Don’t just lose weight for the summer, lose it for life!
So often the quick fix, magic bullet answers also have a quick undo, or just can’t be sustained long term. In terms of health, a slow steady change that lasts is much better than a quick fix that doesn’t. So often people go on very restrictive or low-calorie diets and whilst the number on the scales may look great for a little while, it’s not something that works long-term.
One of the first changes that can make a big difference, not only to weight loss, but also to all areas of health, is to increase your protein intake. Protein is required for repair of all cells in your body, and low protein meals can leave you feeling hungry afterwards. Try to have some protein with every meal, such as some ground nuts on breakfast cereal.
Along with animal protein such as meat, fish, eggs, and dairy, try adding some of the following to your diet:
- Quinoa
- Tofu
- Lentils
- Chickpeas
- Peas
- Beans
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Buckwheat
The second thing that can make a massive difference if you have a low-fat diet, is to increase your fat intake. Now before you stop reading and tell me that fats will just make you fat, I would like to catch you up on the science. Just over 10 years ago, scientists discovered that there is no pathway in the body by which dietary fat can be stored as body fat. Did you read that: fat cannot make you fat! Because fat is a more dense energy source, it does give you long lasting energy, which is a good thing.
So, what does this mean? Rather than gaining weight from fats, you have a steady energy supply for hours without the highs and lows of refined carbohydrates. This means that you should stay full between meals (especially if you’re also eating protein), so you won’t be as tempted to go for an unhealthy snack.
Here at Whole Naturopathy, we’re launching a 6-week nutritional weight loss course, with 20% off from 10th-20th October. So if you’re serious about losing weight to improve your health and need some guidance along the way, you can sign up here.
