Thinking, Thinking ... The power of small changes when it comes to weight loss

The difference between 'thinking' of losing weight and actually doing something about it.
FBY Staff Updated 29 March 2024
The best Small Changes for Weight Loss
The Power of Small Habits for Weight Loss
Small changes are really the bottom line of all weight loss. Whether you're trying to lose 20 pounds, 200 pounds, or are trying to reduce your fat to lean muscle mass, so that you can play your favorite sport better (which is what we hope you're working towards!), making small dietary changes are critical to weight loss and weight management. Here are some truly effective weight loss tips in how to lose weight and keep it off. So, get out your notebook, set yourself up a weight loss meal plan and get ready to jump into the deep end! Eat breakfast every day. A lot of people skip breakfast or just 'grab something quick.' But skipping breakfast will actually make you more likely to overeat later in the day. When you skip breakfast, your blood sugar levels drop, which often leads to cravings and overeating. By eating breakfast, you will help stabilize your blood sugar levels and prevent you from overeating later. And, A study published in the journal "Obesity" found that people who ate breakfast every day were more likely to lose weight and keep it off than those who skipped breakfast. [1] Eat more protein! I know, a lot of people think carbs (oatmeal, cereal or a croissant) are 'perfect!' But they're absolutely not. Protein fuels your muscles early in the day, helps you feel full and boosts your metabolism. When you eat protein, your body, in turn, burns more calories just to digest and absorb it! Tell me that's not cool! This will help you to lose weight and keep it off. Again, you're welcome! And then, eat more fruits and vegetables. I know, it sounds obvious ... and perhaps even cliche ... but ... fruits and vegetables are low in calories and high in nutrients and fiber, which helps you feel fuller and more satisfied, making them a great choice for losing weight and keeping it off!
1. Breakfast Skipping, Body Composition, and Cardiometabolic Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Trials.
How to lose weight without giving up your favorite foods
How to Eat Healthy and Lose Weight
Losing weight can be a pain! Especially when eliminating your favorite foods is involved. But it doesn't have to be! There are many ways to lose weight without giving up your favorite foods. And, there are ways to cut back on your favorites while beginning to include healthy weight loss snacks that'll get you fully under way on your weight loss journey!
First off, know that just radically changing your diet on day one is the perfect recipe for disaster! So, with that in mind, think about all you ate yesterday and ask yourself what you could have replaced with something/anything that would have been a little, just a little, better for you. Could you have replaced that "diet" Pepsi at lunch with sparkling water or juice? Could you have made the hamburger much better for you by just throwing out the bun!? Bet you haven't thought about that one ... but if you'd done just that, you'd have eliminated about 200 calories AND 6 grams of pure sugar! Now that may not seem like a lot, but it adds up ... quickly! And 'unburned' sugar is diverted directly into our fat tissue.
So, what else can you do to make this as pain free and efficient as possible?
Aside from what we addressed above about eating breakfast every day, eating plenty of protein (of which good sources include lean beef, chicken/turkey, fish, beans, eggs, and dairy products), and eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, there are a number of other things you can do to "move the needle" in the right direction! And one, is proving itself, possibly, more important than all the rest put together! Choose and use healthy fats! Did you know that not all fats are created equal? Healthy fats, such as those found in avocados, nuts, and seeds, will actually help you to lose weight! You can and should increase your intake of the healthy fats found in oils. Olive, avocado oil, coconut, flaxseed, sesame, walnut, and (the most distasteful disgusting oil I had to drink as a child) cod liver oils are all great to increase as you begin to 'add in' new replacements for your favorite treats.
And FYI - In a ten-year study published in 2021 by Frontiers in Nutrition, researchers followed over 130,000 people for over 10 years to see how their diet affected their risk of death. The study concluded that low-fat diets are not a healthy way to lose weight or improve your health. Instead, they recommend following a healthy diet that includes moderate amounts of fat from healthy sources. [1]
The researchers also found that those who followed a low-fat diet were more likely to die from all causes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer than those who followed a healthy diet that included moderate amounts of fat.
Make small changes. Don't try to overhaul your entire diet overnight. Instead, start by making small changes, such as adding more fruits and vegetables to your meals or choosing whole grain bread instead of white bread. This is where healthy snacks come in!
Find healthy versions of your favorite foods. There are many healthy substitutions of your favorite foods available. Unfortunately, what you'll find on the shelves today, things like low-fat ice cream, fat-free cheese, and other 'fat-free' foods are really not the way to go. They are often empty calories, bleached flour, modified sugars, sugar replacements, and preservatives. So, if you can, go for single ingredient replacements or genuinely healthy substitutes for your fav's. For us, that's fruits! Easy to find and loads of energy. And they taste great!
Don't deprive yourself. If you really want to eat your favorite food, go for it! Just make sure to eat it in moderation. Limit how many times a week or month you allow yourself to have it and/or tie it to either good eating or exercise sessions completed.
