 Keto, Intermittent Fasting, IIFYM, Carb Cycling, low carb/high protein, Detox…. there are pros and cons to all of them and different approaches work for different people. I remember when the biggest decision you had to make when deciding to lose weight is if you wanted to join Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig, however nowadays it seems like there are 100 strategies to chose from. Everywhere you turn someone is talking about their success story with a particular strategy, and you think, “Great, I’ll try that”, and then the next day some one else tells you they failed with that plan, but succeeded with another plan. You end up flipping back and forth between plans and getting nowhere. So now what? *All nutritional and fitness info must be discussed with your doctor before any changes to diet or exercise regime are implemented. Simple Strategies Before delving into the pros and cons of individual strategies, there are simple things everyone can do to kick start their weight loss. If you have a lot of weight to lose these simple tips are going to be all you need to lose a majority of your weight, and no matter whether you have a lot or a little excess weight to lose, I recommend starting with these simple diet tips in order to create good nutritional habits: 1. Ditch the obvious culprits. Most people can name at least a few things in their diet that are obvious bad choices: the morning muffin/donut/Danish you grab with your coffee, Friday night pizza, the ice cream dessert, the 3pm sweet treat to get you through the afternoon. Either ditching these completely or replacing them with healthier choices can often get you off to a good start. 2. Quit sugar. This one is hard for a lot of people, as many of us are sugar-holics (or recovering sugar-holics like myself) but sugar not only adds excess calories, but it wreaks havoc on our hormones making weight loss almost impossible (read more: PMS and Sugar: The link between sugar, insulin and PMS). And sugar is everywhere: processed and packaged foods such as cereal, flavoured yogurt, juices and soft drinks, granola bars, as well as fruits, especially bananas, apples and of course dried fruit. Berries are low in sugar and high in antioxidants so stick to berries and ditch the rest of the fruit for now; once you have reached your weight loss goals you’ll be able to add more fruits back again. 3. Cut out white carbs. Carbohydrates are the body’s main fuel source and not inherently bad, however many people consume a diet consisting of almost exclusively carbs, and not the good kind. Whole grains are a great choice of carbohydrate, however any “white” carb is essentially acting in the body the same way as sugar, causing insulin spikes that store fat (read more: Insulin: Friend or Foe?). Cut out white bread, white pasta, white rice, and white potatoes, and replace them with either a whole grain version, or better yet, replace them with vegetables. White rice and white potatoes might very well have a place in your diet later on down the road (both have great nutritional properties), but cut them out until you have reached your weight loss goal. 4. Limit alcohol. An occasional glass of wine or beer will not derail your weight loss efforts, however anymore than this could definitely be detrimental. Alcohol contains a lot of empty calories, and are almost always excess calories (pushing you over your daily calorie goal); plus, consuming alcohol often leads to poor food choices, be it that night, or the next day. Alcohol also becomes the body’s first fuel source, meaning that even if you managed to maintain a calorie deficit while drinking your glass of wine, your body has now stopped burning fat and starts burning alcohol instead. As the ethanol in alcohol is a toxin the body must place priority on burning off the alcohol in order to rid it from the body as soon as possible (read more about toxins). 5. Eat more protein. Replacing some of the carbs, sugar and “obvious culprits” with protein can also help you loose weight, as protein has been shown to be the most satiating (vs carbs and fat) and will help you feel full for longer. Protein also takes more energy to digest meaning that you actually burn more calories digesting protein than carbs or fats (read more: Nutrition 101: Master the Basics). Plus, studies in both resistance trained individuals and non-trained people have also shown that increasing protein in times of calorie restriction will help you maintain muscle mass, and lose more weight. Eating protein at breakfast in particular has been shown to reduce hunger before lunch, lead to less cravings and lower daily calorie intake. Eggs are a great choice, but any source of protein would be beneficial, especially if replacing refined carbohydrates such as cereal, muffins etc. 6. Load up on vegetables. And by load up I mean eat loads, and loads! Your lunch and dinner plate should be made up of at least 50% vegetables, snacks should definitely include some vegetables, and even breakfast can include vegetables (my personally favourite is a big mushroom omelette). Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussel sprouts, kale etc. are great choices (talk to your Doctor if you have a thyroid issue), as well as other green vegetables, asparagus, zucchini, celery, cucumber, romaine and spinach (read more: Broccoli the Wonder Food). Vegetables are carbohydrates so they will give you the energy you need to fuel your body (as well as your workouts) while still being low in calories and super high in micro-nutrients. 7. Drink lots of water. Eliminate all calorie-containing beverages including soda, juices, sports drinks, sugared coffee and tea, and instead drink lots of water. Green tea is also great, as long as you drink it with no sugar. These are simple changes anyone can make, and in fact this is basically how I eat almost all of the time: high protein, loads of vegetables, and rarely an “obvious culprit”. Once these have been mastered you should be at, or fairly close to your weight loss goal with no need for a specific strategy; however, if you have plateaued on your weight loss, then you could take a look at a specific diet strategy, including perhaps the ketogenic diet or intermittent fasting. Just remember, there are two factors that are necessary to lose weight:
So do your research and decide which approach is a best fit for you. Which strategy can you stick to in order to create a calorie deficit? *All nutritional and fitness info must be discussed with your doctor before any changes to diet or exercise regime are implemented. Change nothing and nothing will change; without change, there can be no progress! Related articles:
The Ketogenic Diet: The Concept, Benefits and Drawbacks Intermittent Fasting: The Concept, Benefits and Drawbacks Detoxes and Cleanses: Beneficial or Dangerous? PMS and Sugar: The Link Between Sugar, Insulin and PMS You Metabolism: Can You Change It? Broccoli the Wonder Food Insulin: Friend or Foe? Nutrition 101: Master the Basics Pre and Post Workout Nutrition: Maximize Your Training Gains with Correct Nutrition |
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