8/28 Wellness Wednesday

Jessie and Coach James do box jumps

It's human nature to want to look better naked. We want to be attractive to ourselves and our potential mates. Sometimes, however, we might have a hard time doing the things that will actually make us look better naked. We might really struggle with food quality or quantity. Our life may have so many competing priorities that it feels indulgent to put our ourselves first and make time to exercise. Or sometimes, despite our best efforts at controlling our portions and exercising regularly we just aren't satisfied with the pace of our change. 
I recently read a really great article from Precision Nutrition (the folks with whom I studied exercise and sports nutrition) that explored the debate of the importance of calories in - calories out versus hormone balance with regards to weight loss. Both are important and for reasons you might not expect. I think the article is worth reading in its entirety, but one section in particular I thought was so important I'm compelled to share it with you. It's about how our lifestyle choices can affect our energy balance. Here's a graphic from the article.

There are SO many factors that can affect our energy balance (energy balance = calories in-calories out). If we're not handling stress well, if our sleep is disrupted, if our gut microbiome is all out of whack, if we have chronic inflammation, if we're sick, have a disease, are recovering from surgery, have low self-esteem, skip workouts, overindulge on the weekends, have more than 1 drink per day, or a whole suite of other lifestyle factors we're going to have a more difficult time looking better naked. We can weigh and measure your food to the nth degree, but if we don't have a handle on our stress, or don't get enough sleep, etc. then we're going to have a much harder time moving the needle in the direction we want it to go. 
Embarking on a program for weight loss (or weight gain) depends on a lifestyle overhaul. Sure we will eventually see a shift with a negative energy balance, but at what cost? If we're not able to manage our stress then tracking every calorie or weighing and measuring our food is just going to increase our stress. We're better off learning how to meditate, keep a journal, or do any number of proven stress management techniques. 
Stress and how we manage it (or don't) will affect our hormones and our hormones affect our energy balance. The two are intimately paired. The Precision Nutrition folks describe it this way:

"Hormones are intricately entwined with energy balance.
But even so, they don't operate independently of energy balance.
In other words, people don't gain weight because 'hormones.'
They gain weight because their hormones are impacting their energy balance."

In our quest to look better naked, we need to take an integrative approach. Manage our stress and we will be happier. Happier people are always more attractive. Good luck! If you need help overhauling your lifestyle so you can eventually look better naked, why not seek the help of a professional? Coach Audy is here to help you! Book a consultation with her to get help and accountability. Good luck!

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