Once upon a time…
I probably thought that everyone could lose weight via more exercise and less food.
And, in its simplest form, that IS how people lose weight (or more specifically, lose fat).
However, if you’re reading this, you likely know that just exercising more and eating less is far easier said than done.
I learned early on after opening RevFit that hormones influence how we eat, medications influence how we eat, stress influences how we eat, sleep habits influence how we eat, trauma influences how we eat, and all of the same factors influence how, how much and whether or not we exercise at all.
So, yes, there are success stories abound of people who reached a weight they no longer can tolerate and they start watching their food intake and they start moving more and the weight comes off.
Maybe it stays off and maybe they rebound.
Some people hire coaches, like myself, who can handle the strength coaching and the nutrition coaching, and that synergy of coaching, support and community can help where just doing it on their own may not have succeeded.
However, since I’ve been working with Dr. Spencer Nadolsky and my fellow coaches at Big Rocks Nutrition Coaching, I’ve had the reinforcement there’s far more to this puzzle than simply a diet/exercise intervention.
Some people simply need more help.
I remain a major advocate of therapy because I understand how much our mental state correlates with choosing to eat better and choosing to exercise more. A qualified therapist can help someone unlock those psychological hurdles.
And, genetics DO play a role.
So, what’s left is pharmaceutical interventions and weight loss surgeries.
We have reached a point with medical advances where the medications available to those struggling to lose weight are not only powerful but come with few side effects. It is very much possible that you may have to be on the medications at a low dose to keep from rebounding once you’ve lost your desired weight. That being said, if you qualify for those medications, this may be the piece to your puzzle that you’ve been missing.
As I’ve discovered, even those who are on medications for weight loss still need coaching. The medication only solves one portion of the challenge. There are still improvements to monitor on eating habits, sleep hygiene, exercise and more.
Much like pharmaceutical advances, bariatric surgery has also come a long way. What I’ve learned is that just because someone elects to have surgery doesn’t mean they won’t rebound. As such, many patients may need to consider a weight loss medication in addition to their surgery. The surgery is arguably the MOST effective form of weight loss but, it’s not a cure-all and it doesn’t solve what’s happening neurologically with hunger and satiety signals.
I write all of this first to educate and second to inspire and encourage: in a “perfect” world, someone who wants to lose fat can just flip a switch, and eat less and move more and their problem is solved.
We don’t live in that world.
Which is why having options for successful fat loss is helpful and knowing how to support those who take whatever means necessary to safely lose fat and keep it off is crucial to their success.
Need to work with me directly for nutrition coaching? Simply reply to this post and I can get you more information.
If you need help with the pharmaceutical side, I’d love for you to check out Dr. Spencer’s Sequence program. In full disclosure, I receive no incentives or kickbacks for the referral. I just know that for some people it may be their very best option to add to their plan. You can find out more about Sequence here.
