Three things you MUST do to lose weight
If you’re struggling to lose weight, chances are you’re probably already doing plenty of one or all the above. But did you know there is a high probability that they might not actually be the main reason you’re struggling to shift the pounds?
Here are three simple, often overlooked strategies that, when applied will skyrocket your weight loss results. And I speak from my own personal experience and on behalf of my lovely personal training clients.
- Eating enough Carbs
Yes, you read that right!
Contrary to mainstream belief, carbs when used properly WILL result in weight loss. The right kind of carbs, which include leafy and root vegetables, fruits and starchy veggies like sweet potatoes will provide you not only with the energy you need to maintain your busy lifestyle, but also keep important hormones balanced.
The T3 hormone (also known as the active thyroid hormone) for instance affects our metabolism. When the body does not receive enough carbs, the metabolic rate decreases. And for successful weight loss, we want the opposite to happen!
When you apply the light-heavy eating strategy, carbs eaten in the evening even promote better sleep quality. This is because carbs are the precursor to the sleep hormone melatonin. Which leads to the next highly overlooked strategy:
2. Getting enough Sleep
I’ve previously written about the important role sleep plays for successful weight loss (you can check it out here!) and cannot stress just how imperative it is!
If you’ve ever had difficulty sleeping, you may well have experienced the direct effect it has on your hunger and stress levels. Cortisol (the stress hormone) levels are elevated and we often end up relying on sugary or high-caffeinated sources of fuel just to get us through the day. Essentially, being well-rested will keep your hunger hormones in check.
A fabulous book I also highly recommend; that many of my personal training clients have found extremely helpful is Dr Guy Meadows’ The Sleep Book.
3. Eating when Needing to
This is where you really need to listen to your body. We can easily end up overeating, by eating at times that we’re used to, because we are bored, because other people around us are eating, because food is there – not because we’re genuinely hungry!
This is where the science behind intermittent fasting comes from. Even though our surroundings and access to food whenever we want it have changed from our ancestors’, our bodies have not. The more we eat, the more our bodies will expect food and the more our blood sugar levels are elevated.
So eating when we are genuinely hungry, by contrast creates a better hormonal balance and decreases the chance of inflammation and inflammation-related diseases such as diabetes occurring. Sound simple enough? Start today!
Remember, each day will be completely unique and different. You might feel hungry, you might not. Successful weight loss is not about punishing exercise and boring diets, but cherishing your body by actually listening to it.
So if you want chocolate, wine and chips by all means have them. Just be mindful of what else may be going on in your body, that perhaps made you crave them in the first place 😉
