A Dietitian’s Take on the TOP 5 Most Searched Topics for Women on a Weight Loss Journey
These are the 5 topics women search for the most on their journey to lose weight and my thoughts about them:
1) Meal Delivery Service:
Personally, I’ve tried a couple: Hello Fresh, and Factor- with a preference for the latter. (No, I am not sponsored. But if the team at Factor reads this, hit me up!)
Pros- I love that Factor is created by a team of Chefs and Dietitians. The meals are delicious and there are a few different cuisines to choose from, including Mexican and Indian! The Nutrition Facts shows you exactly what goes into each meal and how many calories and macros are in each. They are typically high in fiber and protein which I appreciate, being on my own weight loss journey as a postpartum mom. They’re easy to order and easy to pause or cancel and frequently have deals going on for discounted boxes. They have a rewards program and a referral program as well, so it’s easy to get the most bang for your buck. You can also choose your box size and tailor your meals to your dietary needs. I personally tried the different keto options, protein options, desserts, and breakfasts. The keto empanadas were surprisingly delicious! I love that I could have a different meal every day and they are so easy to use- simply refrigerate until ready to eat, vent the top, and microwave for 2 minutes. Since there is no cooking or cleaning, I especially loved using these during the first couple months of postpartum! If you are too busy to grocery shop, prep, and cook, these are super convenient and take up minimal fridge space. They are an amazing alternative for fast food or delivery because it’s cheaper and healthier. Yes- cheaper than a typical fast-food meal! I also like to use these for work lunches- just make sure you have access to a fridge or have ice packs in an insulated bag, and a microwave. Don’t forget your fork!
Cons- The one negative I noticed- there was a lot of cauliflower rice and cauliflower mashed “potatoes” in the keto meals. I wish they had more brussels, cabbage, asparagus, and green beans etc. (They do have these, just not as much as the cauliflower substitutes). And this is just me being nit-picky, but- the packaging is a bit cumbersome, especially if you live in a 3rd story apartment like myself. It is for safety reasons though, which I really appreciate the company taking very seriously. The boxes are insulated with recycled fibers and there is either dry ice (if you have frozen meals) or giant ice packs with biodegradable filling.
2) Weight Loss Medications: (you know the ones)
There is a time and a place for these. I think these may be beneficial for some, such as micro-dosing for menopausal women or people with certain disease characteristics, (comment below if you want me to elaborate on this in a future post!) but are overused in the current market, especially given the range of negative side effects many experience as a result. I believe they should only be used sparingly, as a secondary short-term tool, alongside primary long-term sustainable changes in diet, exercise, and coaching. These medications are heavily advertised right now, which is leading many to flock to it as a “magic cure” for “instant weight loss”. Unfortunately, I see way too many individuals relying on these medications without changing their lifestyle! Or they are being prescribed these medications without the proper education and follow-up regarding nutrition and lifestyle changes (physicians need to be accountable too). Individuals may lose some weight in the beginning, but it’s not sustainable. Dosages may need to be doubled at a certain point and the side effects are very unpleasant. Please make sure if you take these, you are being properly monitored by a physician and receive counseling/ coaching to instill healthy habits (diet and exercise) into your life.
3) Evening Habit Adjustments:
In my opinion? Super underrated. Getting a good night’s sleep is crucial to regulating your hormones, such as the ones that signal for hunger and cravings. If we aren’t properly rested, we are way more likely to go for that donut full of “quick energy” than a satiating omelet full of protein that will keep us fuller longer, and with more stable blood sugars.
Tips:
Set a bedtime and do your best to stick to it. It helps to have a routine and to get things ready for the next day (i.e., set out your clothes, supplements, pack your lunch, etc).
Timing of caffeine. Note that caffeine has a half-life of 4-6 hours! This means it could take roughly 10 hours for caffeine to leave your system- adjust your intake accordingly. I know that midday coffee is tempting… but maybe stick to water or electrolytes! If you use pre-workout later in the day, consider a non-stim/ stimulant-free variety.
Limit your screen time at night. If you’re someone who needs the TV to fall asleep at night, or need to scroll on your phone to unwind, now is the time to consider other options. Talk to a sleep specialist if you need to. Personally, I don’t even have a TV in my room, and my phone screen changes color depending on the time of day. Still, I try not to be on my phone after I set my alarm for the morning and stick to reading, journaling, or praying right before bed.
Try not to worry- tomorrow has its own troubles. Reflect on the day you had today and thank God for all the blessings you got to experience- even if it was just waking up! Gratitude and Biblical affirmations can go a long way when you are feeling stressed and overwhelmed. If that doesn’t work- try writing either a mental list or a list in your planner/notebook of all the things you want to get done tomorrow. A sound machine or app is also a great tool.
Magnesium supplement- Most people are deficient in magnesium. I like Bioptimizers brand because it’s a mix of different types of magnesium. However, you could likely benefit from just a magnesium glycinate which will also help your muscles to relax. Be sure to talk to your provider before starting any new supplements.
4) Intuitive Eating:
To be honest, I don’t trust this method if you are starting out on your weight loss journey. Don’t get me wrong- you should definitely slow down while you eat and see if you can listen to your hunger and fullness cues and be mindful when it comes to eating. Savor your food. Enjoy it. However, with “intuitive eating” no foods are “off-limits”, and this ignores the fact that a lot of foods are designed by food manufacturers to be addictive- combining salty, sweet, and fatty flavors to get us to eat more and more without ever feeling full. I think it is perfectly safe and good to have some foods off-limits. If you want to be more intuitive, consider making a log of how different foods make you feel physically. For instance, I feel bloated and sluggish after a meal full of pasta or bread. I get severe GI distress after having something containing maltitol, the sugar alcohol. Track these symptoms in a food diary and try limiting or omitting the ones that are making you sick and tired.
5) Fitness Accessories:
Personally, I use and love Beach Body programs (BODi), ZOZOfit, and Cronometer. These all have phone app options.
BODi- Does P90X or Turbo Jam ring a bell? That’s Beachbody. They have different membership options available. If you have limited equipment and want to workout from home- this is for you. There are a ton of programs to choose from and you can filter them based on your goals, the trainer you want, equipment available, how many minutes per day/days per week, length of programming, etc. I personally keep going back to 80 Day Obsession and LIIFT4 but I have dabbled in quite a few others!
ZOZOfit- Zozofit is fairly new to me but I love the concept! Basically if you have an iPhone, you can “scan” your body and this app will take measurements for you. It saves your previous scans so you can compare your body side-by-side. Kind of like having side-by-side pictures of yourself, but it’s just a grey figure on a grid, making it more unbiased! I love this for tracking non-scale progress.
Cronometer- Cronometer is a great tool for tracking your food/water intake, weight/biometrics, fasting time, supplements, and exercise. You can tailor your calorie/macros to your goals. Your daily calorie burn is automatically input if you have a tracker such as an Apple watch. If you get premium, you have access to personalized suggestions to help you hit your goals! My favorite feature is the bar code scanner, so if you have any food item with a bar code, it will pull it up automatically, making it super easy to track your food.
Conclusion:
My hope and prayer for this blog is to educate and empower you to help you build up your confidence on your health and fitness journey! There is so much information out there and I pray this summary helps clear up some of the hottest topics in women’s weight loss for you! If you have any questions or would like a follow-up blog post clarifying certain details, let me know in the comments!
Hopefully I’ll see you soon, God bless you, and take care.
Love,
Abby
