Many of us are on a mission to shift a few pounds, but we all know that crash-dieting or just being super restrictive for a short period of your time just doesn’t work long-term.
While we might lose lots of weight initially, depriving ourselves of delicious food just means we’ll soon end up binging and regain the weight we quickly lost.
So, what's the best way to lose weight quickly, however in a healthy, sustainable way that ensures the pounds won’t just stack back on?
We asked My Muscle Chef’s sports dietitian Ryan Pinto for his some tips regarding how to shed fat fast and build muscle at the same time, without needing to quit everything we like.
Don’t completely cut out carbs.
Ryan says yes, you are able to totally eat carbs everyday and still lose weight.
“Many people pick out carbohydrate-rich foods when trying to lose weight since they're so easy to in excess of consume, however, typically these food types will also be full of sugar and fat and don't have the important vitamins and nutrients such as fiber,” he said.
“Chips, biscuits, cakes, white breads, and cereals are usually over-consumed regularly and if reduced, can generally allow people to lose weight. It is important to be familiar with this and either remove these foods from your everyday environment, or make a conscious effort to prevent them.”
So, what types of carbohydrates would be best to consume to lose weight? Those with a higher vitamin and mineral content.
“Carbohydrates which contain a high amount of naturally sourced fiber are great at holding you back feeling full. It’s not brain surgery – the fuller you are feeling, the less you'll tend to snack” Ryan said.
“Carbohydrates for example sweet or white potato (consumed with the skin on), wholegrain and dark breads and cereals, oats, brown rice, and fruit (especially any variety of berries) are a good place to start. You don’t appetite all of these in a day – you can just begin by swapping in some in place of the present foods you've within your house.”
Load up on protein.
Make sure you eat a small amount of protein with every meal, since this is what keeps us feeling full during the day.
If you’re following a specific amount, well, Ryan says the days are gone where we concentrate on ensuring people consume an exact sum of proteins every day.
“Nowadays, we recommend ensuring many people include a protein source at every main meal and in the mid-afternoon, to get you with the 3 p.m. slump,” he explained.
“The primary culprit appears to be breakfast, where most people will consume food which might look like a dessert, such as a high sugar cereal or pastry, and lack the necessary protein and fiber necessary to help you stay feeling full.”
The best kinds of protein include meat, fish, chicken, dairy, and eggs, in addition to plant-based proteins including nuts and legumes.
If you’re a vegetarian or vegan, or you’re wanting to follow a far more plant-based diet, you may still get enough protein without eating meat.
“You can easily consume enough protein from vegetarian sources, however, this must be planned quite well by either sourcing appropriate meal options from cafes, restaurants or healthy meal delivery services, to ensure the meal contains enough protein to help with recovery from exercise,” Ryan said.
Make sure you’re consuming enough fiber.
“A dietitian’s secret weapon for anyone attempting to slim down, is to ensure they consume enough fiber per day on a consistent basis,” Ryan said.
“This really is by far the most effective way to help people lose weight and keep them back. Along with this, consuming enough protein at main meals will additionally help you stay full for most parts of the day.”
That means loading up on fruits and vegetables, that are packed full of fiber, as well as wholegrains, legumes, and nuts.
Be consistent.
Find habits and routines you are able to implement to your lifestyle long term, not just for any week or for per month.
“In the modern world of instant gratification, many people want results now! It doesn’t matter if it took 10 years to put the load on, when they don’t see results in up to fourteen days, they’ll give up,” Ryan said.
“Food habits and routines are difficult to interrupt and hence require time for you to learn new routines and habits. Consistency is paramount. It generally take A 3 week period to create a habit.
“Don’t fall for the quick fixes such as the pills and potions. As a dietitian, our goal would be to assist you to, so if they worked, we would be shouting it in the rooftops!”
If you fall off the wagon, just jump straight back on again.
It’s totally normal – and human – to overindulge from time to time. But instead of thinking “Oh no, I’m blown my diet,” and completely going off-course, Ryan says simply resume your normal healthy patterns.
Particularly around the December season, it’s easy to possess a few a lot of drinks and greasy foods. But in the grand scheme of things, this is a blip in the ocean.”Remember, you may have 4 or 5 meals during the whole Christmas period in which you might have to go overboard,” Ryan explained.”But many people subconsciously discount the whole Christmas period and don’t effectively plan what they is going to do in between these occasions.
