This outline is the initial strategy I put together when I finally, after 35 yrs. of being Yo-Yo Weight Boy, decided to lose the fat for good! This basic framework worked for myself and those I shared it with. It is based around real science of how the body functions, no magic potions, no trendy "new discoveries", just rock solid facts and logic. The exciting part of this plan is that you can adjust the intensity at your pleasure. Start mild and evolve into it at your own speed. One absolute truth that I learned about weight control, if you feel restricted or it just plain isn't any fun, you won't stay the course. It will become just another failed "Diet Plan" relegated to collect dust like the ones before it!
Here is what turned out to be the cornerstone of my personal success at beating the Fat Gremlins that had plagued me for so long: Change your mindset about food. Food is merely fuel for the body. When I changed my thinking of food as fuel, it became easier and easier to eat the right foods, to the point of where I didn't even have to stop and analyze what I was about to eat anymore. Food also functions like a drug in the body. It effects how our organs and glands work (glands create and secrete hormones into our body, it is certain hormones that tell our body to burn the fuel or store it as fat). If you question my analogy of food as a drug, think about how you feel ten minutes after ingesting a large amount of refined sugar! Yes, food can even cause and control mood swings for example. The short Cliff Notes version is this: Avoid refined sugar as if it is the black plague (white death if you prefer) and reduce or eliminate complex carbohydrates (starches) depending on your body type. I mention the choice there because some folks do well with starches, most overweight people do not. I'll explain more later in the article. Now this is probably not new data to you, it is all in the execution though isn't it? So let's get started with a plan that is easy, has no calorie counting, no restriction on how much you can eat, no weights and measures needed, no mandatory exercise (exercise is a good thing, just not required to lose body fat) and no magic elixirs required.
Let's begin with a short refresher course on what the components are that make up the food we are going to be fueling our body with. They are: Protein (amino acids) with a caloric value of 4 per gram, Fats with a caloric value of 9 per gram and Carbohydrates (both simple & complex) with a caloric value of 4 per gram. I know I stated calories aren't important, they aren't, however, the more you know, the better I believe. The final component is Vitamins and Minerals (our bodies cannot function correctly with out them, and in the proper amounts).
SUGAR, any added sugar to our food/fuel is to be avoided like the Black Plague! Even though our body converts the fuel we ingest into a sugar (glucose) in order to burn it as fuel, added sugars (refined) are to viewed as evil incarnate, white or brown death if you will. I am being dramatic to drive home a point. Those of us that tend to store fat, from what I read and see around me, that would be a majority of us living in America, you need to view sugar as going directly from your mouth to fat storage. Your body requires sugars, we burn them for energy, however you will get all need from fresh fruit (natural fructose) and simple carbohydrate (all of the vegetable family). Simple carbs (vegetables/fruits) take approx. 20 minutes for the body to convert to usable glucose for the body to burn, Fruit is faster as the natural fructose is pretty much ready to burn in it's natural form. Refined sugar is also virtually ready to go and can be in the blood stream within minutes where the body either burns it or if it thinks it does not need it, stores it as fat. The typical diet in America where processed foods are so plentiful is making us fat! Manufacturers use sugar as a preservative and also an enticement. Sugar is a drug for the body, it likes the initial energy spike, it wants more, sugar is an addictive substance to our body. If you do nothing else but reduce and or eliminate added sugar to your food/fuel you will see your body lose fat. How much and how fast is determined by how much added (refined) sugar you ingest. The mindset that worked for me was: if it comes in a box,can or bottle, I probably don't want to put it in my body! Now it is unrealistic to think one can absolutely remove all added sugar from their fuel/food, however, with this mindset you can easily chop out 75% or more. Remember, sugar is the prime culprit in storing fat, not fat, not protein. It will shock you when you start reading labels at just how much sugar is added. You can find products in a box,can or bottle without any added sugar, you just have to be vigilant. Before you get dismayed at the thought of cutting down your sugar intake, let me share a personal observation that I experienced. I gradually reduced my sugar intake, after a while I started noticing that when I did ingest sugar I didn't feel as good a few minutes later. I also noticed I couldn't eat very much of it, it was simply too sweet. The upside of that was I really didn't want the extra sugar and haven't felt deprived at all. I do on occasion eat something sweet/desert like without any problem, nature built in a self limiting feature now that I have my body working like it was intended. Oh, a reminder, alcohol is pure sugar.
PROTEIN, is an essential building block for the human body, without it for example, our muscle tissue could not replenish or grow. There are approximately 28 amino acids (proteins) that are generally considered essential to sustain the human body in good stead. Many are available in fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and dairy products. Some are available in meats only. You can eat all the protein you want. Advisable if you are in fat loss mode to concentrate on lean meats, i.e. fish, fowl & lean pork (think pork chops). Beef is a good source of amino acids, harder to digest though, recommend you only have it 2 to 3 times a week in fat loss mode. Protein will not go to fat on your body.
