Introduction: It All Starts With You !
It took me a long time to understand that Weight Loss IS NOT a One-Step Process. I used to exercise frequently or become overly fixated on my diet. What I didn’t realize was that achieving success required finding a healthy balance between VARIOUS factors for YOUR own body & needs.
Common Factors:
Insulin
Cortisol
Appetite Suppression
Caloric deficit
Boosting metabolism
Digestion
Increase protein intake
Adequate sleep
Burning Fat
Mindset
Note:
This will teach you discipline and the importance of putting in the effort yourself—no one else can do it for you.
First Steps:
It all begins with a plan ~
Take the time to truly understand your body.
Do you have a slow metabolism? Are you prone to bloating? Do you often crave junk food or sweets? Dive deeper into your roots and heritage to understand your body.
Start Slowly
If you try to tackle everything at once, sticking to a routine will feel much harder. Instead, ease into it by introducing changes gradually—focus on improving your diet first, or aim to complete just one task each day, like a small workout or healthy meal.
Implement Exercise
Focus on consistency over intensity at first. Remember, even small steps forward count. Gradually increase the duration and intensity as your body adapts. Exercising without maintaining a balanced diet could be the reason you still appear the same despite your efforts.
Maintenance
Congratulations if you got this far! With dedication, you'll keep building on your success and make healthy living a permanent part of your lifestyle.
Recommended Sugar Intake
Women: No more than 25g
Men: No more than 36g
Foods & Nutrients to Boost Metabolism:
Protein-rich foods
Green tea / matcha / coffee
Spicy Foods
Cold Water with ACV or Lemon
Terms:
Insulin- A hormone that helps regulate blood sugar
Insulin Sensitivity - This is what we want, helps cells absorb glucose from the bloodstream to be used for energy / stored for later rather
Insulin Resistance - Low insulin levels make it difficult for the body to effectively absorb glucose, leading to higher blood sugar levels.
Example: Insulin is like a gas nozzle, delivering glucose to your cells. With insulin sensitivity, the nozzle works well, efficiently filling the tank (cells). But with insulin resistance, the nozzle struggles, causing glucose to spill over into the bloodstream, leading to higher blood sugar levels.
RESEARCH:
"Funding dubious science. Both the soft drink and sugar industries generously fund scientific research. Is that good news? Studies they have financed are much more likely to find that there is no connection between sodas and weight gain (Bes-Rastrollo, Schulze, Ruiz-Canela, & Martínez-González, 2013). Similarly, a nonprofit founded and funded by Coca-Cola supports scientists who argue that exercise is more important than calorie-cutting in losing weight. They make this argument despite evidence that eating less is much more effective in weight loss than exercising more. On average, Americans exercise only 17 minutes a day. How likely is it that everyone who drinks a Coke will go out and walk the three miles it would take to burn off those calories?" (O'Connor, 2015).
References:
Beatty, Jeffrey F., et al. Essentials of Business Law / Jeffrey F. Beatty, Susan S. Samuelson, Patricia Sánchez Abril. 6th edition., Cengage, 2019.
Bes-Rastrollo, Maira, et al. "Financial Conflicts of Interest and Reporting Bias Regarding the Association between Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Weight Gain: A Systematic Review of Systematic Reviews." PLOS Medicine, vol. 10, no. 12, 2013, e1001578, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001578
O'Connor, Anahad. "Coca-Cola Funds Scientists Who Shift Blame for Obesity Away From Bad Diets." The New York Times, 9 Aug. 2015, https://archive.nytimes.com/well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/08/09/coca-cola-funds-scientists-who-shift-blame-for-obesity-away-from-bad-diets/.