Weight Management for Life Series | Part 5: A Whole-Body Concept
By Sarah Pflugradt, PhD, RDN, CSCS
The world of weight loss is changing every day. With the rise of GLP-1 receptor agonist medications being used commonly for weight loss, it may seem easier than ever to drop the pounds. But just as weight loss medications may turn into a lifelong prescription, you can also develop habits that need to last for a lifetime to maintain a healthy weight for you.
One More Habit
Within this series, there have been separate explanations of what is happening and what needs to happen in your body to lose weight and maintain it. But there’s one more habit to be mindful of when working toward a healthier lifestyle—sleep. Sleep is vital to weight loss and weight maintenance efforts. Research has found that individuals who routinely get 5.5 hours or less each night are at risk for weight gain. Poor sleep duration can also sabotage your weight loss efforts by disrupting your appetite-regulating hormones, raising cortisol, and increasing your risk for insulin resistance, all of which are linked to weight gain.
So, even if your nutrition, movement, and stress management are all on point, short sleep duration may throw a wrench in your weight loss efforts.
Pulling It All Together
Just as you can’t spot train to lose fat in a specific part of your body, you can’t simply adhere to one habit and expect to see results. Solid nutrition, a good plan for physical activity, stress management techniques that work for you, a healthy sleep schedule, and an understanding of how your body burns fuel are all essential for whole-body wellness.
While this may seem like a lot, your body is a complex machine. You need to perform preventive maintenance on your car, fill it with gas, and keep all the parts in good working order to keep it running well; your body needs the same care.
Here are some additional tips that can complement your synergy of healthy habits for weight management:
Drink water throughout the day
Get outside
Walk after meals
Find or maintain social connections
Decrease alcoholic drinks
Put Yourself First
Even when weight loss is your ultimate goal, it’s important to remember that your weight loss will not look like anyone else’s. Your body composition may change without any weight loss at all. You may plateau, and you may get discouraged. Work toward better physical and mental health and work toward making your new healthy habits your new lifetime routines. Set goals that do not include weight, such as putting in the work to be able to play with your children/grandchildren, play and enjoy a new sport, or cook healthier to be a good role model. Whatever your additional goals are, make them your own.
Good nutrition, daily movement, and health-promoting lifestyle habits are always a good idea, regardless of what the scale says.
Want to level up your nutrition game?
Join the Nutrition Group in the Team RWB app to connect with service members from all branches and eras. They share recipes, tips, and information. They also provide support as you work to achieve your fitness goals.
Sarah Pflugradt is a registered dietitian with a specialization in human performance. She is an Air Force vet, a military spouse, and a health promotion professor at American University in Washington D.C. She spends her free time cooking, writing, and watching her 3 kids compete in sports.
