With summer approaching and bathing suit season full steam ahead. many people are hitting the gym hard to get “all the gains” but they are forgetting that fitness and weight loss doesn’t happen overnight.Too many people start to hit the panic button and they want to see results NOW and forget the weight didn’t take one day to get there and its not going to take one day to get it off. That last pesky 5-10 pounds can be the hardest to lose. Why you might ask? This is due to your bodies set point or the place where it feels optimal and happy. Usually that can be about the last few pounds. Lately I have had a lot of people ask me about doing a detox. Lets face it, walk through a pharmacy or an aisle with vitamins and supplements and you’ll notice plenty of “kits” for detoxing and jump starting your health and fitness regimen. They are everywhere!!!
They are tempting ! Lose 7 pounds in 3 days…who isn’t tempted by the promises of quick, drastic, noticeable results? Who would rather lose 15 pounds in a couple of months than in only a couple short weeks?
I will be the first to tell you NOT to fall into this trap and here is why !
They will not really work as advertised
-A cleanse or detox is not some miracle that will flush out toxins from your body and instantly skyrocket your health. Nutrition and health is about the big picture. What you do for five or seven days out of the year is pretty inconsequential.Rather than worry about ‘detoxing,’ you should be more concerned on the daily thinking about eating nutritious, health-promoting foods. Think leafy greens, beans, whole fruit, nuts, and seeds. The idea that six months of unhealthy eating can somehow be remedied by drinking nothing but green juice for 72 hours is quite ridiculous.
You’ll regain any weight lost once you return to normal eating habits
-Initially you will lose weight and inches. This is mostly water and nothing too significant, but as soon as you return back to normal eating habits, you’ll regain all that weight back.Losing weight only to keep it off for a very short period of time is not a success in weight loss. It is a temporary fix for a long term issue that needs a lifestyle change!
WARNING! You may feel like a H.A.M. (hot ass mess).
-Yes I said that ! Think of HANGRY at the next level for a few days up to a week !!! NOT FUN ! Oh and try to focus on ANYTHING ! You better be locked up all week you plan to detox because you will offend everyone with your attitude and not even realize it ! Most cleanses are very low-calorie, so you’ll likely experience very low energy levels. And you can’t become the strongest, most awesome version of yourself when you feel like a H.A.M..
Cleanses and detoxes usually don’t set you up for long-term success
-So what’s the point ? So you lose a few pounds in a few days, feel GREAT about yourself … go out and celebrate and whooppss !!! Don’t even dare check the scale ! You will only have the feeling of defeat and regret so is this worth it ?? You are better off taking the harder route of clean eating, exercising consistently and letting your body let go of the weight that it WANTS to let go of ! Embrace yourself and love the body you have don’t abuse it !
A detox can create or exacerbate obsessive eating habits
-Many detoxes and cleanses are an “all or nothing” approach and very strict in what you can actually consume. Think about what they really allow you to consume, water based vegetables, water, and maybe some protein ? That increases the risk of people becoming obsessive about the foods they are eating or may lead to restriction and binge eating behaviors.
BUT doing something longer, more sustainable like a 30 day challenge CAN jump start your mindset and body ! All it takes is 21 days to create a habit!
Here are some 30 days challenges you may consider:
-Be physically active every day. You don’t need to do anything crazy just do something every day for 30 days. For example strength train twice per week and then go for a walk for 10-30 minutes on the days you don’t strength train. Engage in a fun physical activity. It doesn’t matter what you do just do something active every day, even if it’s just for 10 minutes.
-Eat fruits and veggies every day. Eating fruits and veggies every day is the best way to naturally detox in a healthy way and get a ton of vitamins and minerals into your body.You can start simple by including a piece of fruit with breakfast and a veggie at lunch. Add fruits to protein smoothies with some spinach or kale and you have a great breakfast idea and already a serving of each for the day.
Last but most important, create goals that keep the 3 S’s in mind:
-Sane
-Simple
-Sustainable
You can’t achieve your goals with grueling, overly time-consuming workout routines and crazy diets or detoxes can you ? Be smart and don’t try anything that will take 3 days to do. You body is a machine not a garbage can for any crazy solution the media tries to portray !