This is our first Q&A episode where we are answering YOUR questions about weight loss, emotional eating, nutrition, fitness and whatever else you are struggling with.
Lots of people stay on track all day but blow their progress by overeating at night. They’ve exhausted their willpower, they’re tried, they can’t stand up against the strong cravings and the inevitably undo their daily progress by overindulging at night. Today we address that issue and give 7 specific strategies for overcoming nighttime overeating.
Featured Question from Sharon: “The evening time is when I get into trouble! I always crave sweets & I get bored and end up going totally overboard, even after being good all day. What do you do to keep from blowing your day’s progress by losing control at night?”
Practical Solutions: In this episode we cover 7 specific strategies to help you avoid the self-sabotage of nighttime overeating. I even give specific healthy dessert ideas that you can build into your evenings to provide satisfaction without blowing your progress! We talk about nutrition habits, mindset tricks & lifestyle adjustments that can all be POWERFUL tools to help you reduce or even avoid nighttime overeating.
PCOS. Polycystic ovarian syndrome. Cysts in your ovaries. Endocrine (hormonal) disorder. I had it. I beat it.
I’ll be the first one to say that PCOS is a super frustrating diagnosis. I was diagnosed when I was 16 at my first OBGYN appointment. I remember the doctor telling me that I’d probably always struggle with my weight because the hormonal disturbances caused by the disease make weight loss extra hard. Over the years, doctors put me on various medications that they claimed would help me lose weight and perhaps improve my PCOS. None of them worked. I was frustrated. They had no answers.
Then there were the infertility challenges. I am, quite frankly, not willing to share that with the world yet. Just typing that sentence makes me incredibly emotional. Fortunately, I don’t believe those will ever be a challenge for me again because I overcame PCOS. Without the help of doctors. Without the help of drugs. With a TON of research, persistence and hard work. But I have the benefit of an educational background in nutrition & biochemistry. Most people don’t have that. I’ve tried to write this post before but it’s such a complicated topic that it always ended up in the drafts folder. Until today. I’m just going to keep typing until I’ve got my thoughts out and then I’m hitting “publish”. Come what may. I know it’s a sensitive topic.
PCOS is a super complicated disorder so forgive me if I oversimplify, but we’re gonna talk nuts and bolts. PCOS is often caused by estrogen dominance. I am convinced that was the case in my situation. Now, estrogen dominance doesn’t necessarily mean that you have an overabundance of estrogen in your body. It MIGHT mean that. But it could also mean that your estrogen is too high relative to its counterbalance hormone, progesterone. So your estrogen levels might be “normal” but if your progesterone levels are low, you are considered “estrogen dominant”. You might also have an imbalance in the TYPES of estrogen. Yup, there are several different types of estrogen – some good, some bad. You need to have appropriate ratios of these estrogens. Or maybe you are producing estrogen correctly and you have the right ratios but you are impaired in your ability to metabolize estrogen so it can be removed from your body. What happens then? It accumulates. Or, as if those weren’t enough options, your body could be producing too much estrogen. That happens in many overweight or obese people (men and women) because our body fat cells actually can produce estrogen! Talk about a compounding problem!! We’re not done though….your body might not be the problem. You might be CONSUMING an excess of estrogen. Wait, we can consume estrogen?! Yup, sure can….
Some of the most obvious ways we “consume” estrogen are birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy. But there are also environmental estrogens and estrogen-like compounds in TONS of things to which we expose ourselves DAILY. They can be in the water we’re drinking, leaching out of the plastics we eat and drink out of, in our cosmetic products, cleaning products – even in the foods we eat.
Fortunately for us, there are specific things we can do to reduce our overall estrogen load. These include changes in our diet & lifestyle. These are the changes I made to go from more than 20 cysts in each ovary to absolutely zero. These are the changes I made to go from never having a menstrual cycle to having a cycle that is like clock work. And, as I made these changes, I lost 140 pounds.
Consume estrogen detoxifiers.
Certain vegetables are natural estrogen detoxifiers. They improve our body’s ability to metabolize and excrete estrogen so we get rid of the excess and prevent estrogen accumulation. I’m talking about cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, etc. I started adding 2-5 cups of cruciferous veggies to my diet every single day.
Get off birth control pills.
If you have an issue with hormonal balance, birth control is only going to compound the problem. This is pretty obvious. There are better ways. Use a condom or whatever else you need to do to be safe but your health is a priority.
Skip the soy.
Soy contains phytoestrogens which have estrogen-like effects in your body. If PCOS or estrogen dominance is an issue for you, stay away from soy.
Eat organic.
