Overweight Nutrition

Does your weight gradually increase despite all efforts to diet & exercise?

If you’re someone that has previously tried extreme weight loss attempts only to have the kilos pile back on, then you’re not alone.

If any of this has happened to you before, then you’ll know the all too familiar feeling of weight loss being difficult to achieve and almost impossible to maintain. Yet, I believe it is achievable by just about every one of us.

There are 4 important qualities for a successful beginning:

1. It requires believing in yourself and growing the confidence to make it work.
2. It requires that you demand that this goal to lose weight is a priority. You are important & this goal has high importance to you so take it out from under the pile of commitments & perch it on top.
3. It requires that you be realistic. Don’t set out to achieve the ‘impossible’. By setting realistic expectations and goals, you can succeed at something small & grow from there.
4. Have compassion for yourself. On some days you will go off the rails. That is ok. Everybody does. Expect it & don’t be angry with yourself. It is all part of the process.

How to lose weight with the ‘right diet’?

The path to successful loss of excess weight is different for every individual. This is because there are different factors that can cause the problem & contribute to persistent weight gain.

Health concerns are different for every individual. Particular weight loss strategies that work with some people might not work when used with others. Therefore, making a plan to lose weight is not a case of ‘one-size-fits-all.‘ It is a very individual and personalised process.

With the focus on weight in our society & poor success rates for losing weight by dieting, it is not surprising that millions of people are tempted to try Fad diets such as the Paleo diet, Detox, Zone diet, & bogus weight-loss products. These programs focus on perfecting a short-term fix. The reality is that no foods or pills exist that magically burn fat. The important message is to focus on building up sustainable changes that are going to stick with you in the long haul.

What is emotional eating?

Consider this scenario: I woke up early to go for a 45-minute walk before breakfast. Breakfast was fresh fruit with low-fat yoghurt and black tea. I had prepared a Greek salad with egg the previous evening for lunch at work. All was going to plan until I was called into a meeting with my unit leader about mid-afternoon. Everything went downhill from there. I was stressed – ate a chocolate bar; then I had to stay at work late so bought takeout for dinner.

This is an example of emotional eating. Emotional eating is when you eat when stressed, bored, angry or upset, even if you weren’t actually hungry. Most of us have eaten for emotional reasons at one time or another. For some of us, it is a real problem that we repeatedly do to help deal with negative emotions. The overeating leads to feeling guilty & low self-esteem.

A supportive weight loss network

I am able to use my extensive experience working with numerous clients to find the best fit for your unique situation. I also draw on valuable insights gained from listening to the personal stories of previous clients. This kind of information is invaluable.  

I sometimes hear, “I really don’t like exercise. Do I have to exercise?” For optimal weight loss, changes to diet are best accompanied by an increase in physical activity. Physical activity is not essential, however the extra calories burned through physical activity will add to the benefit of reduced calorie intake. Weight loss will be faster & the lost weight is more likely to stay off in the long term.

A critical factor to successful long-term weight loss in practice is support and follow-up. My role is to be there for you to provide that support. Someone to be accountable to, to collaborate with, and check in with, every step of your journey.

Meaningful weight loss that reduces excess fat which stays off in the long term is not easy. It requires commitment & persistence. Weight can drop initially, it may plateau & at times it will increase. Follow-up sessions allow the client & Cathy to collaborate and problem-solve together to find strategies that will work for your personal situation. An initial consultation with at least 2 or 3 follow-up appointments is recommended.