Thursday, January 7, 2010

How To Lose Weight: A Brief Summary


Several years ago, in an interview with Sports Illustrated, Florida State football coach Bobby Bowden gave the following weight loss advice: "Before the beginning of every football season, in order to lose weight, I had to cut out the foods that I like - bread, the pasta, the sugar, sweets, potatoes and white-floured foods, and I didn't have any trouble losing weight."

It's hard to lose weight by simply restricting calories. Eating less (and exercising more) does not automatically cause you to lose weight.

Low-calorie, high-carbohydrate diets generate a series of biochemical signals in your body that will take you out of the balance, making it more difficult to access stored body fat for energy. Result: you'll reach a weight-loss plateau, beyond which you simply can't lose any more weight.

Diets based on choice restriction and calorie limits usually fail. People on restrictive diets get tired of feeling hungry and deprived. They go off their diets, put the weight back on (primarily as increased body fat), and then feel bad about themselves for not having enough will power, discipline, or motivation.

Weight loss has little to do with will power. You need information, not will power. If you change what you eat, you don't have to be overly concerned about how much you eat. Sticking to a diet of low carbohydrate meals, you can eat enough to feel satisfied and still lose weight - without obsessively counting calories or fat grams.

Following is a brief weight loss summary:

Eighty percent of your ability to reduce excess body fat is determined by what you eat. The other twenty percent depends on proper exercise, lifestyle habits and genetic factors.

Effortless weight loss is all about insulin. Manage your production of insulin, which is a storage hormone, by eliminating sugar and grains (yes, even whole grains) and you will lose excess body fat without dieting. You'll also improve your energy level, reduce inflammation and reduce your risk of disease.

Just remember this: Carbohydrates control insulin. Insulin controls fat storage.

Carbohydrate intake level is the key to your weight loss success or failure. For optimum fat burning, keep your carbohydrate level below fifty grams per day. For steady weight loss of one to two pounds per week, keep your daily level between fifty to one hundred grams.

Eating meat, eggs and a diet high in fat is not only healthy, but the key to effortless weight loss, a healthy immune system and boundless energy.

When eating meat, eggs or poultry, try to eat grass-fed meat. It's not necessary, but if you are able to do so, it's a healthier option. Make sure you consume enough good fats, like real butter, coconut oil, and animal fat. Real eggs and avocados are good sources too. Good fats satisfies and decreases appetite.

Take a good whole-food supplement to make sure you don't have a vitamin deficiency. Deficiencies cause cravings, among other things.

Drink a lot of water. Use Stevia for sweetener when drinking things like tea.

As for exercise, doing less cardiovascular workouts and instead, do brief (forty-five minutes to an hour) resistance/weight training exercises gets the best results for weight loss. Walking on a regular basis and all-out sprints once a week produce fitness benefits far superior to workouts that are much longer and harder. You'll also be less likely to burnout.


For Health and Weight Loss, You Can Eat:

1. Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and any natural animal fat. Grass-fed sources are best.

2. Vegetables, including leaves, stems, bulbs and roots

3. Limited amount of fruits and berries (includes avocados and olives)

4. Nuts such as almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans and coconut

5. Herbs and spices


Avoid (Order of Importance)

1. Sweeteners, including sugar (white, brown, organic, whatever), maple syrup and rice syrup

2. Vegetable oils other than extra virgin olive

3. Cereal grains and grain products (bread, pasta, pastries, corn)

4. Legumes (beans and peas, including soy and peanuts)

5. Dairy products


Here is a list of the unnatural foods that you should not eat when you need to lose weight. Note that a couple of these foods listed are vegetables. Although most vegetables are good for you, some contain too much starch and carbohydrates. Foods to avoid or cut back on:
  • Bread – including white, wheat, rye, barley, sourdough
  • Honey – also too high in sugar
  • Popcorn
  • Bagels, muffins, donuts, pastries and cakes
  • Crackers, chips and rice cakes
  • Pizza and pasta
  • Beans
  • Rice – white and brown
  • Oats
  • Lentils
  • Potatoes
  • Dry cereals
  • Any foods containing corn, wheat, or white flour
  • Corn
  • Milk, whole, 2% and non-fat
  • Chocolate and other types of sugary candy
  • Cottage cheese
  • Yogurt
  • Ice cream
  • All cheeses
  • Soft drinks, colas, or soda pop with sugar
  • Processed cold cuts – packaged, ham, bacon
  • Beverages containing high fructose corn syrup (Gatorade, Vitamin Water, Coke, Pepsi)
  • Diet soda – it's all chemicals
  • Alcohol, including beer, wine, and hard liquor
  • Dried fruit – although natural, the sugar content is too high
  • Pancakes, waffles and french toast
  • Peanut butter – bad for your immune system – makes you susceptible to skin problems
  • Unripe bananas – when a banana is not ripe, it is also a starch
By avoiding or greatly cutting way back on the foods listed above, you will lose weight. Guaranteed.

What You Can Eat

Fish with scales and fins
Fowl/Poultry/Chicken
Red Meat
Eggs
Bacon (No added nitrates is best.)
Butter
All fruit (limited) except unripe bananas and dried fruit
All vegetables except corn, beans and potatoes
All raw, unroasted nuts
Water – try to drink filtered water
Healthy salad dressings

Final Point

You will be eating enough protein and fat to speed up your metabolism. The eating of refined, unnatural foods slows down your metabolism and causes your body to release too much insulin, which causes water retention. You'll also have a lot more energy by eating this way and your mind will be sharper.

A Typical Day

First thing in the morning after I wake up, I drink filtered water and take a whole-food supplement. After thirty minutes or so, I'll eat bacon and eggs for breakfast. Some mornings I skip breakfast because I'm not hungry. Depends on how I'm feeling. 

For lunch, I'll eat a salad with either turkey or chicken.

For dinner, I might eat several hamburger patties with a small salad or cooked vegetables.

For a snack, I might consume some blueberries. (One to two servings of fruit per day is plenty.) Nuts are a favorite too, particularly almonds.

Several times a week I skip dinner and do a short, overnight intermediate fast. Not only does fasting aid in weight loss, but in overall health and longevity as well.

The Bottom Line

You will not lose fat effectively with exercise-driven weight-loss efforts, unless your eating habits control insulin production. Keeping your insulin levels low is the absolute key to weight loss.

Finally, weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint. Losing two to three pounds a week is a solid, realistic goal. This will help you change your habits and in six months to a year, you'll be looking good!



Whole-Food Supplement

BarleyLife Xtra™


Recommended Reading - Books

Why We Get Fat and What To Do About It

Protein Power

The Six Week Cure For The Middle-Aged Middle


Good Calories, Bad Calories

The Primal Blueprint

Fathead (DVD)


Recommended Reading - Blogs

Fat Head - Tom Naughton

Protein Power - Dr. Mike Eades, M.D.

Why We Get Fat - Gary Taubes, author

Mark's Daily Apple - Mark Sisson, author

Wheat Belly Blog - Dr. William Davis, M.D. (Cardiologist)



Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. Everything I say in this report is simply my opinion. The information in this report is based on research and personal experience by the author and is presented for educational purposes only. This report is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease. You should always consult with your physician before using this advice or these products. Please do not use any dietary suggestions in this publication if you are not willing to assume the risk.

Thanks for reading!
Laura




© 2011 Thanks for taking the time to read A Junk-Foodaholic's Journey to a Healthy Lifestyle. Please feel free to peruse my blog for more great content.Mine and My Husband's Other Websites: HealthyPickyEater.com | PaulsHealthBlog.com

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