Flip the Weightloss Switch Forever
#epigenetics, #fliptheweightlossswitch, #macros, #obesogens, #shorichek, #subconscious, #weightlossforwomen, #xenogens
Do you often feel frustrated in the repeating diet cycle? If you’re anything like me, I can imagine the gesture of your head nodding, “Yes!”
You are not alone in this battle, there are many who are fighting with this never-ending diet cycle. Eating, not eating, gaining, losing, confused and ready to throw your hands up.
In this blog, I will uncover many reasons behind this frustration. I will even share practical ways to overcome this kind of frustration and finally make progress.
Are you ready to Flip Your Weightloss Switch? Let’s explore!
Why Is Weight Loss So Frustrating?
Why do we hurt ourselves? Why do we feel guilt and shame? Why is it so hard to manage our eating habits?
Some of the more common reasons are:- We are emotional eaters.
- We want a quick fix.
- The majority of foods include refined sugar and are highly processed.
- We know how we want to be but haven’t found a sustainable way to get there.
When we try the next best diet, we feel deprived, frustrated and just give up. Then we tell ourselves "This is too hard, it’s not worth it.”
Scientifically what’s happening is that we’re used to that dopamine rush from refined sugars and processed foods. We haven’t learned how to get those same hormone rushes with foods that help us reach our goals. So we overeat to quell our emotions, then crash, numbing our feelings.
Know Your Rhythm
Learn how to identify your triggers. When do you want to reach for foods that will cause guilt, shame or other negative feelings? As we get through this blog I’ll show you how to replace your actions with ones that will help you feel better.
Make Your Food List, Track Your Macros
First, which foods do you like? Do you have any food sensitivities? Let’s look at the food groups:
- Carbs:
- Fruits and veggies
- Whole grain (depending on your gluten tolerance)
- Protein:
- Beans, peas and nuts
- Meat, fish, chicken, pork, shellfish, eggs
- Tofu, nut butters
- Cheese
- Healthy fats:
- Milk, nut milk
- Avocado
- Nuts
- Cheese
I like tracking macros: protein, healthy fats and complex carbs (fiber), because it helps me see the quality of nutrition that I’m eating. My food isn't emotional, it's functional.
It’s amazing how full we feel when we eat enough of the healthier foods. All of a sudden we’re satiated and we’re not crashing. We actually have good energy and start to naturally feel better about ourselves.
Did you know that when we feel hungry our bodies are craving protein? And, if we choose something with refined sugar or ultra processed food, our cells will allow us to over eat just to get enough protein. We definitely have a choice.
Stress and Cortisol
Feeling stress in any area of life increases cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone that interferes with insulin as well as our ability to remain calm.
It is critical to take a look at your life:- Spiritually
- Physically
- Emotionally
- mentally
And on a scale of 1-5, ask yourself, how stressed am I? Stress in any of these areas will negatively affect your ability to make healthy changes. There are so many ways to help us relax. Find a method that works for you: meditation, sound waves, exercise, walk, visualization…the list goes on. If you reach out to me for a Strategy call (it’s free) we can look at what may be best for you.
Can You Really Change Your Genes for Better Health?
Now, let's throw some light on some of the major factors that interfere with weight loss.
Many people believe “ it's in the genes”—and they often say, "I'm going to be fat because my mother was fat, my father was fat, and it runs in our family."
Ready for the good news? This isn't necessarily true!
While genetics can play a role, trust me they don't determine your fate! If you're looking for a way to make a change, it's important to understand that epigenetics: lifestyle skills and environment, are factors affecting your genes. Your lifestyle skills and your environment can turn your gene expression on and off.
Another Tip, Remove toxins from your Space!
It is really important to manage toxins in our environment. Toxins such as BPA, paba, parabens, ammonia, bleach and phthalates are also known as Xenogens. Some mimic estrogen and interfere with hormonal balance. But Xenogens are obesogens, they increase fat cells or create new ones, not to mention the stress they put on our liver. I'm strongly against having toxins in our homes because they aren't just harmful for weight loss but they are also harmful to our organs in general. So, one actionable step is to remove toxins from your living space.
Watch Your Thoughts and Rewire Your Subconscious
Our thoughts control our emotions, our emotions control our actions, and our actions control our outcomes. Many times we can catch our thoughts and reframe them. But, the real gold is to work on a subconscious level to clear any beliefs or emotions that no longer serve us. I am certified in these techniques because I believe that this is the only way to enjoy sustainable results. Our subconscious is more powerful than our conscious mind. We must align our subconscious with our consciousness for best results.
Easy Day to Day Gadgets
Let me share my experience here. I just got this Garmin watch (there are plenty of less expensive options). I did not want to connect it to my phone, email or text messages. I only use it to track my exercise, heart rate, steps and calories. It’s like a little buddy when I'm out walking or exercising. It’s a way to help me be aware of my metabolism. It could do so much more, but I'm having fun with it in a limited capacity.
The Benefits of Mindfulness and Knowing How You Want to Feel
And the other thing I want to hit on is that people always feel like they're being deprived. Let me share a little story from last Saturday night. Kenny and I were attending a play, and afterward, we stumbled upon this amazing ice cream shop called Ye Olde Ice Cream. It's one of the best parlors in Charleston, South Carolina. As soon as I saw it, my mind was set: we were definitely grabbing ice cream after the show. I started imagining the delicious sundae I was going to have – something rich, sweet, and gooey. Oh, it's gonna be so much fun…
As I sat through the performance, naturally, the thought crossed my mind—what am I going to do afterward? Because, honestly, I think about food a lot. I really enjoy eating, and I get hungry quite often during the day. I hadn’t had dinner yet since we planned to eat after the play.
Then I began to wonder, do I really want to deal with that sugar crash later? Do I really want to fill up on sugar and fat and miss out on something that would actually make me feel good and help me sleep better? I don’t know if you can relate, maybe it’s just my age, but when I have something sugary, fatty, or too heavy before bed, I end up sweating. It’s like my body is trying to burn it off, almost like I’m sick. It’s fascinating how my immune system reacts, like it’s trying to get rid of it. So, I don’t feel as great when I eat like that anymore. That said, sometimes I still indulge—because it can be fun!
But I realized I didn't really want to do that, and I wasn’t depriving myself. It’s about how I didn’t want to feel afterward, not out of shame, but my physical well being. I felt empowered because I made the decision to forego the icecream and eat something at home that would make me feel better.
The moral of the story is to think about the way you do and don't want to feel. If you truly want to indulge, do it. If you know that you will not feel so well by indulging, make another choice. This is the power of being clear at a very deep subconscious level.
This is Your Life
You get to decide and choose how you want to live. You get to choose a healthier lifestyle. You get to choose how you want to feel. You also get to choose someone to support you on your journey.
Request my eBook: Flip the Weightloss Switch
Shoshanna Richek, CFNC
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If you have any questions or want encouragement in your weight loss journey, please contact me. I love being the spark that helps women feel better and in a healthy rhythm that works.