated and enables your body to absorb more nutrients. Focus on 2-3 servings of vegetables per main meal to reach this target.

9. NOT HAVING A PLAN

If you fail to plan you plan to fail. Create a menu and exercise plan that is tailored to your lifestyle and body type.

10. NOT KEEPING A FOOD JOURNAL

Food journaling helps you connect what you’re eating and when to how your feeling. It allows you to be more mindful of what’s causing your hunger cues and make educated decisions to correct it. The main things to look for are missing snacks, going too long without eating, overeating and not eating enough after exercise.

11. EATING TOO CLOSE TO BEDTIME

If your last meal for the day is too close to bed your body will be digesting instead of repairing. This means that while you sleep your body cannot access your fat for recovery and repair. Give yourself at least 2 hours between your last meal and bed. That way, insulin will be cleared from the blood and you’ll be capitalising on all of your fat burning efforts throughout the day.

12. SKIPPING BREAKFAST

Skipping breakfast can lead to mid morning cravings (unless you are following fasting protocols). By the afternoon your blood sugars can be so low it’ll leave you tired and exhausted. At this time your desire to snack on sweet or nutrient empty foods to keep will be at an all time high. Eating a low glycemic breakfast within 30 minutes of waking will set your day up with stable blood sugars and give allow you to make better choices throughout the day.

13. OVEREATING CALORIES

Overall calorie consumption is an important consideration when losing weight. Even more important as you’re approaching your ideal body and trying to shed those last few kilos. MyFitnessPal is a convenient app you can use to track calorie intake in relation to your goal and activity level. Use it to make sure your total calorie intake is not sabotaging your results.

14. NOT PREPARING YOUR MEALS

When you take a focused period of time to prepare your meals you create mind-space for other important things in life. Just think about how much time you spend contemplating what you should eat and what you wish you’d eaten instead. Not only that, but it helps you stick to your plan and saves you time and money.

15. NOT KNOWING HOW MUCH CARBOHYDRATE IS TOO MUCH

Carbohydrates trigger the most amount of fat storing hormones, and when there is an abundance of them; there’s no way your body will burn fat. You need to be mindful of the carbohydrate portion of your meals, and by far the best tool to do that is understanding the Glycemic Load. GL refers to the quantity of carbs consumed at one time. To lose weight all meals and snacks need to be between 0-10 GL.

16. NOT EATING ENOUGH PROTEIN

Protein helps you feel fuller for longer and when consumed with carbs it slows down the rate that your body will digest them, therefore you’ll get through the day feeling satisfied. Unfortunately the typical amount of protein consumed per day is just 30 grams. That’s way too low. Aim to get your protein intake between 50-75 grams per day.

17. NOT EATING ENOUGH GOOD FAT

Good fats also help you feel fuller for longer. They’ll help keep you satiated, preventing cravings and overeating. Good fats also help reduce inflammation provided you eat the right balance of Omega 6’s to Omega 3’s. The ideal ratio is 3:1 so aim for more Omega 3’s in your diet to correct this balance.

18. NOT TAKING A PHARMACEUTICAL GRADE MULTIVITAMIN

Taking a high potency, pharmaceutical grade multivitamin helps you prevent nutrient deficiency hunger cravings. Hunger cravings are the only way your body can communicate to you “give me nutrients” and it’s the last thing you need when trying to stick to any meal plan. Pharmaceutical grade products are made to the same strict standards employed by the pharmaceutical drug industry ensuring guaranteed potency, purity and dissolution.

19. NOT TAKING A PRACTITIONER GRADE FISH OIL SUPPLEMENT

Taking a practitioner grade fish oil supplement helps to create a better omega 6 to 3 ratio. A better ratio of 6’s to 3’s means the membranes of our cells remain supple. This helps improves your muscle cell’s ability to receive sugar which very simply means less sugar to be up-taken into your fat cells.

20. NOT PROGRESSING YOUR EXERCISE

As your ability to handle the stress from exercise improves you must continue to apply new levels of stress to stimulate fat burning hormones. The best way to do this is each week increase the following variables: frequency, the level of difficulty or intensity, the distance or duration. Do this in relation to the quality of sleep you are getting. If you notice your sleep quality decreasing you’ll know you’ve progressed too fast.

