Losing Weight for Good Without Deprivation: Creating a sustainable healthy lifestyle is more effective than quick fixes, says Jennifer McKee.

Weight loss is a major money-making industry with many companies promising to help us lose the weight for good. Whether it’s fad diets, drugs, supplements, shakes or surgery, we are constantly bombarded with quick fixes. Unfortunately, these quick fixes usually require deprivation, and do not teach us how to create a sustainable healthy lifestyle. If we haven’t learned how to eat in a healthy way, we will likely not keep the weight off once we lose it.

Deprivation leads to severe cravings because our body doesn’t get the nutrients it needs. These diets don’t teach us how to deal with cravings or put ourselves first. Putting ourselves first means always taking action toward achieving our health goals, no matter what happens in our lives. We don’t have to be perfect, we just need to learn from our mistakes and improve next time. When we put ourselves first, we refuse to give up and go back to our old habits when the going gets tough.

Without learning how to handle cravings and put ourselves first, we usually give into our cravings. This self-sabotage often leads to emotional eating and/or binge eating. Before we know it, we’re right back to where we started, but have gained back even more weight. Instead of implementing major changes all at once, making small changes and replacing the less nutritious foods gradually yields better results. Then we’ll be able to eat delicious and satisfying foods while creating a healthy lifestyle at our own pace.

By eating healthier foods, we give our bodies the nutrients they need, naturally lose weight and feel great, with less room and less desire for unhealthy foods. This method does not require eliminating all unhealthy foods, and deprivation doesn’t work because it is not sustainable.

We need to live our lives, but just not go overboard when we splurge. To gradually create a healthy lifestyle, replace one to two foods with healthier options or healthier versions. For example, instead of consuming ketchup that contains high-fructose corn syrup and chemicals, replace it with another version that uses all natural ingredients and less sugar. Another example would be to snack on raw veggies with hummus or fruit, instead of sweets.

After a few weeks of replacing unhealthy foods, we will be well on our way to new healthy lifestyles and losing the weight for good.

Jennifer McKee, an integrative nutrition health coach, founded McKee Health Transformations, in Surprise. She has lost more than 50 percent of her body weight naturally. Appointments are available in person, via telephone or Skype. For more information, call 866-632-8651 or visit MckeeHealth.com.