We're talking body weight today. Is it possible to lose it without "dieting" or expensive drugs—and, if so, how?
This topic can be triggering. It requires nuance that's tough to achieve in a one-way email. I usually leave it for private and group sessions, but I have heard you! I know from your emails that body weight is a concern for many of you, so I think it's important to offer tools and information.
The most important thing is that 👉 no one has the right to judge your weight or your desire to gain, lose, or maintain it. Your body is your business. Period.
I'll keep my email short today so you have time to read the following piece if this question resonates with you...
The answer is essentially yes! Most folks can lose weight without traditional "dieting," but not without making some significant changes. (Of course, the amount varies, depending on the extent of the changes you make and a variety of genetic and environmental factors.)
"Short-term changes don’t lead to lasting results, but if your status quo changes significantly enough, your body can as well."
Check out the article to read about a client who lost 70 pounds over the course of two and a half years. She hit her goal (and kept going through multiple plateaus) because she figured out how to make lifestyle changes she'd fight for if someone tried to take them away.
👉 The key is falling in love with something new: new food, new ways of moving, new daily rhythms, and new companions.
We're coming up on the holidays, and wouldn't it be nice to do things differently this year? If you're sick of "weight loss hacks" rising to the top of your search engine and this column strikes a chord, I hope you'll share it!
Let's show the algorithms that content like this has teeth... that we need and deserve honest, thoughtful answers, not restrictive dieting rules that fall apart 24 hours later.
Reach out any time if I can be of help, or send your own anonymous question to me at Hey, Health Coach!
All the best,
Sarah
Study: A Little Movement Goes A Long Way
A new study from The Lancet Public Health that followed more than 25,000 people (aged 42 to 78) for nearly eight years showed that "incidental activity" of less than 10 minutes—aka chores, running after pets or kids, going up and down steps, gardening, walking to get the mail, etc—were associated with "a steep decrease in major cardiac events (heart attack/stroke) and death by any cause."
👉 In fact, activity of 1 to 3 minutes showed significantly more benefits than moving for less than a minute, especially if you can get your heart rate up for 15% of that time (roughly 10 seconds per minute).
The message? MOVEMENT MATTERS. All kinds of movement can benefit your health. It easy to focus on weight, but getting your heart rate up for just a few minutes throughout the day can make an enormous difference for your health and longevity. 💪❤️👟
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