Weight Loss Made Simple

Here’s the “quick and dirty” regarding weight loss:

• Weight loss is 80 percent diet and 20 percent activity. Focus on what you put into your body and less on how to burn ALL the calories you eat.

• Weight loss is about BLOOD SUGAR REGULATION! If blood sugar levels fluctuate wildly, losing weight can be impossible. Avoid sugars and foods that cause rapid increase in blood sugar.

• Eat REAL food. In order to burn fat, we must consume foods that we can use for energy. Eat real, nutrient-dense food.

• Eat healthy fats. You must consume fat to burn fat. Starving your body of fat and consuming fat-free or low-fat foods will lead to WEIGHT GAIN.

Now, for a bit more detail:

• Eat protein with each meal. This regulates blood sugar.

• Occasionally, skip breakfast, known as intermittent fasting.

• Eat three meals per day.

• Drink half your body weight in ounces of water each day. (Example, 150lb/2=75 ounces/day).

• Avoid all sugary drinks (soda, juice, etc.).

• Eat 5-7 servings of vegetables/day (mostly non-starchy veggies).

• Eat 1-2 servings of fruit/day.

• Eat 3-4 servings of healthy fat/day.

• Eat REAL FOOD. Avoid food in a box, can, or bag. Processed foods will be stored as fat and lead to weight gain.

• Avoid ALL sugar (especially processed sugar). Limit fruit to 1-2 servings/day.

So, what should you eat and when should you eat it? Here’s a few tips:

• Eat protein and healthy fat for breakfast.

• Eat protein, a healthy fat, and a serving of healthy carbs for lunch.

• Eat protein, a healthy fat, and 1-2 servings of a healthy carbs for dinner.

• Eat protein and a healthy fat with every meal, period.

• Avoid carbohydrates in the morning.

• Eat dinner roughly four hours before bedtime.

• Drink a lot of water between meals, NOT with meals.
  

Okay, so what’s good and bad?

Good Fats:

• Coconut oil

• Olive oil

• Avocado oil

• Avocados

• Nut and seeds

• Eggs

• Meats

• Organic Butter (full-fat)
  

Bad fats (avoid any food that says “low-fat” or “no-fat”):

• Canola oil

• Corn oil

• Soybean oil

• Seed oils (sesame, walnut, peanut, safflower, sunflower)

• Trans fats (from fried foods)
  

Good Carbohydrates:

• Starchy vegetables (sweet potatoes, beets, carrots, root vegetables)

• Quinoa

• Wild rice

• Beans

• Fruit
  

Bad Carbohydrates:

• Bread

• Pasta

• Tortillas

• Baked goods/pastries

• Cereals

• Potatoes

• Crackers

• Chips

• Candy
  

Good Protein:

• Grass-fed beef

• Chicken

• Wild salmon

• Tuna

• Shellfish

• Turkey

• Eggs

• Whey- or vegetable-based protein powder (without added sugar of artificial ingredients)
  

Bad Protein:

• Pork

• Processed meats

• Protein powder with artificial ingredients
  

Veggies, unlimited (eat an unlimited amount of these):

• Kale

• Spinach

• Broccoli

• Cauliflower

• Cucumbers

• Peppers

• Onions

• Radishes

• Snow peas

• Tomatillos

• Zucchini

• Kohlrabi

• Leeks

• Artichokes

• Bok Choy

• Cabbage

• Celery

• Eggplant

• Fennel

• Garlic

• Ginger
  

Veggies, limited (3-5 times/week, due to carbohydrate content):

• Beets

• Carrots

• Eggplant

• Squashes

• Sweet potatoes

• Red potatoes
  

Veggies to AVOID:

• Corn

• Potatoes
  

Limit fruits to 1-2 servings per day, due to sugar content. Here’s my fruit “rankings”:

Best fruit choices:

• Green apples

• Berries

• Lemons

• Lime
  

Decent fruit choices:

• Coconut

• Papaya

• Mango

• Pineapple

• Kiwi

• Banana
  

Fruit to avoid:

• Grapes

• Melons
  

Okay, so we’ve discussed the 80 percent (food). Let's take a look at exercise (20 percent of weight loss:

• High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is best for burning calories quickly.

• Strength training is best for speeding up metabolic rate.
  
  

More weight loss tips:

• Go to bed by 10 pm, every night. This habit optimizes the hormones that regulate metabolism.

• Practice intermittent fasting. Fasting helps reverse insulin resistance, which is the root cause of weight loss resistance. Insulin resistance also contributes to the inability to lose stubborn belly fat.

• Don’t overlook proper hydration; it is vital for weight loss.

• Remember that fiber is essential for weight loss (consuming chia or flax seeds for additional fiber is very beneficial).

• Lower stress (physical, chemical, and emotional).

• Don’t forget: you must EAT FAT to BURN FAT.

• Remember: weight loss is a lifestyle, not a temporary fix/diet. If you don’t like how you feel, and can’t maintain what you’re doing, change it so you can succeed!