Don't forget: You can Shift or Re-Shift on March 26! There's still time to register and get an early registration discount. www.ShiftWeightMastery.com
It’s hard to believe another month has passed so quickly. This week I wanted to focus on some common questions that I get asked by Shifters.
Q: I exercise a lot but can’t release weight—why??
Rita: When you exercise but eat more calories than your body burns per day (including the exercise calories)--you gain weight. That’s why there are a lot of frustrated people at the gym. You maybe burning calories working out but you can eat back those calories in 5 minutes if you are not aware of your calorie output and intake. The idea that you’re exercising your butt off may be true--but then you go and eat your butt right back on after the gym!! The calories in a protein shake or even some protein bars and equal the calories burned working out on the treadmill for an hour! You still need to honor the laws of physics (calories in and calories out)—exercise is not—I repeat not a free pass to eat more. Sorry—harsh but true. Don’t get mad at me—I didn’t invent physics—I am just passing on the information. Try tracking your exercise calories over a week and see how many you actually burn and be clear exactly how many calories you are taking in. This will probably enlighten you as to why you aren’t releasing as quickly as you should. Try going for lighter snacks before and after workouts. Those smoothies and muffins at the gym may look healthy but are often fairly empty calories waiting to hop back into your body to fill the void you just created by exercise.
Q: I exercise a lot but can’t release weight—why??
Rita: When you exercise but eat more calories than your body burns per day (including the exercise calories)--you gain weight. That’s why there are a lot of frustrated people at the gym. You maybe burning calories working out but you can eat back those calories in 5 minutes if you are not aware of your calorie output and intake. The idea that you’re exercising your butt off may be true--but then you go and eat your butt right back on after the gym!! The calories in a protein shake or even some protein bars and equal the calories burned working out on the treadmill for an hour! You still need to honor the laws of physics (calories in and calories out)—exercise is not—I repeat not a free pass to eat more. Sorry—harsh but true. Don’t get mad at me—I didn’t invent physics—I am just passing on the information. Try tracking your exercise calories over a week and see how many you actually burn and be clear exactly how many calories you are taking in. This will probably enlighten you as to why you aren’t releasing as quickly as you should. Try going for lighter snacks before and after workouts. Those smoothies and muffins at the gym may look healthy but are often fairly empty calories waiting to hop back into your body to fill the void you just created by exercise.
Q: What if my body can’t seem to lose weight?
My guess is that your body can release weight once you are super clear on how many calories you burn per day and exactly how many calories you take in. People who struggle with weight tend to underestimate the amount of food they eat by 50-100%--many clients who were sure they were weight loss resistant released weight easily once they got their numbers straightened out and their portions aligned with reality. It’s not our metabolism that needs to be fixed –it’s our eyes and expectations of what is really possible.
My guess is that your body can release weight once you are super clear on how many calories you burn per day and exactly how many calories you take in. People who struggle with weight tend to underestimate the amount of food they eat by 50-100%--many clients who were sure they were weight loss resistant released weight easily once they got their numbers straightened out and their portions aligned with reality. It’s not our metabolism that needs to be fixed –it’s our eyes and expectations of what is really possible.
Dr. Stephen Heimsfeld of St Luke’s hospital in NYC conducted a study where he took supposedly “weight –loss resistant” people from all over the country. People who seemed not to be able to lose weight—no matter hard they tried. He put them all on a monitored caloric restricted diet and guess what? They all released weight as per the laws of physics!
It’s easy to want to blame our body or our diet but 9 times out of 10 we are underestimating our caloric intake. Try for one week to weigh and measure what you eat to readjust your eyeballs. Keep super clear record of what you eat. My guess is you will begin releasing weight or at least discover the real reason why you have not been able to. It may seem daunting but it’s such a relief to have the answers in front of you in black and white—then your brain can begin to problem solve how you can begin to eat less and release weight in a way that honors you, your taste preferences and your lifestyle.
Q: How do I not feel guilty for wanting to put myself and my weight release goals as a priority over the needs of my family?
Q: How do I not feel guilty for wanting to put myself and my weight release goals as a priority over the needs of my family?
Rita: Oh yes—guilt—I sometimes think that guilt is the most fattening and useless emotion. Most people who struggle with weight feel a lot of guilt and guilt usually starts as a limiting belief or overwhelming expectation.
Let’s look at a mom who wants to exercise but she also has her whole family to take care of. She feels too guilty to exercise because it would take away time form her taking care of her family. So if we looked at her expectations it maybe that she has to be a good mom and a good mom is selfless and should not put her needs first. She may be even think that her kids will not do as well in life because she was not there for them for the 45 minutes a day she might have been exercising. The quilt is being caused by the expectation that I need to be a perfect mom and that means my need come after my kids as well as the limiting belief—my children’s needs are more important than my health. So how could she break this scenario down and reintroduce it to her brain in a different way to remove the guilt caused by the expectation and limiting belief?
She could take a breath and remind herself that 45 minutes a day is a reasonable amount of time to focus on making oneself healthier. Kids watch their parents—and by modeling healthy behavior for her kids, by taking the time 45minutes to walk, she is showing them she cares about herself and her body. She could tell her kids that mommy is taking some “exercise time” in order to be a better mommy. This will make a hugely positive impression on her kids. I know as a mother self care is one of the most important legacies I choose pass on to my children I watched my mother put her needs last and watched her gain weight and hate herself—feeling unattractive and out of control. As a child watching her, I me feel helpless and sad for her–it did not make me feel “Gee, I have the best mom she always puts me first”. By communicating her needs to her kids she can connect with them and herself—lightening the burden of her guilt.
If we don’t have self care we don’t function at 100% and therefore we cannot be of service to ourselves our children or to the community. The mom can separate out of the unrealistic expectation “there is no time to exercise” and Shift into the idea that “there is always time for what you make a priority and that self care is a priority because I wants to be healthy for my kids and model good self care for them” then she immediately moves out of guilt and into action. Guilt is often a feeling that masks an action that we are unwilling to take on some level. Get rid of the guilt—it’s useless and it’s fattening.
Please send me your questions. I hope you all have a great week.
Keep on Shifting,
xoxo Rita
No comments:
Post a Comment