Find the right diet for you.
No two people will respond in exactly the same way to the same way of eating.
Eating a vegetarian diet might work well for your neighbour but could leave you feeling bloated and sluggish. Alternatively, eating a higher proportion of protein in an Atkins, Paleo or Keto Diet could do wonders for your brother but leave you feeling constipated and heavier than ever.
Effective weight loss isn’t just a calories in, calories out equation.
Buring fuel to assist with losing weight is important but moving more and eating less is too simplistic. Eating lower calorie foods which might not be healthy, is just as bad as eating too much. Therefore, substituting foods which appear ‘healthier’ is not always the best way to go.
My Number 1 tip for effective weight loss is reduce or eliminate alcohol.
The body will NOT burn fat in the presence of alcohol. Instead it stores it as fat, if the liver is unable to detoxify it fast enough. Alcohol is toxic to the body and the safest way the body can handle it, is to store it in fat cells unless the liver can keep pace with the amount being consumed and the amount it can eliminate.
By incorporating alcohol free days or elimating it completely, you will reduce your weight quicker. You will also retain far more nutrients and be healthier overall. Your liver will also work better and you will have more energy (for exercise) less brain fog, less mood swings, less period problems, less thrush and the list goes on.
My Number 2 tip for effective weight loss is drink more water.
Invariably weight gain is associated with dehydration. The body will crave food in order to get water. That’s because humans are not good at recognising when they are dehydrated and will only seek water when they have a dry mouth. So the body sends you hunger signals in order to get rehydrated. This often results in over eating, especially if the foods you are eating are low in moisture content.
Avoid drinking large volumes of water all at once and instead have 250 mls or a cup of water every few hours throughout the day, first thing in the morning and last thing at night.
Water is effectively an appetite suppressant. When you are well hydrated you will crave less food. You’ll also have more energy, clearer and less wrinkled skin, better brain function, less irritability and be healthier in every respect.
My Number 3 tip for effective weight loss is to ditch weight loss over Winter.
Winter is the most difficult time of the year to begin a weight loss regime.
Your body will fight you every step of the way. Winter is a time of hibernation. It requires you to sleep more, eat more and stay indoors out the cold. Now admittedly, we can override these natural impulses but you will find it more difficult to get up early to go out late to exercise. Not to mention drinking more water when you kidneys just want to dump it to keep you warm! And then there is the issue of wanting to eat stoggier and heavier foods again to keep you warm. Eating salads in winter time is difficult to do.
And while there are ways around this, maintaining your health and immunity during winter and avoiding really unhealthy foods, is a better option for most people. Then come Spring, you will be bursting out of you skin to embark on a weight loss regime.
If you need help with incorporating these measures into your life, book a Initial Nutrition Consultation today and start living the life of your dreams.