21. EATING TOO MANY ACIDIC FOODS

Weight problems can also be caused by eating too many acid-forming foods. If the body cannot easily neutralise the acidic foods you eat, then it will store acid in your fat cells. In addition, an acidic diet can reduce lean muscle mass (resulting in an increase in body fat) due to a decrease in growth hormone. We must tip the scales in favour of being slightly more alkaline than acidic by eliminating acid forming foods and replacing them with alkaline forming ones.

22. NOT HAVING ENOUGH FIBRE

Fibre helps to slow down your digestive process, keeping you fuller for longer. It adds bulk to your stool helping you eliminate waste more effectively and lastly fibre is the food that feeds the good bacteria that live in your gut. This is important because good guy bacteria break down your food so you can absorb it and benefit from the nutrition. Aim for at least 35 grams of fibre per day.

23. DEHYDRATION

I can’t say that drinking water alone will cause you to lose weight; however, if you are eating a perfect diet, but are dehydrated, you will definitely lose less weight. When your body is dehydrated it’s very difficult for you to burn fat. Drink more water and focus on optimal vegetable take to ensure you’re receiving the key minerals that help keep you hydrated.

24. NOT ADDRESSING YOUR GLAND WEAKNESS

Without addressing the health of your hormones and glands you’ll have challenges  losing fat from your trouble areas like hips, butt, thighs and tummy. There are 4 main gland weaknesses. Most people have a combination of all 4 but are dominant in one. Knowing your dominant gland weakness can allow you to address it with even more targeted nutrition.

25. HAVING UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS

People overestimate what they achieve in the short term and underestimate what they can achieve in the long term. You must manage your expectations in the beginning to avoid disappointment. The major disappointment usually comes after the initial water weight is lost and your weight loss slows down. At this point you need to understand the maximum amount of fat anyone can lose in a week is just 900 grams and that’s if you’re doing everything perfect. 300-500 grams weight loss per week is good result. Adopt a long term view and don’t be discouraged.

26. NO PURPOSE FOR HEALTH

The reason most people don’t have the health they want is they don’t have a massively important reason to have it. Do you know why you want to achieve your goals? Write it out and be specific. i.e. “to have enough energy to keep up with my grandkids” i.e. “to live a long, healthy, vibrant life with my spouse” i.e. “to leave a legacy of great health in my family”.

27. NOT BELIEVING YOU DESERVE SUCCESS

For many of us, the deep-rooted belief that we don’t deserve good things makes us resistant to taking care of ourselves as fully as we can. If you’re someone who doesn’t feel they deserve to be healthy and fit and that you’re not worth prioritising the time, or spending the money this is likely a belief you have. Even though you may not fully understand the origins of how and why these feelings formed, the first step toward chipping away at the power of the feelings of undeservedness is becoming more self aware of this limiting belief. Acknowledge how this belief is affecting your life and your success and start to increase your desire to want to change.

28. HAVING THE WRONG PERSPECTIVE ON FAILURE

One thing that’s absolutely certain about your weight loss journey is that there will be numerous setbacks along the way. It comes with the territory. Once you accept that fact and you’re prepared to deal with it, you are on the right track. The road to success is basically a series of failures with small corrections followed by another failure and small correction until you reach your goal. If you change your perspective on failure you can actually use it to your advantage.

29. NOT HAVING ANY ACCOUNTABILITY

If you’ve ever found yourself struggling to do the things ‘you know you need to do’ to achieve your health goals, it’s probably because you haven’t implemented the right form of accountability. When accountability is done right; you have a very clear reason for why you need to achieve your goal and a very clear consequence for not achieving it. The reason for achieving your goal must involve someone or something other than yourself. You simply cannot be accountable to yourself when it comes to this area of your life. And the consequence you set in place has to be your own idea and it has to be large enough to motivate you to keep going. When done this way, accountability is a wonderful strategy to push through weight loss plateaus and keep you on track.

Over the years I’ve spoken with thousands of people about weight loss. I get to hear  about the approaches they’ve taken in the past to address their weight problems.

Most people are doing more damage to their bodies and not creating the right environment to allow their bodies to work for them to achieve their goals. I see people too focused on the short term results and not focused on creating a lifestyle change.

I’ve specialise in educating people about how fat is burned, how to address specific hormonal weaknesses and coaching them to change their habits and develop a winning weight loss mindset.

If you have been reading the weight loss strategies contained within this article and heard yourself at any point say, “I know!”

