Rewind to just over 4 years ago, and I was about 20lbs heavier. I know this may not seem like much, but on my 5 foot 2 frame, it sure felt like a lot. My approach to health and wellness was far different back then, and although I thought I ate healthy and trained right, I surely did not. I’ve learned so much through my personal journey and client experiences, that I’d like to share what I’ve learned with you too. Here are my top 5 simple diet secrets that encouraged my lasting weight loss success.
- Give Me Some Carbs – Yup, you read it right! You’ll be happy to know that when I started to lose weight and keep it off, it was all because I started to eat more carbs. Before this, like many other women, I believed that if I limited my consumption of carbohydrates I would lose weight, and although there is some truth and theory behind this school of thought, IT NEVER WORKS IN THE LONG RUN. That’s because I would spend my work week consuming mostly protein and vegetables, and when my weekend hit, my body was so deprived and ravenous that I would overeat and essentially binge on anything I could get my hands on. Now, I eat a reasonable amount of healthy, low glycemic carbs every single day, all day long. My energy is much higher, my well-being has improved, and I no longer have to battle the unnatural carbohydrate cravings that made me gain weight. High five to carbohydrates ladies!
- Bye Bye Caffeine – Before you put your hands up in the air and yell at the computer, please know that you can still drink coffee. I’m not going to say coffee is bad for you and that you need to give it up, but I will say the extra calories it often contains, as well as the way it affect your stress hormone cortisol, is not good for your waist line. By simply drinking your coffee and/or tea black instead, and limiting your intake to 1 coffee, or 2 cups of tea per day, you can save yourself a good 5lbs in one month. That’s huge over a years’ time, especially if you drink coffee or tea daily. This had a big impact for me personally, and I’m so happy I made my taste buds adjust to having my favourite hot beverages black.
- Spit it Out – Chewing gum is not a meal replacement, a way to hydrate, or something that can ‘hold you off’ when you’re hungry. In fact, gum has the complete opposite effect, and I learned this the hard way. It was one of the biggest bloat-inducing things I consumed regularly, and I learned that every time I chewed it, my body started to prepare for food and digestion. After this process had begun, and I didn’t consume food, I had in fact increased my hunger simply because my body was waiting for the food to come. Compound this with the negative effect gum has by containing toxins in the form of aspartame, it makes it nearly impossible to wrap up your day feeling thin. Ditch the gum, save yourself the money, eliminate the toxins, and be happy with the results you see. I sure was, and enjoy dried ginger or lemon water after a meal now to freshen my breath.
- Water Horse – Don’t underestimate the power of some H2O. It flushes toxins, excess water weight, and waste from your body, leaving you feeling light and energized. When I used to consume diet pops, flavoured ‘vitamin’ water, and caffeine regularly, my body was not only having a hard time managing the functions about, but I was once again consuming all of the toxins found in the form of aspartame. This made it nearly impossible for me to lose weight. Keep a water bottle on hand at all times, and do your best to consume plenty of water throughout your day. I promise you’ll finish your day feeling a little lighter, and more in control of your hunger and cravings.
- More = Less – When it comes to weight loss, more food equals less body fat. Yes you read that correctly, and please get it right, because too often people try to live far below their caloric needs in the efforts of weight loss. Trying to get through your day eating light is not going to make you a winner in the weight loss race. Back 4 years ago when I would try to do the same, it always backfired. Especially when I was working out regularly. Not only would I feel awful, tired and hungry, but I would slow my metabolism and make it nearly impossible for me to lose any weight. Not a good idea when you already have a low thyroid! Combine this with my efforts to eat low carb throughout the week, and I was just a mess when it came to binge eating. Now, I eat far more throughout my day, and have more energy and control as a result. I suggest you do the same by grabbing a well-rounded breakfast, skipping the salad at lunch, and ensuring that you’re eating your snacks. Your metabolism will be increased as a result, and ‘poof’ the weight will fall off.
Although there is more to the weight loss game than this, I feel that these 5 secrets are simple little things you can start doing today. They are things that I missed before, and you may miss now. Correct these, and I think you’ll be one Royally Fit chick in no time.
Showing you the difference between liking and loving your body,
Ashley Dale Roy
