Making Weight Loss Stick—Pick An Angle, Any Angle
Personally, I've never been super thin and I've never been a huge advocate of weight loss, but rather health and fitness at every size. I've been stronger and fitter and felt more confident at 160 than at 130, and have only focused on weight loss after having my babies. However, as a dietitian, I am fascinated by the science of weight and am passionate about helping people find the weight at which they feel confident, strong, and beautiful, whether that's losing/gaining weight or finding peace and positivity at their own weight. So, if weight loss is something you're interested in and you’re into the research and science behind it, then read on. If you're triggered by weight loss talk, then stay tuned for another post next week and sit this one out!
I read a fascinating article about weight loss in women recently, with research that kind of implodes the idea of “all or nothing” as the only effective approach.
The research tested several different “techniques” for weight loss in women, including:
- Eating fewer desserts
- Dining out less
- Limiting sugar-sweetened beverages
- Eating fewer fried foods
- Eating more fish
They basically wanted to see which was the most effective at causing weight loss over six months.
So, which approach was the most effective?
Spoiler—it was all of them. Each of the factors lead to weight loss over six months, independent of all the others. Participants in this study who stuck to only one of these approaches (eating fewer desserts or dining out less or limiting those sugary beverages, etc., etc.) experienced weight loss over six months.
That’s… a pretty big deal, because we’re routinely told that sustainable weight loss is an all-or-nothing thing, that “clean eating” means never slipping up or indulging, and that we should be satisfied with one cheat meal a week. And we believe it!
I find it frustrating to see women struggle with weight loss and restrict themselves so harshly. And just to be clear, very restrictive weight loss patterns almost never work and in fact usually lead to long-term weight gain (talk about a bummer…). So, choosing a technique in which you pick just one to three angles to approach weight loss seems like a much more promising approach (and spares your sanity a bit!).
Pro Tips
When coming at weight loss, rather than saying, “I’m never eating a single dessert and I’m going to live off vegetable smoothies until I’m a size 4!”—which is almost guaranteed not to work and is definitely guaranteed to totally suck—here’s a better idea. Pick a couple small changes to make to your lifestyle for slow, steady progress over a few months. Those results are not only backed by research to actually happen, but are also proven to be more likely to stick in the long term.
Side note: this study also found that in the longer term of 48 months, eating more fruits and vegetables was the most effective angle at leading to weight loss in women. And, as it happens, Bumpin Blends smoothies are made with fresh, organic fruits and veggies, nuts, seeds, proteins and spices. You’ll find zero added sugars, artificial ingredients, preservatives (that’s what the freezer’s for!), or other junk because yuck. If your angle is swapping a fruit-and-veggie-powered BB smoothie for your go-to sugary beverage or dessert, well, that’s a great idea!
Takeaway
TL;DR: Rather than diving into the deep end of a miserable, restrictive diet, start with a single angle—just one manageable change. Then, once you’ve got that down, maybe add a second or even a third. That way, you’ll have more freedom, more happiness, and you’ll actually lose more weight for a longer period of time! Remember, a Bumpin Blends smoothie a day is absolutely an angle—and one you’ll really enjoy, too.