To Start Your Best Weight Loss Transformation

The start of each year is when we promise ourselves that we’ll make drastic changes to our diet and lifestyle to lose those extra holiday pounds. Often, those pounds are really just the icing on the Christmas cake, so to speak: they were added to the pounds gained over that great summer vacation to the islands, four birthday parties, Thanksgiving, Halloween, Valentine’s Day, and the time we had 32” inches of snow that kept us home with the kids…and the refrigerator. We wake up at New Year’s Resolution time and think that we will make extreme changes that will then change our bodies. We are determined to go to the gym every day, eat salad at every meal, and give up pizza forever.

METABOLIC RATE EVALUATION

Although clean eating for your Metabolic Rate does represent a dramatic change for some people, the truth is that a good percentage of patients following customized weight loss plans at LivLight Weight Loss were eating relatively well before starting a medical weight loss plan. They already knew that stood that eating a low carbohydrate diet can result in weight loss over time. But we all live busy lives and habits that cause weight gain gradually creep into our daily schedules over time. One of the jobs of a diet coach is to help you reverse habits that cause you to gain weight or prevent you from losing them and replace them with habits that result in weight loss. Sometimes, small changes can have results that lead to transformation.

CUSTOMIZED WEIGHT LOSS PLANS

At LivLight Weight Loss, we design every weight loss plan to the metabolic rate (BMR), food preferences, and lifestyle of each individual. We want to know, for example, if you work, if you like to cook, or if you travel frequently. Then, we perform a Metabolic Rate Analysis that allows us to measure body fat percentage, lean body mass, and even the water inside and outside your cells to determine if bloating is an issue that should be addressed. This kind of information is important when we make a professional recommendation for a food plan that will get you to your weight loss goal quickly and safely.

DIET & LIFESTYLE COACHING FOR MEDICAL WEIGHT LOSS

Even before our patients begin their reduced-calorie food plan, however, we help them to make small changes to diet & lifestyle that starts the process of quick weight loss. You can’t go from eating 3000 calories a day to eating 800 calories or 900 calories the next day and feel great while doing it… unless you make some changes to your daily habits.

At LivLight Weight Loss, we have a whole team of professionals to help you through the process of forming new habits that will lead to your best weight loss journey. During the first two weeks, during a phase we call “Pre-Diet”, simple changes are made. We start with this introductory phase while performing your medical screening so that changes to your regular routine won’t be so dramatic that they are difficult to maintain. Making small changes to your routine that can be maintained over time is the first step to getting the scale moving. We frequently have patients lose up to 10 pounds even before they receive their customized diet food plan!

LOSE UP TO 6 LBS PER WEEK WITH MEDICAL WEIGHT LOSS

Although not everyone loses 6 pounds the very first week with medical weight loss (but some do!), everyone does lose weight when they make some of the following diet and lifestyle changes.

WEIGHT LOSS TIPS: HOW TO BOOST YOUR WEIGHT LOSS RESULTS

Weight Loss Tip #1 – Use cauliflower rice instead of rice

There are a number of reasons why bags of cauliflower rice have started to show up in the produce and freezer sections at your supermarket. Swapping out a service of white rice for a serving of riced cauliflower can have a triple purpose: it helps you get fewer calories and refined carbohydrates while helping you get more daily vegetable portions. Did you know that only 9% of U.S. adults in the U.S. meet the recommendations for vegetable intake, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention? Low vegetable (vitamin/mineral/fiber) intake is an invitation for obesity and chronic disease.

A cup of riced cauliflower has only 25 calories and 5 grams of carbohydrate, while white rice has 200 calories and 45 grams of carbohydrate. Think the prepared bags of cauliflower rice are expensive? Just buy a beautiful head of organic cauliflower and whirl it in the food processor. It’s ready in an instant!

Weight Loss Tip #2 – Plan & Prep Meals Some in Advance

Sitting down to plan how many meals you’ll need for the upcoming week can also boost your weight loss results. It helps you maintain control over what and how much you eat. Because planning for an entire week can be overwhelming, start with breaking the week down into two parts; plan for Sunday-Tuesday and Wednesday-Saturday. Think ahead of time about what meals will you eat at home and what meals will you eat at work or school. Think about which meals you typically eat on the run that could be adjusted to a sit-down meal where you are aware of your food/drink intake? Make a grocery list for the items you need and stick to it. Batch cooking (making more cauliflower rice or chicken than you need for the three days and then freezing it) can go a long way toward being creative with your meals. Most importantly, when you portion out your meals (or ingredients) ahead of time, you will be much less tempted to overeat. If you really must eat out, look at the menu ahead of time to review the nutritional information. Our diet coaches are happy to assist you and guide you toward the option that will be consistent with your medical weight loss plan.

