About a month ago, I had an opportunity to consult with a nutritionist while I was working out at Curves Laguna Niguel. Kumi Blanco has been coaching me to make better choices, and it has helped me so much that I really don’t see food the same way. I think we all know that exercising is important but what we eat and how much we eat is also as important. Do you do any of these?
My Challenges with Food
- Sometimes I would finish my kid’s meals even though I’m already full especially at family events. I do it because I feel bad for grabbing too much, and it’s rude to throw away food. I need to stop that! I need to be okay with wasting food.
- At potlucks or family events, I tend to eat more because I’m starving. I get there early to help out and I’m filling up on snacks before the main course comes out. With Thanksgiving around the corner, I need to come up with a better game plan like eating breakfast before I go.
Customized Goals
Kumi gave me goals that were just for me. I’m pre-diabetic so I’m watching my sugar and carbohydrate intake. I need to lose about 20 pounds to get to a healthy BMI level, and I have mild sleep apnea so I don’t get good sleep making me tired all the time. (We all need about 6-8 hours of good sleep to lose weight). I can’t make it throughout the day without drinking coffee or I need daily 15 minute power naps. Drinking coffee is okay but I need to switch to half-and-half. All the other fancy stuff just has too much sugar, it’s really bad for me. Sweets and desserts are my weakness so you can imagine why I’m not losing weight.
Weekly Coaching
Our first visit was about awareness. My second visit took a closer look at what I ate, because I was keeping a food journal via phone app. We analyzed it, and she guided me through it. My third visit was still coaching and we went over the challenges I had the previous weeks. I’m learning that it’s okay to eat what I normally eat, I just need to control the proportions. I also asked if diet soda is okay for me, but I learned that although artificial sugar doesn’t raise my sugar levels, it depletes the healthy bacteria in the gut (neurotoxin). It’s really unhealthy. I’m eating salad but I need to put salad dressing on the side so I can control the amount. The dried cranberries are added sugar I can eliminate. I learn things like antioxidants help with inflammation, magnesium and B Complex helps with stress, protein is for building and repairing, and carbs is mostly for energy.
On-going Support
Meeting a nutritionist is important so you can customize goals for your own individual needs. I thought meeting with Kumi weekly to bi-weekly reiterated what I needed to do and it put challenges into perspective. It’s better than going in once a year to get an annual check up from my doctor because even though it is a good wake up call, it fizzles over time and I eventually go back to my old ways. Kumi checked my food journal, and she was able to tell me to add more protein to my breakfast. We discussed my challenges, and she helped me find better choices. Kumi is super nice and professional. She sends me reminders for our next appointments, and she also added me to her Facebook group where she shares helpful tips etc. Being healthy is a lifestyle choice, and instead of just saying it like I have in the past, now I’m actually doing it.
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Kumi Blanco lives in Rancho Santa Margarita, but I see her at the Curves in Laguna Niguel (27781 La Paz Rd, Laguna Niguel, California). For more information, please visit her website at www.YourBodyComp.com or call her at 949-607-7316.
Weight Loss Support Group for the Holidays ($99)
Jumpstart your weight loss in a 4 week program designed to support and educate you on a healthy lifestyle. Holidays are around the corner and most people will gain weight with all the festivities. Learn mindfulness, choices, and portions. We will be discussing topics like vitamins and supplements, detox, food journaling, healthy microbiome, sleep/rest, exercise, stress, brain health, challenges and support!