I am constantly dieting and I don’t lose weight
Taking care of your nutrition does not mean you need to be on a diet all the time Trust me, I know what it is to be constantly dieting. To be searching for the latest most magical and miraculous diet. To be so self conscious about what you’re eating, that you are not even enjoying a dinner out with friends. To starve your body and yourself just for the sake of oozing one kg and feeling good when you step on the scales. Being constantly on a diet can be very harmful, both for your body and for your mind. I know what it’s like because I have been there myself. Obsessive thinking, over thinking before or after meals, having to choose other clothes because you are not comfortable wearing that for a special occasion or even thinking how am I going to look after dinner with all that food inside my stomach. All of those are signs of obsessing and overthinking about food in a harmful, unhealthy way. The thing is, that all that overthinking and “weight” you carry on your mind – is also affecting your body. What weighs up here (brain), weights down there (on your body and belly) as well. I want to share some facts with you, so that your brain starts to believe that dieting constantly is not the answer. The Downside of Constant Dieting: Metabolic Adaptation: Constantly restricting calories signals the body to adapt to the lower energy intake. The body acts as if there is going to be a hard time ahead and goes into survival.Over time, the metabolism may slow down as a survival mechanism, making it harder to lose weight. This metabolic adaptation can result in a plateau where weight loss becomes increasingly challenging, despite continued efforts to reduce calorie intake. Nutrient Deficiency: Many diets focus on limiting certain food groups, which can lead to nutrient deficiencies over time. Essential vitamins and minerals are crucial for overall health, and lacking them can have adverse effects on various bodily functions. It’s important to remember that there is no one diet that fits us all. Nutrient deficiencies can result in fatigue, weakened immunity, and other health issues, making it harder to maintain an active and balanced lifestyle. Psychological Toll: Constantly adhering to restrictive eating patterns can take a toll on mental health. The pressure to stick to a rigid diet can lead to feelings of guilt, anxiety, and even a negative relationship with food. Mental and emotional stress can contribute to emotional eating, binge eating episodes, or a cycle of restriction and overindulgence, further complicating weight management. Loss of Muscle Mass: Severely restricting calories, especially without adequate protein intake, can lead to the loss of muscle mass. Reduced muscle mass can lower the body’s overall calorie-burning capacity, making it harder to maintain weight loss in the long run. Additionally, muscle loss can affect physical strength and resilience. Potential for Eating Disorders: Constant dieting, especially when taken to extremes, can contribute to the development of eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia. These disorders not only pose serious health risks but also perpetuate an unhealthy relationship with food and body image, diverting attention from the original goal of achieving a balanced and sustainable lifestyle. I’ve seen in many clients how their metabolism is not working properly after constantly dieting while they are filled with guilt. I’ve seen the stress in their eyes, and how they are losing muscle mass. I’ve identified the potential eating disorder if they continue that way. If this feels like you, if any of these signs resonate – PLEASE I urge you to stop, pause – observe yourself. Are you focusing on health, or are you actually repeating unhealthy patterns over and over again? Are you trying all these things on your own, or are you actually seeking professional help? I won’t lie or sell you a magic pill or plan that will change all these years of obsessive and compulsive thinking and dieting. I am going to offer you a sustainable, natural, research and patient way to come back to HEALTH. You deserve to feel free and happy in your own skin. OWN IT! Read my following post for some hacks on how to focus on balance instead of dieting. With love and in health, Xoxo Sol Certified International Wellness Coach Integrative Nutrition Health Coach Accredited HCANZA-AC Certified Yoga Teacher @solpinedawellness www.solpinedawellness.com Ph: +64 27 274 8562
Welcome to an Author’s first steps, and confessions.
