I lost a great proportion of my weight calorie counting, it took 18 months and the less is more model meant I was always hungry, cranky and very lethargic. It was a miserable time and unsurprisingly after I left the calorie counting model and started eating "normally" again I gained kilos and kilos, in no time at all. This is because I had not weaned my body off unhealthy foods, I had just got used to eating less of them. I no longer calorie count, I make healthy choices and try and fill my body with food that is nutritious and beneficial. As Hippocrates said "Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food". I am now on a mission - I am either fighting or feeding disease and this makes me enjoy my leafy greens, protein and fruit- knowing I am making a difference to my longterm wellbeing.
I try and explain to my clients not to obsess over calories - that they want to try and fuel their bodies with the very best "petrol" out there to get optimal performance. If you over-fill the petrol tank, it'll overflow and the petrol will leak out. Think of your body like a car and the petrol as the food you put into it: eat too much and it will show up as extra fat. But in the same respect, a car can't run on fumes alone!
When you eat less energy than your body needs, the body adapts by becoming amazingly good at making the most of whatever food it does receive. This means it HOLDS on to stores of energy and fat and begins using the muscle to provide the energy you're depriving it of by not eating.
This loss of muscle mass slows in turn down your metabolism. That's because the more muscle you have, the more body fat you burn whilst resting (increase your resting metabolic rate). Restricting your food can make you irritable and uncomfortable (we call this LBSL in our household -low blood sugar level- or more commonly known as HANGER. Being Hangry cases stress which can cause a rise in cortisol which in turn increases the storage of visceral fat cells in areas like your stomach. So in short by restricting and not eating enough good food you achieve the complete opposite of what you actually want! You hold onto fat, you don't shed !
Losing weight should be about progress, not suffering. It should be about realizing that you're ready to start living a healthier life, and you should feel happy and radiant while doing it. Its about feeling the body with heathy food full of nutrients, not high energy foods which spike blood sugars and don't keep you full for long enough. More energy means that you will want to exercise and move more and in turn lead you into an upward spiral!
If you’re looking to lose weight (and keep it off permanently), eat more, not less and make sure you get enough SLEEP!
Here are some tips to get you started:
1. Start your day with a BIG breakfast and snack about three hours later.
I tend to go for cooked breakfast such as poached eggs, smoked salmon, spinach, avo and some fried mushies and have perfected making this in 6 mins.
2. Have lunch at a reasonable time and snack about three hours after that.
Perhaps some carrot sticks and hummus? That way you can snack and eat your veggies!
3. Eat with the kids
Is after school of during kiddies meal time the point you lose control? Don't graze on their leftovers, sit down and eat with them and then sit down with your spouse and have a cup of tea.
4. Your dinner should probably be the smallest of your meals.
Aim to fill half your plate with vegetables and about a cup of rice. Avoid foods or alcohol that will interfere with your sleep a light meal early in the evening is the best plan of action.
5. Is it thirst or hunger?
Make sure you are hitting 2 litres of water per day - make sure you really are hungry and not just thirsty. If you’re hungry at an unusual hour, drink a glass of water and wait 10 minutes. Sometimes the body registers dehydration as hunger. If the hunger goes away, you were dehydrated. If it doesn’t, ask yourself, Am I really hungry or am I just bored?” If it’s just boredom, keep yourself distracted. If you are hungry, go ahead and eat something … your body will love you for it!
6. Hungry before hitting the sack? Having a light snack won't wreck your waistline.
Make sure its not thirst and then reach for whole grains and lean protein instead of nachos and cookies. Fancy some chocolate or wine, treat yourself but make it dark and rich and 2 squares or a glass of red.
The Don't think: Do - 8 week challenge starts on Monday 3rd October- 8 weeks of clean eating and exercise to hit our goals before Christmas. Interested ? Sign up www.dontthinkdo.com.au