Are you wondering why you’re working hard to lose weight and aren’t seeing the results you would like?

It could be because you’re following some myths you’ve been told and they aren’t serving you.

I’m hoping to clear up a few things for you so you can stop making these mistakes and have a better understanding on the truths of weight loss/ management.

     1. Skipping meals = less calories = weight loss
​I see this one the most.  Many people are under-eating or doing a mix of under-eating throughout the day and overeating at night. When they do eat, they may go overboard or eat foods that aren’t in their best interest because they think “this is all I’ve had today so I can eat as much as I want”.  Not to mention, by this time, they are totally ravenous and may have a difficult time managing how much they eat.  If this is you, your body does NOT like this approach to eating at all.  Eating less by skipping meals is not the answer.  Your body likes to be fed on a regular basis so it knows it can let go of any excess fat stores, your body needs to “trust” that it will be given nourishment on a regular basis or it will not be in fat burn mode but will be in fat storing mode (starvation mode).  To combat this myth, it’s important to balance eating throughout the day and have regular meal and snack times your body can rely on.

     2. There is a “right” way and a “wrong” way to lose weight
Everyone is different and there is no magic bullet.  Having something that’s personalized that works for you and is in alignment with your current lifestyle is really the key.  Finding ways to implement healthy lifestyle changes based on your age, gender, goals, and personality type will make all the difference on whether you’ll be able to stick to changes long-term or it becomes another failed diet.  Working with an expert will help you sift through all the different options and choose what will work best for you.  I offer a complimentary discovery session that will give you an understanding on where to start.  To take advantage of that, click here.

     3. I need to avoid carbs to lose weight
This myth has been brought on by many popular diets.  The issue with carbohydrates aren’t that they are bad or necessarily cause weight gain.  Many people overeat carbs and overeat the kinds of carbs that lack nutritional value.  Damning all carbs is not the answer.  The answer is choosing higher quality, whole grains or veggies and eating them in a proper portion size and keeping the carbs that don’t have good nutritional value as treat foods and eat them in moderation.

     4. I can’t eat any “treats” if I want to lose weight
I would say that this myth is the biggest problem.  You don’t have to be “perfect” to reach your goals.  I have seen it over and over again, if you allow yourself some treats of the foods you enjoy in moderation, you will be more successful.  If you don’t feel deprived with your lifestyle changes, you will be able to follow through with them and reach your goals more easily instead of yo-yoing back and forth and being obsessed about being “good” or being “bad” on your plan. So, choose some foods you enjoy and that you can eat in moderation and add them once or twice to your week.  You’ll be amazed how this approach will help you stay on track.

     5. The scale is king
I realize I use the term “weight” loss constantly. However, I don’t care what the scale says so much as I want to know that my clients are losing body fat and getting healthier.  I merely use the term because that’s what most people associate with.  Many times, I tell clients to get rid of their scales or at least send it over to the neighbors for the time being.  The scale is only 1 measurement.  It doesn’t let you know if you’re gaining muscle, losing fat, or improving your overall health and well-being.  I see people get frustrated with what the scale says and in turn, have a set back because the expectation of what they think the scale “should” say doesn’t match what it really says.  This can be an overeating trigger for some people if they aren’t looking at how their body is changing overall.  So, find other ways to measure your progress and let go of the importance you place on the scale.

     6. I need to take extreme measures to lose weight
This is exactly opposite of what I preach in the Diet Terminator program.  You want to make small changes that are going to make a big impact.  Taking extreme actions are too difficult and unrealistic for people to live by for the long term.  Telling yourself you’re going to start exercising for an hour every day when you haven’t exercised at all in the past 5 years is setting yourself up for failure.  Decide to exercise 10 minutes a day to start the habit and then increase it as you like to.  You’ll be amazed at the changes you can make in your body with this small and consistent commitment.

     7. Weight loss is simple - It’s all about food and movement
Although, on a few occasions (very few) it can be as simple as move more, eat less.  In my experience, there are usually other factors involved.  People overeat for all kinds of reasons.  To soothe stress, emotions, fear, for reward, and as a distraction from boredom just to name a few.  When you can alleviate these overeating triggers, it’s easier to be in-tune with your body and eat when you’re physically hungry and stop when you’re satisfied.  The food and movement aspect are affected by many other aspects so, those aspects are important to attend to.  Pay attention to what patterns you may have with emotions and food, and begin to make better choices with those triggers.
 
Thanks for reading!  I would love to hear from you.  Have you been stuck in some of these common mistakes?
 
~Shari

I get a lot of questions about cleansing and detox programs.  Although, I typically don’t recommend them to my clients with certain eating behaviors, there is a place for them for some people.
 
