Weight gain and obesity are major health problems that many people are facing today. If you are overweight, the best thing you can do to improve your health is to lose those extra pounds. For long-term weight management, you need a lifestyle change—not a quick fad diet.
Unfortunately, diets and lifestyles are not easy habits to change. As you know, it has little to do with willpower.
When you're busy with work, family and life, make health a priority can sometimes seem impossible, too expensive, too long, too complicated. But in reality, every little step you take toward wellness makes the difference.
For years, I felt some anxiety when trying to choose my options when eating, before the cancer, I watched what I was eating but I did not know what was good or bad, despite being a doctor, I learned very little about nutrition, so my diet was just focused in maintaining the figure and stay thin, I did all fad diets in my obsession to keep myself very thin, then I went trough the cancer, I realized I was doing many wrong things, so I started studying and researching what could be the dietary cause of the cancer and if was really giving my body what it needed to function in a proper way, I became very strict in regards to food and so it was for a couple of years, I became a vegan, then a raw vegan, very, very strict to the point of losing my freedom; It was at a time while traveling and lecturing by Europe, in which I said it's been almost seven years after the cancer happened and if I want to eat something different at some point "why I can not?", at that time I began to question what I was doing and realized that I was worshiping more the food than the Creator (God)...
Today it's been almost 10 years since the cancer happened, I am now more flexible, there are times when I want to eat something that is not as healthy, but I am with family, friends or love ones, who are feeding my being through other senses, not only the mouth and I think... It is OK, nothing will happen, 80 -90% of my life is healthy, so 10 or 20% is not going to hurt me, I've learned not to limit my choices or deprive my body, I have gained the feeling of freedom.
From there, I realized that it is much easier to transmit those good habits, than just pure philosophy to my clients and people in general, now I teach them the value of food.
Instead of creating a "healthy diet" based on the limitations and rules, I show people how the way to eat is a place of love: love for themselves, their communities and the whole world.
This has happened in my personal life and in my experience as medical doctor and Health Coach. Now, I teach people habits that become a lifestyle, so with my clients, I like to coach them at least 3 months, ideally 6 months, so together we face the ups and downs, I do not believe in fast and fad diets, those do not work long term.
The first thing I recommend to people who want to lose some weight is to seek advice from a good Health Care professional on the subject, but not any professional, make sure his/her life will inspire you and give you example, it is not good to be alone in the process to lose weight, you will need on your side someone to help you, inspire you and lift you up when you fall. Most people gain weight because they surrender to cravings. But, if you have a good coach next to you, you will think it twice before eating this or that, things become easier and you'll feel a lot better (both emotionally and physically), you'll live longer, and you'll look better than ever!
One of my tips to people who want to lose some extra-pounds is: " DO NOT GIVE UP, if you fall one day, you wake up the other,but DO NOT GIVE UP".
So if you want to have a piece of dessert during the weekend is fine, just choose the healthiest option and if you make the dessert yourself much better, because you will choose the best ingredients, you will add less sugar or if you want just write me for healthier options!
With Love, Health and Life,
Dr. Sandra Rangel