The Busy Woman’s Guide to Losing Weight Without Obsessing Over Food [Ep. 121]

0:00 This is the Eat Well, Think Well, Live Well podcast. I'm Lisa Salsbury, and this is episode 121. The busy woman's guide to losing weight without obsessing over food. Welcome to eat well. Well, the podcast for busy women who want to lose weight without constantly counting, tracking, or stressing over every bite. I'm Lisa Salsbury, a certified health weight loss and life coach, and most importantly, a recovered chronic dieter here. You'll learn to listen to your body and uncover the reasons you're reaching for food. When you're not truly hungry, freeing you to focus on a healthier, more fulfilling approach to eating.

0:40 Hey there. Welcome back to the eat. Well, Well LivWell podcast. I am your host as always Lisa Salisbury, and I'm here to help you build a healthier relationship with food. Without all the restriction and confusion and obsession. In fact, the first freebie I gave away used to be called drop the obsession and the weight. And I haven't talked about that for a while. That one of the things I really teach and focus on is to just really reduce the obsession. With food and dieting. So today's episode is for all of you busy women out there. And I thought this was really timely coming into the holidays. We just feel extra busy.

1:22 And I know there are so many of us trying to juggle uh, career family, and maybe even finding a moment for yourself in between. So today I am going to be talking about practical strategies that won't require hours of food prep. Or the need to constantly track calories or macros. Because you're busy, right. You want simplicity? Something that integrates into your life. And helps you reach your goals without added stress. That is something we definitely don't want. Right. So let's dive in. First let's address the real struggle here.

2:03 When you're running from one responsibility to the next food can often feel like just one more to do. On the long list of daily tasks. I'm sure many of you listening have tried different approaches to eating or diets as I have. But the truth is busy. Women tend to lean toward what's fast, easy, and often already prepared. And that's totally okay. No guilt. But the constant concern over what should I eat or is this the right choice? Can lead to an overwhelming mental load. Now a lot of my clients, I work with feel that they're just too busy to have a healthy relationship with food, but here's the thing.

2:46 When we simplify the approach, food can become just one part of your day. Rather than the main focus. And this is a result I noticed with my clients time and time again. They realize that food is just part of their day, but it is no longer the main part, like the main entertainment, the main comforter, the main compensator for their emotions. You can eat well, feel satisfied and meet your goals without all this obsession. So I have three main mental strategies. There are kind of mental plus a little bit of action, plus three essential sustainable habits for that busy woman to lose weight.

3:27 So it's a three plus three situation. Number one, let's start with a 24 hour practical plan. This is one of my favorite strategies. And it's simple takes just a few minutes and it's something you can do each day without getting bogged down in all of the details. Here's how it works. Each evening, just take three to five minutes to write down what you'll eat the next day. Don't overthink this, write down meals in a way that's realistic. And considers your schedule. If, you know, you'll have a busy afternoon with the kids activities, plan a dinner that's quick to prepare or something you can make in the slow cooker. Another favorite time for my clients to do this is when they wake up in the morning prior to getting going on their breakfast.

4:12 So if that's a quieter, easier time for you, then in the evening, that's fine too. Uh, 24 hour plan helps you avoid last minute decisions, which are usually the ones that lead to fast food or mindless snacking. With a plan. You have a little roadmap for the day that doesn't require a bunch of extra tracking or decision-making throughout. Eliminating real time decisions can be key for the busy woman. A quick Google search will tell you that the average adult makes 33,000 to 35,000 total decisions each day, including what we will eat, what we will wear, what we will say and how we'll say it.

4:52 If I can get you to make all your food decisions at one time, and here's the key. You will be using your higher brain to do it. If I can get you to do that. Your food obsession is actually going to decrease. Tremendously. How do I know which part of your brain that you will use? Because when we sit down to plan, we engage our future planning skills, which requires the higher brain. Our lower brain can't plan ahead. And so the 24 hour plan keeps all the food decisions to the best part of our brain, that higher human part. When you make this a habit, you will be so surprised at how much less you think about food during the day, because it's already been decided.

