Chapter 5 - Whole Foods and Wrong Foods
Before telling you what the good foods to eat are, here is one of the BEST ways to lose weight fast.
You ready?
Cut Your Carbohydrate Intake and Processed Foods!
Carbohydrate intake is one of the biggest factors affecting the speed at which you lose weight. In fact, the main reason most women gain weight is because they consume too much processed carbs.
When you eat processed carbs such as donuts, pasta, white bread, white potatoes, etc. the calories quickly add up and the body has a lot of fuel.
It shuttles all the excess fuel into its fat stores and that’s how you gain weight. Furthermore, the processed carbs usually cause a spike in insulin levels which indirectly lead to weight gain. A double whammy.
There is no denying that a restricted carb intake will do wonders for your fat loss. In fact, studies have shown that restricting your carbs is more effective than restricting your calories.
So, if you are on a 500 calorie deficit daily, and your carb intake is minimal, you will lose much more weight in the same span of time than you would by consuming carbs while on a deficit.
Does that make sense? In simple words, less carbs equals more fat loss. Sounds good? You bet!
When you cut down your carb intake, your body will burn more fat from its fat stores because it doesn’t have much carbs to burn for fuel. So, fat loss is accelerated.
Your body’s blood sugar level will drop and people suffering from diabetes will see an improvement in their condition. A restrictive carb diet also keeps type 2 diabetes at bay since your body’s insulin sensitivity is on point.
Your good cholesterol levels will go up and your bad cholesterol levels will drop. Many people assume that cholesterol is linked to fat intake.
The truth is that a high carb intake also has an adverse impact on your cholesterol levels. This runs contrary to popular belief yet studies show that a low-carb diet has more positive effects on your triglycerides than a low-fat diet.
Now, it is important to note that you should never take things to extremes. This applies to carb restriction too.
There are diets such as the Atkins diet which is based on severe restriction of carbs for long periods of time. This is detrimental to your body because you will end up fatigued, moody and weak.
The diet is not sustainable and once you come off it, you will gain whatever weight you lost and a bit more.
Excessive carb restriction will compromise your immune system, lead to muscle loss, slow down your fat burning and put you in a weight loss plateau.
Your body’s testosterone production will fall and you will have a suppressed thyroid output. You’ll also develop leptin resistance which doesn’t bode well for fat loss.
So, what do you do? How do you strike the right balance? You want the best of both worlds, don’t you?
The only way to achieve this is with a technique that is known as carb cycling. You will avoid carbohydrates for 3 to 6 days at a time.
If you are overweight or obese and have a slower metabolism, you should aim for 5 to 6 days of minimal or zero carbs.
If you just have a few extra pounds to lose, you just need to go for 3 to 4 days with low or no carbs.
After the period of carb restriction, you will follow it with one day of carb intake. This is known as your “re-feed” day.
Consume sufficient carbs on this day and you will give your body the fuel that it needs. Your metabolism will get a boost and your body will get a surge of energy as its fuel stores get replenished.
Stick to healthy carbs such as sweet potatoes, whole grain breads, whole grain pastas, etc. You should aim for a 500 to 700 calorie surplus over maintenance level. This will put your body back in fat burning mode.
Use this technique repeatedly to accelerate your fat loss and improve your health. The day will come when you won’t crave for carbs or processed junk foods.
When your body becomes healthy, its tastes will change. That’s why fit people are constantly able to make wise food choices.
Once you have gotten over the hump of ditching these foods, the rest is easy.
Your insulin sensitivity will improve, the pounds will drop and you will look and feel like a brand new you.
There is a saying – “Your abs are made in the kitchen, not the gym.” What that means is that almost 80% of your success at weight loss or getting lean is dependent on your diet.
When it comes to weight loss, the majority of your attention must be given to your diet.
The 7 foods listed below will sabotage your weight loss efforts. There is absolutely no doubt that you have everything to gain and nothing to lose by giving these foods a pass.
The problem is that many people love these comfort foods and hate giving them up. Sugar is addictive.
The more sugary foods you eat, the more you’ll crave. So, by eliminating them slowly, you’ll slowly condition your body to crave for these foods less and less.
7 Foods You Should AVOID at All Costs!
They are high in calories, fats, carbs and other preservatives. Continued consumption of doughnuts will lead to weight gain digestive problems.
High in trans fats and carcinogens, these foods can cause cancer.
Skip the morning bagel. It’s better to skip the bagel than go for a 30 minute walk. That roughly gives you an idea of how detrimental it is.
cereals. They are genetically modified foods that can harm you in the long run.
Just avoiding the unhealthy foods is half the battle won. Always remember the long term effects. Don’t give in to sinful pleasures in the short term which may lead to suffering in the long run.
Important Foods You Should Eat
Proteins
Protein requires more energy to digest than carbs or fats. That means if you eat a slice of beef that’s about 200 calories, hypothetically you might burn 40 calories digesting it. Whereas, eating an ice-cream will require very few calories to digest it.
That means you should be getting quite a bit of your daily calories from protein foods. Meats and legumes are awesome sources of protein. The protein will also help you gain muscle if you are on a weight training program. Aim for about 0.8 grams per pound of bodyweight.
The protein will build more muscle. When you have more muscle, you end up burning more fat. This is a good cycle to be in. That is why you may notice that people who are muscular and fit get away with eating more. Their muscles are burning more calories round the clock.
Good sources of protein are skinless chicken, lean beef, tuna, sardines, chickpeas, eggs and salmon. The fish contain Omega-3 fatty acids. That makes them even more beneficial to the body.
The chemical properties in certain foods trigger off certain processes in the body that cause fat loss. So, eating these foods will make your body wake up and burn more fat.
Green Tea
Green tea is one of them. Do not use sugar. It may not taste great but it works.
Other Foods
Chilies, lemons, oranges, mangoes, garlic, ginger and onions are all food that contains many powerful antioxidants and nutrients that strengthen your immune system. When you are strong, your workouts will be better and you will burn more fat.
One common problem most women face when they first embark on a weight loss program is that they constantly feel hungry.
Food is always on their mind and it takes a toll on their willpower.
One way to prevent this is to consume foods that are high in fiber and digest slowly. You will feel fuller for a longer period of time.
Foods that are high in fiber are quickly digested and passed through the digestive track sooner. That means fewer calories are absorbed resulting in less tendency to gain weight.
Consume foods like oatmeal, oats, brown rice, whole grain bread and broccoli. Broccoli is so good for your body that you should make it a staple in your diet.
The goal here is to consume whole foods and not processed foods. Generally, the whole foods are found on the perimeter of most supermarkets.
As long as you avoid the food in the inner aisles and shelves, you’ll be distancing yourself from the processed foods.
Last but not least, as beneficial as these foods are, they will only help you lose weight if you’re on a caloric deficit and have a proper exercise regimen.
The 2 key components to any fat loss is a caloric deficit while on a balanced diet and a good exercise program. Everything else is just gravy.
So, no matter how good and clean your diet is, make sure you’re still at a daily caloric deficit.