20 Tips to Weight Loss: Part 1 – Diet
I’m a big believer that small changes make BIG differences and time and time again, I am proven this is true. When it comes to weight loss, sometimes it takes many small changes to see the difference but everyone has to start somewhere. If you want to lose weight, optimize your health and improve the quality of your life, consider what changes you can make and start making them! I’ve come up with a list of 20 tips that are easy and doable. Pick one, two or all twenty and see big changes for yourself!!!
In my efforts not to overwhelm you, I have divided my list into 2 groups of 10. See below for all my dietary tips and check out part 2 of my blog for my remaining 10 weight loss tricks.
DIET IS EVERYTHING!
1. Cut sugar out of your diet.
There are two main sugars you will want to eliminate from you diet. The first is refined, processed sugar that is often found on the ingredient list of packaged foods under the names sugar, brown sugar, caramel, caramel syrup, corn syrup, corn starch, high fructose corn syrup, anything that ends in “-ose” such as dextrose or maltose and anything that ends in “-itol” such as sorbitol or mannitol (that list alone should be pretty scary!). Most of these sugars are artificial and all of them affect blood sugar, immunity and brain function. Studies have found sugar to be more addictive than cocaine.
The second kind of sugar is glucose, the end product of carbohydrate breakdown. The body breaks down breads, pastas and potatoes into sugar in order to be absorbed and used by the body. Whole grain breads and pasta may provide more fiber and help stabilize blood sugar levels but the bottom line is they still break down into sugar.
2. Remove processed foods
Prepackaged convenient foods may be inexpensive but their health effects can be costly. If you do buy processed foods make sure you read the ingredient label. If you don’t recognize an ingredient, your body won’t either. Don’t be misled by marketing! The best thing you can do for your health and your waistline is avoid prepackaged foods and stick with whole foods.
3. Load up on vegetables
According to Health Canada’s Food Guide, adults should be consuming between seven and eight servings of vegetables per day. From what I see in my practice alone, few people consume even half of that. Vegetables are filled with vitamins, minerals and tons of phytonutrients that are essential to health. Most vegetables can also be considered zero calories and can be consumed in unlimited quantities.
4. Eat fruits in moderation
Like vegetables, fruits are a great source of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. They are essential to health and are a great substitute for refined sugar. Fruits contain a third type of sugar called fructose. Fructose is a natural sugar that is jam-packed with anti-oxidants. If your goal is weight loss, it is important to limit your fruit intake. Enjoy up to 2 servings per day but avoid eating more than that.
5. Indulge in healthy fats
Lets get one thing clear: healthy fats don’t make you fat. Fats make food taste good and make you feel satisfied. It’s all about the fats you’re consuming. There are two types of harmful dietary fats: saturated fat and trans fat. Saturated fats can be found in red meat, chicken and full-fat dairy products while trans fats come from hydrogenated oils. These fats are implicated in obesity and heart disease. Healthy fats include monounsaturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids and omega 3 fatty acids. These fats come from a variety of sources including fish, olive oil, nuts and seeds and avocados. Fats should always be consumed in limited quantities because of their high calorie content but they do not need to be avoided. If you’re trying to lose weight, limit your fat intake to 2 tsp of oil per day in addition to 1tsp of seeds or 1 handful of nuts. Avocados can be consumed 2x/week.
6. Include Protein with every meal.
Protein is incredibly important for every cell in your body. You need it for your hair, skin, nails, hormones, neurotransmitters and muscles. Protein is essential and most people don’t consume enough of it. Protein can come from both animal and plant sources. Some people do best on a strictly vegan diet while others thrive on a paleo diet. If you eat meat, make sure you include a variety of different lean proteins and limit red meat to 1x/week.
7. Include protein shakes daily.
If you don’t eat meat, it is important for you to include protein shakes at least one time per day. Meat eaters should also incorporate protein shakes one time per day. When you eat any animal or vegetable protein, your body only absorbs 30-50% of that protein. When you consume a protein shake, made from isolated proteins such as rice, pea, soy or whey, your body absorbs 95% of the protein. If you want to lose weight from fat, you have to nourish your protein stores. Protein shakes or premade foods as found in The Ideal Protein Program are an ideal way of doing this.
8. Add a variety of herbs and spices to your meals
Adding herbs and spices to your dishes will not only give them tons of flavour but will also provide some pretty awesome health benefits. Black pepper, cardamom, cayenne, cinnamon, garlic, ginger and horseradish are all warming herbs. They increase your internal body temperature and in turn, increase your metabolism. All these herbs also contain antiseptic properties and help relieve colds and flu’s. Now that winter is almost here, it’s the perfect time to experiment with herbs and spices.
9. Drink more water
It’s amazing how many people don’t drink enough water. Either they don’t feel that they are thirsty or if they are, they prefer coffee, juice or pop. Water is essential for our vitality. The body is made up for at least 60% water. When we don’t drink enough water, our cells become dehydrated and their function changes. Drinking sufficient amounts of water is not only associated with weight loss; it is related to improvements in skin complexion, digestive functioning and pain reduction.
10. Avoid alcohol
Sometimes making small changes means giving up on certain indulgences. Alcohol is often associated with socializing and celebrations as well as relaxation – whether it be after a long day or a long week. The trouble with alcohol is that it contains 7 calories per 1 gram and has absolutely zero nutritional value. Alcohol is considered a non-nutrient and is a major contributor to weight gain and difficulty losing weight. If you find yourself having more than 5 drinks per week, ditch the booze and benefit from the positive results.
When it comes to weight loss and health in general, diet is everything. It truly is the core to well being. The best way to take control of your health is to take control of your diet.
Want to learn the last 10 tips? Check out Part 2: Above and Beyond Diet!