Make time for exercise. Exercise is an important part of any healthy diet. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise most days of the week at least three days per week to start. But, add walks after dinner, window shopping on weekends or kicking around the soccer ball with your kids! We're trying to get moving here ... so, get moving!
Be patient. It takes time to make lasting changes to your diet. And it takes time to change habits and start to get results. So, don't get discouraged if you slip up occasionally. As you will see all over our site, this is not a sprint to drop 5 pounds, this is changing, growing and improving our lives for the rest of our life! If you eat terribly one day, pick yourself up the next and start again.
1. Associations of Dietary Fat Intake With Mortality From All Causes, Cardiovascular Disease, and Cancer: A Prospective Study
crash diets and weight loss
The Truth About Crash Diets And Weight Loss
A crash diet is a very restrictive diet that usually entails eating very few calories, eliminating entire food groups, or increasing single item intake to unrealistic, and often unhealthy levels. Crash diets are often promoted as a quick and easy way to lose weight, but they're actually not.
Here are some of the risks of crash dieting:
• Nutritional deficiencies: Crash diets most often don't provide your body with the nutrients it needs, which can lead to nutritional deficiencies. This often causes fatigue, weakness, gut issues, joint pain and other health problems.
• Metabolic slowdown: Crash dieting can slow down your metabolism, which actually takes you in the wrong direction and makes it harder to lose weight in the long run. • Disordered eating: Crash dieting can lead to disordered eating habits, such as binge eating and purging. These habits are pretty darned harmful to your physical and mental health!
• Weight regain: Crash diets often lead to rapid weight loss, but this weight is usually achieved through water loss or muscle 'wasting'. It is usually regained quickly once you go back to your normal eating habits. This can lead to a cycle of weight loss and regain, which is, again, bad for your physical and mental well-being.
If you're looking to lose weight in a healthy way, it's important to avoid crash diets. Instead, focus on slowly making small, gradual changes to your diet and lifestyle that you can stick with for the long term. This is what gets you going in the right direction and where you ultimately want to go!
"Nobody Lies Like I do!"
How We Lie to Ourselves About Weight Loss
Why do we all lie to ourselves about this thing called "weight loss?" We might tell ourselves that we're not really that overweight, or that we'll start dieting tomorrow. I used to have really good make excuses for my 'temporary' unhealthy eating habits, and, at points, even denied I had a weight problem! And this was after being a competitive athlete my whole life!
Lying to ourselves about weight loss is, plain and simple, harmful. It prevents us from making the changes we need make to lose weight and keep it off once and for all. It also lead us right down the road to feelings of guilt and shame, which then makes it even harder to lose weight!
So, what the heck do we do!?
There are a few things we can start with to stop lying to ourselves about weight loss:
First, we need to be honest with ourselves about our current weight and health status. Are our clothes not fitting? Do we constantly have sounds and gurgles emanating from body that are ... odd? Or worse, as in my case, hurt!? At least start at being honest
Second, we need to set realistic goals for weight loss. What is really possible!? Are you 5' 3" tall, 80 pounds overweight, and want to play in the NBA? I can and will tell you that that is not a realistic goal. But, if you are 5' 3" tall, 80 pounds overweight, and want lose 50 pounds and walk a 10k at 10 minutes off your record time, that is 100% realistic!
Think this through, write it down and burn it into your brain so that everything else in your life takes a back seat to it! Next ...
Third, we need to make a plan for how we're going to achieve our goals. Without a reason, an idea of how to get there and the resolve to stick to that plan, you're at the wrong place in time. But, if you're formulating your plan, working on your resolve, gaining some confidence and plotting to take over your body image ... now that's a plan!
Finally, we need to be patient and persistent. That doesn't mean weighing yourself daily. It means weighing yourself once per month (on your birth date), actually taking the time to look in the mirror and SEE who you are ... but, more importantly ... seeing who you are working to be!
Breathe ... relax ... this is yours! It is yours because you deserve to experience it ... just as you envision it (and get better at envisioning it every day!).
 Losing weight and keeping it off is a challenge, but it is possible. It is real. And it is waiting right around the corner for you! The first step though is to stop lying to ourselves by being willing to, and developing, more self-awareness through our own bad-ass determination and converting that into unstoppable motivation. Once we're honest with ourselves, we can start making the authentic changes needed to reach our goals, change our life and experience the awe we previously only imagined!
Today is Not Yesterday
What is always coming, but never arrives? It is always ahead of us, but we can never reach it. We can only approach it, but we can never touch it. Isn't this what trying to lose weight, maintain your weight or even gain weight, for some, is like? And do you know why? Because in every one of those statements, they're referring to tomorrow! And tomorrow never comes. Ever.
If you think you're going to lose weight, get in great shape and feel terrific without figuring out all the mental stuff ... you're sorely mistaken. Let's put together a "Mental Rehearsal Gameplan!
Friends are wonderful to share our time and lives with. But are they safe for your diet!? Find out how friends can affect your health and weight.
Much like the article above, our thoughts are the key. So, what do we do to get our thoughts squared away and how do we practice what we dream?
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