Fat loss without gym workouts and horrible diets? Is that possible? Yes! Absolutely! In this article I will share 6 easy lifestyle changes that will help anyone who is over weight move the scales back.
Disclaimer: this is not a miracle 5 minute fat loss tip
First, I want to make something clear. I do not offer miracles. We are becoming fatter and increasingly ill over time. The modern world is full of people suffering from raising levels of body fat and obesity related diseases.
Every where you look you are being bombarded with images of food OR super models, twisting our reality. I am asked about a new diet or workout or smoothie or pill every week! People are willing to try anything to achieve the body they feel they need and they are having very little success.
Although weight loss is simple, is rarely easy. In order to truly change your body, you must change your day to day life. To stop ‘yo yo’ weight loss, slow and steady progress must be made and maintained.
6 tips for consistent weight loss
- Walk more
- Drink less sugar and alcohol
- Improve the quality of your sleep
- Skip a snack or meal every so often
- Eat a portion of vegetables with every meal
- Eat a low carb, zero sugar breakfast
Simple right? Let’s break these down into details to give you the best chance of awesome success.
1. Walk more
You don’t have to workout to burn calories. Some experts say that our ancestors walked 50,000 steps on an average day. Today in the uk, (according to NHS) we walk and average of 3000 to 4000.
Walking is fantastic for your cardiovascular health, your joints and even your brain. It also burns 200ish calories per hour.
You might walk a lot already, but by adding 15 minutes a day you will burn about 350 calories a week. In theory, these calories add up to losing 2 and a half stone in a year. Get out of your chair as often as you can and move.
2. Drink less sugar and alcohol
Let’s skip the science lesson and state some facts. Sugar and alcohol are bad for you. I have had client’s lose weight with this simple change. Stop putting sugar in you hot drinks. Swap to diet drinks. And reduce your alcohol consumption. These cheeky, hidden calories add up over time and offer the body nothing in exchange.
Both sugar and alcohol have profound effects on us. They both cause increases in hunger, fat storage and lots of other nasty things. If you are serious about losing weight, this is where you should start!
Sugar is so harmful, I’ve written an entire article about the dangers of sugar.
3. Improve the quality of your sleep
Often a forgotten pillar of our health and wellness, sleep can be a game changer for most people. Pimping up your sleep cycle will help to reduce your cravings, improve your motivation and increase muscle growth whilst reducing fat storage.
To keep it simple, sleep is pretty damn good for you. Although it won’t directly or dramatically cause weight loss, it’s a key area most of us neglect.
4. Skip a snack or a meal every so often
Intermittent fasting has had some time in the sun recently, with diets such as the 5/2 and Caveman diet being the media. But I can give you all the best parts of intermittent dieting without charging you a penny! (I’m too kind, I know.)
We eat in a very unnatural way. Back in the good old days (10,000 years ago), people hadn’t quite figured out how to use fridges or order a McDonald’s. Eating 3 set meals everyday didn’t happen. We evolved around this and many of our bodies functions depend on 14+ hour long periods without food.
When I tell some people that I often go a day without eating, they look at me as if I have an eating disorder. Missing out on a meal or snack every so often isn’t going to kill you. In fact, the chances are you will live longer with a better body shape.
This has its downsides as well. If you have a medical condition you had best check before trying a fast. The first time you do this you will be hungry, and you will find resisting food tricky. Start small and build this up over time. Learning what real hunger feels like is a great way to rebalance your diet.
If you have any questions about fasting, feel free to ask me on Facebook.
5. Eat a portion of vegetables with every meal
More veg means more fibre which means a full belly. You don’t have to take anything away from your meals, just add some salad, carrots, peas or whatever.
Filling the space on the plate has a big impact on how you perceive the meal and your future self will thank you for looking after your health.
6. Eat a low carb, zero sugar breakfast
Carbs for breakfast will cause your blood sugar to spike first thing in the morning. That which rises rapidly, crashes. After 3-5 hours, your sugar levels will be lower than when you first woke up, making you crave your next hit of Carb-y goodness. The less time it takes for your body to break down these carbs, the faster the spike and the more dramatic the crash. Sugar being the worst offender.
This surprises most people. When you think of breakfast, what comes to mind? Toast, cereal, croissants and a glass of fruit juice? Carbs, carbs, more carbs and sugar! I could rant for at least 10,000 words on why a low carb high fat diet is better, but for now let’s just say eating eggs and bacon for breakfast is FAR better.
Do not believe the adverts telling you about the benefit of their slow releasing energy. Carbohydrates are responsible for fast releasing energy. First thing in morning (unless you have had a very hard training session the night before and didn’t eat afterwards), your muscle glycogen stores are full. Your Shreadies will have nowhere to go other than to your fat stores.
How to Begin
All of this might seem overwhelming. The best way to approach lifestyle changes is 1 or 2 at a time. They say it takes 21 days to create a new habit, so commit to the change for 30 days before trying to include another one. Losing weight over time isn’t sexy, but rapid weight loss doesn’t work. Aim to lose weight and keep it off, slowly and over time.
I’m here to help, if you want to ask me anything in the comments below. Make sure you support your friends and family in their weight loss too, as it’s an issue that is steadily ruining our world.
I hope this article changes the way you view weight loss and your health. You are stuck with your body for the rest of your life, don’t expect it to transform in 2 months from the latest fad.
