Fall begins in two days. Summer went much too fast, but then, it usually does!
Fall in the Berkshires is a good time to get out walking or hiking again, though! Do you like to hike in the woods? Just getting outside for a walk can relieve your stress and make you feel more energized. The leaves on our trees will be turning colors soon – a few have already started; and the beauty of Mother Nature’s paintbrush always makes me smile on these brisk fall walks!
I got a great question the other day from a client with back pain. Her doctor suggested that she lose some weight to help her back pain, and she was pretty discouraged because she’s in too much pain to work out!
I understand. I’ve been there, and have since lost weight, AND got rid of my back pain. It wasn’t easy, but it can definitely be done!
Working out is not the only way to lose weight. And, depending on the cause of your pain, relaxing your back might be the best thing that you can do to relieve that pain. The key is to find the cause of your back pain.
Unless you see a functional medicine practitioner, the cause of your pain may not be identified. Most doctors today are not trained in finding the cause of your pain, just treating the symptoms.
As most of you know, I coach people in pain and help them find the cause of their pain. Then, we take the appropriate steps to relax, stretch or strengthen, and reduce that pain. I also work with women who want to lose their mid-life weight gain without restrictive diets and without running miles on a treadmill (unless you want to).
Today, I have included a video of my top recommendation for reducing back pain. Try it, you’ll like it!
And, my top tool for losing weight when you can’t work out is to take a good look at what you eat on a daily basis and keep track of everything you put in your mouth for a few days. Then go over that list with the intention of making sure that you are taking these three steps:
- Get enough protein at breakfast. Breakfast is the meal that should have more protein than dinner, but most of us were not brought up that way. If you want to build muscle and lose weight, the first thing that you need to do is make sure that you get a minimum of 12 grams of protein at breakfast. If you can work that up to somewhere between 15 and 20 grams that’s great!
- Eat healthy fats at each meal. Healthy fats include avocados, coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, tahini, sesame oil, and olives. Did you know that our brains are mostly fat, our nerve coverings are made of fat, and fat communicates with all of our organs through our hormones. Eating healthy fats helps us reduce our risk of heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. We have been told, forever, to count calories, but we now know that’s only part of the solution. We need healthy fats and we need more protein at breakfast and less at dinner.
- Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. If you don’t drink enough water, your body can’t function optimally, so make sure that you get at least 48 oz. of water and/or herbal tea each day.
Simple changes can make a huge difference!
Here is a link to my personalized coaching if you’d like to learn more! You can schedule a free 20-minute Laser Coaching call on that page as well.
Best of Health,
Kathi
