When it comes to health, fitness and weight loss, finding what works for you is key. But navigating healthy living has become very confusing. Something I'm seeing more and more as a nutrition practitioner are people looking for a fast fix to their health. It's as if everyone wants a Walmart answer. For starters, this just doesn't exist. The real question is do you really want a Walmart quality answer for your health?
I was reminded of this a few weeks ago when I sent a request to my email subscribers asking what they need more help with. A common question I received was what are the right macronutrient amounts i.e. carbohydrates/protein/fats and calories someone should eat.
The short answer? I DON'T KNOW!
Everyone is different. Everyone has a different medical status, health history, different goals, different fitness levels, etc. that influence what and how much you should eat. Not to mention, there's nothing scientifically that can tell you exactly because it varies from person to person.
Take myself as an example. My macronutrients change based on my health and fitness goals all the time. If I'm trying to drop a few pounds, build muscle, lose fat, or if I'm injured. Even I vary, within myself!
Unfortunately, with the amount of information available online today people are on information overload. They don't understand how to apply what they're reading to themselves. With this information also comes a great amount of conflicting information.
Some say eat a healthy breakfast while others say fasting or detoxing is better. Do less cardio, lift more weights, or lift less weights, do more cardio, avoid fat, eat fat, avoid carbs, eats carbs, eat Paleo, avoid grains, don't avoid grains, etc. The list goes on and on, and I myself am exhausted seeing the articles flash before me on my Facebook feed.
It's no wonder people are confused about what it means to be healthy! As a matter of fact, the clients I coach I spend 75% of my time debunking mis-understood information they're read on the internet. Having information at our fingertips is awesome, but also comes with this negative side effect of everyone self diagnosing and not taking proper precautions.
Today I'm sharing how to navigate the healthy living space to help you find what works best for you.
4 Ways To Navigate Healthy Living
Try Different Things
I know this isn't the sexiest answer, but testing different things on yourself can be very insightful and teach you a lot about your body. When I share my 80 pound weight loss story with people, I mention how it was a learning process. One of me trying new things and always adjusting until I found what worked for me.
Anyone can benefit from doing the same. If you've been doing the same thing for a long time and not seeing results, try different things. Stop exercising the way you are, or eating the way you have been. Test different methods. Write down how they make you feel, and make adjustments until you find something that clicks for you.
Be Patient
Rome wasn't built overnight, and you're body isn't going to change overnight either. When you try different things, do it for a minimum of 6-8 weeks. Consistently! Adjust your expectations and realize you need to be patient and deliberate with your actions to get what you want.
Be Consistent
Whether it's eating Paleo, going to the gym, getting more sleep, do it over and over again. Consistency and routine are key to making a health goal become reality. When I work 1:1 with clients, I often discover they think they're following a certain protocol consistently, but when I dive deeper I find they aren't.
When you do something, do it consistently the majority of the time. Not a day here, or a day there, but EVERYDAY. In my pervious career, I did project implementations. You can't have a successful project implementation unless you execute the plan on time and finish all the tasks. Well, your body's no different. It knows when you skip a day, or when you eat an extra bag of chocolate.
Be Your Own Health Investigator
Don't assume because you read something on the internet it's true, or that it applies to you.
I've had many clients tell me they've eliminated carbs because they think it will improve their thyroid function when in fact carbs are necessary for thyroid function. While it's true certain carbs like grains cause inflammation, not everyone who has a thyroid condition needs to eliminate grains unless they have high antibodies. This is a good example of why consulting your knowledge with a professional like a nutritionist or dietician is important.
This is also true of "healthy" recipes on Pinterest and blogs. I can't tell you how many recipes I've seen that claim to be healthy but when I read the list of ingredients or amounts of certain ingredients I realize they're not all that healthy. Another reason why it's important to understand how to read food labels and how to spot healthy foods.
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I love that you really point out it varies for individuals! This is so true! Each individual and the individuals time of life. I have been pregnant, nursing and then trying to tone up all in the last two years. My meals and macros looked very different during each of these because it is what my body needed at that time.
Definitely depends on your goals.
Love this. The right answer is that there is no right answer. That is like saying what is the right way to date. Or the right way to have a marriage. It looks different for everyone!
Exactly. I think it's so hard for people to get that though. They want the right answer. It's difficult getting that message across. I like your analogy.
This is so true. What works for a person is really so individual. Thanks for sharing.
Of course!
Yes to ALL of this! I choose not to label my diet and try to say I make smart choices when it comes to eating and working out and am always trying new things to see how my body reacts. But I even get overwhelmed with everything I read on the internet and always want to try the latest fads in food and fitness.
Me too. I can't imagine what it feels like to someone who isn't in this realm.
This is so true, there's no one size fits all! But you've definitely given some healthy habits that everyone can utilize. Especially being patient, the one I struggle with most!
I think everyone struggles with that one girl.