Words of Wellness with Shelly

Shelly's Shares: Nourishing Your Body: The Truth About Weight Release and Nutrition

• Shelly Jefferis • Season 2 • Episode 91

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Have you been struggling with weight loss despite trying every diet under the sun? You're not alone, and it's not your fault. The conventional wisdom about weight loss has been fundamentally wrong.

For generations, we've been told that losing weight is a simple mathematical equation: burn more calories than you consume. But groundbreaking research now reveals this approach is not only ineffective but potentially harmful to your body. In this eye-opening episode, I share why traditional dieting approaches that focus on calorie restriction ultimately backfire, leading to weight regain and significant muscle loss—as much as 25-40% of weight lost often comes from muscle tissue, not fat.

Shelly goes into the science of nutritional quality versus caloric quantity, explaining why two foods with identical calorie counts can affect your body in dramatically different ways. You'll discover why proper nourishment, not restriction, is the key to sustainable weight release and how nutritionally-supported intermittent fasting differs from harmful calorie-cutting diets. Drawing on her 35+ years as a health professional and her personal decade-long journey with optimized nutrition, Shelly shares practical insights about how quality nutrition naturally reduces cravings, increases satiety, and supports your body's natural balance.

This episode challenges everything you thought you knew about weight management and provides a refreshing, evidence-based perspective on achieving lasting health. Whether you're currently on a weight loss journey or simply want to optimize your nutrition for better health, this conversation will transform how you think about food and nourishment. Ready to ditch the diet mentality and embrace true wellness? Listen now and take the first step toward sustainable health transformation.

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Thank you for listening to the Words of Wellness podcast with Shelly Jefferis. I am honored and so grateful to have you here and it would mean the world to me if you could take a minute to follow, leave a 5-star review and share the podcast with anyone you love and anyone you feel could benefit from the message.

Thank you and God Bless!
And remember to do something for yourself, for your wellness on this day!

In Health,
Shelly Jefferis

Speaker 1:

So really think about what is it we're putting in our bodies and know that the diet, the reducing the caloric intake, is not going to serve you Again. Initially you might lose a little weight, but what they have found, what studies are showing, is that weight comes back and then some, and in some cases 25 to 40% of muscle is lost. That is huge. We don't want that. We want to preserve and, if anything, gain some muscle mass. It's so important for our quality of life, for our health, especially as we age. It's just critical. Do you get confused by all of the information that bombard us every day on ways to improve our overall health and our overall wellness? Do you often feel stuck, unmotivated or struggle to reach your wellness goals? Do you have questions as to what exercises you should be doing, what foods you should or should not be eating, how to improve your overall emotional and mental well-being? Hello everyone, I am so excited to welcome you to Words of Wellness. My name is Shelly Jeffries and I will be your host. My goal is to answer these questions and so much more to share tips, education and inspiration around all of the components of wellness through solo and guest episodes. With 35 plus years as a health and wellness professional, a retired college professor, a speaker and a multi-passionate entrepreneur, I certainly have lots to share. However, my biggest goal and inspiration in doing this podcast is to share the wellness stories of others with you, to bring in guests who can share their journeys so that we can all learn together while making an impact on the health, the wellness and lives of all of you, our listeners. The ultimate hope is that you leave today with even just one nugget that can enhance the quality of your life and that you will we all will, now and into the future, live our best quality of lives, full of energy, happiness and joy. Now let's dive into our message for today. Hi friends, just a quick message. Before you dive into this episode, I wanted to clarify something I might have misspoke. I wanted to make sure that I make it clear that this episode we are talking about the fact that cutting calories, reducing caloric intake, is not an effective way to release weight, to release body fat, and when I am talking about the number of calories, that equal one pound, that still remains true. That is still true. 3,500 calories does equal one pound, and at one point within this episode I make a reference to it and it makes it sound like I'm saying that that is not the case. That is true. What is not the case is where we cut back on calories and when we reduce our intake. It is not the effective way to release weight and release body fat. So I just wanted to make that distinction. So on to the episode. I hope you find value and enjoy.

