5 rules for weight loss
There is A LOT Of information out there when it comes to weight loss. Most of it is noise. It is my goal in this post to be as concise as possible and give you 5 of the best bang for your buck tips in order to lose weight the right way.
1.Caloric Deficit
Any diet out there may potentially work, IF you’re in a caloric deficit. Yes, that means you can eat burgers and fries but as long as you stay below your daily caloric expenditure, you will lose weight. It doesn’t meant that you will be healthy though. So yes, all of these different diets work.
The warrior diet
Omad
Keto
Atkins
Mediterranean
They all work if you are in a caloric deficit. On the contrary, they all DO NOT work, if you go above and beyond your daily caloric needs.
Here is how to calculate it. Your weight in lbs x 14. That is your approximate daily calorie needs. Stay below it, you’ll lose weight, go above it, you’ll gain weight.
2. Cardio
This word is the worst. But getting in your cardio can help speed up weight loss! But you have to find the right one for you. If you are like me and hard cardio triggers a ravenous hunger response, you have to use that sparingly and with intent. I use it on my re-feed days where I eat slightly above my maintenance calories.
Walking is my absolute favorite. Try to get in 10,000 steps a day, which is about 5 miles. If you are new to this, starting off at a lower number is okay too. Consistency is the Key. The beauty of walking, is that most ANYONE can do this. For my body, 10,000 calories=5miles=500 calories burned. This definitely helps me in adding to my daily/weekly caloric deficit from diet.
3. Avoid Sugar
I say avoid because I dont want you to cut it off completely. Because that isn’t sustainable. If you can eat it moderately and stay below your daily calories, you will still lose weight. However, research shows sugar isn’t that good for you. So let’s try to avoid it. Also, the insulin response helps store energy, which isn’t what you want to do. You are here because you want to lose weight. Here is a pro tip from someone that has fluctuated weight his whole entire life. You need to measure what you eat. Because without measuring, you dont know how much sugar you are eating, which makes it hard to adjust. Like when I tell myself, I didnt eat that much Sunday. SURE I didnt. But If I said, “I ate 4000 calories on Sunday,” I know exactly how much and what means for me.
4. Whole foods
Whole Foods are unprocessed foods. yes, we know this. The way nature intended food to be. Not only is it more nutritious for you, but it burns a lot of calories through the digestion process. This idea is called the Thermic effect of food. For instance, if you eat an apple the is 80 calories, you dont absorb the entire 80 calories because your body burns calories in order to ingest this apple. However, if you drink an apple juice that is also of equivalent calories, you will absorb much more. And it will spike your insulin levels too. Which do you think is healthier? Eating an 80 calorie apple? Or drinking 80 calories of Apple juice? Eating an apple will make you feel full a lot longer which can curb appetite throughout the day. That is the beauty of Whole Foods.
5.Drink water
Our minds play tricks on us. A lot of the time when we feel “hungry,” and wander into the kitchen, we are actually bored or thirsty. Will power is limited. So here is a protip. IF you find yourself floating into the kitchen, drink a water right off the bat. The recommended daily amount of water is 8 glasses. Sometimes I drink about a gallon a day. It makes me use the restroom a lot, which contributes to my step count. That is a two for one.
Bonus tip
Protein is king! It is my favorite macro for a reason. It makes me stay full longer and helps me maintain muscle while I lose bodyfat. I shoot for .5-1g of protein per pound. For me, I try to eat between 100-200 grams of protein per day, depending on what my goals are.