Your Spring time weight loss – how to avoid another failure in your cap!

Spring Weight Loss: How to Avoid Another Failure on the Cap

You may still be in the middle of a deep freeze like I am. If you are in the northern hemisphere, you cannot mistake the signs of early spring. One thing is certain: the days are getting longer.

This is the perfect time to plan your summer body, because metabolically speaking, summer is just around the corner.

I am sold on the concept of seasonal rhythms in the body, which is why I think now is the moment to think about shaping up and dropping some pounds. If you do it before summer arrives, you have a much better shot at keeping it off the rest of the year.

Here are tips to help you go with the flow while your body starts telling you it is ready to lose weight.

1. Guard your sleep. Seasonal changes can play havoc with your sleep, and that plays havoc with your waistline.
2. Remember your waistline is really your waste line. Back when our Paleo ancestors were getting ready for long cold winters, they needed to store fat for the lean months. There are no lean times in the U.S. for most people. Your body extracts about 95 percent of the calories you give it and is extremely good at conservation. Do not fool yourself.
3. Food choices matter, but calories are still calories. Foods that are filling and not nutritionally dense are the best for weight loss. That usually does not mean nut-based or whole-grain-based foods. When in doubt, eat more vegetables. Frankly, I would limit nuts and whole grains to a handful a day.
4. Eat the veggies first. Drink a large glass of water before the meal so there is some volume in your stomach. Years ago I started doing this while preparing the meal, whether breakfast or dinner. It helps a lot.
5. Slow down on eating out. Much of what is prepared commercially is slathered in dressings, dips, and sauces. It becomes nearly impossible to keep the calories down or eat clean.
6. Reduce or eliminate alcohol. The “glass of wine a day” thing is pretty much nonsense when it comes to healthy choices.
7. Increase your protein intake. I started snacking on protein shakes a long time back. Protein helps with sugar maintenance and is a great way to manage appetite without a lot of calories. Protein takes more energy to digest as well. Just keep your water intake up if you are increasing protein.
8. If you know you are going to need help, do not wait. You probably know whether you can go it alone or whether it is going to be another failure on the cap.

You can do this. I can help.

Doc