Conventionally raised proteins (beef, chicken, etc) are often treated with hormones to accelerate their rate of growth and maximize profit for the rancher. Do NOT willingly introduce those hormones into your system. That is a very common way we introduce excess estrogens. This is also true for fruits, vegetables & dairy. Pesticides & herbicides can have estrogenic effects. Make it a priority.
Don’t use plastic products.
I’m talking mostly about eating and drinking from plastic products (bottles, tupperware, etc). Plastics contain estrogenic compounds that transfer to our foods. This is compounded when we heat plastics. At an absolute bare minimum, do NOT ever heat your food or drink in plastic containers.
Wear gloves when you handle cleaning products.
We’ve talked about the estrogen-like compounds in chemicals. Avoid them.
Get a water filter for your kitchen and your shower.
Check out your city’s water supply quality report. It is incredibly common for hormones and hormone-like compounds to be found in our water supply. Play it safe and get a filter.
Balance your blood sugar.
Our hormones are all inter-related. When one is out of balance it impacts the rest. When our blood sugar is out of control we are more likely to store extra body fat. Extra body fat produces more estrogen. The easiest ways to control your blood sugar are by cutting out processed foods, wheat, oats & grains. This step, along with cruciferous veggies, had the most significant impact on my overall hormone balance.
Bonus tip: control your stress levels. When we are chronically stressed, our body will use the hormone progesterone to manufacture more of the stress hormone cortisol. Use progesterone in that way obviously lowers our overall progesterone levels and that alone can create (and worsen) estrogen dominance because estrogen & progesterone need to be in balance.
Listen, I know that PCOS is frustrating. I get it. I thought I’d never lose the weight. Yeah, it’s hard. It’s harder than it should be. It’s harder than it is for people who DON’T have PCOS. But it’s not impossible. There is hope.
Plus, you can check out the Hormones & Fat Loss ebook! 50 pages of diet & lifestyle strategies to help you naturally optimize your hormones and get into fat-burning mode!!
The “Creating and Maintaining Motivation” episode of the Primal Potential podcast tackles the core of many people’s weight loss challenges – how to get started, stay the course and not give up! Anyone can feel motivated for a few days or weeks, but how do you create an environment where you’re motivated to go the distance? Most of us have more than a few pounds to lose and that requires ongoing motivation and encouragement. Fortunately, motivation is something we CREATE and this episode of the Primal Potential podcast tells you how.
The Challenge: For more than 20 years I desperately wanted to lose weight but wasn’t able to make it happen. After losing well over 100 pounds, the most common question people ask me is, “How did you find the motivation?” Everybody wants it – the problem isn’t what to eat or how to workout, it’s how to keep yourself motivated to put in the work and effort day in and day out until you reach your goal.
The Solution: Motivation doesn’t just strike you if you get lucky. You create motivation through your attitude, where you put your focus, the strength and weight of your goals and the consistency of your action. This episode talks about specific strategies for actively creating this motivation every single day. These strategies include re-working the mental associations you have with weight loss, changing your focus from your obstacles to your opportunities and identifying small actions you can take consistently to build momentum and see progress.
Practical Implementation:
As humans, we instinctively move towards things that bring us pleasure and away from things that bring us pain. We often do this without even noticing it. When it comes to weight loss, many of us keep ourselves from success because we have built up negative associations to weight loss. When we think about weight loss we often think things like restriction, deprivation, hunger, hard work, cravings, isolation, frustration, etc. In this episode we talk about a practical exercise you can do to reframe your associations and create thoughts of enthusiasm and pleasure around weight loss.
You MUST stop focusing on your limitations if you want to succeed. I love the quote “When you argue for your limitations, you get to keep them”. Sure, it might be hard. There might be legit reasons it will be difficult for you to lose weight. I’ve been there – a stressful job, a spouse that doesn’t like to eat healthy, hormonal imbalances, etc. What good does it do to focus on those things? Does it serve you? Does it help you reach your goals? No. Instead, switch your focus to all the incredible doors that you will open up as you move towards your goals. Focus on the additional energy you’ll have. Focus on how incredible it will feel to be more confident or to have more energy to play with your kids. Focus on how great it will be to not dread going to the doctor but to go with a sense of pride in all you’ve accomplished, knowing that you’ve improved your health through your own hard work and motivation. Focus on the positive. What has focusing on your limitations gotten you so far? Yeah, I thought so…
Take action. You don’t need to tackle the world here, you just need to identify one small change and then make it consistently. Every day. Not once in a while. Not when it’s easy. Not when you feel like it. Every day. Just identify one positive step you’re going to take towards your healthier self and then do it consistently. Without excuse. Without complaining. With enthusiasm and a sense of empowerment.
Motivation is something we CREATE. Every day. Through intention and action.
