Eating healthy and reaching weight loss goals continue to top the New Year’s resolutions charts as we head into 2023.

A recent study conducted by Statista shows that 52% of Americans want to exercise more and 50% of the population wants to eat healthier in 2023. Another 40% on top of that want to reach a weight loss goal. I have a feeling moms make up a lot of those resolutions. As moms, our bodies take a beating. We are exhausted from being mothers and partners and working. Our bodies go through hell to grow and birth children, and keep babies nourished once alive. The last thing we feel like doing many days is cooking. It is much easier to drive through a restaurant and pick up dinner than it is to cook healthy and nutritious meals. It’s easy to eat the leftover spaghetti or chicken nuggets off our kid’s plates, or worse, get into their cookie stash after they go to bed.

I had gotten to the point where I was pretty disgusted with myself.

The body of yesteryear was gone, and it made me a little depressed to be quite honest. I then saw a picture of a friend that had lost a considerable amount of weight, gotten fit, and looked incredible. She had done so while working full time, with 2 kids, and was still smiling. I asked her what she did to reach her weight loss goal, and she told me she had worked with a nutritionist. At first, I wasn’t sure if I was into it or not. I had tried pretty much all the diets. I’ve done keto, Whole 30, low carb, Mediterranean, Eat Right for Your Blood Type and most recently, another diet where I consumed mostly shakes. I felt so burnt out and so hopeless about dieting. After a quick recommendation, Betsy Johnson was introduced into my life.

Betsy was immediately different from other “diet coaches” I had met.

I knew this go around was going to be different. Betsy has been a Certified ISSA Fitness Nutritional Consultant for years. Her website, Betsynutrition.com has some amazing recipes and tips on it as well. Now, she takes virtual clients and is a rock star at keeping people accountable and creating custom nutrition plans for clients.

My weight loss goals?

I wanted to lose weight without going on a “fad” diet. I wanted to be able to eat carbs every day and some dessert too, and I wanted to learn lifestyle changes that would be practical for everyday life. I dreamed of going to dinner with friends and being able to make healthy choices, but first, I needed to reset my brain as to what is “healthy.” I started working with Betsy this fall and have now lost about 10 pounds. I’m still going, but I feel incredibly different. It has changed my life, and it has even changed the way I feed my kids. I asked Betsy if she would share a few tips for our readers for free! Read below to learn about changes you can make now for healthier habits and a slimmer waistline in 2023.

Xo,

Lizzie

Lizzie:  What are the biggest nutritional mistakes most people make?

Betsy:

A. People wait too long to eat and then end up starving and eating all the wrong things because they are so hungry and don’t care at that point.

B. People eat more of their food later in the day and then go to bed.

C. People try to cut all the things like carbs, dairy, and different food groups out of their diets, which leads to a person quitting a plan because it is hard to maintain.

Lizzie: What are the top 5 things all people should do to eat healthily and reach their weight loss goals?

Betsy:

A. Protein helps you stay full, and it helps you with your muscles, so be sure to eat protein.

B. Eat small meals throughout the day.

C. Don’t skip meals, because you pay for it later in the day and get too hungry.

D. Healthy fats are good to eat.

E. Carbs give a person energy, don’t think carbs are the enemy.

Lizzie:  Are carbs a big no-no?

Betsy: Good carbs are great and give you energy. People can’t cut all carbs out of their diets forever because it isn’t sustainable. Good carbs are good to eat, it’s just about when you eat them.

Lizzie:  What do you think of Keto, Whole 30 and other “fad” diets that promise to help with weight loss goals?

Betsy: “Fad diets” are just what they are. Fads that work in the short term, but then not sustainable for a lifetime of eating.

Lizzie:  Why should someone choose a nutritionist over one of the apps out there promising weight loss, like noom?

Betsy: Everyone has different needs and wants. It’s nice to have someone to ask questions to, to send weigh-ins to, and to talk to a person and build a relationship with versus a company with thousands of people and an “overall” plan for the masses.

Lizzie:  I’m so confused by macros. How do I learn about this? Is it more important than calories?

Betsy: Macros are protein, complex carbs and natural fats. If a person is counting macros, they are counting how many grams they are having of each of the categories. They may have a coach that helps them, but it is very time-consuming and can be frustrating for people. Again, in my opinion, it’s always about what you eat and when you eat them.

Lizzie: Which is more important, diet or exercise?

Betsy: I have been working one on one with clients for close to 10 years. Diet is always going to be the number 1 priority. It really is 80-90% of what you eat. I have a lot of clients that don’t have time to exercise but nail their eating every day and still lose weight.

Lizzie: How should people reach out to you if they are interested in getting started on their own plan?

Betsy: Message me on my Instagram: @betsynutrition

send me an email: [email protected]

send me a message through Facebook: Betsy’s Nutritional Consulting

send me an email through my website: http://www.betsynutrition.com