1. Thou shalt not drink calories. Period. If you want to lose fat ditch the morning milkshake, the afternoon coke and the evening booze. Just drink water. If you absolutely have to drink something with flavour then have a sugar-free lemonade or a diet coke. And every time you feel tempted to have a drink open this page and look at these numbers:
0,5 L Coca Cola = 197 kcal
0,5 L beer = ~215 kcal
0,3 L wine = 250 kcal
So I have to jog for 5 km to compensate for that coke? Then I’ll just have a water with lemon, please.
2. Eat better, not less. And stop counting calories, it will drive you nuts. Just remember one simple rule:
protein = good
fat = mostly good
carbs = bad
A diet high in protein and fat will help you lose fat. A diet high in carbs will add another tyre around your belly. When you go shopping start looking at what you are about to buy and ask yourself: are there more proteins/fats than carbs in this? If so put it in the basket – if not look for an alternative. And if you’re not sure just read the label. After a while you will know the answer instinctively. Also, eat a protein rich meal during the first half hour after waking up. It will reduce your snack cravings in the evening.
3. Avoid white carbs. Bread, pasta, potatoes, pastry and rice are your enemies in the fight against love handles. You must avoid them at all cost. I know this seems hard at first. Believe me, I come from a country where bread and potatoes are part of a healthy diet – people even eat soup with bread. But these foods will make all your other efforts be in vain. Just replace them with something else. After a few weeks you won’t even notice they’re gone from your menu.
4. Take your time while eating. This is a simple fix that is often underrated. In our busy lives we tend to rush such unimportant tasks as eating. We have to make that urgent phone call, write that important email and this silly lunch break is just getting in the way. Well, I have news for you: it’s not just getting in your way, it’s also making you fat. But only because you let it. So take your time when having your meal breaks. Reserve at least 30 minutes to enjoy your meal and you will soon start seeing results. Eating slowly gives your body time to absorb the nutrients and send STOP signals to your brain when it’s full. If you rush through your meals you will not only eat more and get fatter, but you will also experience postprandial drowsiness – which results in less work efficiency. So invest some time in your meals. It’s a cheap and simple solution to lose weight.
5. Drink more water. This is valid in general throughout your day, but especially during your meals. Water will make you feel full and it also speeds up the absorption of nutrients (see above). Just set yourself a goal to drink at least two glasses of water during every meal. Your kidneys will thank you later.
6. Cultivate your gut bacteria. Don’t worry, you don’t have to read Shakespeare to them. Your intestines are the home of two rival families of bacteria: Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes. The latter correlates with diabetes, obesity, and malnutrition, while the former dominates in societies that have never heard of weight problems. To feed and grow the right bacteria you have to eat more fermented foods like yogurt, camembert or sauerkraut. Fermented fish (like Surströmming or Hákarl) is also an option if you can stand the smell. Feed your dirty little helpers regularly and they will become powerful allies in your fight against fat.
7. Pick your fruits wisely. Everyone knows fruits are healthy. That’s why our moms were nagging us to eat them, right? Yes and no. While fruits do contain useful nutrients, most of them also pack a high amount of fructose (which is basically sugar). Avoid watermelon, grapes, raisins and bananas. If you want fruits, pick lemon/lime, grapefruit or strawberries.
8. Skip the whole milk. Although it has a low caloric index, whole milk will trigger a big release of insulin. This is a growth hormone that helps you lower blood sugar and grow fat pads. So the next time you go shopping reach for the low-fat milk. It has basically the same nutrients but doesn’t trigger an insulin spike.
9. Citrus fruits and cinnamon are your friends. They inhibit insulin spikes and fight obesity by preventing the formation of fat deposits. They will also stop your blood sugar from dropping rapidly and having you crave snacks a few hours after your meal. Just drink some lemonade before and/or during your meal. And add cinnamon to your sweets and coffee – they will taste better and help you lose fat.
10. Honor thy cheat day. This is the one you were waiting for all along. The idea behind it is very simple: all bets are off on cheat day! You can eat what you want, when you want. But you only get one cheat day/week and it has to be the same day every week. I chose Saturday because it’s when we usually meet with friends and end up eating and drinking a lot.
It’s important to have a cheat day, both mentally and physically. Knowing you will be allowed to eat that box of doughnuts or empty that Nutella jar will give you strength to stick to the plan throughout the week. I recommend making a bucket list of junk food you crave during the week and hitting those items during cheat day. This caloric mayhem will prevent your body from adapting to low caloric intake, which is a big cause of plateaus during fat loss. It will also prevent you from going crazy each time you pass a bakery shop.
