Weight Loss Coaching in Ottawa to help you look and feel great

When I provide my weight loss coaching in Ottawa, I believe that one size does not fit every person. My approach to weight loss using the Metabolic Balance Ottawa program involves tailoring a personalized nutritional plan to nurture your unique metabolism and your overall well-being. While other weight loss programs in Ottawa may focus on pills or supplements, I focus exclusively on what food is best for your body.

Our eating and fitness habits play an important role in determining our appearance and how well we feel.  As much as food can be our medicine, I believe it can also be our poison.  If you are one of the thousands of people struggling with weight loss in Ottawa, your doctor’s advice to “eat right and exercise” may not be effective. You’re pretty much on your own once you leave your doctor’s office.

Weight Loss Help tailored to your unique metabolism

The Metabolic Balance nutrition plan is created on the basis of blood values ​​(36 parameters) and personal information (i.e. health history, medications you might be on, allergies, food craving and aversions, lifestyle etc.). An analysis of your blood values ​​with their reference ranges is entered into a computer program. From this information, a plan is generated, and the client learns which nutrients are optimal to improve or stabilize these blood values leading to healthy weight management. Based on the Federal Food Code, common foods with all their nutrients are integrated into the program. The nutrients in the food are distributed differently and therefore, the foods selected for the participant will best meet their nutritional needs.

With my three-to-six-month weight loss coaching in Ottawa, I offer regular monthly follow-up visits. I am here to guide and support you. Each visit involves measuring and recording your progress, encouragement during difficult times, and personalized advice to help you achieve your weight loss goals.

What do blood values have to do with a weight loss program?

To illustrate, let me give you some examples.

Urea is produced when protein is metabolized. A low value is often associated with a low protein intake. But of course, there may also be a vitamin B6 deficiency. Therefore, it is important to take another blood value into consideration, the MCV (mean corpuscular volume). If it shows a downward trend, this indicates deficiencies in vitamin B6 and iron. On the other hand, a low MCH (mean corpuscular hemoglobin) value indicates a lack of vitamin B12 and copper.

Another example is low leukocytes (a type of white blood cell that is part of the body’s immune system). It can be a sign of an autoimmune disease, or of a bone marrow disease. The latter would show low alkaline phosphates, while the former might be an indication of a vitamin D deficiency.

Based on such constellations, only foods are selected that compensate and restore balance to our nutrient deficiencies. So, one would find more protein on the nutrition plan of someone who needs vitamin B6, vitamin B12 and iron. There would also be vegetables, fruits, and grains that supply magnesium, potassium, and calcium so that enzymes such as lipase or amylase can be better synthesized and provide relief for the pancreas.

The starting point and the destination determine the plan

In order to find the right nutrition for the individual to enable them to balance their metabolism, it is important to first determine where the participant stands. You have to determine the starting point and define the goal, which can be very different depending on the participant. Some want to lose a lot of weight, others may want to know how to lose belly fat, and some might only want to improve their overall wellbeing.

This can be compared very nicely with a navigation device (GPS). In order to get to different places by car you have to give the navigation system the appropriate coordinates; your starting point and your destination (the goal).

With this information, the navigation system determines the way and guides us to the destination. Even if we make a stop here and there or lose our way, it persistently helps us to get back on the right path and continue driving until we finally arrive at the destination. 

Covid and obesity 

Since the pandemic began, dozens of studies have reported that many of the sickest COVID-19 patients have been people with obesity. They found that people with obesity who contracted SARS-CoV-2 were 113% more likely than people of healthy weight to land in the hospital, 74% more likely to be admitted to an ICU, and 48% more likely to die. The biology of obesity includes impaired immunity, chronic inflammation, and blood that’s prone to clot, all of which can worsen COVID-19. Even people who are merely overweight are at higher risk. 

Not all body fat is created equal

Researchers suspect that visceral fat makes more of certain proteins that inflame your body’s tissues and organs and narrow your blood vessels. That can make your blood pressure go up and cause other problems. For these reasons, it is important to learn how to reduce body fat.

Making food your medicine

The weight loss coaching approach I use is strictly about whole foods. It does not include supplements or packaged foods.  My weight loss plan starts with a blood test measuring thyroid and cholesterol levels along with over 30 other markers. From that, we are able to assess the particularities of your unique metabolic needs, identifying specific foods that are especially good for you.  

One-to-One Weight Loss Coaching in Ottawa

When you come to see me for weight loss coaching in Ottawa, I will offer you clear guidelines on what you can and cannot eat. You will learn how much, how often, and at what intervals to eat.  While this may seem daunting, it delivers results, and is a lifestyle practice that lasts a lifetime. It gets easy once you get used to the routine. I speak from experience. Having tried it myself, I shed over fifteen kilograms over a three-month period. I have maintained my ideal weight ever since.

This weight loss coaching method is based on an understanding of the effects of different foods on the body. Carbohydrates in particular affect the stability of your blood sugar levels and your body’s insulin production. Insulin is a hormone our body produces to break down carbohydrates and turn them into energy. Unhealthy eating habits can lead to an insulin imbalance, resulting in lifestyle diseases such as obesity, cardiovascular problems, and diabetes. Knowing exactly what foods are good for you, when to eat them, and in what quantities, coupled with your favorite exercise routine, can go a long way to enhancing your overall health and self-image, helping you look and feel great.

You can find more information in my articles about weight loss and nutrition.