I’m sure you’ve seen those magazines in the checkout aisle at the grocery store – the ones with headlines like “JUICE OFF 14 LBS IN A WEEK!”
Ugh. Where’s the follow-up story about the people who “juiced off,” only to gain it all back, plus found it even harder to lose weight because they wrecked their insulin response?
While it may be easy to get caught up in the hype of quick-fix diets, the truth is they’re never the answer for long-term fat loss!
Not only do fad diets deprive your body of calories and nutrients, leaving you miserable and starving, they also slow your metabolism and interfere with your ability to lose weight in the long run.
I have a better solution for lasting weight loss: let’s get back to the basics! I’m talking about the tried-and-true strategies that nourish your body while consistently delivering results.
Incorporate these 10 simple, effective ground rules into your day to lose weight and keep it off without sacrificing your health…
1. Make breakfast a protein shake.
All too often, folks either skip breakfast altogether or start their day out with empty carbs and sugar. (I’m looking at you, cereal and muffins!)
Both options guarantee a mid-morning blood sugar crash that leaves you starving and exhausted before lunchtime. Instead, try a protein shake for breakfast.
With a protein shake, you get a quick, filling breakfast that tastes amazing and sets you up for sustained energy and a speedier metabolism to help you lose weight. (Get 48 awesome shake recipes in the free guide available at the end of this blog…)
2. Eat by the clock.
Every time you eat, you raise your insulin levels. And when insulin levels are chronically elevated, your fat-burning doors remain locked. That’s why it’s crucial to space your meals out to give your body the chance to dip into fat storage for fuel.
To experience the greatest metabolic benefits, follow these helpful meal timing rules:
- Eat a balanced breakfast within 1-2 hours of waking up.
- Eat a balanced meal every 4-6 hours. (More on that coming up…)
- Close the kitchen at least 3 hours before bedtime to get a 12-14 hour fast each night.
3. Fill up on fiber.
Fiber is your secret weapon for weight loss! Not only does it help you feel full and avoid the cravings that can so quickly derail your weight loss efforts, it also has a host of incredible health benefits.
Some of my favorite high-fiber foods include avocados, lentils, and green leafy veggies. But if you’re struggling to meet your daily fiber quota, stirring a spoonful of Extra Fiber into your protein shake is a great way to boost your fiber intake and help you feel full for hours.
4. Stop counting calories.
Our bodies are chemistry labs, not bank accounts! That means you need to drop the “calories in-calories out” dieting model if you want speed up your metabolism and lose weight for good.
What’s really important is how you get those calories and whether your diet includes inflammatory foods. When you choose the right types of foods, you send the signal for your body to burn calories instead of store fat away. (Build a balanced meal every time with the help of this handy diagram…)
5. Gradually wean yourself off inflammatory sugars.
Cutting out sugar cold turkey will only make you feel awful and lead to cravings that can send you nose-diving into the nearest cupcake. Use the Sugar Impact Diet plan instead!
The Sugar Impact Diet lays out a step-by-step process to help you transition off of the foods with the most damaging sugars so you can lose weight, drop fat, and improve your health without feeling deprived.
6. Address food intolerances.
For years, we’ve been taught that typical diet foods like egg white omelettes, tofu, and non-fat yogurt are the way to go. But the truth is those supposedly healthy foods may actually be stalling your progress!
That’s because food intolerance is so often the hidden cause of extra pounds. A negative reaction to certain foods like gluten or dairy can trigger inflammation and cause a host of nasty symptoms, including stubborn weight gain.
7. Don’t let the enemy into the house!
If Ben and Jerry’s is your weakness, don’t buy it! If one bite of almond butter turns into the whole jar, don’t even think of adding it to your shopping cart. Otherwise, you create a slippery slope that can quickly sabotage your best intentions.
And don’t believe the myth that your family needs other food when you’re eating healthy. There are plenty of tasty, healthy options your whole family will love!
8. Ditch endurance exercise.
Believe it or not, steady-state cardio can actually make you store fat, not burn it! Studies show that prolonged endurance exercise can raise levels of the stress hormone cortisol, sending the message to your body to break down muscle for energy and hang on to fat.1
But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t work out! When you swap long cardio sessions for burst training combined with weight resistance, you’ll be well on your way to shedding excess pounds and building lean muscle. Check out my Fast Fitness Online Program to find out how you can get a complete, fat-burning workout in just minutes a day…
9. Get good sleep.
Going without sleep quickly knocks your stress- and appetite-regulating hormones out of whack, making you feel hungrier and more likely to fall prey to emotional eating. Not only that, sleep loss triggers a rise in insulin levels, causing you to pack on body fat.
If you want to crush cravings and whittle your waist, you need to get 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night.
10. Stress less.
Chronic stress takes a toll on your body, leading to elevated stress hormones that signal your body to hold on to fat, especially around your belly. (Not to mention that long-term stress fuels inflammation and the risk of serious issues that goes along with it.)
Whether you address your stress with meditation, yoga, or a walk around the block, be sure to make it a top priority. Your weight and your health depend on it!