I don’t recommend them if feeling deprived sends you into a binge or some other overeating state.  I also don’t recommend them if you are using it from a perspective of “I ate too much, I’ll just do a cleanse to rid myself of my bad behavior”.  Or, for any similar perspective of doing it out of self-judgement or torture.  In these cases, there is a larger issue at stake and a cleanse doesn’t solve the problem but perpetuates it.

I do recommend them on occasion and have helped many people manage successful cleansing and detoxing programs.
 
I love the realistic way my dear friend and colleague, Amanda Halliday, certified holistic nutritionist shares her insight about the various cleanses and detox programs out there so, I am sharing with you this recent article written by her.
 
I’ve worked with her quite a bit over the past few years and will refer clients to her for special situations such as micronutrient testing, cleansing support, or other specific health conditions.
 
She is amazing at what she does.
 
Enjoy!
 
~Shari
 
Ways to Optimize Blog 3/10/17, written by Amanda Halliday.
 
Spring is on its way, a time when nature renews itself from the inside out and we see new growth all around us. As we emerge from our winter hibernation, many of us ritually begin to spring clean our homes and tidy up our yards. It is almost an instinct that lives within us.
 
At the same time, I find that many people are ready for some renewal in their bodies too and they think about a cleanse or detox program.  Perhaps the excesses of the holidays dragged on into the New Year, or perhaps they are ready to jump-start some weight loss. Whatever the reason, it is certainly a good time to start, as nature provides us with so much fresh, local, organic produce to support our body.
 
My acupuncturist friends tell me that, in Chinese medicine, spring is a time to focus on the liver. This organ works so hard for us: removing toxins from the blood and sending them to the digestive tract for elimination; making bile so that we can digest our fats and access fat soluble vitamins; storing glycogen (our back up fuel supply), making cholesterol to build hormones and for other uses in the body….and more.  With the toxic environment in which we live, it is easy to see how the liver could get overworked and be compromised in its functioning, resulting in a variety of health symptoms.
 
To take a look at my questionnaire posted June 30th 2015 to assess your possible toxicity levels, click here: Cleanse questionnaire.
 
It can be a challenge looking for a cleanse or detox program. The shelves are full of detox products that promise us complete transformation. Which to choose? We are also bombarded with news of celebrity cleanses like Beyoncé losing weight on the very extreme Master Cleanse or Jaime Pressly doing the famous Cabbage Soup Diet. How do you navigate this for yourself and what is really best for you in the long term?
 
Some things to consider:
Whatever type of cleanse you are undertaking, if your bowels are not moving regularly then you are not cleansing. Waste products are dumped by the liver into the digestive tract for elimination and so if things are not moving as they are supposed to then the toxins stay in your system.
 
On the other hand, some cleanses produce so much bowel movement that they can be not only too brutal to the system but also keep us tied to the toilet for the duration. This is pretty impractical for most people, potentially embarrassing and isn’t necessarily delivering any benefits.
 
The ability to adjust the cleanse to work for you is important, so that you get just the right amount of elimination.
 
In the same vein, many cleanses include an adjustment to fiber intake. Too much fiber can be hard for the body to handle if it isn’t used to it. Too little can mean that waste products do not have enough to bind to for elimination. It is a balance you have to work on and it is ideal if this is adjustable.
 
I also hear about a lot of cleanse programs that involve removal of proteins. This makes little sense because the liver cannot detoxify without certain amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. Another downside of no protein is that most people will feel weak and unable to function as they normally do.
 
My last thought for you is to consider that some cleanses are just too hard to stick to. If I had a penny for every time someone told me they were doing a detox while they stood in front of me drinking a glass of wine…. Perhaps what most people really need, instead of a really strict program that will encourage a rebound, is some help in adjusting their habits for the long term so that they can achieve better balance.
 
I guess you have probably realized that this is my favorite approach to a cleanse. By all means, support the body with detoxification but while you do it, why not get educated and practice some new healthy habits that you can stick to? If you are looking for a cleanse option, I’d LOVE to help you! I have some deals on “Spring Clean Your Nutrition” Group Tele-Conference Classes starting in April with some awesome add-ons like cleansing supplements and kitchen/pantry make-overs. Prices start at just $95! Click here for the Spring Clean Your Nutrition Deals!
 
I would love to hear from you! Please leave a comment below if you would like to share your cleansing experience or have questions regarding cleansing.
 
Thank you, Amanda for allowing me to repost your wonderful article!  To find out more about Amanda and her services, visit www.waystooptimizehealth.com

Thank you for reading.
 
Cheers to Your Health!
 
~Shari

The general belief is that once a person goes on a diet, they will have amazing success and all their weight problems, and any problems associated with their weight will simply disappear.

