At some point in our lives, we go on a diet. Some folks are successful at losing and maintaining their weight. But the majority of us seem to struggle to begin to lose, and once we do, we struggle to maintain the weight, and sadly we regain it’s often a bit more than what we started with. If you belong to the unsuccessful weight loss group category, you are not alone.
There are many reasons we don’t keep the weight off, and it has nothing to do with willpower but everything to do with brain chemistry and how our body has adapted to a specific diet in order to feel functional. For starters, this blog is not about a weight loss program or diet plan. Sorry, but diets don’t provide lasting effects unless you turn a diet into a lifestyle, and for goodness sake, that is utterly boring, which is one reason may stop dieting.
The key to weight loss has a lot to do with lifestyle, economics, and your brain function. I focus on the personal because not everyone thrives on eating carrots and celery or on keto diets. And in addition, not everyone can afford to buy organic foods from the farmers’ market or whole foods. Let’s keep it real. As someone who lived in NYC, in Washington Heights, I witnessed produce expiring within a few days of purchase. The quality of fresh produce in Washington Heights was horrible because foods were often sold that were not so fresh; this is the reality of low-income communities. (In order to obtain decent food, I had to travel below 135th Street and Shop in Fairway or some supermarket below that area). Of course, since it’s now gentrified, that has been slowly changing to meet the needs of the new folks.
Now, the idea of this blog is to help you understand that your weight is not about your lack of discipline but about a need to read labels and minimizing on foods designed to keep you consuming them within the confines of your reality. But the actual reality of this blog is about encouraging you to modify as much as possible based on your life reality.
Food changes are often slow, and normally is because we eat whatever is available and affordable. Not everyone has the time and luxury of cooking or prepping food in advance. Some folks actually work so many hours that the little time they have is consumed by rest. Keep in mind not every individual works an 8-hour day. There are more and more folks working two jobs, which means their workday may consist of 10 hours plus. Or they work a full day and attend school. The fact is many folks truly have limited resources and eat what is available to them based on cost, shopping hours, and energy for prepping.
There are some practical ways to change your eating habits that work even for those who work two jobs or work and attend school. The eat consist of the following:
- Use your freezer for storing prepped food
- Create a food budget.
- shopping in bulk
- devoting one day to prepping food
- reading labels
- taking food with you, rather than buying on the run
- prepping for a 30-day food supply
- creating a realistic menu
- take snacks to eat at work.
- Drinking at least 6 cups of water (if you hate work, add lemon or mint)
The biggest investment you should make is in your health. Food should not be the thing you compromise on regardless of budget, simply because food is what keeps you healthy, and without your health, everything else fails to be important. Good food is the best health insurance. Healthy eating does not need to be based on a vegan, vegetarian, or paleo diet but is simply a reflection of your physical needs. I will include some resources to help you design practical food-prepping goals which will help you eat well, save money, and maintain your health.
Copyright 2023. R. Castro
Resources
Food prepping for beginner
https://youtu.be/ghsw19qAG1g
https://youtu.be/6An7iH4BwJo
Simple Meal Prep Hacks
https://youtu.be/af8zzqb4Jnw
Holistic Coaching 