Shhh! There is a word that none of us dare utter over our figgy pudding. Seriously, do not say the word aloud and spoil the holiday cheer! We will hear it soon enough as over 45 Million of us will all be abuzz with this word in about a week.
The Word Is DIET.
Whether we care to admit it, right about now that word is lurking in the back of our minds like the 1954 classic feature, “The Creature from The Black Lagoon”. Looming in the darkness of our sub-conscious, hiding, and not quite ready to make an appearance, the creature is still there none the less, and we know it. It readies itself to pounce right after the last sip of Champagne and the New Year Cheer is over.
Everyone has a favorite one, I mean Diet, not Creature. Keto, Paleo, Mediterranean, Low Fat, High Fat, etc. Regardless of what Diet you plan on embracing, we have some critical info for you to take into consideration. A recent study published by TheBMJ (British Medical Journal) presents some compelling data about Diets, and if you want to avoid using it repeatedly year after year, you may want to continue reading.
In this “Diet Study”, 121 trials were conducted with over 21,000 participants and it came to some helpful conclusions. Diets DO work in the short term and the benefits to blood pressure, blood sugar levels, immune system response, and overall health are clearly well documented. However, according to TheBMJ study, NONE of these diets can sustain the health benefits in the long run (1 year or more). If you are into infographics, you will appreciate the one below as it walks you through TheBMJ study (published in 2020) and its outcomes, step by step, without having to read a lengthy discourse on methodology.
Thanks so much to TheBMJ for putting the graphic together. The name of the study is “Comparison of dietary macronutrient patterns of 14 popular named dietary programs for weight and cardiovascular risk factor reduction in adults: systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized trials”.
Conclusions. Moderate certainty evidence shows that most macronutrient diets, over six months, result in modest weight loss and substantial improvements in cardiovascular risk factors, particularly blood pressure. At 12 months the effects on weight reduction and improvements in cardiovascular risk factors largely disappear.
You probably have the same question I did when I read this report. Which diets were included in TheBMJ study? See if you can find your favorite.
Why does the weight gain and loss Yo-Yo perpetuate? Once a person first identifies that they are ready to transform their eating habits, they are often incredibly enthusiastic, and carve out time for the prescribed plan with a commitment to do the “right” things. For example, meal prep or keeping our fridge stocked with healthy food, exercising for an hour a day. Because most of us are not built to sustain working within these systems, we quit cold turkey, exhausted by forcing ourselves to keep up. As time goes on, our natural instincts win and often resist the systems that aren’t set up for about 80% of the population. Whatever behavior was changed initially, starts to come back, and with it, so does the weight.
"...at NOCK you will no longer have to battle who you are. We help you reach your goals by effectively activating your strengths and releasing what holds you back."
At NOCK Collaborative, we created The Nock Life Method, the basis of the Sustainable Weight Loss Program, that addresses the very question of “how do I sustain my weight loss within systems that are impossible for me to maintain?” At NOCK we take a three-pillar approach with a high level of personalization. NOCK Thinks, NOCK Consumes, NOCK Moves. We integrate all 3 pillars of NOCK in our programs, matching our members needs with one of our skilled practitioners, to give you the highest level of support and the excellent standard of care you deserve. We establish a foundation of understanding about diet and living a healthy lifestyle. We help you find brain training tools including mindfulness meditation, as a supportive base for your practice, when we are not there. Most importantly, we help you lean into what feels most natural to you and notice when you might need to manage your instincts to avoid getting in your own way. We get results, help you create your unique method and drop the diets for good. Finally, a system that works because it goes with your grain. Move through our 3-Pillar System based on thinking, consumption and movement and create a healthy lifestyle that sticks because it works for your unique mind and body.
At NOCK Collaborative, we work with clients to make a total lifestyle change, not just dietary changes. That’s where we see real progress and health benefits over the long run; results that last. Our workshops, seminars, networking events and one-on-one coaching sessions are really helpful here. We employ methods and tools that are simple. Your practice becomes easier over time because at NOCK you will no longer have to battle who you are. We help you reach your goals by effectively activating your strengths and releasing what holds you back.
Let’s face it, if we attempt to reach our goals through constant, extreme resistance of our nature, we are not going to be able to keep up long term.
We coach you on techniques that support your daily eating routine and help you build healthy habits that are simple to use. The techniques we use incorporate the mind and body, making it easy to manage portions and create a positive relationship with consumption.
For example, a good rule of thumb when eating, is to use your hands to measure healthy portions and create a balanced meal.
When you completely open your hand, the measurement for a portion of protein would be the palm of your hand. Make a fist and that is the portion for vegetables. Cup your hand and that would be the portion of healthy grains and carbohydrates. Makes being mindful of what we eat simple, instead of pulling out a scale or a measuring cup you have everything you need in the palm of your hand.
Other recommendations for staying healthy, weight loss or not, include:
• Approach sleep as the core of your health and well-being (7-9 hours)
• Soak up a minimum of 30 minutes of natural sunlight each day (or as long as you can)
• Find small opportunities throughout your day to move your body (try counter push-ups)
Thanks for hanging in there and coming back to visit me and read my article. I hope it helps you and the other 45 Million people, who feel exhausted of diets like I was, navigate your options for a healthy lifestyle.
To check out NOCK Collaborative go to NOCKCollaborative.Com or Sign Up for The Sustainable Weight Loss Program today.
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