Seven Stacked Stones - Explore Diet, Exercise & Weight Loss Tips

Plan Variety in Your Fitness Routine

Doing the same exercises repeatedly can become boring. It also involves working the same muscle groups over and over which increases your risk of muscle fatigue, strain or injury. Instead, experts suggest alternating workouts such that each major muscle group is worked every other day, giving your muscles 48 hours of recovery. Cross-training improves balance and endurance by utilizing muscle groups not involved in your primary workout. Incorporating a variety of fitness activities (that you enjoy) also helps you remain interested and motivated.

Explore Fitness Options

Incorporating multiple types of fitness into your routine will increase strength and stamina. Certain types of exercise have distinct benefits:

Yoga - improves flexibility, mindfulness, mind-body connection

Pilates - improves coordination, balance, muscle strength

Tai Chi - improves flexibility, balance, relaxation, mindfulness

Aerobic/Cardio - improves circulation, heart, lungs, cognition

Weight Lifting - builds muscle, strength, bone density

Pushups/Situps/Calisthenics - improves strength, flexibility

High-Intensity Interval Training HIIT - alternates between short bursts of high-intensity exercise and low-intensity recovery periods. Often involves aerobic and strength training.

Spin Class - group indoor cycling that mixes high-intensity aerobic exercise with strength training and often weight loss.

(Note: If you don't normally engage in strenuous activity, you should consult your doctor before beginning a fitness routine. Then, start slowly and increase your workouts gradually.)

Get Outdoors

In addition to the types of exercise listed above, there are many outdoor activities such as running, hiking, cycling, swimming, skiing, snowboarding and team sports. Simply taking a walk is powerful enough to elicit health benefits. Plus, don't forget gardening and yard work! There are many benefits to being outdoors beyond the physical exercise:

Outdoor exercise increases the challenge of your workout due to the changing terrain.
Exposure to sunshine means more Vitamin D which strengthens the immune system and is necessary for healthy teeth, bones and muscles.
Sunlight has a positive impact on mental health by easing depression and improving mood. It also affects your body’s internal clock, improving sleep quality.
Chronic anxiety and stress can strain our sympathetic nervous system. Being in nature causes us to pay attention to things external to ourselves which helps regulate our sympathetic nervous system, reducing stress and increasing relaxation.

Weight Loss Frustrations

Frustration with dieting is a common, reoccurring theme. Many diets work for a while to shed unwanted pounds, but the closer you get to your goal weight the more resistant your body becomes to losing weight and the harder it is to adhere to the diet. This often occurs due to a slowdown in metabolism. Also, diets that are too restrictive may make it difficult to eat in restaurants, while a lack of variety can lead to food cravings and decreased adherence.

Weight Loss Diets

Learn about the pros/cons of different types of weight loss diets:

Low-Calorie Diet - restricts calorie intake and emphasizes portion control.
Pro: improves insulin resistance and blood pressure.
Con: can lead to vitamin/mineral deficiencies and muscle loss, slows metabolism, adherence issues due to hunger.
Atkins (Low-Carb) Diet - initially restricts carbohydrate intake to 25g while emphasizing higher fat and protein but, after an initial period, gradually raises carbohydrate limits.
Pro: initial rapid weight loss, improves metabolic syndrome
Con: raises the risk of kidney stones, and low blood sugar, adherence issues due to lack of variety
Keto (Very Low-Carb) Diet - sustains carbohydrate restrictions throughout the diet while emphasizing high fat and protein in order to cause fat burning (called ketosis). Also restricts processed foods.
Pro: rapid weight loss, improves metabolic syndrome
Con: raises the risk of kidney stones, low blood sugar and colon cancer, adherence issues due to lack of variety. Sustained low fruit/veggie intake can cause vitamin/mineral deficiencies, low dietary fiber and may negatively impact gut microbiome. Ketosis can also cause initial "keto flu", flu-like symptoms.
Paleo Diet - restricts processed foods plus grains and dairy and mimics the diet of our ancestors.
Pro: improves blood sugar and heart health
Con: lack of dairy may lead to calcium or vitamin D deficiency. Also associated with low energy and increased risk of colon cancer.
Mediterranean Diet - restricts processed foods while emphasizing healthy fats, fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein.
Pro: improves cognition and heart health while reducing insulin resistance, inflammation and cancer risk. Whole grains increase dietary fiber. Allows a high variety of foods which increases adherence.
Con: because it is higher in carbohydrates it may result in less weight loss or slower weight loss than other diets
♥ Carb Cycling Diet - alternates between high carbohydrate and low carbohydrate days to create metabolic confusion to avoid a slowdown in metabolism.
Pro: improves insulin sensitivity, increases fat loss, maintains muscle and high metabolism. May increase sports performance.
Con: may require more planning, limited research on long term impact.
♥ Low-Lectin Diet - restricts particular foods high in lectins including beans, lentils, grains, some fruits and vegetables, while still allowing consumption of low-lectin foods. Some studies show excessive lectin intake can cause digestive issues, increase allergic and autoimmune reactions and can interfere with nutrient absorption.
Pro: reduces inflammation, digestive issues and immune reactions. Improves brain fog and weight loss.
Con: requires knowing which specific foods contain high levels of lectins, limited research on long-term impact.

Weight Loss Tips

Engage in a variety of physical exercises to increase interest and motivation.
♥ Instead of engaging in sustained low-energy workouts, consider varying short intervals of high intensity with cool-down periods. This approach can significantly increase calorie burn.
Find small ways to increase motion in your daily life like taking the stairs instead of the elevator or walking to the neighborhood mailbox instead of swinging by in the car. Make it a practice to walk while talking on the phone, outside when the weather permits or pace indoors when rainy.
If you don't have time to squeeze in your full workout, do what you have time for instead of skipping it.
Find a workout buddy or sign up for a group exercise class to keep you motivated and increase adherence to your fitness routine.
Optimize nutrition by avoiding processed foods (and fast food) which are often higher in added sugar, sodium, trans fats, toxins and are associated with metabolic syndrome.
♥ Avoid artificial sweeteners which are also associated with metabolic syndrome and retrain the taste buds towards a desire for more sweetness.
♥ Avoid drinking sweet beverages which are nutritionally void and increase weight gain and insulin resistance.
Drink water before meals which can increase the feeling of fullness and reduce caloric intake.
Load up on low-calorie fruits and vegetables as before meal appetizers.
Use smaller plates and bowls at mealtime to aid in portion control.
During meals, eat more fiber and healthy fats to increase the feeling of fullness and reduce food cravings.
Eat slowly to allow your body time to signal fullness. Especially, don't eat while watching TV or in front of the computer. Eating while distracted is associated with a higher calorie intake because we fail to notice feelings of fullness.
Don't skip breakfast because a long sustained period of not eating lowers your metabolism.
♥ Cook more of your own meals. Meals cooked at home tend to be nutritionally superior to restaurant meals which come in large portions and encourage over-eating.
Make a grocery list ahead of your shopping trip to reduce higher-calorie impulse buys. Don't buy junk food or, if you must do so for someone else in your household, keep it hidden and on a high shelf where it won't be convenient or tempting.
Make sure to get enough sleep. Lack of sleep increases insulin resistance and food cravings.
While rapid weight loss improves motivation towards your goal, it also risks loss of muscle mass. Meanwhile, gradual weight loss results in a greater reduction in body fat.
If one diet approach does not work for you, don't give up; try a different approach.