Are you going to spinning classes, doing TRX, Bootcamp or Body Pump and still not losing weight? This frustrating story is common.
Let me tell you about my client Diane from Lafayette, CA who takes Bootcamp classes at 6:30AM most mornings and has not lost one pound – in fact, she has gained a few since starting. Before class Diane had a slice of sourdough toast with peanut butter and 2 veggie sausages that she thought were very healthy. She would stop for a Chai Latte at Starbucks in Lafayette, CA on her way home and then prepared at home a Greek yogurt with an excessive amount of granola and slivered almonds. Soon after she raced to work where she would buy a prepared salad at the local café for lunch. She wound up being hungry most of the day and succumbed to office snacks such as chocolate covered almonds, dried fruit, granola bars and too much fruit. Diane then would arrive home famished and snack on what she was making her kids for dinner, like macaroni and cheese or chicken nuggets before she sat down with her husband later. She would then eat dinner with her husband most of the time even though she was not hungry.
I explained to Diane that after she exercises intensely her metabolism is speeded up three times the rate and therefore she should be eating most of her high calorie meals soon after. Diane realizes now that her body remains hot for several hours after spinning and this is the time when calories will be burned off most rapidly.
The problem was that Diane was eating most of her calories at the end of the day. Her food choices were lower in protein and fiber and higher in fat and starches than she realized. Her breakfast was very high in fat between the peanut butter and sausages and she was shocked to realize that she was consuming very little protein and no fiber. In addition, Diane did not realize that her low-fat Chai came to half fat and was very high in sugar due to the Chai syrup. Her Greek yogurt was a great choice but she added
too much granola and nuts that contained more fat than she realized. I often tell my clients that 1oz. serving of nuts 150 calories and is 2/3 fat. Great to have during the day as a snack but not good to snack on in the evening. I told her to add a sprinkling of granola and a tablespoon of nuts.
Diane’s lunch was very skimpy since all the places that have prepared salads never have enough meat added and always end up having too much cheese, croutons, tortilla strips or other surprises. Of course, the dressing needs to be monitored and please always use half. I strongly suggested she bring her lunch that should contain at least 6 oz. of protein, a whole grain and veggies such as tuna and white bean salad or grilled chicken strips with 1 cup brown rice, quinoa or whole wheat couscous and at least one cup of veggies with a great yummy sauce such as pico de gallo, BBQ sauce or even curry. I told Diane that fruit should be a dessert and not eaten all day long for snacks if she wanted to lose weight. Fruit has lots of calories which is not easy to know because it is not packaged. I also told Diane that she should be eating dried fruit sparingly since it is very concentrated in calories and that granola bars do not fill you up when you are hungry because they lack protein and fiber. I suggested she bring snacks such as turkey jerky, hearty bean soups, oatmeal, cottage cheese or even hard boiled eggs with veggies.
I am glad to tell you that when Diane now comes home she is not snacking on her kids’ dinner because she is not hungry. She now realizes that when she sits down with her husband she has an appetite and can enjoy the meal. For dinner she is having a small serving of protein, a veggie and salad most often or even just a sweet potato and a veggie. She is a dessert girl and always enjoys her skinny cow ice cream sandwich.
I counseled Diane via phone and e-mail for 2 months and she is thrilled to finally lose those 15 pounds that she could never take off. Please look at my website, LindaRD.com for the 8 week Royal Treatment program for details on how I worked with Diane. As many readers know I am a gym person myself and love working with women that need the support to lose weight even though they are exercising.
I am glad to inform you that insurance companies will cover nutritional counseling. Please refer to my website, LindaRD.com for the list of companies and past articles and more information about nutritional concerns. Call me at (925) 855-0150 or e-mail me at lifeweight1@yahoo.com