#projectleannationri

Spring is in the air, and with the change of seasons, many people find themselves scrambling to lose weight that they’ve gained over the colder months.  Baggy clothing, freezing cold temperatures that have us craving rich, heavy foods, and the inevitable “winter blues” make it easier to gain some unwanted fat throughout the winter.  

Wouldn’t it be nice to maintain your ideal body composition year-round? Sound too good to be true? It’s not! All you need to do is adopt a healthy, consistent clean eating program like PLN and actually stick to it, despite the cold temps, the sweatpants, and the seasonal depression.  Unfortunately, It’s become a societal norm for folks to gain 20-30 pounds beginning at the end of October and then, in a panic, go on a starvation diet to lose the weight for spring and summer, when they can’t hide behind loose clothing.  

We do not advocate this kind of image-driven dieting, not only because it’s unhealthy, but because it’s unsustainable.  We advocate eating real foods in proper portions for the majority of the week, and for the majority of the year.  Of course, there are food-centered holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc., but these are mere days out of the 365 that you have to make good choices when it comes to nutrition.  That means that you shouldn’t turn a few holidays into an entire season of a junk food based diet.  Is it normal to gain a few pounds throughout the winter? Of course! We don’t get outside as much to be active in the winter, and our appetites naturally become suppressed in the heat of the summer.  This is a normal fluctuation in weight, and folks shouldn’t get freaked out if this happens.  

Can this spring and that bathing suit you want to look good in be a great catalyst to make a permanent and sustainable lifestyle change through nutrition and exercise? Absolutely! But if you think your work is over as soon as you fit into your jeans or reach a certain number on the scale, you’re mistaken, and it’s likely that you’ll find yourself right back where you started at the end of the summer.  

That being said, goals are very important, and if your goals include reaching a specific weight (as long as it’s a healthy, attainable one), fitting in clothing, or attaining a certain body fat percentage, there is nothing wrong with that. Project LeanNation’s programs are, first and foremost, nutrition programs.  They’re designed to provide you with the protein, carbs, and fat that your body needs without added unwanted calories.  Will they help you lose weight if you need to lose weight? Absolutely.  Will they help you achieve your goals? Absolutely.  But you have to stick with it! If you want to see lasting changes in not only your weight, but markers of healthy like blood sugar and blood pressure, you’ll need to commit to making this change permanent.  Whether that means that you stick with PLN for the long-haul, or you use the parameters we’ve given you to create your own healthy, clean meal plan, you just need to stick with it!