Speaker 1:

Hi friends, welcome back to Words of Wellness. I am your host, shelley Jeffries, and if you are new to our Words of Wellness podcast, I want to welcome you and, for those of you who have been listening and supporting me along the way, I want to thank you so much. It means more than you know. I can't believe that I am coming up on a year and a half of my podcast. I started it in December of 23, and I am coming up on almost 100 episodes. So I'm very excited about that and I just love bringing information to all of you, and I especially have a passion of sharing my guests with all of you and getting information out there about our overall wellness. And again, wellness encompasses so many different areas and it's something that I love to share because I really truly want the best for all of you, and I truly love helping others feel their best, look their best and be their healthiest, and that has been a mission of mine for many, many years, and I love to have this platform where I can share not just my knowledge and my experiences with you all, but the knowledge and experiences of others, and it's just a really very rewarding journey, and I've met so many incredible people along the way and I really, really truly hope and pray that you all have benefited along the way as well and will continue to do so.

Speaker 1:

So, without further delay, I want to hop into the message I want to share with you all today. I want us to ditch the idea that calories in versus calories out, and I will be fully transparent with you all, because that is something that I used to share with my students before I knew better, and I would say probably 15 years ago now maybe, or more. That was the message that we shared, and I would do a whole lecture about calories, and 3,500 calories equal one pound, and in order to lose one to two pounds a week, you need to cut back 3,500 to 7,000 calories a week or burn that many calories through your exercise, on and on and on. And now we know that that is completely not accurate. It is not truth. Science does not back that in any way, shape or form, and I still will see individuals sharing that message. And you know, when we know better, we do better.

Speaker 1:

I say that often and through years of research not just of my own, but those who are in the field, you know, doing the work and really involved with studies and research we now know that it is much more involved than calories in versus calories out. And what are we talking about? We're specifically talking about those who want to release weight, and we know release weight and we know we especially know now that diets do not work. A couple things along the way. When we talk about diets, every, pretty much every single diet in the book through all the years has to do with decreasing calorie input, so decreasing the amount of calories that we consume. Now the average person is already deficient in nutrition. So if the person who is looking to lose weight now starts to cut back on what they are eating, guess what that is doing? If they are already deficient in nutrition, now they are even going to be more so, and many times cutting back on the calories has the opposite effect on the results that person wants. It not only can slow down metabolism and with that, that slows down the process of losing weight. So I want us to think about this in different terms. I want to reframe it if you will, and some of you already know this information, but I want to really stress it.

Speaker 1:

I was on a call the other day with an incredible gentleman. I actually have had him on my podcast in the past. His name is Peter Greenlaw and he does not claim to be a doctor, but he is a researcher of the researchers. So he has for many years researched the information that has been out, and he also has books out around these topics, and years ago I read his books and the exciting thing now is that we actually have concrete, like specific studies that have been done that have been published to support this information. That it's not about how many calories we consume, it's not about going and working our butts off no pun intended at the gym. It's about what can we consume that's a high quality, about what can we consume that's a high quality, nutritionally dense food that's going to nourish our bodies and satisfy our bodies so that we, one, don't have cravings and, two so that we don't overeat. That's one part of the equation. Another part of the equation is and this is what I do is going through a nutritionally supported intermittent fast, where you are giving your body, you're giving your digestive system a break, you are allowing it to really utilize the nutrition that you've given it. You give your digestive system a rest, you give your body a chance to reduce cortisol levels, reduce stress, increase your blood, reduction of body fat, reduce body weight, and you can do this through this method.

