2835: Using Food Tracking to Destroy Weight Loss Plateaus by Rachel Trotta on Fitness Mindfulness

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[00:01:08] This is Optimal Health Daily, using food tracking to destroy weight loss plateaus, by Rachel Trotta of racheltrotta.com, and I'm Dr. Neil.

[00:01:17] Happy Thursday and welcome back to Optimal Health Daily, where I simply read to you every weekday for free. It's kind of like an audiobook, but from many different authors.

[00:01:27] And then on Fridays, I do something a little different. I answer your questions that you sent in.

[00:01:32] And now, let's get right to today's post and start optimizing your life.

[00:01:40] Using food tracking to destroy weight loss plateaus, by Rachel Trotta of racheltrotta.com.

[00:01:47] I normally have an injury prevention focus in my writing, but for once, I want to focus on actual weight loss.

[00:01:54] In my upcoming book, Injury Proof, Building an Invincible Core, I actually tackle the idea of obesity getting too much blame for back pain.

[00:02:02] I want to address that first. Quote,

[00:02:05] If you think about people with back or knee pain, what is most likely the instinctive image that comes to mind besides an older person?

[00:02:13] Probably someone overweight.

[00:02:15] The most common advice for people struggling with joint issues involves weight management.

[00:02:20] Taking the pressure of gravity off of the joints in order to find relief.

[00:02:25] Traction, despite having little to no scientific support for effectiveness, persists as a folk and infomercial remedy for back pain,

[00:02:33] operating under the traditional assumption that the pressure of gravity is what does the most damage to joints.

[00:02:39] Is there truth to the correlation between obesity and degenerative joint disease and osteoarthritis?

[00:02:45] Absolutely. I would be irresponsible as a health and fitness professional if I did not emphasize that maintaining an ideal weight specific to the individual is crucial for overall optimal functioning.

[00:02:57] Osteoarthritis is a legitimate condition in which years of obesity wear down on the joints, especially vulnerable points in the knees and lower back.

[00:03:04] People who carry too much weight on their frames can experience serious alignment issues in posture due to the body's imbalance,

[00:03:12] and ligaments throughout the body can suffer tremendously.

[00:03:15] Additionally, inappropriate excess weight has an inflammatory effect on joints throughout the body,

[00:03:21] including non-weight-bearing areas such as the hands.

[00:03:25] However, blaming weight is not the whole story.

[00:03:28] Our culture has experienced for decades a visceral fear of fat,

[00:03:32] but the reality is often much more complex.

[00:03:35] While back and knee pain often do affect people who carry excess weight,

[00:03:39] the truth is that highly active people at medically healthy weights,

[00:03:43] even very lean people, also can experience back and other joint pain and ligament injuries.

[00:03:49] How do we explain their maladies?

[00:03:51] Because the magnifying glass is often shifted away from thin people,

[00:03:54] many in-shape individuals are baffled by their own stiffness, joint pain, and mobility issues,

[00:04:00] and do not know how to address it.

[00:04:02] End quote.

[00:04:03] There's no doubt that there's a correlation between obesity and conditions like osteoarthritis,

[00:04:08] degenerative joint disease, coronary heart disease, and more.

[00:04:12] If you take all of our cultural body dysmorphia and fear of fat out of the picture,

[00:04:16] it's clear that we have an over-dependence on sedentary lifestyles,

[00:04:20] processed food, and high-paced schedules that short-change sleep.

[00:04:23] The bottom line is, yes, love your body, but love it through action by doing your best to support its thriving

[00:04:31] at medically healthy levels.

[00:04:33] Have you been trying to lose weight but have hit a plateau?

[00:04:35] You're doing, let's say, everything right, but the needle stays stuck on the scale.

[00:04:40] Here's where food tracking comes in.

[00:04:43] The secret is that you probably eat more than you think.

[00:04:45] Small snacks, condiments, and side dishes add up quickly.

[00:04:49] 200 calories here, 100 calories there, and you're up to an almost meal.

[00:04:54] Food tracking can be done on paper or with a helpful app like MyFitnessPal.

[00:04:59] I live this advice for myself.

[00:05:01] Anytime I feel stuck in my fitness or performance,

[00:05:04] I know it's time to take a look at my actual eating.

[00:05:07] Not what I think I eat, but what I actually put in my mouth throughout each day.

[00:05:11] The results of food tracking are always more than a little surprising.

[00:05:15] I always find that I have gotten a little off track, a little more habitually permissive,

[00:05:20] and keeping track of what I eat helps me to refocus on my fitness goals.

[00:05:24] If you've read any of my other blog posts,

[00:05:26] you probably know that I'm not a big fan of weighing yourself or counting calories.

[00:05:30] I'm not contradicting myself with this post,

[00:05:32] because here are the following tips that I would use while food tracking

[00:05:36] in order to avoid obsessive calorie counting and shame-inducing behaviors.

[00:05:41] 1. Skip the scale.

[00:05:42] If you're making good decisions with your food, why weigh yourself?

[00:05:46] You know you're making progress when your clothes feel different and you feel better.

[00:05:50] If you feel the need to weigh yourself,

[00:05:52] try to limit yourself to once every two weeks or once a month.

[00:05:56] Weighing yourself is not necessary to track progress.

[00:05:59] 2. Focus more on macronutrients, fiber, and sugar than on actual calories.

