Many people have trouble eating well, exercising, and maintaining a healthy weight. In May of 2020, I was 57 years old, 5’3″ tall, and weighed 175 pounds. I sometimes felt little heart blips that I thought might be leading up to a heart attack. My cholesterol was an unhealthy 230, my triglycerides 72, and my glucose 103. So, I started a no-carbohydrate diet, did some exercise, lost 15 pounds, and then I stopped losing weight.
I’ve tried Weight-Watchers, South Beach, Atkins, and Keto. These diets didn’t address my sugar cravings, self-comforting with food, or fear of being thin. Some of the plans encouraged portion control but I needed more guidance and accountability.
On the recommendation of a friend, I hired Laurel Santiago, of Integrative Center for Nutrition, a certified nutrition specialist, who had instructed my friend to eat more to lose weight. At our first Zoom meeting, Laurel looked at my tongue, and noted that it was white, not a healthy pink. This meant that I had a yeast overgrowth, which was causing my sugar cravings.
Laurel asked me if there was anything I was not willing to do. I told her I didn’t want to lift weights, take supplements, or keep a food log. She said that I needed to do strength training because as I lost weight, my skin would lay nicely on my muscles.
Her confidence, that of course I’d lose weight, was very motivating, so I agreed to strength train, log my food and exercise, and get tested for mold and toxins. As a result, I began taking supplements to pull the mold and cholesterol out of my body.
Laurel said I must do two re-feed meals a week to keep my metabolism from slowing down. A re-feed meal is one where you indulge a little, such as having a plate of pasta or a hamburger and fries. The re-feed meals turned out to be the most difficult part of the program for me because I often did free-feeds instead of re-feeds where I ate lots of bread and desserts.
I meet with Laurel every week via Zoom. She is knowledgeable and supportive. According to her, there is no mystery to weight loss if you follow the science. With her guidance, I’ve lost weight, find exercise easier, and feel and look better.
How do I eat now? I weigh my food and I eat very little red meat. My daily goal is to eat 120 grams of protein, 60 grams of carbohydrates, and 60 grams of fat. If I eat a steak, it blows my fat allowance, when I could eat salmon, shrimp, or scallops instead. I now eat rice, potatoes, and oatmeal, which is very satisfying. My already thin husband has lost 15 pounds.
When you’re trying to lose weight, you not only need to understand the physiological effects of food and exercise but also any psychological issues you may have around food. I’ve come to believe that you might overeat or eat poorly for five reasons:
1.You self-comfort with food.
2. You’ve suffered trauma and are self-medicating with food.
3. You have a health problem that is stopping you from losing weight.
4. You don’t understand which foods and in what amounts are healthy.
5. You control your weight by under eating.
I sometimes self-comfort with food when I am stressed and I still have cravings but I’m confident this will get better as the toxins and yeast are pulled from my body and I train myself to turn to non-food stress relievers. Some people go for a walk or relax in a bath but I prefer to take action with regards to my stressors.
I’ve been working with my health coach for nine months. I’m down forty pounds, and my goal is to lose fifty pounds in total. I’ve been having trouble with the last ten for three reasons: they are the hardest to lose, I look pretty good so I’ve gotten complacent, and I’m a little afraid of being thin and the changes that might bring.
However, I love getting dressed in the morning. I look good wearing belts. I want to exercise each day and I recently felt comfortable enough in a swimsuit to get my lifesaving certification. When I went for my checkup in March, my cholesterol was down to a healthy 177, my triglycerides 50, and my glucose 88.
I will not be using a health coach forever, just until I reach my goal and have mastered the tools to maintain my weight. If you think you might need a coach to become healthier, find out by downloading the questionnaire, Do You Need A Health Coach? on the Thometz Life Coaching website.