Trying to lose weight without the proper support — be it medication, coaching, an app, or some combination — is like embarking on a difficult journey with a 100-pound pack of rocks on your back. A few people might succeed, but most of us who try to lose weight by willpower alone will ultimately fail. 

I’ve learned this lesson firsthand, both from my own weight loss experience and through my Ph.D. in psychology: the relationship between behavior and weight is complex. Research has shown that the age-old advice to simply “eat less, move more” doesn’t work. Human bodies require a more holistic approach to healthy weight care—one that goes beyond dieting and helps build the lifestyle habits that promote successful weight loss and sustainable weight management. Realizing this was the breakthrough moment in my journey. 

Of all the healthy habits to build, choosing the right food might be one of the hardest. Eating well can be time-consuming to think about, and even more time-consuming to actually execute! When I get hungry, then have to choose a meal on-the-fly,  the decisions I make aren’t always in my best interests. It’s even worse if I have to go out into the world, where fast food pitfalls lie in wait to ambush me. But meal services like Territory are changing the game, making it quick and easy and effective to eat well. Deciding on my meals in advance, and having them delivered to my door saves me from making food decisions out of desperation, which is not always the healthiest choice.

My career has been all about bringing the science of what works to the public, and as the Chief Behavioral Health Officer at Found, I’ve worked towards helping people find the best way to achieve their healthiest weight without having to endure the frustrating cycle of losing weight just to gain it back. Found provides a personalized weight care program that tailors the best of weight loss medicine with the right nutrition movement, sleep, stress reduction, and relationship habits for your unique needs. 

We’ve learned that the most effective thing you can do to maintain a healthy weight is to track your health-related behavior. This could include keeping a record of your weight, daily activity, or the meals you enjoy. Whichever method you choose, the goal is to help you remember that you’ve set intentions for your health. Every habit you build —exercising, eating mindfully, choosing healthy foods, and so on—starts with remembering that you planned to do those things in the first place.

I’ve found that one of the best ways to honor my intention to eat well is to be sure I have meals on hand that I genuinely want to eat. Territory is great for this—their ready-made meals mean I don’t have to cook or make last-minute decisions. It’s part of my plan-ahead strategy. I know that when I’m hungry or stressed, I don’t always make the best choices about what to eat, and in the past, emotional eating has led me to unhealthy weight gain. Having Territory in my refrigerator makes it easy to make the good calls.

Perhaps, the best part about Territory is that there are a variety of meals and they all taste good. I don’t feel like I’m sacrificing flavor for nutrition. Unlike other “healthy” meal services, Territory leaves me feeling nourished (instead of deprived) and motivated to keep cultivating the mindful eating habits necessary for maintaining my weight. Of all the steps I’ve taken to lose weight and keep it off, outsourcing my meal planning to Territory has to be one of my favorites. I’m more energized, in control, and prepared than ever before. It’s exactly the kind of support anyone working toward weight loss deserves —to help make that 100-pound pack of rocks feel that much lighter.