Decrease Your Sugar Intake
I know you have heard this before and probably more times than you care to remember, but it works. Depending on your body type you should have the percentage of calories in your diet from carbohydrates be somewhere between 10 and 30%. I must say, it can be hard to separate yourself from carbs since, as sugar burners, we crave them so often. And, let's face it, they are everywhere. They are cheap and convenient, which makes them even more irresistible. But you must resist. I want to challenge you to pull back on the sodas, fruit juice, bread, processed food and items with added sugar. If you are unsure if something has added sugar in it, then read the labels. Even whole wheat bread turns to sugar once you eat it and gets broken down in the digestive tract. Be intentional about lowering the amount of sugar in your diet and carbohydrates and I believe this will make more of a difference for weight loss than anything else you can do.
Increase Your Good Fats
So, I just asked you to decrease your carbohydrates, and many nurses will say "So now what do I eat?!" You have three options: meat (grass-fed, wild-caught), vegetables, and some fruits (remember: beware of your sugar intake). Next, fill in the gaps with "GOOD" fats. Examples of good fats would include coconut oil, avocado and avocado oil, butter (not margarine), almond butter, nuts (avoid peanuts), olives, full- fat yogurt, organic half and half or heavy cream, and egg yolks just to name a few. I don't know about you, but these are some of my favorite foods. "BAD" fats would include vegetable and seed oils such as canola, peanut, soybean, cottonseed, and sunflower oil. These are pro-inflammatory omega six fats which increase inflammation in the body.
The key to any sustainable weight loss strategy is to feel satisfied, or full, while you are on your journey. Fat is how you make that happen. Fat is the key to having your weight loss experience be enjoyable instead of dreadful. Because if it is dreadful, you will not maintain the weight loss once the 90 days is over, or heck, even complete the 90-day challenge. I know fat has gotten a bad rap over the last fifty years, but just try it. You will be glad you did.
Sleep Better
When it comes to weight loss, nobody hardly ever mentions sleep. As nurses, we work all kinds of weird hours and are expected to work longer hours than most other professions. So what does a good sleep routine look like? I would recommend you take 1 to 3 mg of melatonin an hour before bed, wear a sleep mask and keep your bedroom very dark. You should not be able to see your hand in front of your face. Minimize use of electronic devices an hour before bed. I would also suggest blue light blocking glasses and/or put your electronic devices in night mode. Keep the bedroom at 68 to 71 degrees because this helps your body to cool down allowing it to get ready for rest. Don't do any exercise, not even walking, right before you go to bed. Save exercise for when you wake up. Also, limit alcohol before bed since it inhibits your body's ability to get in a deep REM restorative sleep.
Reduce Your Stress
Stress comes at us from many directions in our daily lives. Acute stress is fine for the most part, but it is when it becomes chronic that it becomes a problem. Honestly, by implementing the other four points made in this article, you will greatly reduce your stress level. For myself, I have to pick my battles. Some battles do not need to be fought to win the war (low stress). There are situations and other adults that would get to me in my younger days which I no longer allow to steal my inner peace. I would invite you to try techniques such as guided meditation (start with a few minutes a day), music or if you are feeling stressed go for a walk. Often if I am stressed about something and go for a walk, it will calm me right down as long as I leave my mobile device at home. Sleep, nutrition, and exercise all play a big part in helping you to control your stress levels.
Move More
I know what you're saying, "I move enough at work. Why would I want to move when I am at home or on my days off?" The only reason I give for this is the benefits from movement do not necessarily come from doing it all at once but from doing it frequently throughout the day. In other words, it is not good for you to sit, or stay stationary, for more than an hour at a time. This can consist of doing five minutes of moving around in between forty-five-minute study sessions. Also, I want to say movement does not have to involve lifting weights at a gym or running on a treadmill. Lifting weights is beneficial, but exercise has to be fun. You are the only one who can determine that. If what you are doing for exercise is not fun then it is not sustainable. I still do a lot of exercise on my own because I find that works better for me and offers fewer distractions. But if you have trouble motivating yourself to workout on your own, then I would recommend you workout with a group. Join a meetup group (which are mostly free) that does hiking, kayaking, or yoga. Or you can join a gym or do Crossfit where the workouts are made up for you. Currently, my routine involves forty-five minutes of weight lifting three days a week in a home gym, thirty minutes of walking every day with a twenty-pound weighted vest, and five fifty yard sprints one or two times a week.
I hope you have found this article inspiring and enlightening. Being overweight is not a disease itself, as is commonly believed. In my opinion, it is only a symptom of an unhealthy lifestyle. I understand losing weight is easier for some than others, but I feel confident the choice is yours to choose a healthier lifestyle by applying the five points mentioned above. As nurses, we should know better than any other profession that you do not realize how important your health is until you lose it. Today, I want to invite you to come along on this journey with me to a healthier lifestyle. Don't do it for me, but do it for yourself, your patients, family and anyone who loves and cares for you. It is always easier to prevent a disease now by adopting a healthy lifestyle instead of trying to reverse the damage later.
Check out this helpful video: Meal Prep for Nurses... (added by staff)
