Whenever I talk to people I know, meet new people in the community, scroll through my Facebook news feed, or read the “Health Goals” of new patients in our natural health clinic, one of the biggest and most common desires that people have is to lose weight. Weight loss is a goal that so many people (especially women!) have for their health and their life.

With our food supply getting unhealthier and scarier every year, and sedentary lifestyles becoming more and more common (think desk jobs, and bigger and better technology like TVs, video games, Netflix, computers, smart phones, social media… all of which can contribute to sitting for 8-12+ hours per day) — it’s no wonder why our country is more overweight than ever.

Not to mention the high levels of stress and toxicity that many people are exposed to, which messes with our hormones, causes our body to hold onto more fat, and can lead to weight loss resistance. 👎

So what do we do?

Well, in today’s world of information overload, there is noooo shortage of weight loss advice, tips, programs, protocols, systems, supplements, diets, pills — you name it! But there are several problems with most weight loss strategies:

Many of them simply don’t work! (or at least not long-term). You take a pill or follow a fad diet, but you either don’t lose weight or you gain it all back.
Several of them are based on outdated, inaccurate, or seriously flawed information — rather than unchanging principles of how our bodies were created to thrive (which the science and research is finally starting to catch up with 🙃).
The majority of them are NOT going to make you a healthier person, and a lot of them are downright dangerous and harmful for your health. Sure, you might lose some weight, but is it worth destroying your health in the process? 😬 Definitely not!

The weight loss strategies that I teach people are based on principles of how our bodies work, they’re backed by science, and not only do they not harm your health, but they actually promote health at the highest level.

And most importantly for you — if you want to lose weight and you’re sick of trying methods that leave you frustrated and unsuccessful in hitting your weight loss goals — these strategies work. ☺️

In fact, I wanted to make it super easy for you to implement the steps & strategies in this post, so I created a free Checklist to help you transform your nutrition for healthy weight loss. Just click the button below to download it now!

My husband and I have taught (and continue to teach) these same principles to thousands of patients in our natural health clinic, and I’ve seen countless people completely transform their health and life because of them.

It doesn’t matter if you want to lose 5 pounds or 50 pounds, how old you are, or how many times you’ve failed at losing weight in the past — I know you can reach your weight loss goals because I’ve seen it happen time and time again! Losing up to 20 pounds in 30 days is not uncommon for someone who is committed to applying these weight loss principles.

Before we dive in, I want to warn you though: This is not a “get-skinny-quick” scheme, a “magic pill”, or a super easy method that requires no effort on your part. If that’s what you’re looking for, this is not it — and you won’t find it without it being accompanied by the 3 major problems I mentioned above.

BUT, if you’re ready to learn, take action, put some focused effort into following these steps, and then have the discipline and perseverance to see it through, I KNOW you will lose weight and reach your goal! This is a LIFESTYLE full of tried-and-true strategies for HEALTHY weight loss.

In Part 1 of The Ultimate Guide to Healthy Weight Loss (this post), we’ll dive into the critical nutrition protocols you MUST take in order to see the biggest transformation in your weight loss journey.

In Part 2 of The Ultimate Guide to Healthy Weight Loss, we’ll cover the most effective types of exercise for weight loss, as well as why it’s so important to detoxify in order to lose weight. Click here to read Part 2 after you’ve finished Part 1!

You ready?? Here we go! 🤗

Transform Your Nutrition for Healthy Weight Loss

The first thing we need to address if you want to start losing weight quickly is your nutrition. This will be the most extensive topic I cover in regards to weight loss, so buckle up and get ready to learn some cool stuff! 🤓

While exercise is essential to healthy weight loss too, you’re most likely to see the biggest improvements in your weight (especially right away!) when you change your eating habits. I always say that abs are created 20% in the gym and 80% in the kitchen! 😉

1. Reduce or Eliminate All Forms of Sugar

Sugar might taste sweet, but it’s bad news bears.

Not only does it skyrocket inflammation in your body, wreak havoc on your hormones, act as an anti-nutrient, spike your blood sugar, negatively affect your energy levels & mood, and lead to tons of different health issues — but it also turns into fat in your body and leads to weight gain, which is the opposite of what we’re trying to accomplish here!