5:41 Okay, second strategy. Is to decide how much to eat using the hunger scale. Rather than constantly consulting a diet app to know how many calories to eat. Or trying to figure out how to input what you've just eaten. Let's use our own bodies. The hunger scale is a fantastic tool that helps you avoid overeating while still honoring your body's needs. The truth is the amount of food you need to eat to lose. Weight is not a mystery. If you are currently maintaining your weight, but you want to lose weight, you'll need to eat a little less than you are currently eating. And a great way to do that is to start tuning into your hunger scale and really noticing those times that you typically overeat or get past your enough point.

6:26 Picture this scale going from negative 10 through zero to positive 10 where negative 10 is I'm so hungry. I could eat anything. And positive 10 is I'm so full. I can barely move. Ideally you want to start eating when you're around a negative three or four hungry, but not feeling starving. And aimed to stop around a positive three satisfied and enough feeling, but way before stuffed or even what you would consider full here's how this helps. When you eat according to your body's natural signals, your learning to trust yourself again. And let's be honest, trusting yourself with food takes a big load off your busy mind.

7:09 You're able to listen to your body rather than obsessing over portion sizes and feeling like you have to finish every bite on your plate. I want to take a minute here and address a common misconception about how much to eat. And me saying you just need to eat a little less. In every stage of life, regardless of your hormone status or age. An energy deficit is required to lose weight. So that's why you hear me say you need to choose to eat. A little bit less, but the kicker is I don't want you eating drastically less than you are currently eating. A 1200 calorie diet is not required. And if you're anything like me, even though we aren't counting calories here, you probably know how much food that is.

7:51 And it is not much. That often leads to extreme hunger and then overeating on the weekends. The entire week then is not actually at a deficit when you total each day's minimal calories with the weekend way over the top consumption. This is what's confusing for people is they say, but I really don't eat that much. And they are thinking strictly about their workweek, which is what they consider their typical habits. Totally normal. Right. But then when we see the weekend habits, it can look drastically different. We want to get to the point where we are consuming about the same amount each day of the week. So that hunger remains fairly constant. And that consistent amount should be just a little less.

8:33 Than you might typically eat in a regular day. And when I say hunger remains fairly constant. What I mean is you're getting hungry at the same regular intervals. I don't want you to be hungry all the time, just to clarify that. So a great way to start with this eating a little less is leave three bites behind at each dinner at this week. Leave a couple bites behind of your sandwich at lunch. Just start there, especially if you're new to the hunger scale and you're not quite sure how to apply it. Just choose to leave some bites behind. If you have been on more strict diets in the past, you know, that it feels like a major overhaul on your first Monday of the diet.

9:15 I don't want you to feel like that because again, your busy. You don't have time to completely overhaul your lifestyle in one week. Totally. I get it. And you don't need to, so the way to easily eat a little bit less, which is all I'm asking you to do here. Without the hassle and time consuming challenge of weighing all your food and logging the calories. Is to wait for true hunger. And then eat a little less than you normally. What. This takes no extra time. This can be done at any meal at any event at any season of the year. This tool is always available to you.

9:55 Okay, third. I want to share another key mindset shift to help when you feel overwhelmingly busy. And that is to let go of the good food quotes, good food versus bad food mentality. I'm sure many of you have experienced the guilt that comes with eating foods. You think of as bad. This is especially tough for busy women because let's face it sometimes the quickest meal. Isn't always what we think of as the healthiest choice. The truth is no single food choice is going to make or break your progress. What really matters is how you eat overall, not just one meal.

