In a Nutshell, Don’t Eat So Frickin’ Much
Sound harsh? Yes, yet let me explain.
Before I begin, let me tell you what led me down this road of thought….middle age spread. Yup, those dreaded love handles (and a little more weight than I wanted to carry around).
I tried everything to battle them: changed my diet (over and over), increased my exercise, read every article I could find, and literally drove my wife crazy with “what I want to try this week”. Finally I discovered what actually works…eating less and moving more (but both in a smart, healthy way).
Let me repeat….Don’t get lured into the plethora of trivial factors in weight loss! There’s simply two key events that must occur for weight loss to happen. Eat less and move more.
To lose weight, (actually most of us are really after losing body fat, yet we’ll just keep this simple today), you’ve got to eat less calories than you burn. It’s that simple – if you are not losing the weight that you want to lose, you’ve simply got to eat less food and/or move your body more. Known as a calorie deficit, it is the key to weight loss.
The challenge in today’s world is we have too much information bombarding us. Instead of focusing on eating less and moving more, we focus on thyroid health, metabolic dysfunction, cucumber smoothies, vitamins and supplements, and the newest and latest diet regime, at the time of this writing, the keto-diet.
So…what to do?
1. EAT LESS
No doubt, this is a hard one. We’re surrounded by food, much of which is not ideal for eating less. Unless you are making your meals from scratch, anything you buy in the grocery store is manufactured to create a craving in your brain to make you want to consume more and more of it. They are what top scientist call “hyper-edible”.
Most processed foods (or “fake foods”) do not satiate and are, in fact, hyper-edible. Meaning that as you eat, your craving increases! Bad deal for someone trying to eat less!
What do I know about me?
For me, it’s regular wheat flour based brownies or red licorice. If I eat a brownie or licorice, I crave more. After eating one, the craving is actually stronger than the first. I’ve even gotten to the point where I’m physically stuffed of licorice, yet find myself reaching for another piece.
Although I could be full to the point of throwing up, my mind “logically” figures out that if I just sit there and consume them all, I’ll be done with it. This does not line up with a guideline of eat only foods that satiate.
My solution: stay away from most processed foods, as they tend to be high in sugar, salt and fat…which are all designed in the right combinations to make you more hungry, not satiate.
The key to avoiding this trap: eat foods that satiate your appetite and nourish your body. These tend to be whole, natural foods loaded with vitamins and minerals.
What to eat?
Eat highly nutritious whole foods that are loaded in vitamins and minerals.
- Lots of vegetables
- Protein such as sea food, poultry, pasture raised beef
- Fruit, especially those in the berry family
- Carbs such as sweet potatoes, squash, quinoa, and black rice
There are many sites on the internet that have healthy, satisfying meals. Be really likes a lot of the recipes that she finds on Eatingwell.com. Many of the recipes that she has tried and loved are shared on her Facebook page Outliers Nutrition Tips and Recipes.
What to avoid?
Avoid highly processed foods.
- Foods with added sugar
- Wheat-flour pasta and bread (even “whole-wheat” items can fall into this category)
- Packaged snack foods
- Pre-packaged frozen and boxed meals
If it comes in a wrapper…it’s suspect, even if it is loaded with healthy ingredients, it can be designed to make you hungry! Nuts…for most people, a hand full of nuts a day is okay. For me, I minimize my nut consumption, as I know that once I start, I tend to over eat them, especially if they are salted. Although we seldom buy packaged food from our local grocery store, we have found products that meet our standards at Thrive Market.
2. MOVE MORE
It is possible to lose weight/fat while being a full-time couch potato, yet not very likely. Engaging in an exercise or training program is a no-brainer.
We all know it, exercise should be a regular part of your life. I’m not saying you should run out and buy a gym membership or hire a fitness coach. A lot of options exist for get moving more on a daily basis.
Do Intentional Movement
Bottom line, you need to get as much movement in your day as possible. Walk as much as you can, garden, wash your car by hand, mow your lawn, chase your kids/grand-kids. Take advantage of any opportunity to do a 5 or 10 minute quick walk or jog slipped into your day 3 times during breaks or rests.
At work consider using a stand up workstation, perform some kettle-bell or calisthenics movements in your office or during lunch. Buy clothing that allows you to move/exercise. Get pants for work that you can squat and jog in – then do a quick squat session or jog during your day. (insert picture from deposit photos)
Include Planned Exercise
Although any movement is good, 30-60 minutes of planned exercise is a good place to start (always check with your physician before starting any exercise program).
You don’t need to join a gym in order to include exercise in your weekly schedule. Purchase a rowing machine, exercise bike, treadmill, dumb-bells, kettle-bells, or even outdoor equipment like a bike. Install a pull up bar or gymnastic rings. If you like lifting weights, insure you include aerobic training in your exercise plan; if you run or ride, insure you include some resistance training in your plan. Moving more and increasing exercise can even be achieved through body weight movements. A few ideas for some body weight workouts can be found here.
Just follow the Pareto Concept:
By focusing on eating less and moving more, you’re covering 80% of weight loss! Don’t make it complicated! Eat good, whole, nutritious foods. Don’t eat the foods that make you hungry (keep a log). Move as much as possible (during exercise and during your normal day). Don’t chase fad diets or “the 1 thing…” or the “5 minute a day workout”.
There is no easy solution – weight loss takes focus, dedication and commitment! There are no “hacks” that have a significant effect for weight loss that is healthy and sustainable.
Keep an Eating and Movement Log and have that log with you all the time.
Record everything, especially the foods that don’t allow you to “don’t eat so frickin’ much!”
And finally, MOVE! MOVE! MOVE!
P.S. I mentioned “smart” exercise. Yes, there is such a thing as exercise that works for you and exercise that will work against you. In my next post, I’ll go more into the smart way to exercise to achieve your weight loss goals.
Cheers!
Carl
Our other blogs to check out: 10 Strategies to Permanent Weight Loss