Here’s something super important I want you to keep in mind:
Most of us are attracted to plans and programs because it feels good for someone to just tell us what to do. It seems straight forward and promising. The problem is – the same excuses, delays and deferrals will get in the way until you overcome THOSE. Most of us don’t need another plan or program. We need to upgrade our MINDSET. Every choice you make results from how you THINK about your options, circumstances, goals and alternatives. When you become a better thinker, you become a better decision maker and THAT is the true driver of results. That’s what 10x Mindset is all about.
A few weeks ago I wrote about a better way to approach New Years Resolutions. The cliffnotes version is this: When we set long-term goals there is no sense of immediacy. We don’t feel compelled to take action NOW because, well, we have a whole year to get it done! If we set a goal to lose 40 lbs over the course of a year, the first several months are no big deal –we can always get back on track and catch up so we might as well enjoy the Mexican food and ice cream!
I suggested setting 12-week goals with 3 sets of 4-week milestones. If you haven’t checked out that post yet, do so now before you keep reading.
I think breaking your goals down into small, bite sized, more urgent pieces is a wonderful strategy but its not all that it takes. We have to take the time and effort to make sure we understand exactly why we want to achieve our goals and what’s on the line if we don’t do it. This process cannot be glossed over. When the going gets tough, this is what will either allow you to throw in the towel or push you to keep going.
You cannot merely say that you want to lose weight because you’ll look better and feel better. That’s not enough. That’s not going to keep you from grabbing a handful of M&Ms when you’re stressed out. It’s just not. Sorry. You’ve got to go deeper. If weight loss is a goal, the first thing I want you to do is establish your 12-week goal and 4-week milestones. But you aren’t done there. Then I want you to set aside 30-60 minutes and WRITE DOWN your answers to the following questions/statements:
In what ways is being overweight painful or uncomfortable? Consider the physical and emotional implications of your weight.
In what specific ways is my weight negatively impacting my relationships? Consider your relationships at work, with your spouse, your family, your children, etc.
List three situations where your weight held you back from doing something you wanted to do or enjoying something to the fullest.
How would your life improve if you achieve your weight loss goals?
How would your relationships improve if you achieve your weight loss goals?
What pleasure do I get from being overweight? Seriously – don’t assume the answer is “none”. Overeating or indulging MUST bring you some pleasure or you wouldn’t do it. Be honest here.
What pleasure will you get from WORKING towards your goals?
What are the consequences might you have to face if you do not choose to make weight loss a priority?
You have to get real about what is at stake and what thoughts or behaviors might keep you from making progress. Choose think about the pleasure you’ll get from working towards your goals instead of focusing on the pain you might endure from changing your behavior. What you think about you bring about – so carefully redirect your thoughts from anxiety, deprivation and fear to excitement, progress and challenge. Commit to this daily. Be on guard against your thoughts and use them to help propel you – do not allow them to hold you back. This is 100% in your control.
On today’s episode, “How to Overcome Sugar Addiction & Cravings”, we’re talking about the truth behind sugar addiction, cravings & what you can do to overcome them! We even identify 5 ways to tell if you’re addicted to sugar! Changing your eating habits is very hard but it can feel nearly impossible when you’re legitimately addicted to sugar or constantly confronted with strong cravings for sweets.
Common Obstacle: Trying to make any healthy dietary changes can be incredibly difficult when you’re battling intense cravings or sugar addiction. Even when we WANT to eat healthy and make better choices, sometimes the cravings and draw to sugary treats can be so strong that it almost feels like we don’t even have the power to deny them. Our best intentions can be overcome by cravings and a physiological NEED for sugar.
Primal Potential Solution: First we need to understand that sugar truly IS biologically addictive. In this episode we talk about research that proves the addictive qualities of sugar. In fact, some studies suggest that sugar may be as addictive as cocaine. We discuss how the brain responds to sugar and how those responses manifest in our bodies as cravings. We talk about how cravings create both a desire for pleasure AND a strong sense of urgency, making them very hard to ignore. Then we go into pratical steps you can take to break free from your sugar cravings and addiction and avoid ever falling into the trap again. Want to know if you’re addicted to sugar? Dr. Mark Heyman suggests evaluating the following 5 signs that you might be addicted to sugar:
You consume certain foods even if you aren’t hungry because of strong cravings
You worry about cutting down on certain foods
You feel sluggish or fatigued from overeating
You have health or social problems (affecting your work or school) because of food issues but you keep eating the way you do despite negative consequences
You need more and more of the foods you crave to experience pleasure or reduce negative emotions.
Practical Implementation: This episode gives three different options for strategies that will allow you to overcome sugar addiction & cravings. We talk about specific strategies for reducing or removing sugar gradually as well as the pros and cons of jumpstart and detox programs.
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Resources:
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