FATS, are also essential to our survival, it is the connector that holds our cells together. Now I encourage you to show some restraint in fat content (remember they are over twice the calorie value of fats and proteins) that said, however, the natural fats found in nature will not harm you. Real butter, never margarine. Olive oil only. Nuts (almonds are the highest protein/lowest fat/nut) raw only. Cheese. The body is designed to utilize natural fats. What I have learned is that fat does not make you fat.
STARCHES (COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATE), examples of starches are potatoes, wheat, rice, pasta etc. All the stuff that is so filling. When I added starches to my "no sugar zone" my fat loss increased dramatically. Remember earlier I made mention of not all bodies being the same? Starches take approximately 3 hours before the body can convert them to a usable food. Some bodies do well with starches, natures time delay energy source. Many, and most overweight bodies do not process starches well. For us, they go right to fat storage. Many years ago I heard this simple self test and have found it to be very accurate. If after eating a starch laden meal, in 20 or so minutes you feel sluggish, tired could take a nap, well your body does not do well with starches. Best policy for fat loss is eliminate them as much as possible from your fuel choices.
What does this mean to our fuel choices? Easy, you can fuel with all of the fresh vegetables and fruit you desire. Eat lean fish and fowl aplenty, beef on occasion. Cheese, eggs, raw nuts and seeds. Limit starches, moderation. If you fall into the category of being 30 or more lbs. overweight (clinically obese) for you healths sake you should eliminate starches altogether. At least until you are close to your target weight.
VITAMINS & MINERALS, are the other required component to our good health. Without them our bodies could not perform the bio-chemical and bio-electrical functions that keep us alive. With out them we would not produce the various hormones required. Hormones are what tell our body when and where to store fat, or to burn it. It is true that you can get all the vitamins and minerals you require through food. However, it can be a daunting task to eat enough of the right stuff to fill all the needs. I recommend without reservation that you acquire a good quality multi-vitamin/mineral supplement, it takes the guess work out of the equation. The more efficient the body is working the faster it burns off the excess fat.
Let's begin losing weight right now! Now to tie this together, what I have found is that to beat the Fat Gremlins permanently we have to effect a lifestyle change, change our state of mind if you will. Drastic and immediate change is often difficult, most of us resist change. The following tips are how I eased into it. The world of psychology tells us that it takes approximately 30 days for the average adult to change a habit. My personal experience holds that to be accurate. I put together a simple mantra for myself. I posted it on my mirror, refrigerator and cards I could carry. I read it every morning, when I felt hungry and when I went to bed.
I WILL FUEL MY BODY WITH GOOD FUEL,
WHENEVER I AM HUNGRY I WILL AVOID ADDED SUGAR LIKE IT IS THE BLACK PLAGUE OF DEATH
I WILL REDUCE, THEN ELIMINATE STARCHES FROM MY FUEL
I WILL DRINK MORE WATER & TAKE A DAILY VITAMIN/MINERAL SUPPLEMENT
That is the mantra I used to change my mindset. A few additional thoughts: If you are hungry, eat! It is better to eat smaller amounts through out the day, actually keeps the metabolism working. Besides, hungry is no fun and could dissuade you from your game plan. Every Time you go to eat anything, ask yourself these questions. Do I need this because I am hungry? Do I need this because I feel low on energy? Am I eating out of habit, or boredom? Am I eating this just for the taste? Is this good usable fuel for my body?
I also suggest making a game with yourself. See how many times a day you decide you don't need that food right now. You may eat it in 15 minutes, but you don't eat it right now. Pick a time in the evening (9:00 pm is mine) as a target that you won't fuel your body after that time. Face it, our metabolism is hardly in high gear while we sleep.
The point of this is to make it easy to transition your thinking and habits. The profound discovery I made was that the further along this path I got, the less I desired sugars and starches. What happened was I began to feel so much better and have more energy that I did not like the way my body felt after eating bad fuel. I truly lost all desire for all the bad food/fuel I had been eating.
The point of this is to lose fat easy. That is how I finally took control of my body. It is a great starting point and you will see and feel results. As you transition to your new mindset you may wish to add more tools, learn which foods actually encourage the body to burn fat, add some types of exercise etc, learn more about which vitamins and minerals do what for the body. I definitely encourage you on that path, however, success in beating the Fat Gremlins begins with a good foundation in place that you don't feel is complicated or deprives you. Remember your new mantra, Food is merely fuel for the body!
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