[00:06:05] While calories are a reliable indicator of total caloric intake

[00:06:09] and expenditure when it comes to exercise,

[00:06:11] it's important to remember that not all calories are created equal.

[00:06:15] Focus on getting enough protein and fiber, as well as cutting sugars as much as possible.

[00:06:19] Don't forget to mind your carbohydrate and saturated fat intake too.

[00:06:23] 3. Focus on exercise that is fun and feels good while getting your heart rate up.

[00:06:28] 4. Focus on exercise.

[00:06:30] 5. Focus on moving it and avoiding perfectionism with exercise.

[00:06:33] Aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise a day,

[00:06:36] varying your routine daily between cardiovascular endurance exercise,

[00:06:40] cardiovascular interval sprints,

[00:06:43] body weight strength training,

[00:06:44] and resistance strength training.

[00:06:46] But the key is to pick something you like and keep it varied.

[00:06:53] You just listened to the post titled,

[00:06:55] Using Food Tracking to Destroy Weight Loss Plateaus,

[00:06:58] by Rachel Trotta of racheltrotta.com.

[00:07:01] And I'll be right back with my commentary.

[00:07:04] Dr. Neil here for my commentary.

[00:07:07] Rachel's absolutely right in that we used to think for the longest time

[00:07:10] that those that were overweight or obese

[00:07:12] were more likely to get arthritis

[00:07:13] just because of that extra weight that they're carrying every day.

[00:07:17] But we're finding that with carrying excess weight,

[00:07:21] there's this risk for systemic inflammation.

[00:07:25] So when we carry excess weight,

[00:07:27] the body as a whole is under stress.

[00:07:30] And like I've said on this show many times before,

[00:07:33] when the body is under stress,

[00:07:35] and this goes on for a long time,

[00:07:36] the body starts to degenerate.

[00:07:38] And this degeneration can occur at the joints,

[00:07:41] which can lead to arthritis.

[00:07:43] Now when we're going through the process of losing some body weight,

[00:07:46] we will hit a plateau.

[00:07:48] It happens to everybody.

[00:07:49] And when that happens,

[00:07:51] I always tell patients to go back to tracking what they eat.

[00:07:55] Why does that work so well?

[00:07:56] Well, think about this.

[00:07:58] Imagine you were forced today

[00:08:00] to write down every single thing you ate or drank.

[00:08:04] Before you even reach for that soda,

[00:08:06] or glass of water,

[00:08:08] or salad,

[00:08:09] or basket of fries,

[00:08:11] you will think twice.

[00:08:13] So no matter what you end up putting in your mouth,

[00:08:15] you will have this moment where you pause and say,

[00:08:17] wait a minute,

[00:08:17] I'm going to have to track this.

[00:08:19] Do I really want to eat this right now?

[00:08:21] So right there,

[00:08:22] it automatically changes your behavior.

[00:08:24] Second,

[00:08:25] if you do go through with it,

[00:08:27] you're going to become more aware

[00:08:28] of how much you're actually eating.

[00:08:29] It forces you to think about,

[00:08:32] ooh,

[00:08:32] how many sodas have I had today?

[00:08:34] Or,

[00:08:35] how large was my bowl of rice with dinner?

[00:08:37] So again,

[00:08:38] that presents another moment

[00:08:39] where we have to think twice.

[00:08:41] Not only about the types of foods we're consuming,

[00:08:43] that was the first part,

[00:08:45] but now,

[00:08:45] how much we're consuming.

[00:08:47] This is why it's such a magical tool

[00:08:49] for getting us back on track

[00:08:51] and usually helping us break through that plateau.

[00:08:54] Now,

[00:08:54] just doing this for one day

[00:08:55] doesn't seem to help.

[00:08:57] This really needs to be done

[00:08:58] for,

[00:08:59] I would say,

[00:08:59] a minimum of two weeks.

[00:09:01] And do this every day.

[00:09:02] Don't skip weekends.

[00:09:03] Because,

[00:09:04] of course,

[00:09:04] we eat very differently on weekends.

[00:09:07] Now,

[00:09:07] the same rule can apply

[00:09:08] with really anything else.

[00:09:10] So if you hit a plateau

[00:09:11] with your exercise,

[00:09:12] start tracking it.

[00:09:13] Because now,

[00:09:14] you're going to have to write down

[00:09:15] what exercises you did

[00:09:16] for how long.

[00:09:17] You can even write down

[00:09:18] how you felt afterwards,

[00:09:20] were you sore or not.

[00:09:21] And that process

[00:09:22] will force you to think,

[00:09:23] ooh,

[00:09:23] do I need to add variety here?

[00:09:25] Should I maybe have run sprints today

[00:09:27] because I've been doing a lot of

[00:09:28] just this long distance running lately?

[00:09:30] Oh,

[00:09:31] I've been doing a lot of bodyweight exercise.

[00:09:32] Maybe I need to add some actual weight.

[00:09:34] Those are the things

[00:09:35] that will help you break through

[00:09:36] that plateau.

[00:09:37] All right,

[00:09:38] that'll do it for today.

[00:09:39] I hope you have a great

[00:09:40] rest of your Thursday.

[00:09:41] I'll see you back here tomorrow

[00:09:42] for the usual Friday Q&A

[00:09:44] and where your optimal life awaits.