So maybe they’re not all completely unusual but these 12 unusual weight loss tips are honest and with some insight as to why we really recommend them (rather than just for the sake of writing something!). Here’s to you and your success in both attaining and maintaining your fat loss and health goals.
1. Eat More Protein
Protein is famous for its muscle building abilities but protein is also a key fat loss tool. Now we’ve all heard that Protein helps you feel fuller longer and that eating more protein has been shown to cause people to eat less calories in the first place.
What you’re rarely told is that the body utilises protein during the fat loss process, and if there is a shortage of amino acids then the breakdown of muscle tissue can occur, and we don’t want that do we?! So how much is “more”? Well a good palm size portion three times a day should do it.
2. Have a Salad First
Bit of a weird one but research from the Ingestive Behavior Lab at Penn State University showed that having a salad before you eat your main meal decreased calorie intake at that meal by 10-12%. Given the fibrous nature of a typical salad I can see how this would assist, providing you went easy on the dressing of course!
3. Snack on nuts
For ages nuts were shunned on fat loss diets because of their high fat content. However, the fat, fiber, and protein contained in nuts does make them a great fat loss snack. That being said, portion control is key (about 1/4 cup generally) and personally I’m not the best on the portion control front, so only use if you can put the packet down…
4. Weigh Yourself Weekly
People often hide from the scales but there’s some research from the National Weight Control Registry in the USA which determined that 75% of people who have maintained a +30lb weight loss for over a year weigh themselves regularly. Such is the power of habit.
5. Find a “Diet” You Enjoy & Can Maintain
These days there’s a diet for everything, from Weight Watchers to the “only eat carbs on a Tuesday” approach. Ok so I’m having a bit of fun here but the point is to STOP seeing a “diet” as short term with all the restrictions that puts in place.
If you can’t stick to it for the rest of your life then you will fail in the long term! Pretty much everything works for about 6 weeks but then what? Better to slowly make minor changes to your everyday “diet”.
6. Turn the Lights Out
You’ve probably heard about the hormonal importance of getting adequate sleep as Insufficient sleep negatively impacts hormones like leptin which regulate appetite, metabolic rate, and fat burning. Now the general advice is that we need somewhere between 7 and 9 hours of sleep but have you ever had 9 hours of sleep only to wake up tired and disregulated?
In his book “Sleep” Nick Littlehales studies sleep patterns and suggests that we calculate sleep based on 90 minute cycles as the body moves from light sleep to deep sleep and back. The solution to a groggy head being to wake at the end of a 90 minute cycle.
7. Get In My Belly!
Forgive the Austin Powers reference but did you know that there are 10 times more bacterial cells in your digestive tract than cells in your entire body! These bacteria interact with receptors in your body and impact brain signals and hormones that control calorie burning and fat loss.
We can support our gut bacteria by eating fermented foods like kimchi, yoghurt and kefir or take a probiotic supplement to ensure you have the best bacteria working for you.
8. Enjoy Avocados
They’re green and look like small hand grenades but that aside Avocados contain high levels of monounsaturated fat (so does olive oil and beef). So switching out some saturated fat and replacing it with monounsaturated fat has been shown to improve HDL cholesterol levels and the balance of “good” versus “bad” cholesterol in the body. In addition avocado oil is great for stir fry’s due to its stability at high temperatures.
9. Sugar Sweetened Beverages
We know that many of the calories consumed from sugar sweetened beverages are some of the worst for fat loss simply because they are easy to consume and your body doesn’t register them with respect to feeling full.
Yes we can skip the high calorie drinks and opt for water, sparkling water, or green tea, but you can also enjoy “diet” drinks as there is no conclusive evidence which proves consumption of artificial sweeteners and health issues.
If after all of this you still want the “fully leaded” drink of your choice, then look to plan in into your weekly energy intake.
10. Eat Breakfast Or Not!
The National Weight Control Registry in the USA tracks the behaviours of people that have successfully lost and kept off 30lbs or more. At the time of writing their data showed that circa 97% of participants ate breakfast.
However, I’m a firm believer of you use whichever tools and tactics work for you. I regularly “fast” between 8pm and lunchtime (12pm) the following day.
This cuts my meals down to a couple per day and my body seems to like this approach. On the flip side I know people who just can’t miss breakfast so try both and see which works for you.
11. Eat Lunch for Breakfast
Yes I know the title makes little sense but what I’m suggesting is that you should treat breakfast like any other meal of the day. The reason is that we get stuck in the mindset of what is and is not a “breakfast” food.
The end result is that we end up eating cereals, toast and other choices which often contain insufficient protein thereby creating energy issues which in turn means snacking mid morning on whatever is to hand.
12. More Meals - More Disasters
The common trend of ‘Eat 6 Small Meals a Day’ can often be a recipe for dieting disaster. Research by Diabetes UK showed that the size of your meals, not how often you eat them, is the biggest factor when it comes to controlling appetite.
There was no physical benefit from eating six times a day to eating just three meals a day. There is also an argument to suggest that the periods between meals assist in the reduction in insulin production, thereby improving the uptake of fat as fuel.
If you found this information useful then head over to our FREE Stuff page for your own 7 Day body Reboot programme to get you started. Feel free to share on social media and let us know what weird and wonderful solutions that have helped you.
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