Long-term weight loss requires comprehensive lifestyle changes, but it is hard to take on when there is so much conflicting advice surrounding the subject.
One dieter who tried many approaches and fad diets claims she succeeded after limiting beliefs spurred by the weight loss industry.
Naomi Holbrook, 49, a certified nutrition and weight management expert, spoke to GB News about the approach that helped her shed an impressive 4st 8lb without ditching her favourite foods.
She claims that prioritising nutrition over exercise was key, particularly as she entered perimenopause.
Coupled with better hydration and a higher protein intake, the slimmer went from being clinically obese to helping others make sustainable changes to their diet.
Naomi Holbrook revised her eating habits to lose weight
NAOMI HOLBROOK
She said: “I lost 64lb, or 28kg, 10 years ago after 27 years of failed diets and ending up ‘clinically obsessed’ in my GP’s words.
“I now help other women achieve long-term weight loss results. I had been in a diet mindset for decades, skipping meals, trying all the fad diets, seeing food as ‘god’ or ‘bad’, and falling off the wagon.
“At 39 I decided I was done with diets and started to make small lifestyle changes instead of another diet.
“I have discovered, both personally and professionally that nutrition far outweighs exercise in a weight loss journey, if you’re not eating right your body won’t burn fat, no matter how much you exercise, and as women enter peri/menopause over-exercising can cause more problem with stree/hormone imbalance, and can actually make them gain weight.
“Personally, I hated exercise and it is only since my weight loss journey and becoming pain-free that I now have a love for it.”
Since developing a liking for exercise, Naomi enjoys mountain climbing, weight training, running, paragliding and everything in between.
But this newfound appreciation wouldn't have come without improvements in her diet, as well as challenging the misconceptions she had about food.
“My biggest nutrition habits were increasing protein and sufficient hydration (I now have electrolytes daily to make up for lost salt and minerals in my body,” said Naomi.
“I had so many preconceptions from years of dieting; carbs are bad, sugar is bad, bread is bad, don’t eat after 6pm and the list goes on."
The slimmer completely ditched crash dieting, arguing that quick fixes of this nature only yield temporary results.
Without the exception of alcohol, Naomi refused to quit any of her favourite foods.
“I have not excluded any foods from my diet and I am a firm believer in balance and no restriction from the foods and drinks we love or we are likely to rebel and regain the weight, causing us to yo-yo diet," she said.
“What I have learned is to think about why I want certain foods and not give into the first thought I have around this.
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Naomi recommends taking action immediately
NAOMI HOLBROOK
“The biggest challenge for myself and all the women I work with is mindset and old beliefs around dieting/weight/food from misinformation/miseducation over the years.
“I have worked on reprogramming my own neural pathways so I no longer rely on motivations and willpower to eat foods that I know are better for me than munching through a packet of biscuits on the days where I don’t ‘feel’ like eating healthy.”
Another big lesson the slimmer acquired is taking action imminently to see change.
“You don’t have to wait for a new week or a new year to start making better choices,” she shared.
“I teach my clients to pivot at any time of the day if they have made a choice that they don’t feel aligns with their goals, you really can reprogram old behaviours and habits that have been ingrained for decades.”
Because conflicting advice across the internet easily leaves weight loss enthusiasts feeling bewildered, working with a medical professional can help to find which approach would best suit their goals.
