Biting Off More Than You Can Chew

Biting off more than you can chew will almost always throw you out of balance.

Oh, I did that in more ways than you can imagine this last fall and holiday season. Between the home improvement projects, my business projects, and the “rush” of the holiday season, and often not getting enough rest or practicing self care, I knew I was ready to lose my equilibrium. Re-prioritizing, resetting my goals, and letting go of the things I couldn’t control, meant keeping myself in balance.

But when it came to holiday foods, the scales dipped. I took bites – lots of them – of food I don’t normally indulge. That partially happened because I got feedback that my family was missing the traditional dishes. So I threw caution to the wind, especially at Thanksgiving, and didn’t stick with the healthier foods that I knew worked best for me (and would be better for them). Sometimes my body gave me immediate feedback, while at other times the discomfort didn’t hit until the next day. The biggest pain was the hurt to my pride – and my waistline.

At Christmas, I changed my tactics and made a traditional version of enchiladas and a healthier, vegetarian and dairy-free version – so there were choices. It worked – everyone was happy. And, I felt good. Bottom line is, I’m a real person too and it was frustrating this year staying on track with my commitments, so I get how frustrating it can be when you’ve been working so hard to stay on track too!

Getting off balance with your health goals is usually a result of many different factors. It’s the same with our weight. Your health, diet, lifestyle, and mindset can all affect your ability to put weight on if you need it, maintain your ideal weight, or shed unwanted pounds when they creep on.

Regaining your balance and resetting your system starts with a mindset. But through all of my studies and my experience, I’ve learned that the same issues keep surfacing for those who struggle to regain balance or want to lose weight:

Some Dietary Issues:

1. Skipping meals – this destabilizes your blood sugar and sends your body into starvation mode, a state in which your body holds onto fat as a protective measure.

2. Not consuming enough of the right fats – healthy fats like coconut, avocado flax seeds, hemp seeds, etc., helps you burn body fat, stay full longer, balance your hormones, and fight inflammation. So keep ‘em in your diet!

3. Dehydration – adding lemon water to your diet helps alkalize and detoxify your body while curbing your hunger.

4. Packaged and poor quality foods – they’re loaded with processed carbs, sugar, and while they may be packaged as a ‘health’ food, they only add empty calories and actually fuel the ‘roller coaster’ of rising and dropping blood sugar levels.

5. Emotional and mindless eating – eating while distracted with either TV, reading, or eating on the run, as well as eating when upset results in lack of portion control and eating when you’re really NOT hungry. These are all huge culprits of weight gain.

Some Lifestyle Issues:

1. Sleep – not getting enough sleep throws off the balance of hormones that are heavily involved in weight management/control. The quality and timing of sleep also matters. Going to bed at 12 midnight and getting 7 hours of sleep is not the same as going to bed at 9 or 10 p.m. and getting the same amount.

2. Hormonal imbalance – hormones like ghrelin and excess cortisol can increase your hunger, appetite, and fat storage.

3. Stress – exhausted adrenal glands, due to constant high levels of stress, will send your body into a constant ‘fight or flight’ state, putting abnormal pressure on the body’s endocrine system.

4. Exercise routine – unless you add weights to your cardio routine, mix up your exercises, and avoid excessive workouts, you will surely reach a plateau with the effectiveness of your workouts.

5. Liver congestion and an overly toxic body – when the toxicity levels in our body builds up, our cleansing organs are taxed, inflammation sets in, and the resulting weight gain becomes difficult, if not impossible, to manage.

Taking an assessment of your diet, lifestyle, and mindset is the perfect place to start making changes. You can begin taking the baby steps you need to get to your goals. You may be ready to jump into a mini program to reset your body and mind…or you may be looking for a well-rounded, customized plan that meets your individual needs, abilities, and goals. The important thing is to get started.

Biting off more than you can chew will almost always throw you out of balance.

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