First, a bit about myself and my background: Well, I am a bit of both worlds, business/ entrepreneur, and holistic/ spiritual self. I have a major in economics and business, and I’ve trained to become a Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach in NY, USA. In my late 20’s I travelled to India to complete my Yoga and meditation Instructor certificate and continued to explore both the teachings and the practice (for life). Having a passion for wellness, taking care of my body/self and all those around me since I was a kid, I discovered that being a health coach was indeed my dream job. And continued my professional development to become an International Certified Health Coach, and a certified health coach and member of HCANZA-AC. I would say however, that as a kid I dreamt with making a difference, specially, helping other kids and people in need, and wishing that one day I could share with them and be of service to everyone having a happy, healthy life. I guess I was a very fortunate kid. With more than my basics covered and living in south America back then. I wanted to share my blessings with those that did not have the same opportunities that I had growing up… and…in came the writing. Writing has always been my most powerful way of expressing myself. And creating. I used to love writing essays and every time I saw a movie that involved an author or heard about a success story of a woman becoming a best-selling author, a little voice inside me would whisper “one day…one day, you will write your own book” (well, maybe it did say best seller, but I am trying to keep it humble lol) I will never forget when I heard about Joanne Rowling (J.K ROWLING) author of Harry Potter and how she used to story tell this saga to her kids, then wrote the story, blurb, and pitch on pieces of paper she carried on a suitcase while being in the benefit and rejected a dozen times…until. Until magic happened. And I want to say. I do believe in magic. I believe in dreams. I believe in aiming for the stars and making it happen. The inspiration behind this book started long ago. However, the peak time I can remember was walking through the rice fields in Ubud feeling so in love with life. I was rewiring my brain and remembering so many things that my soul had long forgotten. I started seeing life differently, feeling it differently, listening to people and conversations in a whole new way…and my lenses, the way in which I saw life changed. And so, I wanted to share this, with the whole world. My grandmother had past two days ago. I had left a silent retreat after being for more than a month there. And life was a whole new experience. Just like that picture I had going on in my memory of J.K. ROWLING, I went to a nice little Italian café and started writing there…this is where the story begins. That was the first draft. And it was still not the moment. I realized after finishing chapter 3 (handwriting. That’s right, I write everything by hand first) – that the words and story I was telling was nice, but it was not from a place of forgiveness. YET I had to continue my own journey towards self-forgiveness and others, to re write and re start from a place of presence and consciousness. It took me around 2 years to write the book. With stops and pauses in between. I had what’s is called as “writers block” more than once and experienced a whole Impostor syndrome 101 before finishing it. Lucky me at that time, I was committed to a Health coaching mastermind group with other colleagues from NZ/AUS and they backed me up, supported me, encouraged, and helped me in ways beyond what they might even now. One of them won a “Book coaching session” in Australia and decided to gift it back to me. As she knew I was struggling and needed some help. Another one, helped me revel my biggest block, I was waiting for outside validation, when all the validation I needed was inside of me. “I am the only one that can validate myself” said one of my notes in my writing desk in Stewart Island. My partner also really supported me, always thinking that I would become a best seller and would be writing book after book (HEY, STILL AFTER THAT DREAM!) So yes, I HAVE OTHER books in mind, and I have already started the draft for my second one…If I can share something, is that again, it will be a book that will help you. It will help you get things done, courageously going for them, embracing mistakes, and releasing the need to be perfect. My schedule when writing my book, and after checking with the book coach, was quite strict. I had to write every day (hand of course) at least for 30 minutes at 11.11. If it was more, then great, less than that, I would still sit down and wait for those 30 minutes in case any idea came up. I also started playing a little bit. Cause, I don’t like it when things get sooooo serious that I stop enjoying. That was never the plan, or the purpose behind the book. So, I had all these huge POST IT NOTES, and small ones, and heart shaped ones, and stars… And I did a detective board. I guess I had seen this before in several movies and always thought what a good idea it was. Got my titles, got the subtitles, got the quotes and Dr’s and lessons and coaching tips that I wanted to share. And started linking them all. Sometimes at 11.11 I would stare both the board and my blank page