When I say “all forms of sugar”, I don’t just mean plain old white sugar from a bag. I mean anything that’s a type of sugar or that turns into sugar in your body, which includes:

Refined sugars, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, brown sugar, fructose, etc. (and basically anything that ends in “-ose”.
Other more natural sweeteners — like honey, maple syrup, agave, etc.
Refined grains — like white breads, pastas, flours, cereals, etc.
Other more natural grains — like whole grains, sprouted grains, etc.
High-glycemic root vegetables & tubers — like potatoes, sweet potatoes, beets, carrots, etc.
Most fruits — EXCEPT for berries, granny smith apples, lemons, limes, & grapefruits (since they’re lower-glycemic)
Alcohol (I know, I know — I love me some wine, dirty martinis, & homemade margaritas 🙃🍷– BUT, if you’re serious about losing weight, it’s ideal to give up alcohol, at least temporarily, or do your best to reduce it.)

Eeek 😬, I can almost sense the outrage and discouragement — “Seriously, Dr. Christi — I can’t even eat FRUIT?!?” Ahh, and I totally get it! At first glance, this list of foods to eliminate can sound extreme, crazy, or even impossible.

But believe me when I say that it’s not only possible, but it’s a whole lot easier than you think when you have the right resources, tools, and mindset going into it. And that’s what I want to give you today! I made an easy-to-follow Blueprint for you, so that you can start implementing these action steps right away. Click below to get free access to it!

I’d also recommend checking out this post I wrote about how to healthify recipes and some of my favorite healthy (& delicious) alternatives to the sugary foods we just went over.

Before we move on, I do want to clarify a couple things about the list above:

To live a healthy life, lose weight, function at your best, and feel great, refined sugars & refined grains should NOT be a part of any healthy nutrition plan.
But, I don’t believe that all the rest of the foods on the list are inherently bad or unhealthy. I personally consume things like raw organic honey, sprouted grains, sweet potatoes, and some naturally-sugary fruits, all in moderation. And I believe there are some amazing health benefits and nutrients in a lot of those foods.

HOWEVER, if you want to lose weight (or detoxify your body, reverse a chronic health issue, decrease inflammation, balance your hormones, and heal your body at the highest level), then completely eliminating sugar & anything that turns into sugar is crucial.

I’m not saying that you have to eat like this forever. Some people thrive with a lifestyle of no sugars, grains, and very little fruit, while other people do great adding in some healthier grains, natural sweeteners, and fruits in moderation. Personally, I have phases in life where I’ll completely eliminate all forms of sugar, but then for the most part I’ll add in some of the healthier options (still only a small amount though).

Everybody is unique and responds to certain foods differently, so make sure you’re aware of how YOUR body is functioning and feeling as you make changes to your diet. With that being said, it’s common for people to have “sugar withdrawal” or detox symptoms when eliminating sugars and grains — and that’s completely normal!

You might be fatigued, maybe a little achy, irritable, have sugar cravings, have some digestive changes… and even though it’s not fun to feel that way, just know that it’s a GOOD thing, and your body is doing exactly what it needs to in order to cleanse you and get you on your way to losing weight and a healthier life. ☺️

2. Consume High-Quality Protein (but not TOO much)

Proteins, especially from animal products, are one of the foods that can be either super beneficial for your health or super detrimental — and it all depends on the source!

Some protein sources are toxic, which among other things, can lead to weight loss resistance or weight gain.

The following sources of protein are ones you should definitely avoid if you want to lose weight and live a healthy life:

Conventional Meat (beef, chicken, etc.) — pumped with hormones & antibiotics, and fed an unnatural diet of corn or other nasty things (which messes with the fat ratios & causes inflammation)
Conventional Dairy — made from cows that were given hormones, antibiotics, corn-fed, and have A1 beta-casein (a protein that is SUPER inflammatory)
Pork — high toxic load
Shellfish (shrimp, crab, lobster, mussels, oysters, clams, scallops) — bottom-feeders, & also have a high toxic load
Farm-Raised Fish (especially tilapia), & Atlantic-Caught Fish — fed an unnatural diet, which causes unhealthy fat ratios & higher toxicity
Soy Products (unless it’s fermented!) — soy disrupts hormones, like estrogen & thyroid hormones (NOT good for weight loss!), is an anti-nutrient, and most of it is genetically modified — 😳

