How do I lose weight well this year?

How do I lose weight well this year?

Surprise yourself & eat protein, carbs & even fat to lose weight well!

 

How to lose weight well
I have one very simple rule I use to predict the success of any diet, and that is, WILL IT STICK? I know that juicing, fasting, low calorie, raw food, elimination diets may work, for anyone, depending on the level of commitment you make to following one of them. There is no one diet that works better than the other really, if you are driven to follow it to the letter of the law, forsaking all “sins” or “cheat” foods, carbs or, in short, joy!
 

But aren’t you tired of such restriction?
It was one thing to be motivated to get into that cat-suit for Christmas, but isn’t it deflating now to know that most of the weight you lost has somehow found its way back to you, like some sort of homing pigeon. I mean where did all that weight come from? You hardly binged your way through the season. You ate moderately, yet the pounds piled back on. Only this time, they are focused around your belly, mainly. Your bum is smaller (not always a good thing), your hips are slimmer (good to feel that bit lighter for sure) but now your belly is bigger than it may have ever been (this is horrendous).
 

Apart from the cosmetic nightmare this poses and feelings of frumpy and ill-fitting clothes, this is the most dangerous of all fat in the body.

Visceral fat (fat inside, invisibly) and belly fat constitute the most impactful fat on the health of all adults. Here is where your organs are, here is the seat of your hormone-making factory and here lies your digestive system and liver that may now be clogged with fat and not functioning as it should. Not only do you have the dreaded muffin-top (ala Eat, Pray, Love) but you may have rising cholesterol levels, blood pressure and pre-diabetes looming in your not too distant future. This is not to be taken lightly.
Yes, your pre-Christmas severe diet worked. And it may again (no guarantees, the more often you do it, sadly). But will you not end up piling on the weight again next time when you come off that particular diet, which, of course you will (summer holidays/weekends away/meals out with friends/birthdays/hen parties/Easter/ Valentine’s day/next Christmas).
 

Why does fat choose to land on my belly at middle age?
I remember, in my early forties, chatting with one of my best friends about the dreaded menopause and how we could possibly avoid becoming, in her memorable words “square”? I knew exactly what she meant, the dreaded Mrs Doubtfire look! Now, I know your wardrobe will far outstretch the pleated skirt and cardigan look of the eighties, but you get the point. Clothes, we may be good at wearing, but do we feel good in them? Do we feel like ourselves? Or are we hiding under the layering techniques as sold to us at this age?
The reason fat lands on our mid-section at middle-age is very much a hormonal inevitability. Sadly, as our oestrogen declines, our curves tend to also decline. The pertness of our curves soften and the location of our curves quite naturally migrate from our hips and bum to neck and tum! Hence, the horrible square! THIS, HOWEVER IS NOT INEVITABLE.
The reason for the increase in belly fat and a more androgynous (rather than feminine) look may be a decline in oestrogen, but fat will only accumulate if you gain fat in the first place. If you retain a healthy weight, you will have no large deposit of visceral and belly fat. Sounds simple, I know. But it really is.
 

I have belly fat. So where do I go from here?
From today you need to eat the three weight-loss foods I mentioned at the start. These are carbohydrates (yes, really), protein (this one you’re comfortable with) and fat (OMG?). Yes. But in a structured way, with nutrients your primary focus.

What does this look like for me?
Currently you are very likely considering going on another low-carb, high-protein, ketogenic diet, in order to get the fastest, most dramatic results. I understand why. You are tired of dieting, restricting and want to get it done! You know, however, that this time may not be any different to last times. How can it be? Will you be disciplined for life?

Unlikely.

This time, consider following the type of plan that I promote. It involves eating. Three meals. Real food. Family-friendly foods. Social eating. Eating out. Even alcohol and dessert on occasion. We do not require intermittent fasting to be healthy. We do not have the motivation of say, Mark Wahlberg, who fasts every week (doing intermittent fasting on four days, eating nothing on one day and carb-loading on two days). But then, his image, job and livelihood depend on him being built like a hulk, so his motivation rarely wanes. No, we can eat all three food groups, consistently, add fibre as a focus and water as a go-to and arrive at our ideal weight, over time. Maybe not this week, but over coming weeks and months, while actually enjoying the journey.
 

Eat breakfast - focus on savoury, focus on protein, with some carbs, some fibre (fruit/mushrooms/tomatoes/wholemeal bread/oats), some fat

Eat lunch – focus on volume, from salad, soup, vegetables with protein always (keep it simple), some fat and some carbs (maybe bean salad, bread, potatoes)

Eat dinner – focus on vegetables, with protein and some carbs (steak, green beans and baby potatoes doesn’t sound too harsh!)

Does this sound punitive? No. Structure is what you are looking at here. No guesswork. There are rules to healthy eating and balance. They include ALL THREE FOOD GROUPS, PLUS FIBRE & WATER. The science of this is so simple. No, it’s not easy. But it is simple! You doubt the simplicity of this approach. You find it hard to believe. You are side-tracked so often. You want something more punitive! Yes, you may very well feel that you have to suffer to be beautiful. My argument, always, is that you are already beautiful, you’ve just forgotten to trust in good, old fashioned, healthy eating. Trust me. THIS WORKS.
 

Do I need to fast to lose weight?
You may notice, on my abbreviated plan above, there are no snacks, no desserts, no wine. These can, of course be added. I’m just giving you the bones of my approach here. You will fast. Ideally you have dinner at 7pm and not eat again until, say, 8am. There is your solid 12+ hours of fasting. EVERY DAY. So yes, fasting is part of healthy eating and balance. But it does not need to be punishing. Notice, however, at the moment, that you quite possibly snack at all hours of the day and night. The most common trend I see, in thirty years of weight-loss coaching, is in not eating an adequate (if any) breakfast, eating lunch on-the-go, which varies in quality daily, having dinner, but then binge-eating snacks in the evening. This tends to go hand-in-hand with a busy lifestyle, concurrent commitments and a low-lying stress level that takes time to come down from every evening. High-sugar, high-fat, high-salt foods tend to help! As often does a glass of wine or small beer.

Healthy eating and getting to a healthy weight does not need to be boring, punitive or joyless. Commit to enjoying the journey and the weight-loss will feel like a very happy side-effect. With joy its daily companion.