When trying to find the right diet for optimal weight loss, you’ll encounter many diets that will enable you to lose fat fast but leave you starved and agitated. Diets like these are unsustainable because they demand inhumane willpower to be implemented in the long term. Most of the time, people end up overeating and quickly regaining all the weight (which was mostly water weight anyway) they originally lost.
On the other hand, a sustainable healthy diet should reduce your appetite, improve your metabolic rate and help you lose fat without leaving you hungry and cranky all the time. With this on mind, we’ve created a 3-step weight loss program that will help you lose weight and keep it away for good. These science-backed guidelines are simple, healthy ways to restore your optimal weight while nourishing your body the way it deserves, without counting calories!
1. What not to eat
Eliminate simple sugars and reduce starches as much as possible and avoid sugary drinks and fruit juices. The main benefit of limiting your carb intake are the decreased insulin levels in the body – carbs stimulate the production of insulin, which promotes fat storage. When insulin levels drop, the body is more inclined to use fat as fuel instead of carbs. It’s that simple. In addition, your kidneys will shed the excess sodium and water out of your system and you will lose most of your water weight in the first week of a low-carb diet.
However, it’s acceptable to allow yourself to eat more carbs on one day in the week (only one!). This means quality carbs like the ones found in fruits, potatoes, sweet potatoes and rice. This is not necessary, but it can help you stick to the general diet plan more easily and enhance the production of certain fat-burning hormones. Also, making room for a planned cheat meal once per week can help you prevent succumbing to junk food during the rest of the week.
2. What to eat
First of all, make sure to eat whole, unprocessed and organic foods whenever possible because of their nutritional density and lack of added sugars and harmful preservatives. Secondly, try to eat as slowly as you can in order to prevent overeating by increasing your feeling of fullness and naturally reduce your caloric intake.
Then, instead of foods high on carbs, make sure to eat more protein – this will speed up your metabolic rate and keep you full for a longer time. Great sources of quality protein are lean meats, fish and seafood, eggs and nuts. Also, one of the best ways to reduce cravings and total calorie intake throughout the day is to eat a high-protein breakfast.
Furthermore, increase your consumption of low-carb vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, kale, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cucumber and lettuce to get the amount of fat-reducing fiber, vitamins and minerals your body needs to function properly. And finally, embrace the healthy fats found in olive oil, coconut oil, avocado and butter. Don’t starve yourself – try to eat 3 or 4 meals per day, all of them including decent amounts of these three valuable nutrients. This will keep your metabolism running high and smooth, allowing you to burn more fat.
Another important tip is to drink as much water as you can throughout the day. Being well hydrated will reduce your appetite and help you flush out all toxins from the body. Also, drinking unsweetened coffee and tea will enhance your metabolic rate even further.
3. What to do when not eating
You can lose a considerable amount of weight only by following this diet plan, but if you add lifting sessions three times a week, your fat loss will be even greater. Making sure to hit the gym at least 3 times a week will give you excellent results, and weightlifting is the best exercise for burning fat, according to multiple studies.
Weightlifting will stimulate the metabolism, help you burn more calories, gain muscle and ultimately contribute to achieving a well-shaped, lean body. Also, muscles require more energy to be maintained, thus making you burn more fat even when you’re at rest. If weightlifting is not an option for you for whatever reasons, consider doing HIIT cardio to achieve similar effects. Exercising regularly is a proven way to enhance your health and melt body fat faster.
In conclusion
For many decades, low-carb diets were demonized by the media and health professionals for their high amount of fat which was perceived as dangerous for the heart. However, a vast pool of new scientific findings show that the low-carb diet is superior to other diets in terms of both fat loss and health benefits. Despite helping you lose a significant amount of weight on a sustainable way, the low-carb diet will help you regulate your blood sugar and blood pressure more effectively. Also, your levels of bad (LDL) cholesterol and triglycerides are most likely to drop, while the levels of good (HDL) cholesterol become elevated, Â additionally enhancing the health of your heart. What’s not to love about it?
