Holistic Weight Loss: What It Is and How It Works

Written by Jenn Hand, Holistic Nutritionist, Board Certified Health Coach, NBC-HWC

Is Holistic Weight Loss for You?

One of the reasons we end up getting stuck in the dieting cycle is because we want to lose weight.

We don’t like our body size, we desperately want to control our food, or we have to lose weight for health reasons and we do what we’ve always done– try to achieve the goal through a diet. But the paradox is that the more we try to lose weight and control our food, the more it eludes us.

Enter holistic weight loss!

Table of Contents

1. What Is Holistic Weight Loss?
2. A New Way to View Weight
3. How Does It Work?
4. The Four-Pronged Approach to Holistic Weight Loss
5. How Long Does It Take?
6. Is There a Holistic Weight Loss Diet Plan?
7. What Is It Like to Work with a Holistic Weight Loss Coach?
8. What's It Like in Real Life?
9. Next Steps

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What Is Holistic Weight Loss?

There is a delicate balance between weight loss and food freedom.

Many of us come to think of these two things as either/or. We either go on a diet and lose the weight OR we stay stuck at our current weight but have freedom. What if there is a way to have both? I believe our bodies want to be at a weight that is comfortable for our frame. That may be different than what we THINK our size should be.

What If There Was a New Way to View Weight?

A way that was holistic and nourishing rather than depriving and punishing.

The old way of weight loss is one of deprivation, cutting out and willpower. The new way of weight loss is a holistic mind-body-soul approach that’s nourishing and compassionate. Holistic weight loss is a four-pronged approach and a completely new way of looking at weight. It’s physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.

Because we need to take into account ALL of ourselves if we want to be in alignment to restore our body’s natural state. It’s a restoration, a re-balancing, a releasing of what no longer serves you.

THAT’S the way to lasting, sustainable weight loss.

The best part? You can have both: freedom AND weight re-balancing!

🍓 Related Post: Why Your Natural Weight Isn't What You Think It Is -> How Does Holistic Weight Loss Work?

Not everyone is ready to approach weight from this space.

Sometimes we need to first focus on getting out of the extremes of dieting and bingeing, rather than bringing weight into the conversation. And that’s okay. I believe in honoring where we are in the journey.

After 9 years of experience in this industry, I’ve worked with all different kinds of women.

In some coaching sessions, we don’t talk much about food (we talk about emotions, boundaries, habits, stuck points, perfectionism, people-pleasing, self-care and 100 other things!) In other sessions, we talk a lot about food. It depends on where each person is, so holistic weight loss is not for everyone.

It works only when we’re ready for it.

When we’re open to having deeper conversations around the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of weight, we are open to looking at weight in a whole new way.

The Four-Pronged Approach to Holistic Weight Loss: 1. PHYSICAL: Blood Sugar Comes First

Holistic weight loss is a re-balancing of our bodies.

We work to find a healthy relationship to carbs and sugar–how much of each do we want/need? When does it feel energizing to have these foods? What would work for us in relation to our desire for freedom vs structure? A part of the physical aspect of weight is the exploration of what/how we are eating, how our choices impact our bodies, and what rhythm of eating energizes the body.

It’s important to work on figuring out how much food is “enough.”

How do you tap into hunger, fullness, and use the mind and body together to decide what way of eating works best?

Experimentation is key.

You start eating regularly and often, picking amounts you think are “enough,” and you continually get feedback from your body to refine and change/shift as you move forward.

At a retreat I did a few years ago, one of the women asked me, “How do you decide what constitutes a serving?”

I explained that at first, I guessed.

I would pick something I thought would be “enough." I took half of the piece of chicken, 5 potato wedges and a heaping of salad on my plate. In the beginning, I still ate very much from an “eat less” per...