Lack of proper education & awareness of our current habits could be one of the largest barriers to losing weight or getting healthier. The reason for that is, we don’t know what we’ve never been properly taught, and therefore we cannot make the best informed decision for our health. There was a period of time when I was younger that I was working out really hard, but not losing weight. I was so frustrated, when my best friend finally probably got tired of me complaining and mentioned that I ate like a garbage truck. She was right. Haha, and I’m forever thankful for her honesty because that’s how I learned more about nutrition.
Nutrition is a large portion of weight loss, muscle gain, and general health. Certain foods boost our immune system while others can cause detriment. Some foods help us build muscle better than others, and although a calorie deficit is the most important in weight loss, we can certainly feel more satisfied filling those calories with high protein and veggies than we can with unsatisfying potato chips and chicken wings. Learning about the nutrition facts labels that go into everything you eat will help you become more aware. That sugary coffee you pick up each morning might have as many calories as 3 whole eggs, but which one is going to keep you full & satisfied? Which one will cause you likely to end up eating more to compensate for your hunger later? Becoming aware of what we consume and how it affects us is the first step to making progress. Don’t turn a blind eye to what you eat, it might be the single most important reason you aren’t making progress!
Lack of education ties in with this. All I really remember being taught from health class in school was that we should eat about 2,000 calories per day. However that number is actually completely different for each individual based on their height, age, current weight, activity level, and goals. We are never taught to determine our personal needs, and therefore some people could be seriously overeating OR undereating depending on their lifestyle. Taking nutrition courses, reading books, and getting certifications has really helped me understand the basics of nutrition I was never taught, which has led to me creating much healthier habits. A few of the things I learned to do consistently are get my fruits and vegetables in, eat a higher protein diet, drink a gallon of water each day, and limit processed foods.
The last element I believe is important to mention is that as humans we overcompensate our movement and under-compensate our food intake. Many people think the one workout in the day is enough movement, but we should really be taking more steps and standing more often than we do, especially in a society that allows us to take the easy route so often (ordering groceries and dinner to our front door, working at a seated desk, using an elevator vs. the stairs). On the other hand, we also don’t realize how much we are consuming. Our beverages, food sauces, and restaurant foods have higher calories than we would ever expect, and are sneaky ways our food intake adds up. As well as the seemingly harmless snacking we have all done here and there 🤪. These are just some examples of what we might be missing when trying to reach our goals without even realizing it. Mostly because, we’ve never even been taught to think about these things! The weight loss/nutrition course I am creating covers all of these topics in great depth, so you’ll be able to learn more soon, but that’s all for today!
Resilient & Radiant 