Speaker 1:

Now, typical intermittent fasting or time-restricted eating can be a way to jumpstart this process, but it is not something that you want to continue with long-term. Our bodies need fuel, our bodies need protein, our bodies need nutrition. So what I'm referring to something that I have done for over a decade is a form of intermittent fasting, but it's supported with nutrition. It's supported with a botanical drink that's full of aloe vera and many nutrients that are necessary for our bodies to function in a healthy manner. So you're getting a small amount of caloric input with a level of nutrition that supports your body, but at the same time, you're getting the benefits of intermittent fasting. And if you would like to know more about this process. Please feel free to reach out to me, drop me a message on Instagram at wellnesswithshellyj, and I'm happy to share with you what I do, the protocol that I follow and the main point of this message that I want to get across to everyone. No matter what you're doing for your health journey, your weight loss journey, I want you to, and it can take some time because it's for some of us who maybe have been around a little bit longer, or for, like people like myself and I've been in this wellness, nutrition, fitness profession for decades teaching school, teaching college back in the day, the message was different. We didn't know any better. Now we do.

Speaker 1:

The research has come out to prove to the fact that it has more to do with the quality of the calorie that we're consuming and the quality of the exercise that we are getting. We don't have to work out vigorously for hours on end to get the results. It's just not necessary. It comes back to what are we fueling our body with? What are we fueling our body with? Are we nourishing our body to its optimum levels, and are we doing so with maybe a minimal amount of caloric value, but a high level of nutritional value? That's really the key. So when we talk about nutrient dense foods, that's what we're referring to Consuming high quality nutrition. That's going to fuel our bodies, nourish our bodies, at a minimum amount of caloric value.

Speaker 1:

So if we take, just for simplicity sake, if we take, a candy bar, I'm just going to say this is not the number of calories, but just for this simple example, we have a candy bar that is 100 calories. We have an apple that's 100 calories. That's 100 calories. They have the same number of caloric value. But what is going to provide a higher amount of nutrition? The apple. Right Now, we could go back and forth and go okay, well, what's in that candy bar? Are there peanuts in that candy bar? What have you? That's not what we're talking about right now. We're just for simplicity's sake. I just want to use that analogy and that's really what you want to look at. What am I getting? What am I putting into my body? That's going to bring about the best results, and this is really important when it comes to weight release.

Speaker 1:

And I will tell you again, like I said earlier, diets do not work, and I don't even know that. I have time to name off all the different diets that have been around for years and years and years. But if we look at the health of the general population and we look at the incidence of obesity and how it has risen continuously through the years and now children, more children are obese than ever what we have been doing is not working. What we have been doing is not working is not working. I want you really, really, to think on that, because I know for so many individuals it's a struggle. I know for so many individuals. They say I've tried this diet, I've tried this, I've done this, I've counted my macros, I've cut out carbs, I've done this product, I've done this program.

Speaker 1:

And again it comes back to how are you fueling your body? Are you giving your body the nourishment that it needs? Because, let's face it, if your body is being nourished in the way that it needs, if you're getting all the minerals that your body needs and the vitamins everything that your body needs you're going to be satisfied, you're not going to be as hungry, you're going to be less apt to overeating and your cravings will go down. You do know when you have cravings, your body's missing something. It's missing something and that's a sure sign that your body needs some type of nutrition, some type of nourishment, and I can speak from experience.

Speaker 1:

I changed my whole nutrition protocol over 10 years ago and I didn't start for myself for weight release, but I know that I did release body fat and I can tell you from just my pure experience that through all of the years, cravings are pretty much zero, like I might feel like oh, I feel like having a piece of dark chocolate or I feel like having a piece of cheese. If I feel like something, I'll have it, but I'm not craving it if that makes sense. The other thing that I know is completely different for me is that I stay satisfied longer. I have my superfood shake and it keeps me full and satisfied for a long time. I rarely I can maybe count it on one hand over the years I rarely get to a point where I'm like, oh my gosh, I'm starving. I don't have that anymore Because you know why. My body is being fed with the highest quality nutrition. It's being nourished in ways that it wasn't before and it makes such a difference.