I know it might seem like a lot, but there really are so many amazing sources of high-quality protein that you CAN have, that promote health and weight loss — so let’s focus on all of those! 🙂

Here are some of my favorite sources of healthy protein:

Organic, 100% Grass-Fed Beef (and ideally 100% grass-finished if you can find it)
Organic, Free-Range Chicken
Wild-Caught Fish (especially wild-caught Alaskan Salmon)
Grass-Fed Whey Protein — so easy, healthy, & delish in smoothies & even some desserts! → Click here to check out my favorite brand.
Bone Broth Protein — all the health benefits of organic bone broth, but super convenient, affordable, & versatile! –> Check it out here.
Raw, Sprouted Nuts & Seeds (like cashews, almonds, pecans, hemp seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, etc.)

A Note About Dairy

Dairy can be a pretty controversial topic in the health world. If you’re going to eat any dairy, make sure it’s organic, plain (no added sugar), and full-fat (more about that later!). Ideally, it should also be grass-fed, raw, and made from A2 beta-casein cows (rather than A1 beta casein) — although this is extremely hard to find.

My absolute favorite source of dairy is from Beyond Organic. They have a couple kinds of cheese, and a drinkable yogurt called “Amasai”, which is insanely delicious! All of their dairy is organic, 100% grass-fed, full-fat, raw (or very low temperature processed to preserve all the nutrients), cultured with TONS of healthy probiotics, AND made from A2 beta-casein cows. It’s truly incredible stuff, and it makes dairy a super-food!

Click on the pictures below to learn more & get some of this delish dairy into your hands (& your belly)! 🤗

Aside from that, I don’t consume a lot of dairy and really try to keep it at a minimum. Again, everyone responds differently to it, but I would recommend reducing your dairy intake (unless it’s something like Beyond Organic), or even eliminating dairy for a while if you’re trying to lose weight or overcome a certain health issue.

Warning: Don’t Overdo It!

When it comes to protein, a lot of people eat wayyy more than they actually need. One of the problems with eating too much protein is that your body will turn excess protein into sugar, which causes weight gain and excess fat storage.

If you’re doing everything else right and you’re stuck at a plateau with your weight loss, check your protein intake — there’s a good chance that it might be too high.

As a general guideline, most people only need about 15-20 grams of protein per meal, with an extra 5-10 grams if you’re fairly active. As you start moderating your protein intake, listen to your body and see how you respond to different amounts of protein.

3. Increase Healthy Fats (& Eliminate Unhealthy Fats)

Just like with proteins, fats can also be either super beneficial or super harmful for your health — all depending on the source.

Contrary to popular belief, fat (from the right sources) is extremely good for you, and you need fat (a lot of it!) to burn fat, lose weight, and reach optimal health.

Unhealthy or damaged fats come from the following sources, which you’ll want to avoid:

Conventional Beef & Dairy
Roasted Nuts & Seeds (especially if roasted with an unhealthy oil)
Anything that says “Trans Fat”, “Hydrogenated”, or “Partially Hydrogenated”
Margarine or butter-substitutes
Damaged, rancid oils — especially corn oil, soybean oil, & canola oil

Unhealthy fats and oils are found in almost every packaged or processed food, so make sure you read ingredient labels!

The good news is, there are a lot of really healthy fats. I absolutely ADORE fat — it’s so tasty and delish, it fills you up, and I know how healthy it is when it comes from the right sources. YUM!! 🤗💜

Here are some of the staples in our home when it comes to fat sources:

Grass-fed, Organic Butter
Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Avocado 🥑 (mmm…there’s just nothing quite like a perfectly ripe avocado!!)
Organic, Full-Fat Coconut Milk
Raw (& ideally sprouted) Nuts & Seeds
Organic, 100% Grass-Fed Beef
Beyond Organic Dairy (Raw Cheese & Amasai)

In order to become a fat-burner (and who wouldn’t want that?! 🙃), you need to make sure you’re eating PLENTY of healthy fats. As a general guideline, I’d recommend about 60-75% of your daily caloric intake to come from healthy fats!

