Do you want to finally break free from yo-yo dieting this year? Focus on this one thing and keep reading to learn about the shift you need to make to reach your goals healthily and sustainably!

Most women I know (including myself) have fallen victim to yo-yo dieting. As a health coach, I talk to self-proclaimed yo-yo dieters every day. Even worse, I talk to many women who do not even realize they fall into this category. The problem is they haven’t recognized it and when you aren’t aware of it, you certainly don’t know how to remedy it!

Women who spend their lives on the diet roller coaster typically have nothing to show for it. In fact, when they come to me, they’re struggling to manage weight more than ever and feel terrible. They’re in a constant cycle of losing and gaining but can’t figure out why they can’t sustain their lifestyle (or weight) long-term. 

Does this sound familiar to your story? Each time you begin a diet, what is your number one priority or goal? If your answer is “to lose weight”, keep reading. You’re going to want to hear what I have to say!

This may come as a surprise, but if your top priority is always weight loss, you’re always going yo-yo. Allow me to explain…

Oftentimes, we prioritize weight loss from a place of desperation. This is especially the case after the holiday season. When we’re desperate to lose weight, we usually:

• eat low-volume/low-calorie foods that lack proper nutrients
• eliminate certain food groups (e.g. keto eliminates carbohydrates, etc.)
• feel limited or deprived, especially in social situations
• exercise more to counteract what we ate
• focus on getting to a number and obsess about the scale
• feel shame and guilt for “cheating” or binging

Along with every action comes a consequence. Unfortunately, every component mentioned above has a negative consequence and makes us miserable:

• lack of nutrients = lack of energy (food is energy)
• lack of carbohydrates and healthy fat = fatigue, insomnia, and brain fog
• limitations at social events = self-judgment and shame 
• exercising as punishment = exhaustion and low motivation
• obsessing over the scale = feeling unworthy/inadequate
• guilt for cheating = feelings of failure

As you can see, when you take drastic measures to lose weight, you sacrifice so much more! The negative consequences far outweigh the weight loss. Don’t believe me? Keep trying it. It doesn’t matter how much weight you lose, if everything else suffers, you’re going to eventually give up. Hence, the yo-yo diet we’re all so familiar with…

This prompts the question: How do I actually lose fat without making weight loss my top priority?

Well, the answer is quite simple: FEELING GOOD and HEALTHY becomes your top priority. When feeling good is your top priority, weight loss will naturally occur and that’s a promise! The goal is to create a lifestyle that increases your energy, rather than depleting it! When your energy level is high, you’re going to lose fat, gain strength, sleep better, and feel more motivated to keep going! Living a healthy lifestyle is the only way to build consistency and when you’re consistent, you’re holding the golden ticket! 

If you want to feel your best and reach your fat loss goals, you’ll need to focus on the following:

• fueling your body with nutrients that will help your body function at its best
• strength training and choosing exercises you enjoy 
• how you’re feeling rather than a number on the scale
• being consistent before and after social events/eating plenty of protein before an event
• living an 80/20 lifestyle (80% whole food nutrition/20% fun food)

Changing your number one priority from weight loss to feeling good is a simple, but powerful shift in thinking – but it can change your life! When you feel good, you keep going, and when you keep going, you become who you desire to be!

Want to learn more about how I can help you create a customized plan that will take your health journey to the next level in 2023?!