Robyn Spurr

Personal Health and Weight Loss Coaching For Women

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4 Reasons We Struggle With Overeating (Hint: It’s Not Your Fault)

Guess what? It’s not your fault.

You need to know this.

It’s the very first step on the pathway to healing our relationship with food.

Most people in industrialized countries struggle with overeating.

But why?

Reason #1 – Hyperawareness

We’ve never been so damn aware of how we look. If you’re living in a primitive village somewhere, there’s no Facebook or Vogue magazine or skinny jeans or bikini competitions or CrossFit or selfies or MIRRORS. We’re hyperaware of physical appearances and we’re constantly comparing.

And that’s freaking stressful.

Reason #2 – Processed Food

There is delicious + cheap food available 24/7. Food that overrides our natural hunger signals and makes our biology go haywire. Food that creates a desire for MORE instead of leaving us satisfied.

That’s messed up, right?

Food should satisfy us, but when we eat pizza or ice cream or nachos – we just want to keep going.

Reason #3 – Stress + Support

Women’s lives are stressful with a capital S. If you’re in your 30’s, 40’s or 50’s, you very likely have kids + aging parents + are working or volunteering + have a ridiculous number of responsibilities and stressors and (drum roll) – you probably don’t have a great support system.

The things that normally help buffer all the life stressors are frequently absent in our lives.

More stress + less support = YIKES!

Women in the 21st century are often socially isolated. We don’t usually have our “people” around – our brothers and sisters and aunts and extended family.

We don’t live in close knit communities anymore.

We don’t know our neighbors.

We don’t spend enough time outdoors.

We’re sedentary.

We stare into screens on a desk all day. Then we stare at a screen to “unwind” at night.

So, we turn to Netflix and wine and pizza and cookies – because that’s the easiest, most acceptable way to deal with the stress.

Reason #4 – Expectations

We’ve never had such high expectations of ourselves as women. We feel like we have to be perfect wives + perfect mothers + perfect friends + perfect workers + perfect daughters + have perfect Michelle Obama arms.

Perfect EVERYTHING!

Bottom line. It’s not you.

You NEED to know this.

You are not lazy + stupid + weak.

You are perfectly normal.

You are having a normal reaction to an unnatural way of living in the world.

Instead of signing up for another boot camp or cleanse…

Schedule a lunch date with a friend.

Call your sister.

Read a book, in the sunshine.

Take a walk.

Get off Facebook.

And most importantly, stop being so hard on yourself.

You’re doing the best you can.

XO ~Robyn

I work with courageous + determined women who are ready to say goodbye to yo-yo dieting for good. We’ll use a sustainable, practice-based approach to build healthy habits into your life, one day at a time for an entire year.

The result? You’ll develop healthy habits that become second nature and last a lifetime. You’ll lose the weight (and inches) you haven’t been able to shed – for good.

If this resonates with you, CLICK HERE for details on how to work with me.

 

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How Much Protein Do We Need?

Back in February, one of my clients expressed an interest in experimenting with a whole foods plant based diet (WFPB). A fancy way of saying vegan – without all the processed junk food. Because Oreo’s and Fruity Pebbles are technically vegan.

I’ve coached vegetarian clients (dairy + eggs are permitted), but never a vegan client (zero animal products). I had questions.

  • What might we need to supplement?
  • How will she get enough protein?
  • What are good sources of information and recipes?

Ever the curious student, I dove in head first. In fact, I challenged myself to eat exclusively WFPB for two weeks – to fully understand what it’s like + what it takes to eat this way.

In the weeks leading up my own WFPD experiment, I was certain I’d starve, or feel terrible, or crave animal protein like crazy, or gain a bunch of weight from all the carbs.

None of that happened.

To my surprise, I felt great eating this way. My energy went through the roof and my plates were full of reds and greens and oranges.

While I’m eating animal protein again, it’s definitely less than before and I’ve swapped out some of it for plant based proteins like tofu + tempeh + chickpeas.

FYI, this Tofu Spring Roll recipe is SO GOOD! Been whipping up a big batch every Sunday all summer long.

Why is it important to get enough protein?

Since our bodies need proteins and amino acids to produce important molecules in our body – like enzymes, hormones, neurotransmitters, and antibodies – without an adequate protein intake, our bodies can’t function well at all.

Protein helps replace worn out cells, transports various substances throughout the body, and aids in growth and repair.

Consuming protein can also increase levels of the hormone glucagon, and glucagon can help to control body fat.

It can also help to liberate free fatty acids from adipose tissue – another way to get fuel for cells and make that body-fat do something useful with itself.

How much protein do you need?

How much protein you need depends on a few factors, but one of the most important is your activity level.

The basic recommendation for protein intake is 0.8 grams per kilogram (or around 0.36 g per pound) of body mass in untrained, generally healthy adults. For instance, a 150 lb (68 kg) person would consume around 54 grams a day.

However, this amount is only to prevent protein deficiency. It’s not necessarily optimal, particularly for people such as athletes who train regularly and hard.

For people doing high intensity training, protein needs might go up to about 1.4-2.0 g/kg (or around 0.64-0.9 g/lb) of body mass. Our hypothetical 150 lb (68 kg) person would need about 95-135 g of protein per day.

These suggested protein intakes are what’s necessary for basic protein synthesis (in other words, the creation of new proteins from individual building blocks). The most we need to consume throughout the day for protein synthesis probably isn’t more than 1.4 – 2.0 g/kg.

But wait – there’s more!

Beyond the basics of preventing deficiency and ensuring a baseline of protein synthesis, we may need even more protein in our diets for optimal functioning, including good immune function, metabolism, satiety, weight management and performance. In other words, we need a small amount of protein to survive, but we need a lot more to thrive.

