We have a problem. In fact…it’s a really REALLY big problem. Seventy percent of North Americans are overweight or obese. Worldwide, over 1 BILLION people are OBESE alone. That number has doubled since 1980. By 2030 it is estimated that one in five women and one in seven men will be obese. And the scariest statistics? One in six children are currently overweight and one in five are obese in North America.

This is killing us. Literally. Excess fat cells lead to premature death, heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes and cancer. Obesity is also associated with a higher risk of having certain mental health disorders, including anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and eating disorders.

The weight loss industry has been ‘feeding’ us wrong information for far too long. There is not a magic pill, shake, wrap or exercise that is going to help you lose weight, and more importantly keep it off.

Over the last two years I have helped countless people get to their goal weight and keep their weight off. From 20 pounds to 120 pounds, I have helped guide many people to their weight loss goal. Here is what I want EVERYONE to know who wants to lose weight.

We are not fat because we overeat, we overeat because we are fat.

Fat cells like fat cells. Certain foods make your fat cells more hungry.

You need to make your fat cells less hungry in order to lose weight, and keep it off…for GOOD!

Great! We have the answer! But what the heck does that even mean?

Here is an example…if I told you to start a calorie deficit diet to 1200 calories per day (I would never tell a client to do this, or even count calories for that matter) and all you were allowed to eat was donuts for 30 days, what do you think would happen?

  • Insulin resistance
  • Hormone imbalance
  • Brain fog, headaches, lack of mental clarity
  • Increased anxiety, depression and stress
  • NO weight loss
  • Poor energy, poor sleep
  • Overall, feeling like crap

If I told you to eat 2000 calories a day for 30 days, but the only foods you were allowed to eat were fruit, vegetables, beans, legumes, fish, whole organic soy, whole grains, nuts and seeds, how do you think you would feel? Literally the opposite of the above, and pending where you were starting, you would achieve weight loss.

But WHY? How can eating more help me lose weight?

Because the QUALITY of our food is more important than the number of calories that it holds. Most people are overfed, yet under nourished And without enough nutrient-dense food, then our fat cells remain hungry and we never lose the weight.

And if we don’t eat nutrient-dense food, then we are going to continue to make our fat cells hungry and never lose the weight.

So, how do I make my fat cells less hungry? I’m glad you asked! There are FIVE things you need to do to make this happen:

1. Balance your hormones. 

2. Balance your insulin. Insulin is an anabolic hormone meaning it builds things like belly fat and cancer. Remember when the diet industry told us all that we should be eating a ‘low fat no fat’ diet? Doing that will actually put more fat onto your body! Stop listening to people selling you diet products…they do not work.

We balance our insulin by doing THREE things:

    1. Lower our intake of sugar and refined carbohydrates. I’m talking about added sugar, not the sugar found in fruits and veggies. And ‘refined carbohydrates are things like white bread, white pasta, white rice and store bought baked goods.
    2. Increase your intake of healthy fats to 5 – 7 servings per day. This includes things like nuts, seeds, avocados, olive or avocado oil, olives, and plain high-fat Greek yogurt.
    3. Increase your fruit and vegetable intake to 7 – 9 servings per day. This is a HUGE jump for most. The average person is only getting ONE per day. Say what?!? Yup! One. This is a significant lifestyle change that needs to happen. The fibre in fruits and veggies will help absorb sugar slower in turn, avoiding sugar and insulin ups and downs.

3. Increase Omega 3s and fish intake. Taking a good quality supplement (link to my suggestion) can help us metabolize fats better and burn more of our stored fat for energy, and in turn our rid our blood of fat cells faster making it easier to ‘shed’ fat. We should also aim to eat fish a minimum of two times per week.

4. Stick to the anti-inflammatory diet. I have seen bodies literally change shape from doing this, even without a change in the number on the scale. Reducing our inflammation is really important…and a BIG subject. Here are a few key highlights:

  • 7-9 servings of fruit and veggies per day
  • 5-7 servings of healthy fats per day
  • 2-6 servings of fish or seafood per week
  • Reduce your meat consumption to a maximum of two times per week
  • Use herbs such as garlic, turmeric, ginger and cinnamon

5. Reduce stress! Yes, this is easier said than done. But it is almost impossible to lose weight when we are stressed. Our mind tells our body that we are stressed and to hold onto fat cells. Our body is also looking for extra energy to burn due to stress, and the quickest solution is sugar and refined carbohydrates. In turn, making our fat cells hungry. It can be a vicious cycle with stress and food, but putting a stop to it is imperative to lose weight for good.

I didn’t say it was going to be easy, but this WILL work. If you feel like you need one on one support on your weight management journey, I am here to help. Check out my programs page here.