Weight Loss as a Process, Not a Protocol
If you’ve purchased any of the programs offered through Metabolic Living, chances are that you are seeking to change your physique or you have a specific wellness goal in mind. For some, that may involve toning up or building muscle, and for others, this may involve placing greater emphasis on achieving hormonal balance.
Typically with these desired health-related changes, weight loss is the overarching goal. Most understand that healthy weight loss takes time and consistency, but also requires patience as you work to fine-tune your habits and behaviors. That is why we encourage viewing goal achievement, including weight loss, as a process, rather than a protocol.
It’s safe to say that most anyone can lose weight in a short period of time by taking some drastic measures, such as going into an extended fast, cutting back significantly on carbohydrates (think of something like the Keto diet), or cutting out things like snacks as a way to reduce daily calorie consumption.
If you are looking to experience sustained fat loss, our Chief Metabolic Officer, Dr. Jade Teta, encourages you to focus on two things as part of your process:
1. Creating a calorie deficit
&
2. Keeping your hormones and metabolism in balance
Why are both of these things required for sustained fat loss? Calorie deficits drive the process of losing fat, and hormonal balance is representative of keeping your hunger, energy, and cravings in check to sustain the calorie deficit that you’ve created.
On top of that, the right hormonal balance helps you to lose mostly body fat versus rapidly shedding water weight. Plus, it helps to maintain muscle mass, which can easily be lost when you go into a calorie deficit through more extreme dieting methods.
When we work with clients through our one-on-one coaching program, we use various methods to help with the process of creating a calorie deficit while keeping hormones in balance. We don’t like the idea of using more of a “cookie-cutter” approach because we are all so different in terms of our body chemistry or physiology, personal preferences, and psychological factors.
“You don’t find a diet. That is not how it works. You discover the diet that is right for you. You don’t follow a protocol, you create a lifestyle that you can love, live with, and own. One that delivers health, vitality, and sustained weight loss without occupying every waking moment of your life.” ~ Dr. Jade Teta
Our programs are centered around teaching you how to be a detective rather than a dieter. Dieters follow a plan or protocol, ignoring signals and biofeedback from their bodies as they work the plan or protocol. Metabolic detectives work a process, always tuning into their hunger, cravings, energy, mood, and sleep along the way (also referred to as SHMEC).
Dieters jump from program to program and are often confused about why programs don’t work or stop working after a shorter period of time. Detectives take a plan or protocol, identify the pieces and parts of the protocol that work for them, and discard the pieces and parts that aren’t helpful or seem to throw their SHMEC out of check.
Detectives learn to hone in on what works for them through practicing more of a process of checking in with themselves after meals, monitoring their biofeedback daily or weekly instead of ignoring their body’s signals, and following a plan designed by an expert that completely lacks personalization.
Detectives take time to better understand how to adjust their diet, exercise, or daily movement patterns as the metabolism changes – as the metabolism is constantly in flux. Dieters keep repeating the same program or protocol over and over again, experiencing frustration when the program or protocol isn’t working. They are living out the definition of insanity – repeating the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.
“Nothing in nature blooms all year. Be patient with yourself.” ~ Karen Salmansohn
Thinking of health-related changes as a process rather than a protocol often requires some pretty important mindset shifts, too. There are many metabolic myths that come up when working with clients or helping individuals who are part of our Facebook forums. Busting these myths can take time, particularly for those clients who don’t trust their bodies anymore.
Embracing the idea of your body as a very smart machine can drive you to spend more time focusing on your body’s biofeedback rather than ignoring signals. Not trusting your body may inadvertently lead you to ignore signals like uncontrollable hunger or insatiable cravings. Soon, you are left wondering why a particular program isn’t helping you to achieve your goals!
In this video, Dr. Jade teaches you how to dive into the process of becoming a better metabolic detective. He’ll explain how to tweak your wellness habits and routines based upon your results, or lack of results, by assessing your protocol and subsequently modifying your protocol to help you meet your goals.
Because this can be a longer and more involved process, for the month of September, we will be focusing on all things SHMEC and how you can learn to be a better metabolic detective. If you start to feel overwhelmed by these concepts, take a deep breath, slow down a bit, and practice following your body’s lead for a day. We’ve got your back, and we hope that by the end of September you are able to find your own process as you work to achieve your goals!
