#13 Three success stories prove “one size” does NOT “fit all”
Research shows that only a small fraction of people who participate in a “one size fits all” diet are successful long-term.
Instead, I suggest you try “start where you are.” Ask yourself, “What prevents me from already being at my desired weight?” I’ll bet you can answer that fairly easily, identifying the two or three behaviors that you could change for the better. And I know for sure that it’s different for every person.
The plan is not to target the lowest calories possible, or the most stringent plan you can tolerate, but rather to eat as much as you can and still lose weight. To keep most of your food the same, and only tackle the problem areas. Later you will transition into the plan that results in you keeping those pounds off: this is often VERY close to the amounts and types of foods you ate to lose the weight. This is what people mean when they say, “It’s a lifestyle change.” It absolutely is. It works whether you have 10 pounds to lose or 100.
Let me tell you about a few of my clients who used this method and were able to succeed. Of course, their names and other identifying information have been changed to protect their privacy.
Pearl is in her early 70s and is a part-time fitness instructor. She had successfully lost about 60 pounds on Weight Watchers several decades earlier. When she came to me, she was discouraged about what the covid years, a surgery, and grieving a loss had resulted in: a regain of 25 pounds. First, she needed to celebrate all the pounds that she had been able to keep off! It’s remarkable the emotional scars left by mainstream “diet culture” that prevent us from seeing the positives! Then, we simply increased her protein and gently decreased her carbs, resulting in a 15-pound loss. In her case, she wants to talk a lot about the food itself, cooking, shopping, how to accomplish the tweaking, and so we do! Her energy improved, her mood lightened. Now, she’s on a plateau and we’re working on getting in touch with hunger and satiety from the inside out, not being discouraged about “the last 10.” The accountability continues to help her persevere. Losing weight in your 70s requires patience, and she is awesome! She is collecting the experience to be able to keep it off for the rest of her life. She feels back in control of her own destiny!
Cher is a 40-ish financial professional, single mom, and long-time vegan. She arrived identifying herself as a sugar addict with an agenda to kick it (again). Her experience eliminating sugar in the past was through a very controlled and restricted diet that became unrealistic for her actual life. She has an extremely complex schedule including shared custody of her son, cooking for other family members, and going to restaurants. Most importantly, she was grappling with feelings of low self-esteem. We hacked her schedule making small windows of “me time” for her to regain composure. We experimented with a realistic approach to reducing sugar and flour, seeing where she could indulge without getting into her compulsion to consume more, more, more. She lost 10 pounds in 12 weeks as she regained her feelings of self-trust and self-efficacy. Now, she glows!
Marena is in her early 60s and comes from a Mediterranean country with a rich, healthy food tradition. Like so many people, she gained weight when she came to the U.S and started eating the Standard American Diet (SAD). She is a struggling entrepreneur in the food industry. She juggles care for her aging mother who lives with her, a couple of medical issues, the needs of her grown children, as well as the fledgling business. She chooses to track her food on an app. She knows her food preferences and how to eat to lose weight, from past experience. Her obstacles are all about a lack of self-care. Like so many women, she spends all her time caring for and pleasing others so she needs support in prioritizing herself. We’ve worked on sleep and stress levels, also brainstorming what she needs from her doctors for her health issues. So far, she has lost 12 pounds with 7 pounds to go!
What is your situation? Can you apply these simple principles to jump-start your weight loss?
Let me know how I might help.
For a free strategy session, email me at linda@riseupslimdown.com or click here.