“ STOP!”

As Stephen R. Covey famously said, “To know and not to do is really not to know.”

If you have your ideal body and feel completely free from the cycle of y-yo dieting then ‘yes’ you know the strategies.

However, if you still feel trapped and you don’t like what you see in the mirror, I urge you to take the steps to get the education required to be free from dieting and achieve your ideal body.  

It is simply not enough to ‘know,’ you must apply diligently and consistently.

So, if you’re ready to address all 29 reasons, plus others that can have a dramatic impact on your weight loss success, I strongly recommend you take my free training. You can check out the details of the training here. 

So what are your weight loss challenges?

Post them in the comments below so we can keep this post up to date.

Tarryn Thompson

Your Virtual Health Coach

The post 29 Reasons Why Your Weight Loss Efforts Have Failed appeared first on Generation Health.

Your adrenal glands make hormones that help your body to manage stress such as the fight or flight hormone adrenaline, and also the anti inflammatory hormone cortisol to bring the body back into a state of equilibrium.

If things in your lifestyle are causing you stress then the adrenals will be in over production of these hormones.

Just look at the different types of stress your adrenals will be working to manage:

• - Stress from having to meet work deadlines
• - Financial stress
• - Relationship stress
• - Stress from over exercising
• - Stress from work relationships
• - From parenting
• - From not getting enough sleep
• - From the way you are eating
• - From not receiving enough micronutrients

Your adrenal glands can handle an extremely high work load, but if they are working hard for a prolonged period of time they’ll start to make hormones that make you crave salt, fat, carbohydrates and promote fat storage on your midsection.

To lose weight from your tummy, the underlying issue needs to be addressed.

Relieve the pressure on the adrenals by reducing added stress

You may not be able to do a lot about the different stress’s I mentioned above, but for most people enough stress is able to be relieved from the adrenal glands simply by changing your diet, exercise, and micro-nutrition (vitamins and minerals).

Then, over time you can start to implement strategies to reduce the stress in other areas of life. Often it can be extremely difficult to get on top of our emotions when we feel our body is failing us so improving the way you eat and exercise is your best starting point. 

Here are some specific strategies you can implement right away.

- Keep your daily protein intake between 50 – 75 grams to help with the breaking down of muscle.

- Increase the essential fats in your diet, specifically omega 3’s. Adding 2 fish oil capsules to your daily supplement regime is a must. Then add more food sources of Omega 3’s like flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts and fish.

- Stop exercising at a high intensity until your sleep improves. Replace it with anything that promotes a steady heart rhythm ie walking, yoga, tai chi, stretching, walking, and walking.  

- Add these additional supplements to your regime. Vitamin C, calcium and magnesium because your body leaches it from the blood, muscle and bones to manufacture adrenal hormones. 

- You can get this by taking a practitioner grade multivitamin 2 times daily along with additional Vitamin C. And don’t forget the fish oil capsules I recommended above. The supplements I use and recommend come from Usana Health Sciences. You can check out my online store here. 

– The multivitamin is called CellSentials

– The fish oil is called Biomega III

– The Vitamin C is called Poly C

If you’d like to learn more about the Adrenal Body Type you can get started today by taking the body type quiz. Some people will clearly be one specific body type but many are a combination of others. Lets first identify the correct problem. Once you have your results I send you an email explaining exactly what they mean plus other tips and strategies you can do to correct the problem.

Click here to take the quiz.

Yours in Health

Tarryn Thompson

The post How do I lose weight from my tummy? appeared first on Generation Health.

And because I’m a health coach of course I was going to use my success story to market my business. However I was so mindful of how I would use this before and after picture because although my intention is to inspire you, many women (especially mothers) may look at my achievement and not feel particularly inspired by it at all.

Truth be told, in the past I’ve looked at before and after photos and felt quite the opposite of inspired. A lot of the time I’ve felt envy followed by frustration.

So if you are somebody who feels like they are living in their ‘before’ and you would love to have an ‘after’ then I want to make sure you know these 3 secrets that are not often shared, about what it may take to get your ‘after’.

Here is the first.

1. Be true to who you really are, and what motivates you

The truth is I really value aesthetics and looks. Some might say that’s superficial and because of what “some might say”, in the past I’ve tried to change that truth about me to fit what is more socially acceptable. But in reality, looks are what drive a lot of my behaviours.

