This week's Hey, Health Coach was a sensitive topic, but it's one I know a lot of people have questions about.
When "Weighty Goal" wrote in to ask advice on not making progress with weight loss on a very strict diet and fitness plan, we discussed the physiological changes that happen when you first start exercising—including several reasons people temporarily gain weight.
👉 But, in addition to these fundamental truths about how bodies adapt when presented with more exercise and fewer calories, I wondered if it might be helpful to address how to measure success when you're on a new fitness or weight loss journey and what a difference that shift in perspective can make in the long run.
"Consistency is a key predictor for sustainable well-being, but staying consistent with habits that don’t produce your desired results right away can be maddeningly difficult. If your ultimate goal is to maintain a lower weight in the long run, identifying other ways to measure progress can go a long way toward keeping you on track."
For more on what to know about weighing in when weight loss efforts aren't going as planned, check out this week's column!
The link between food, gut microbiome, and depression
The science on the connection between the gut microbiome and mental health is getting more intriguing with each passing year, but we don't need to be scientists or dieticians to know how to heal ourselves with food.
Most of us just need the basics:
➡️ a wide variety of fruits and vegetables
➡️ plenty of fiber
➡️ not too much sugar
Changing anything about your diet is easier said than done, but I find that helping my clients ADD things rather than taking things away is a great place to start.
This article from The Washington Post is a primer on the "gut-brain axis" and how food can help with depression.
The choices we make really do make a difference (far beyond the number on the scale), and every little bit helps!
If you're enjoying what you're reading, please consider sharing this Microdosing Wellness newsletter with friends! They can sign up here.
Past posts can be found HERE.