Health + Happiness ~Robyn

Helpful Plant Based Resources for Inquiring Minds:

Books

Podcasts

Recipe Inspiration

I work with women who want to create real + lasting health changes. We’ll use a sustainable, practice-based approach to build healthy habits into your life, one day at a time for an entire year.

As your coach, I’ll provide accountability + direction + support every step of the way. I’ll help you stay consistent, no matter what life throws at you.

If this approach resonates with you, CLICK HERE for details on how to work with me.

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When Finishing Last is Best

I’m a fast eater.

Maybe it’s because I’m originally from the GO GO GO New York metro area – or maybe I’m just wired that way (or as Lady Gaga would say – Born That Way).

I eat fast + talk fast + walk fast. The only person I know who eats faster than I do is my husband (also an east coaster). If I look away for a minute, whoosh – his food is GONE!

The single habit I’ve struggled most with on my own health journey has been eating slowly.

But why does eating slowly matter? Why should we care?

Did you know that our biological “satiety mechanism” kicks in about 20 minutes AFTER we start a meal? No matter how much we eat during the first 20 minutes of a meal, we won’t feel satisfied or full until we hit the magical satiety time.

If you tend to eat too much too quickly at meals, often followed by regret and the unbuttoning of pants, this is a habit worth practicing.

Slowing down allows our bodies’ natural satiety mechanisms to kick in and put on the brakes. If you’re someone who has tried intuitive eating and dismissed it as rubbish – it’s possible you were eating too quickly (or consuming too much processed food, which I’ll save for another post).

Remember: You can and will feel full if you just slow down. The body’s natural signals will do the work for you. You don’t have to overthink it.

Here’s why I love teaching the habit of slowing down. When you feel overwhelmed by all the healthier habits you need to work on, you can always come back to this one. It’s the perfect habit to focus on when things go sideways and you need to reboot. Like after a weekend of pizza + wings + beer + cake.

Where to Begin

Start by trying to add 5 minutes to one meal per day. Choose a meal where this habit is easiest to implement. For most of my clients, that’s dinner.

Here are a few of my favorite “slowing down” strategies. Choose one:

  • Savor your food. Really taste what you’re eating.
  • Put your utensils down between bites.
  • Take a breath between each bite. All the way in. All the way out.
  • Try to be the last person at the table to finish.

Remember, all you have to do is be just a little slower than normal. That’s how we improve.

Each week add a little more time – or try a different strategy.

Remember the statistics I shared in my last post?

  • Adopting one new habit at a time results in an 85% chance of success
  • Adopting two new habits at once: a 35% chance of success
  • Adopting three or more new habits at once: less than 10% chance of success

Choose one habit. Practice it for a minimum of two weeks. Then (and only then) add on.

By slowing down, you’ll sidestep the inevitable…

“OMG. I can’t believe I ate so much. How did that happen?”

Slowing down creates space. Space in which you can decide whether to stop eating – or keep going. Sometimes you’ll choose to stop – and other time you’ll keep going. That’s okay.

The point is, by slowing down, you’ll have the option to stop when you’re satisfied. You’ll have a sense of choice – and the ability to take responsibility for your actions.

XO ~Robyn

I work with courageous + determined women who are ready to say goodbye to yo-yo dieting for good. We’ll use a sustainable, practice-based approach to build healthy habits into your life, one day at a time for an entire year.

The result? You’ll develop healthy habits that become second nature and last a lifetime. You’ll lose the weight (and inches) you haven’t been able to shed – for good.

If this resonates with you, CLICK HERE for details on how to work with me.

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One Habit at a Time

Losing weight and getting in shape can feel like a monumental undertaking. It requires changing not just one or two, but dozens of habits…

Drink more water, go to the grocery store, prep food, make time to exercise, eat more whole foods, get 7 or 8 hours of sleep.

It’s why so many people either give up – or don’t even bother to try. It’s why we tend to succumb to all or nothing thinking.

“If I can’t eat clean AND exercise for 30 minutes a day AND get 8 hours of sleep, then why bother?!”

I recently revisited one of my favorite books, The Power of Less, by Leo Babauta – and ALL THE LIGHTS went on in my brain. The author shares the following data:

  • Adopting one new habit at a time results in an 85% chance of success
  • Adopting two new habits at once: a 35% chance of success
  • Adopting three or more new habits at once: less than 10% chance of success

MIND BLOWN!

As a result, I’ve decided to overhaul the way I coach my clients.

New Rule: Only one new habit at a time.

I’ve implemented this approach in my own life. Because even yours truly has room for improvement. My very first habit? A glass of water every night for two weeks. That’s it.

Each new habit should be clearly defined and easy to measure. It should also feel doable.

When creating a new habit to practice, ask yourself, “on a scale of 1-10, how confident am I that I can do this every day?” If your answer is 8 or less, scale it back – even if it seems ridiculously small. And then practice that new habit for two weeks before adding on.

Will you transform your life and body in six weeks? Of course not. But you’ve likely tried the “all in” approach – again and again, with the same crappy long term results.

Practicing one habit at a time generates – and more importantly, sustains – momentum.

And that’s exactly how you create lasting + permanent change.

XO ~Robyn

I work with courageous + determined women who are ready to say goodbye to yo-yo dieting for good. We’ll use a sustainable, practice-based approach to build healthy habits into your life, one day at a time for an entire year.

The result? You’ll develop healthy habits that become second nature and last a lifetime. You’ll lose the weight (and inches) you haven’t been able to shed – for good.

If this resonates with you, CLICK HERE for details on how to work with me.