Although it may happen for a very few, the reality for most people who diet is they turn into “dieters”.  They start a diet, something throws them off, and then they feel compelled to diet again without knowing there are other options.

Although exact numbers in diet failure rates vary from study to study, some show failure as high as 70- 95%.

Per the Center of Disease Control, nearly 75% of Americans are overweight or obese.  Considering how many diets there are out there, if they worked, we wouldn’t have this problem.
I’ve been talking to many people over the years about the importance of lifestyle changes for weight loss and I think because various dieting techniques are the societal norm, that it’s hard for many to understand what the differences are so, I’m hoping with this information today, to shift your perspective.

Diets are short term:
When most people are dieting, they are either “on” their diet or “off” it.  If you’re an “all or nothing thinker”, this usually means you’re being very strict with the diet rules and when you fall off the wagon, it’s very far off the road.  You probably say to yourself “I blew it anyway so, I may as well eat…”  This can be difficult to come back from and the person typically ends up overeating until they can psych themselves up to hop on the diet wagon again.

Lifestyle is Long term: 
Making healthy lifestyle changes is about deciding what changes will make the most difference towards your goals. Then, making small, consistent improvements in those areas while considering what you can live with as a long-term solution instead of “white knuckling it” for 8 weeks just to go back to the old ways that brought on the extra weight to begin with.
 
Diets say “I can’t”:
Diets are all about deprivation and not allowing ourselves to enjoy the foods we love and even removing entire food groups altogether. This is a recipe for failure because once we tell ourselves we can’t have something; the craving becomes even more intense and more difficult to fight.  Even most adults will rebel against this mentality at some point and end up overeating exactly what they had tried to avoid.
 
Lifestyle Incorporates Moderation: 
Lifestyle change incorporates all foods, without deprivation.  Enjoying foods we love is a part of enjoying life. By having a plan in place in allowing foods you deem “worth it” in moderation is key to success.  Yes – you can have small amounts of the so called bad foods and easily reach your goals, I’ve helped hundreds of my clients do that over the years and they never feel deprived again.
 
Diets Associate self-worth with numbers: 
The scale, our waistline measurement, or our pant size doesn’t make us who we are and associating self-worth with these numbers is simply incorrect.  This mentality can cause shame and guilt when we follow the diet rules and the numbers don’t change.  These feelings of shame and disappointment can trigger overeating.  You as a person, are so much more important than any number!

A Healthy Lifestyle is Rooted in Self-care: 
A healthy life is one that is rooted in self-care and self-love.  Making changes because you love yourself enough to do so, is much more effective than trying to force change from negative thoughts.  Dieting typically comes from the perspective of “I’m not good enough” while a healthy lifestyle is about wanting to feel our best, look our best, and improve our overall wellness.  When we make choices from a place of self-love instead of self judgement, it becomes easier and more natural to choose healthier options.
 
Diets are Stringent
Let’s face it, life is messy and things happen.  Trying to follow a plan to the letter is very difficult for most people, especially if their current lifestyle is extremely different than the diet they are suddenly trying to implement.  Most people do not stick to drastic changes and it’s best to implement changes that are not so drastic but are steady improvements on what you are currently doing.  I also find it’s very important to help my clients implement various healthy options and work with life’s twists and turns than trying to have absolute, strict plan.

Lifestyle is Personal: 
Everyone is different.  Personality, gender, age, activity, goals, and current health conditions play a role in what will work best for each person.  Trying to follow a cookie cutter program is typically not the answer.  It’s important to take the time to find out what types of lifestyle changes would be best for you to reach your goals.  I have my clients keep a simple food / mood journal so they can see first-hand how their bodies react to various foods so they can make better choices that are best for them.  We then design a plan – not a stringent plan, but a plan that fits into their life instead of trying to fit their life into someone else’s plan.
 
Diet is Food:
Focusing on food can be an important piece of the puzzle, but it’s only part of the puzzle.  There are so many reasons people turn to food that has nothing to do with the food itself.  We turn to food to soothe, nurture, reward, comfort, give us something to do, and so much more.  If we only focus on what to and what not to eat, we are missing most of the puzzle.

Lifestyle is Holistic: 
Lifestyle is simply that – your life.  Life is more than just food.  Life is about enjoyment, fulfillment, movement, well-being, love, spirituality, and so much more!  It’s my experience that if you’re not being fulfilled in your life, you may look for it in food.  Having a healthy lifestyle is about incorporating things you enjoy in your life and yes, these other things help in reaching and maintaining your ideal weight.
 
I would love to hear from you!  Have you had success with a lifestyle change that made all the difference in your weight or your health? Please, leave a comment below.

Thanks for reading!
​~Shari