0,5 L Coca Cola = 197 kcal
0,5 L beer = ~215 kcal
0,3 L wine = 250 kcal
So I have to jog for 5 km to compensate for that coke? Then I’ll just have a water with lemon, please.
2. Eat better, not less. And stop counting calories, it will drive you nuts. Just remember one simple rule:
protein = good
fat = mostly good
carbs = bad
A diet high in protein and fat will help you lose fat. A diet high in carbs will add another tyre around your belly. When you go shopping start looking at what you are about to buy and ask yourself: are there more proteins/fats than carbs in this? If so put it in the basket – if not look for an alternative. And if you’re not sure just read the label. After a while you will know the answer instinctively. Also, eat a protein rich meal during the first half hour after waking up. It will reduce your snack cravings in the evening.
3. Avoid white carbs. Bread, pasta, potatoes, pastry and rice are your enemies in the fight against love handles. You must avoid them at all cost. I know this seems hard at first. Believe me, I come from a country where bread and potatoes are part of a healthy diet – people even eat soup with bread. But these foods will make all your other efforts be in vain. Just replace them with something else. After a few weeks you won’t even notice they’re gone from your menu.
4. Take your time while eating. This is a simple fix that is often underrated. In our busy lives we tend to rush such unimportant tasks as eating. We have to make that urgent phone call, write that important email and this silly lunch break is just getting in the way. Well, I have news for you: it’s not just getting in your way, it’s also making you fat. But only because you let it. So take your time when having your meal breaks. Reserve at least 30 minutes to enjoy your meal and you will soon start seeing results. Eating slowly gives your body time to absorb the nutrients and send STOP signals to your brain when it’s full. If you rush through your meals you will not only eat more and get fatter, but you will also experience postprandial drowsiness – which results in less work efficiency. So invest some time in your meals. It’s a cheap and simple solution to lose weight.
5. Drink more water. This is valid in general throughout your day, but especially during your meals. Water will make you feel full and it also speeds up the absorption of nutrients (see above). Just set yourself a goal to drink at least two glasses of water during every meal. Your kidneys will thank you later.
6. Cultivate your gut bacteria. Don’t worry, you don’t have to read Shakespeare to them. Your intestines are the home of two rival families of bacteria: Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes. The latter correlates with diabetes, obesity, and malnutrition, while the former dominates in societies that have never heard of weight problems. To feed and grow the right bacteria you have to eat more fermented foods like yogurt, camembert or sauerkraut. Fermented fish (like Surströmming or Hákarl) is also an option if you can stand the smell. Feed your dirty little helpers regularly and they will become powerful allies in your fight against fat.
7. Pick your fruits wisely. Everyone knows fruits are healthy. That’s why our moms were nagging us to eat them, right? Yes and no. While fruits do contain useful nutrients, most of them also pack a high amount of fructose (which is basically sugar). Avoid watermelon, grapes, raisins and bananas. If you want fruits, pick lemon/lime, grapefruit or strawberries.
8. Skip the whole milk. Although it has a low caloric index, whole milk will trigger a big release of insulin. This is a growth hormone that helps you lower blood sugar and grow fat pads. So the next time you go shopping reach for the low-fat milk. It has basically the same nutrients but doesn’t trigger an insulin spike.
9. Citrus fruits and cinnamon are your friends. They inhibit insulin spikes and fight obesity by preventing the formation of fat deposits. They will also stop your blood sugar from dropping rapidly and having you crave snacks a few hours after your meal. Just drink some lemonade before and/or during your meal. And add cinnamon to your sweets and coffee – they will taste better and help you lose fat.
10. Honor thy cheat day. This is the one you were waiting for all along. The idea behind it is very simple: all bets are off on cheat day! You can eat what you want, when you want. But you only get one cheat day/week and it has to be the same day every week. I chose Saturday because it’s when we usually meet with friends and end up eating and drinking a lot.
It’s important to have a cheat day, both mentally and physically. Knowing you will be allowed to eat that box of doughnuts or empty that Nutella jar will give you strength to stick to the plan throughout the week. I recommend making a bucket list of junk food you crave during the week and hitting those items during cheat day. This caloric mayhem will prevent your body from adapting to low caloric intake, which is a big cause of plateaus during fat loss. It will also prevent you from going crazy each time you pass a bakery shop.
ความคิดเห็น
แสดงความคิดเห็น