October 2013 Newsletter
Innocent things that may be sabotaging your weight loss!
Nothing is more frustrating than not seeing the scale drop despite days or weeks of doing everything right. After all that hard work—all the cookies you didn't eat, all the protein you did eat, all the willpower you maintained, all the time you logged at the gym—how could you not have lost any weight? It's enough to make even the most determined person throw in the towel!
Before you swear off your diet and declare yourself as someone who "will never lose weight," stop, take a deep breath, and remember this: Weight loss may seem simple (eat more protein, less carbs), but often there's a lot more going on than the proteins and vegetables you put in your mouth.
What is more likely is that you've made some innocent mistakes in your quest to lose weight. Don't feel bad about it—it's extremely common. These habits may be preventing you from getting the results you want. Don’t give up, there may be things listed below that you can change - and you'll see that scale drop again in no time!
10 That May Be Sabotaging Your Weight Loss:
1. Sodium. Hidden sources of sodium in your condiments or proteins such as mustard, hot sauce, soy sauce, deli meats and smoked salmon can cause you to retain up to 5 pounds of water! Keep your intake of high sodium foods to a minimum, especially if you are salt sensitive.
2. Fake foods. Try not to consume too many “fake” foods such as fat-free cheeses, diet soda, sugar free syrups & flavorings like MIO. The chemicals and artificial sweeteners found in these put extra stress on the liver and slow down the fat burning process.
3. Tolerated foods. Tolerated foods are just that, tolerated. They are not part of the 100 Allowed Foods List and are to be consumed as recommended per phase. Some dieters tend to over eat these foods which can cause them to stagnate. Try to limit tolerated foods if you want weight loss.
4. Dairy. A lot of Dukan Dieters tend to overcompensate with dairy products - especially on Pure Protein days. We recommend you reduce your consumption of dairy products, as these are high in carbohydrates due to the naturally occurring sugars (lactose). Dr. Dukan recommends no more than 675 grams or 24 ounces per day (which he states in his book).
5. Restaurants. If you rarely cook your own meals and tend to eat out at restaurants often, hidden calories and excess sodium can add up quickly! Some restaurants add flour to their omelets for example, or add butter and oil to grilled proteins. Make sure to ask for your proteins to be cooked bone dry (no salt, oil, butter etc.).
6. Heavy weights. Although weight training is great for revving up your metabolism, the heavy weights can initially cause muscles to retain water as they repair themselves. So don’t be too hard on yourself if you’ve had a tough workout and the scale increases—your body is still burning fat!
7. Spinning. Depending on the body you start with, indoor cycling may not get you the body you want. If you have a predisposition to bulking in your lower half, spinning can make your quads and butt bigger—to be lean you need to lengthen the musculature and cycling can shorten them.
8. Medications. Medications can cause water retention, even over the counter drugs such as Advil, Aleve, Claritin and Tylenol. Check with your doctor if you don't know whether weight gain is a side effect of a medicine you're taking. Psychiatric medications to treat bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and depression, along with heart medications like beta blockers, commonly cause weight gain. While treating the primary condition is most important, you may be able to find a substitute without the side effect.
9. Environmental Toxins. There may be environmental toxins in your home or workplace. Are you remodeling your home—painting, staining hardwood floors, breaking down walls or did you just get new furniture or carpeting? These all release toxins or chemicals into the air which we inhale, causing our liver to work overtime, resulting in stagnation.
10. Negative thinking. Your cells mimic your thoughts. Constantly telling yourself that you will never lose weight will only cause frustration and more stagnation. Being positive and telling yourself that you ‘can’ lose weight, will result in more weight loss—as it’s the law of attraction! Positive thoughts are empowering. A negative attitude can set processes in motion that makes losing weight difficult, if not impossible. Berating yourself every time you eat the wrong foods, constantly focusing on what you cannot eat and approaching your exercise regimen with dread are all ways that negative thought patterns can sabotage your weight loss efforts. When you hold a negative image of yourself, you rob yourself of much-needed energy. Here’s a little Dukan magic: A coached member emailed us every day for help complaining about being frustrated that her weight wouldn’t budge—after making sure she was doing everything correctly diet wise, I told her I was sending her positive energy to help her lose weight—the next day she emailed me and was so ecstatic that the scale finally moved in her favor!
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