Today’s post features a few key takeaways from a recent Wellness Your Way podcast interview.  Find the full episode here, and be sure to subscribe to Wellness Your Way so you don’t miss future episodes!

Guest Bio: Andres Ayesta

Andres Ayesta is a Registered Dietitian, Weight Loss Expert for women, host of The Nutrition Blueprint Podcast & founder of Planos Nutrition. Andres helps high achieving & driven women entrepreneurs & executives with a personalized, evidence-based nutrition blueprint to becoming the most confident version of themselves physically & mentally while creating a healthy & happy relationship with food & themselves. To this date, Andres has helped over 650 clients to transform their bodies & minds while reaching sustainable results & healing their relationships with food.

Top Insights from Andres Ayesta’s Interview

1. 95% of all diets fail. As humans, we love new beginnings, and creating goals for those new beginnings (like New Year’s resolutions), but we tend to not be realistic in the goals we set for ourselves. (Want to know why Megan likes DREAM goals more than SMART goals?  See this post!).
2. Without a solid foundation of health, adding on a restrictive diet is setting us up for failure. We tend to follow “diets” with “rule books” and we get lured in by social media’s promises of success.  But without the deep foundation of a healthy lifestyle and mindset, we won’t be able to stick to these long term.  They work for a short time, but the moment we stop, we return to our regular habits, and feel as if it is our fault, but it’s not.
3. We want what we can’t have. Reminding yourself that you are allowed to eat whatever you want is helpful.  Nothing is restricted; you just get to consider the consequences of eating a certain food and decide whether those consequences are worth it for you.  When you give yourself permission, you can often find moderation much more easily.
4. We often use food as reward, which is detrimental to our success. Saying “I’ve been so good all day; I deserve a reward” is counterproductive.  When we then say, “I was bad … I am already screwed up … might as well start again Monday,” we set ourselves up in a vicious cycle that is tough to end.
5. Focus on the journey, not the destination. When we’re climbing a mountain, the top looks far away; it’s better to focus on the next few steps.  Same thing with a health journey – just focus on the next few steps.  Sometimes, when you do, negative self talk starts to creep in, and you believe the results aren’t happening quickly enough or you aren’t doing well enough.  Instead, focus on what you ARE doing, and celebrate each step.  The book Megan mentions is The Gap and The Gain.
6. How to eliminate negative self-talk:
   1. Acknowledge small victories.
   2. Understand that small setbacks are just hiccups, not big unsurmountable obstacles. Try to get rid of all or nothing thinking.
   3. Be self-compassionate.
   4. For Megan’s tips on self-talk, see this post.
7. People think success will be found in the body, but success is found in the mind. When we adjust our belief systems, we’ll find lasting success.  To create lasting behavior change, we need to change our thought process around health.
8. Stress creates an environment in your body that shifts your metabolism. We live in a society where stress is everywhere, but our bodies were not designed to be stressed all the time. The increase in cortisol levels and the fight or flight response shift the way your body metabolizes carbohydrates and changes your metabolism.
9. Research shows that people who are sleep deprived eat 4-500 calories more than those who have gotten 8 hours of sleep. When sleep deprived people lose weight, they’re more likely to lose muscle rather than fat.  For more tips on how to improve sleep naturally, see this post.

Want to hear the full episode, including the favorite food that both Andres and Megan eat every day, the story of Ana and Nancy going to a holiday party and how their outcomes were hugely different, how stress is related to emotional eating, and so much more?

Head over here  to catch the full episode with Andres Ayesta!

Now it’s your turn!  What is one thing you learned from this interview?  What’s one thing you’re committed to changing after learning from Andres Ayesta?

Want more?  In my Revitalize Health Accelerator, I walk you through every step of what it takes to be a well-rounded healthy person. The information, motivation, and accountability in this program is simply unmatched!  You’ll learn everything from inflammation to emotional eating, from supplements to sleep quality, from macronutrient balance to meal planning – I’ll walk you through my proven system to teach you how to implement it.  If you’re curious, set up a free call with me here to discuss!