That might sound like a LOT of fat, but I have a feeling you’ll be surprised at how amazing you feel and how awesome your metabolism is at burning fat and losing weight when you give your body the right nutrients.

Phew, we just covered a TON of details about foods to avoid and foods to consume more of in order to lose weight effectively. I know it can be a lot to keep straight at first, which is why I made a handy little Checklist that lays everything out for you, plain & simple. Get yours by clicking the button below!

4. Jump-Start Your Weight Loss With a Cleanse

Cleansing has so many powerful health benefits, including:

Aiding digestion
Reducing inflammation
Promoting immune health
Balancing fat-burning hormones
Improving skin
Boosting energy
Detoxifying the body
…AND it’s a fantastic way to promote weight loss!

There are several different types of juice cleanses and health tonics you can drink in a cleanse format, and there are different protocols as far as the length goes (3 days, 7 days, 14 days, etc.)

My Favorite Way to Cleanse

One of my all-time FAVORITE cleanses is called the Suero Cleanse. SueroViv is a cultured whey beverage, made from 100% grass-fed organic whey (from cows with A2 beta-casein), and loaded with probiotics (which I lovingly refer to as “probies” 😌). It’s from Beyond Organic (the company I mentioned above), so I know it’s of the highest quality.

Some of the reasons I love the Suero Cleanse so much is because:

Like a pre-packaged juice cleanse, it’s super quick, easy, & convenient — no preparation or clean-up involved!
UNLIKE a typical pre-packaged juice cleanse, it’s definitely more affordable (most juice cleanses cost ~$200-$300 — which is still worth it, but it’s nice to have something so powerful AND so affordable like the Suero Cleanse!).
The quality and source is absolutely top-notch! 👌
Not only do you get the typical health benefits of cleansing, but you also get even more benefits from the cultured whey itself (tons of probies and a natural ideal sodium-to-potassium ratio, both of which improve digestion and detoxification, leading to more weight loss).

The Suero Cleanse is a 3 Day Cleanse — drinking 6 bottles of SueroViv each day.

There are a few different flavors: Citrus, Orange Cinnamon, and Gold (which is just straight cultured whey — no added juices or essential oils for flavor).

The Citrus and Orange Cinnamon flavors taste amazing! The Gold can take some getting used to — but it’s pretty tasty if you add some fresh lemon juice, or even a couple drops of liquid vanilla stevia.

I would recommend doing the Suero Cleanse Gold for hardcore cleansers 😏. It’s the most ideal for weight loss and overall health, because it has the highest concentration of the cultured whey, AND there aren’t any added sweeteners (the Citrus & Orange Cinnamon do have some organic honey added).

But if you haven’t done this cleanse before, you’d probably want to start with the Suero Cleanse Silver (half Gold & half Citrus flavors), or the Suero Cleanse Bronze (half Citrus & half Orange Cinnamon flavors).

My favorite way way to drink them is getting a Silver Cleanse, and mixing the Gold flavor & Citrus flavor together (so that each bottle is half & half) — it has half the amount of honey, and still tastes amazing!

Click the links below to learn more and order your cleanse so you can jump-start your weight loss!

Other Ways to Cleanse

There are other types of cleanses you can do, whether it’s buying a pre-packaged juice cleanse, or making homemade juices to do a cleanse with. These have enormous health benefits too, and it’s not a bad idea to implement a juice cleanse every now & then.

But, these cleanses can be a lot more work (if you’re making it at home), more expensive (if you’re buying pre-packaged juices), plus you don’t get the extra health benefits of the cultured whey that’s in the Suero Cleanse. Just my two cents. 🙃

How Often Should You Cleanse?