10:37 By removing those labels. You removing the guilt and stress that often comes with those food choices. This doesn't mean we don't make healthy choices. It just means we don't beat ourselves up. When we have a cookie with our coffee or grab takeout after a long day. Food is nourishment. Yes, but it's also okay to enjoy it. As a busy woman, sometimes you will take advantage of pre prepped foods or processed foods or take out. You know, all the things that make getting fed easier. And that's totally fine. What I want you to concentrate on is eliminating, labeling that food as bad because. When you feel bad for eating it? You are way more likely to overeat it, to compensate for that negative feeling.

11:22 Grab those convenience foods when needed, because you are busy, but fall back on the hunger scale to remind yourself. That more of this food is not actually necessary to get to your enough. Finally. Busy women don't need complicated routines. They need a central sustainable habits. Focus on these three small, but impactful actions that can stick with you longterm. They are number one. You know, I'm going to say it eating enough protein. I know you've heard it time and time again. But protein keeps you full and supports your muscles and energy levels, which are so important with a busy lifestyle.

12:02 Adequate protein intake also helps to curb your sugar cravings. I know people feel like it's their part-time job to get enough protein. And right now this is such a hot topic. But since you are implementing guideline number one, which is your 24 hour plan, you can see the day as a whole and slot in protein. At each meal, don't hesitate to use protein powders to supplement your protein intake. This is definitely a convenience food I rely on as a busy woman, because I do not have time. Uh, nor the desire to cook fresh proteins from scratch every meal. Also consider pre prepped animal proteins, such as rotisserie chicken. Precooked pulled pork and frozen meatballs.

12:43 Just to name a few of my favorites. The second essential habit is drinking enough water. Staying hydrated can help reduce unnecessary cravings. Nothing sends up a false hunger signal, like being dehydrated. Again, this can be done on the go chances are you have a water bottle, but if you don't, I really like my oh wallah. It's super easy to drink from and the spout gets covered, so it stays clean. And leak-free when I toss it in my yoga or gym bag. One way I get my water in is to make sure I always leave the house with a full water bottle. Even back when I had to pick up kids from school, I would fill my water bottle and see if I could drink the whole thing in that round trip.

13:24 Pairing driving with drinking. My water has really helped when I feel like I'm constantly on the go. I had another client who made sure that she went into every meeting at work with a full water bottle, because those typically lasted about an hour and she could get through that full water bottle and then make it to the bathroom before any issues arose. If you get my drift. So find something that you feel like you compare water drinking with so that it effortlessly melds in with your busy schedule. The third sustainable habit is walking or moving daily. Even just for 10 to 15 minutes, this doesn't have to be a workout, although it can't be. But at least a stretch or go for a walk around the block movement reduces stress and boosts your mood, which can naturally reduce emotional eating.

14:10 I recommend getting a walk in either after lunch or dinner or both, if you have time for that. But I particularly like an after dinner, 10 or 15 minute walk. This is an addition to my regular workout, like lifting weights or cardio routine that I do. but I love getting in a few extra steps in evening to just increase my step count and help with digestion and again, cravings. When you build these core habits, you're creating a foundation that allows you to lose weight naturally and sustainably. Without obsessing or adding more stress to your busy day. So there you have it, the busy woman's guide to losing weight without obsessing over food to sum up.

14:52 Start with that 24 hour plan. Listen to your hunger cues. Let go of good versus bad labels and focus on those three essential habits, protein, water, and daily walking. You can totally make progress without letting food rule your mind. I'm so glad you tuned in today. If you're ready for a, step-by-step a personalized approach. Check out my coaching program, where we dive into these topics in a way that's customized to your lifestyle. Remember, if you've been wanting to reach your goals without constant stress over food, even during the holidays, it is possible. And I'd love to help you get there. Book a free coaching slash consult session with me to learn more about my program and make sure it's the perfect fit for you.

15:36 You can schedule it at the link in the show notes. Remember, it's not just about the food. It's about empowering yourself with the choices that truly serve you. Have a great week and as always, thanks for listening to the eat. Well think, well live well podcast.