Can a new year’s resolution to lose weight last past January? Weehawken resident and holistic health coach Anne Trauben believes it absolutely can. However, it will require that people change their approach.
“We live with an all-or-nothing mentality,” Trauben said. “When we use words like ‘good,’ ‘bad,’ ‘failed,’ or ‘perfect,’ it’s unproductive. We are unintentionally setting ourselves up for failure.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one-third of adults in the United States are obese, and it’s common knowledge that many faddish diets may work for a while and then fail.
“Know what you are putting in your body.” –Anne Trauben
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It’s all about balance
Holidays are notorious for excess, and not just with food and drink. People tend to spend too much money, travel a lot, and find themselves on family overload.
“We oftentimes believe we need to punish ourselves for our excesses during the holidays,” Trauben said, “when we should be congratulating ourselves on making it through!” She has witnessed the paradoxical relationship people can learn to develop with food: for instance, one is “bad” if one eats too much, but on the same token, one may also use food to reward “good” behavior, which in turn makes them feel bad again. This creates a “cycle of negativity.”
As soon as people perceive themselves as “bad,” they then switch into an all-or-nothing mentality. “We think, ‘Well, I’ve already eaten what I shouldn’t have,’ ” Trauben said. “‘I may as well go all the way and start again tomorrow.’”
The problem lies in the approach. Trauben emphasized the necessity of mindfulness in eating, and in every aspect of life. “Ironically, it’s easy to speed up,” Trauben said. “It requires much more energy to slow down, to make a meal, to make a more healthful choice.”
Though it may seem counterintuitive, she said, this “slowing down” creates a balance which, in turn, leaves one with more energy to face the demands of everyday life. People feel better mentally and physically, and are inevitably more inclined to make healthier choices, thus beginning a more positive cycle.
Diet vs. lifestyle
Media sends mixed messages, Trauben explained: diets are good while decadent, fast food is bad; and yet, the population is bombarded with fast food advertisements and provided with the “convenience” of fast food chains on every corner.
“Change requires effort, and we are set up to fear it,” Trauben said. “We are so wed to our routine that it is unsurprising that the drastic changes diets require are almost impossible to stick to.”
Small changes, therefore, are easier to stick to, and eventually, they become a new routine. “It’s a healthful, mindful reprogramming,” Trauben said.
In Trauben’s practice as a holistic health coach, she teaches clients how to take control of what they eat. A healthy body starts with a healthy home, she says, and cooking at home is essential to this. She encourages mindfulness while shopping for food as well. “Know what you are putting in your body,” Trauben said. “There is a lot of truth to the ‘garbage in, garbage out’ theory.”
The less processed the food, the easier it is to digest and turn into energy. As her clients transition into a “cleaner” way of eating, “the weight begins to drop off,” she said.
A few first steps
Trauben recommends a few small steps for those with weight loss resolutions:
• Avoid negative self-talk and focus on the present moment. “You can reinvent yourself every day. Think, ‘What will I do today?’ rather than how you will begin tomorrow.”
• Drink more water. The standard recommendation is around eight glasses per day but varies per person.
• Get more sleep. If people are overtired, they can become over-hungry.
• Make some realistic goals. Instead of immediately taking away, try adding instead; for instance, have a salad with your normal dinner. Take the stairs rather than the escalator.
• Above all, CELEBRATE. Change is hard. Every step, no matter how small, is worth celebrating, and will help you reach your larger goals.
“All of us are a work in progress,” Trauben said. “We all have our ups and downs. Our strength isn’t in avoiding the downs, but in getting back up afterwards.”
To learn more about holistic living and coaching, visit Trauben’s website at www.wholehealth.net.
Gennarose Pope may be reached at gpope@hudsonreporter.com