When we are trying to lose extra pounds, it would be sensible to follow a low carb fat reducing diet. We know that we need to skip the biscuits, cakes and other sugary snacks we love but what else could we do in order to lose weight.
We need to make sure we eat the right fats. Too many people who embark on a diet cut out all types of fats. This only makes you miserable as the first place you lose fat from is your brain cells. Your brain needs good fats in order to distribute feel good chemicals i.e. serotonin throughout your body. Starving yourself of these good fats is the road to ruin.
Following a diet that bans certain foods immediately makes them more attractive and you can crave things you wouldn’t normally be interested in. One way to combat these cravings is to allow yourself a little of what you fancy. Ok you can’t have the whole chocolate bar but one square of good quality dark chocolate per day is actually good for you.
When following a low carb fat reducing diet, it is important not to eat any carbohydrates in the evening. Don’t eat them after 5pm and you will notice the weight loss speeds up. Carbohydrates are a necessary part of our diet but they release glucose into our systems. When we don’t use up this glucose it is converted into fat and stored usually on our waistline. By not eating carbohydrates in the evening, we reduce this effect. It also makes us hungrier in the mornings so we are more likely to have a fulfilling breakfast. This is key to losing weight.
Eating more of the correct foods will give you more energy. You already know that you need to exercise more in order to help lose weight but also to improve your overall fitness level. Invest in a pedometer and aim to get to 10,000 steps a day. Try different forms of exercise. Variety is the spice o f life. It is pointless forcing yourself to go jogging every day if you hate it. Try swimming, rollerblading or even walking instead.
Find a friend to go on your low carb fat reducing diet with you. It is always easier to do something when there are two of you to keep each other motivated. Agree in advance what your prize will be when you reach your goal weight. Also agree that if one or both of you fall off the diet wagon it is not a disaster just a setback and you will just get back on again.
Avoiding alcohol is one way of reducing calories as is increasing the amount of water you drink. We often mistake thirst for hunger so aim to drink at least 8 glasses a day. Try out different food types. We should all be eating more legumes but they are not staple parts of most people’s diets. Aim to try a new low carb fat reducing recipe once a week.
In other words keep it real and not ideal.