Weight Loss Tip #3 – Use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream

Have you ever used Greek yogurt instead of sour cream in dips, soups, salads, pie, and other dishes? With its creamy texture and rich flavor, Greek yogurt can help make low carbohydrate/high protein meals enjoyable. It has a similar flavor to sour cream and you can generally use them interchangeably in recipes. Both provide a creamy taste, while Greek yogurt provides more protein and, for the most part, fewer calories. One cup of non-fat Greek yogurt contains only 134 calories and 0.9 grams of fat whereas one cup of sour cream contains a whopping 443 calories and 45.4 grams of fat. Although it is possible to find some low-fat sour cream alternatives, when you consider that Greek yogurt has about 6 times the amount of protein per cup as compared to sour cream, it becomes a superfood!

Weight Loss Tip #4 – Keep it Moving!

No matter how busy your day might be, there are little tricks and tips that can help you get some exercise. You don’t have to quit your job to increase the amount you move around throughout the day, even if much of it is spent sitting behind a desk or in a car. Even changing a habit as simple as where you park to go into work can add up across the week, month and year.

You’ve heard it before, we know, but the increased activity over time can have an impact on your weigh-ins and on your future. Instead of driving around to find the closest spot to the entrance, park furthest from the entrance. Consistency is what makes your choice a habit, so no excuses! Do it every day, no matter what the weather is like.

Weight Loss Tip #5 – Have a Protein Shake Instead of That Flavored Latte

The goal is to start to eliminate refined sugar in your diet. Why? There are lots of health reasons to eat and drink less refined sugar and, in fact, the American Heart Association recommends limiting our daily intake to about half the amount of sugar in one 16-ounce Cinnamon Dolce Latte from Starbucks. If you are bummed out about that, what you really need to know for your weight loss journey is that your body will not burn fat if you are eating or drinking sugar. Your body will use that first instead of using the energy it can get from those extra stored pounds we want gone. Many of our patients who love Starbucks lattes were once unknowingly drinking more than 60% of all their daily calories!

At LivLight Weight Loss we have a large variety of high-protein drinks, soups, puddings, and bars that are designed by our bariatric manufacturer to be delicious, prevent hunger, get you lots of vitamins, minerals, and fiber without the extra calories and fat in commercial drinks. You’ll get the same creamy mouthfeel and warmth with none of the added sugar. Try our Cappuccino, Hot Cocoa… or mix the two! For additional sugar-free satisfaction, try adding a sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg. We recommend these yummy supplements 2 – 4 times every day to help you prevent hunger and you’re your taste buds satisfied.

Weight Loss Tip #6 – Ditch A Snack, Add A Veggie

Just removing one nightly cookie or glass of wine reduces the calories you are eating and sets you up for success on your best weight loss journey. The small decrease in calories, carbs, fats, and sugars adds up each day each week, and each month to make a difference in your overall weight loss success. Just be consistent and, if you absolutely must snack, reach for things that include vegetables that – in place of empty calories, carbs, fats, and sugars – are adding vitamins, minerals, and fiber that help to keep you full and satisfied. Choose a protein like steamed shrimp or low-fat string cheese and pair it with a healthy fat like a few unsalted nuts (be very careful with avocados because they are wonderfully nutrient-dense but also pack high calories and fat into every bite). Try frozen grapes or a slice of homemade chicken wrapped in a lettuce leaf with a tiny bit of mustard.

BEST WEIGHT LOSS HABITS

These are just a few of the little things you can do every day that, over time, will replace those old habits that are keeping your extra weight on. Our diet coach team knows from years of experience that these small things add up to big changes in your overall health and wellness and make you happy in the long run. We help you make those changes and deliver the best weight loss plan, fat burning injections, Vitamin B12 injections, prescription appetite suppressants, nutritional coaching, BodySlim Pod Infrared treatments, BodyWrap Lymphatic Massage, and weekly accountability so that your weight loss transformation really does happen.

BY Susan Malzone, Owner & Nutritional Director