I recommend doing some form of cleansing:

To jump-start weight loss (the 3-Day Suero Cleanse is perfect for this!)
At least once per quarter (the Suero Cleanse or another 3-Day cleanse works great)
On a weekly and/or daily basis (see #5 below! 😊)

5. Try Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting is a way of life that alternates between intermittent periods of fasting and periods of eating. Rather than eating throughout the day, all day every day, intermittent fasting focuses on fasting for longer periods of time to give your digestive system a rest.

Since your body doesn’t need to use all that energy to digest food, it gives your body a chance to utilize that energy in other ways and focus on healing at a higher level.

Intermittent fasting also helps your body to naturally detoxify and helps balance your fat-burning hormones — which leads to increased weight loss.

There are several different ways to intermittent fast, but the most popular way is to have a “fasting window” of about 14-16 hours per day, and an “eating window” of about 8-10 hours per day.

During your “eating window”, you can eat 2-3+ meals, with the most important thing being that they are healthy foods (following the nutrition guidelines above). During your “fasting window”, it’s important to stay well-hydrated (drink plenty of water, or even SueroViv).

For example, a 10 hour eating window could be as simple as making sure all your meals are eaten between 8:00am-6:00pm — which results in a 14 hour fast for the day.

An example of an 8 hour eating window could be skipping breakfast, and eating between 12:00pm-8:00pm — resulting in a 16 hour fast per day.

Is Intermittent Fasting Right For You?

Intermittent fasting can be a great tool to have when it comes to weight loss and overall health. However, it’s not for everyone.

Some people just don’t respond as well to it — whether it’s physically, mentally, or emotionally. Studies show that women are more likely to struggle with intermittent fasting, so definitely see how your body feels.

Intermittent fasting may not be a great fit for you, or maybe you just need to tweak it slightly and try a different type of intermittent fasting. OR, intermittent fasting might just be one of the most helpful methods to help you not only lose weight, but maintain your ideal weight.

For me personally, I’ve been intermittent fasting for over 5 years, and I typically have a “fasting window” of 14-20 hours per day (with an “eating window” of 4-10 hours per day).

And the cool thing is — it really hasn’t been hard to implement. I simply skip breakfast, and don’t eat until anywhere between noon and 3:00pm usually. It’s become a routine and a habit, and now I don’t even think about it and my body hardly ever gets hungry before that time frame.

I absolutely love intermittent fasting — I typically feel better, less bloated, better digestion, and I believe it’s helped me to maintain my ideal weight very easily.

6. Take Your Weight Loss to the Next Level With Specific Supplements

I believe there’s no replacement for a healthy diet, but I also know that there are some powerful supplements out there that can aid in your body’s ability to lose weight.

These aren’t “magic weight loss pills” or a dangerous concoction of chemicals that will allow you to eat however you want and still lose weight.

These are organic, high-quality, whole-food based supplements that promote weight loss by giving your body the nutrients it needs to function optimally.

2 of my favorite supplements that can help you on your weight loss journey are:

- Max Fit: Not only does Max Fit help you lose weight and build muscle, but it also helps increase energy and decrease anxiety. (Win, win! 🤗) It has decaffeinated green coffee bean extract and ashwagandha, which support weight management, healthy blood sugar levels, stress levels, and cortisol regulation.
- Grass-Fed Whey Protein: I mentioned this in the high-quality proteins section above, but this protein powder is more than just a healthy source of protein. This amazing protein has bioactive components and amino acids that help boost metabolism, increase energy, and detoxify the body. It’s super easy to use in a smoothie as a meal-replacement. Plus, it can help curb your sugar cravings and satisfy your sweet tooth — it’s so delicious!

(As with any dietary supplement, consult your healthcare practitioner before using this product, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, anticipating surgery, take medication on a regular basis, or are otherwise under medical supervision.)

———-

Alright, friend! You’ve made it through Part 1 of The Ultimate Guide to Healthy Weight Loss, and I’m sure you have a lot of things you want to start implementing. Don’t forget to download your free Checklist so you can start taking action and shedding some pounds right away!

Click here to jump into Part 2 of The Ultimate Guide to Healthy Weight Loss, where we’ll cover the most effective types of exercise for weight loss, as well as why it’s so important to detoxify in order to lose weight!

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The Ultimate Guide to Healthy Weight Loss: Part 1