Start your health journey on the right foot in 2021 with these 5 pillars of weight loss success

I used to be that woman who set big weight loss goals every year. I wanted to lose 25, 30, 40 pounds. I wanted to lift heavy weights and prove that I could be as fit as I used to be. Every year, I would start a new fad diet. Seriously, I’ve done them all: 17-day diet, Atkins, HCG, Paleo, Isagenix, etc. I would buy new workout clothes and renew my gym membership. I thought I was setting myself up for success!

Then, I wouldn’t see any results. I was starving, cranky and didn’t have the energy to keep up with my (then) toddlers, let alone hit the gym. I would feel like a total failure, revert back to old habits and end up gaining more weight.

It took me years to figure out what I was doing wrong! I thought I was implementing the best advice, being proactive and doing all the things I was supposed to. But in reality, I was over complicating things. I was trying to do it all at once and it was too much!

The truth is, healthy living isn’t that complicated. It’s actually really simple; we just have to focus on the basics! I use these 5 pillars to get myself and my clients on the path to successful weight loss. When we build our health on these pillars, it lays a foundation for success.

Weight Loss Pillar 1: Water

We seriously underestimate the effects of water on our bodies! Proper hydration is a key factor in reaching our weight loss goals and in being healthy in general!

Drinking enough water can help you curb cravings - especially sugar cravings - and it can prevent you from overeating! Water acts as an appetite suppressant and thirst often is mistaken for hunger. If you’re suddenly hungry, trying drinking a glass of water - at least eight ounces - before you get something to eat.

However, the most underrated benefit of water is that it gives us energy! Dehydration can lead to fatigue and mental fog. When you hit that 2 o’clock slump and you want another cup of coffee, what your body is really begging for is water!

Weight Loss Pillar 2: Sleep

Sleep is another neglected aspect of our health, especially as moms! We stay up late to clean the house, finish projects or just give ourselves a break from our kids. Then, we wake up early with the baby or to help get our kids off to school. We let our sleep suffer and it’s causing us to hold onto those unwanted pounds! 

While you sleep your body performs vital tasks. It flushes out toxins that can cause disease. Your mind processes and stores information - a lack of sleep is the root cause of mommy brain. Finally, our bodies go into fat-burning mode while we sleep.

When we don’t get eight to nine hours of sleep we don’t allow our bodies to perform these crucial tasks. Your body won’t do it in the five to six hours that you’re used to sleeping, even if you think you can run off that amount of sleep. Your body needs TIME in order to perform all of these tasks. You have to give it to it!

Weight Loss Pillar 3: Whole Foods

Obviously, the food we put into our bodies does play a vital role in our health. However, it might not work in the ways you think it should. We need a balanced diet of carbs, fat and protein. We can eat whole grains, fruits and veggies, and Oreos and still be healthy.

I believe in a balanced food approach between whole foods and processed foods; however, balance doesn’t mean 50/50. I teach my clients to use the 80/20 rule. Whole foods should consist of 80% of your diet and then the other 20% can be processed foods - foods that you won’t find in nature.

The reason 80% of our diet needs to be made up of whole foods is that they are better at nourishing our bodies, they keep us full and satiated, and they help with other important functions that keep us healthy.

​Weight Loss Pillar 4: Mindset

Mindset might be the one pillar that you’ve never used in your weight loss, but let me tell you, it’s one of the most important pillars. My clients who work on their mindset see results faster and they are able to maintain their results so much better than those who don’t work on mindset.

There are innumerable ways that your mindset plays into your weight loss. From, believing in yourself, to releasing stress, to how you view food and beyond. The one aspect I want to talk to you about right now, as we head into a new year is this: a positive mindset will help you stick to your goals.

Real weight loss takes time and perseverance. It’s going to be hard and you’re going to get discouraged, but if you have worked on the mental aspect of weight loss, you’ll find that you have the tools to keep pushing.

​Weight Loss Pillar 5: Consistency

Finally, the last pillar of weight loss success: consistency. We’ve been tricked for years into thinking we can have real weight loss quickly or without much effort. But fad diets and quick fixes have proved time and time again that they don’t work.

If we want to have real, lasting results, then we have to become a healthy person. We have to make, making healthy choices a part of our identity. As we make consistent choices to eat whole foods, exercise, work on our mindset, we’ll tie together everything and we’ll become the healthy person we want to become. 

“Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your new identity.” – James Clear

Show yourself that you’re the healthy person you want to be through consistent choices, actions and thoughts. This will bring true health in 2021 and for the rest of your life.

Starting January 4th, I’m hosting a Busy Mom, Simple Nutrition 30-Day Challenge where we’ll use these five pillars to set you up for success in 2021. If you commit to spending 10 minutes with me a day, you’ll walk away with the tools and power to make the changes you want to in the new year.