Before you start to develop an opinion about that let me share this with you.

When we value something highly, like the way I value my appearance, it usually comes from a void in our past, usually from our childhood.

For example, growing up I was overweight and was often teased about it. Through an experience I had when I was 12 which involved my best friend and a boy, I had created a belief that if people were to like me I’d be based on looks first and then my personality.

So from that point onwards, I looked for ways to fill that void.

So why do you want to improve your health? What void are you trying to fill? Here’s a clue, it’s probably from your childhood.

2. Make it your mission to find out what your top 3 highest values are in your life and create links to how achieving your health goals will serve them.

When I talk about values most people think of things like integrity, and honesty, trustworthiness and other such ideals. And I used to think the same way until I read a book by a man named Dr John De Martini.

De Martini suggests that our true values reflect the driving force that shapes our perceptions, decisions, actions and feelings.

In the past sharing with you that one of my top 3 highest values is looks and aesthetics would not have been likely because I would have been afraid of your judgement.

But now I know that our judgments really come from social idealisms that we either learn from our family or parents or our teachers as we were growing up.

Once I understood that, I began to see that my achievements were showing me that I will only be motivated and disciplined towards things that serve my highest values.

Here are my other 2 values.

My son.

And connecting with people.

So you can be sure, that everyday, I will try to find ways to support my top 3 values.

The reason why I achieve my health goals is because I have seen that it supports the value I have for looks and aesthetics. I have also created many many links to how my health supports my son’s life and wellbeing. And I have created links to how health increases my confidence which supports my other value of connecting with people effortlessly.

If you aren’t being true to yourself, and you don’t know what your top 3 values are, then how can you create links to how being healthy will serve them.

So what do you value? Here are some clues. What do you always have time for? What do you spend your money on? And what do you prioritise?

If you’re still with me, then here is the last one.

3. Find out whether you are motivated by the fear of loss, or by the possibility of what you stand to gain.

Most people are driven by the fear of loss rather than what they have to gain.

To find out whether this is true for you, ask yourself this question.

Are you motivated by deadlines or the possibility of a promotion?

If you answered the former then you’re like me. Totally motivated by the fear of loss. And I 100% use that knowledge to my advantage.

So here’s another possibility.

You may not truly want to achieve your health goals. And you might think that’s crazy, but it is possible that it is serving your values in some way to be unhealthy.

Here’s how you can know.

Write a list of 50 consequences or 50 benefits, to how achieving your ‘before and after’ is going to affect your highest values.

When I started my list here were some of mine.

1. If I don’t lose weight then my energy stays low and I don’t want to play with my son
2. If I don’t have the energy to play with orly, then i’m not caring about the most important thing to any 2 year old which is playing
3. That might mean he doesn’t come to me with other things that are important to him as he grow up
4. When my energy is low I don’t have the patience to think about what’s going on for orly emotionally. Which is big for a toddler.

You see at a subconscious level we really do know that there are consequences for both our actions and also our inaction.

But often the fear of failure and what that might mean, causes us to not address or want to think about what the real consequences are to the things that truly matter. And as a result we live averagely, getting average results.

Yesterday I had a conversation with a friend of ours who came to me about some concerning blood results.

He said that he knew eventually he was going to get diabetes and he had resigned to the fact.

He believed it was the price he had to pay for his behaviour towards food.

However, upon further conversation he realised that he didn’t really know what the consequences were of diabetes.

Therefore he had created a scenario where he couldn’t truly know how having diabetes could affect his highest values which are his kids, his business and sport.

The fear of failure is very real for everybody. But I believe this is the difference to whether we are motivated to take action, or stay in inaction for fear of failure.

In that moment a person has the choice to stay ignorant to the consequences, or to seek them out and bring them into awareness. And that’s really the purpose of creating a list of consequences.

If your health goals continue to evade you, then I would suggest your unhealthiness is serving your values in some way which may be worth exploring if you really would like a different result.

Once my friend started to make the links, of course he became motivated to avoid diabetes because whether we’re aware of it or not, we will always try to find ways to have our values be met.

So what are the consequences to your highest values?

If these 3 secrets have hit some home truths for you, I’m glad.

To your success, and your epic before and after.

Tarryn Thompson

Your Virtual Health Coach

The post 3 ninja mindset secrets to getting your own before and after appeared first on Generation Health.