Dr. Aaron's Blog

New Years Resolution – Weight Loss! Ya, you can do it!

January 11, 2015 All, Healthy Eating, Naturopathic Medicine, Nutrition by Aaron Van Gaver

Losing weight is probably one of the most common New Year’s resolutions. 

The number of gym passes purchased skyrockets in the early days of January and
various diets including lots of greens and few carbohydrates are attempted. It isn’t
surprising that many are concerned about diet and exercise after several weeks of
rich Christmas fare.  Seldom are these regimens successful.  So, you may ask how does one make weight loss a reality?

The naturopathic approach is individualized.

For example, a given diet may work for one person and not another.  There is no
cookie cutter approach to weight loss, however there are certain principles that can
be applied to most people.  The first is cutting down ‘sugary’ foods. This not only
includes the obvious suspects – cookies, cakes, but also bread, potatoes, and corn
chips. Anything that is recognized as sugar by your body is considered a sugary food.
Simply cutting down on these can have a tremendous impact on your health and
weight loss goals. 

The second general principle is exercise. Even 30 minutes every
day of walking or yoga will have a positive impact on weight loss as well as
contribute to a healthy cardiovascular system.  Instead of committing to 1 hour each
day or 2 hours every second day, which may see daunting, commit to frequent short
sessions. You are more likely to be successful with this approach!


The third principle is the psychological aspect.  This applies to both your specific
weight loss goal and any resolutions you have made.  Set small, specific goals. For
example, with weight loss, be specific with how much weight but break it up over a
couple months. So if you wish to lose 25lbs, set monthly targets. 

Teaming up with a friend can also make adhering to your trajectory easier.  Above all be positive and gracious with yourself. You have set this goal out of love for your body and you will
experience ups and downs. If you cheat and have a piece of pizza – enjoy it, don’t
beat yourself up, and continue with your goal. Don’t allow the setbacks of cheats to
knock you off your path.

Check out the following article for a few additional tips and
tricks to maintain your resolution! 

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/holiday-guide/holiday-health/10-ways-to-make-your-2015-weight-loss-goal-areality/article22178725/?cmpid=rss1&click=sf_globefb