Speaker 1:

So if I could leave you with anything today, I want you to start really thinking in these terms, even if you're not on a weight loss journey. Think about what you're putting in your body. What are you feeding your body? Because we want to be feeding our body with the highest level of nutrition possible. And if we think about, like our cars we have to give our cars gasoline to run, we have to take our cars to the mechanic for maintenance. We have to do the same things with our bodies. But I want you to think of taking your body and going okay, what's the top level of nutrition I can put in my body? If I had to make a choice between A, b and C, what's gonna provide my body with the best nourishment, the best return on the consumption of that food? Now, I'm not saying we're not gonna enjoy ourselves and have our treats. That's not what I'm saying. But I'm saying for most of the time what are we putting into our bodies? Be a little more cognizant of that and know that reducing calories is not the answer.

Speaker 1:

Diets do not work. They tend to maybe allow us to lose weight initially, but guess what happens? A lot of that is water weight. Sometimes it goes into our muscle, our lean body mass, which is the last thing we want to have happen. We need to maintain that lean body mass that is so critical for our overall health. It's huge. So we don't want to lose muscle. That's the last thing we want to have happen. So really think about what is it we're putting in our bodies and know that the diet, the reducing the caloric intake, is not going to serve you Again, initially you might lose a little weight, but what they have found, what studies are showing, is that weight comes back and then some, and in some cases 25 to 40% of muscle is lost.

Speaker 1:

That is huge. We don't want that. We want to preserve and, if anything, gain some muscle mass. It's so important for our quality of life, for our health, especially as we age. It's just critical.

Speaker 1:

So again, if you have questions about the protocol that I follow, please feel free to reach out, and I just want to encourage you to know that it really comes down to being a lifestyle. It really really does. Making good, positive food choices. Getting exercise is important for sure, but the form of exercise that we take part in again doesn't have to be extremely strenuous, and I always will say to my students do a variety of things, because different exercises are going to target your muscle and your body in different ways. So doing a variety of things is so beneficial. So doing a variety of things is so beneficial, but the main point today, the message today, is to really be cognizant of what you're putting in your body and if you are on a weight loss journey, just know there are healthy solutions out there that are long-term. Any of these diets, these quick fixes, are not, and if I can help you in any way, again, please feel free to reach out and if you know of anybody on this journey, feel free to share this episode with them.

Speaker 1:

But the research is out now. The studies are out. Peer-reviewed studies are in journals now telling us that what we've thought or what we've followed through the years doesn't work. And let's face it, like I mentioned earlier, we can look at the health of this country and know full well that what's been done for the last 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 years is not working Is not working.

Speaker 1:

And there's various reasons and that's a whole other episode and I've talked about this before, but it comes down to again some of the other reasons. Comes down to the quality of our nutrition it's completely depleted. Comes down to the toxins that we're exposed to. All of that affects the level of nutrition that we are getting in the foods that we eat, which then makes it even more critical that we are looking at and trying to do our best to consume the highest quality of nutrition, nutrients so that we are nourishing our body in the best way, so that we do have a life full of vitality and energy and joy, and that we can experience longevity not just live till we're 100, but feel good and have energy until we are 100. How's that sound? Sounds good. Sounds good to me. I don't know about anybody else.

Speaker 1:

So, anyway, I hope that you found value in this, as always. Take some time for yourself on this day, do something for your own personal wellness and, believe me, that doesn't always have to be exercise right. Sometimes it can just be going outside and having some quiet time, getting some fresh air. Certainly, the exercise is important. Share, certainly the exercise is important, but take some time for you on this day and have a beautiful, blessed rest every week. Everyone, and we'll see you next time on Words of Wellness.

Speaker 1:

Thank you so much for tuning into today's episode. I hope you gained value and enjoyed our time together as much as I did, and if you know someone who could benefit from today's episode, I would love and appreciate it if you could share with a friend or rate and review words of wellness so that more can hear this message. I love and appreciate you all. Thank you for listening and if you have any questions or topics you would like me to share in future episodes, please don't hesitate to reach out to me through my contact information that is shared in the show notes below. Again, thank you for tuning in to Words of Wellness. My name is Shelly Jeffries and I encourage you to do something for you, for your wellness, on this day. Until next time, I hope you all have a healthy, happy and blessed week, thank you.