The most common way people try to lose weight is by dieting. This may involve skipping meals, following one of the popular 'Fad Diets' or by simply restricting existing meal sizes. No matter which one of these approaches people choose to use, they are inherently destined to fail.
Firstly, any restriction of food intake invokes the body's Anti-Starvation Response, which results in reduced thyroid output (this slows metabolism), increased cortisol output (this breaks down lean tissue which leads to further metabolism reductions), increased production of fat-storing enzymes (which means when food is eaten it is likely to be stored as body fat), and increased appetite (which results in more food being eaten and more fat being stored).
Another major downfall of these approaches is their sustainability. It is impossible to stick to any diet long term because of its restrictive nature as well as because the foods eaten are generally vastly different to what the person normally eats. This ultimately means that the results achieved by following the diet will also be short term, leading to eventual weight gain.
It is actually possible to lose weight without dieting. This means no more starvation, no more calorie counting, and no more eating foods you don't enjoy. It is possible because this approach uses fundamental physiological principles/ laws that once you understand and apply them, the results immediately follow.
Here are the Top 7 Nutritional Principles to help you lose weight without dieting:
1. Have small, frequent meals
Some people who try to lose weight often skip meals in order to reduce their food intake. Whilst reducing food intake is beneficial in order to create an energy/ calorie deficit, skipping meals is not they way to do it. A far better approach is to have small meals often throughout the day.
Small, frequent meals help to keep the body's metabolism elevated, preserves muscle mass, reduces appetite, promotes fat burning in the body and reduces insulin secretion by the pancreas.
2. Have a portion of protein with every meal
It is also important to consider the composition of the food you eat because it determines the composition of your body; 'You are what you eat!' It is actually possible to favourably alter your body composition (less fat and more muscle) by simply altering the proportions of macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein and fat) in your diet. By doing this it allows you to eat more calories overall and still lose weight!
For example, by simply having a portion of protein with every meal and having your carbohydrate intake primarily come from more natural sources like, fruit and vegetables, your body composition will automatically change, no matter whether you exercise or not!
3. Reduce your intake of high-density carbohydrates and increase your intake of low-density carbohydrates.
High-density carbohydrates include foods like: bread, pasta, rice and cereals. They are generally refined, grain-based carbohydrate sources. Since they are refined and concentrated sources of carbohydrates, they tend to (but not always) induce an insulin spike in the body.
Insulin promotes fat production and storage as well as inhibits fat mobilisation and utilisation (fat burning) in the body. For maximum weight loss to occur, it is best to keep insulin as low as possible.
By having more of the low-density carbohydrates (broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, carrots, tomatoes, etc.), which are the more fibrous vegetables, carbohydrate and calorie intake can be reduced without compromising nutrient intake.
Since the low-density carbohydrates don't contain much carbohydrate, much less insulin is secreted when they are consumed. Therefore, it makes sense to increase your intake of these foods if you want to keep insulin low.
The '2 fruits and 5 vegetables a day' guideline is a good recommendation to follow.
4. Eat mainly whole foods with the occasional protein shake as a snack only
The human body is designed to eat whole foods. However, since one of the recommendations is to have small, frequently meals, in today's society this can often be difficult.
As a result, it is a good idea to have the occasional protein shake as a snack. They make it easy to have small, frequent meals, provide a good amount of protein and are usually low in carbohydrate and fat.
Be aware of some of the meal replacement shakes that are currently on the market. Many of them are loaded with high glycemic index carbohydrates, contain poor quality sources of protein and are recommended to replace main meals, which is certainly not a sustainable lifestyle option.
5. Drink plenty of water
In order to help your body function at optimum levels and therefore improve its fat-burning ability, it is essential to drink an adequate amount of water each day.
Drinking water is one of the easiest principles to incorporate into your lifestyle in order to assist your weight-loss efforts. However, it does require some planning and preparation. Make an effort to carry a water bottle with you wherever you go.
If you work in an office, keep the bottle on your desk and sip it constantly throughout the day. If you are on the road, invest in a 'fridge bag' or a small esky. This will make it easy to transport your water and meals.
This is such an easy principle to incorporate into your lifestyle. Anyone can drink more water if they simply make a conscious effort to do so and it will certainly help them lose weight faster.
6. Prepare your own meals
Most personal trainers say that if their clients are disciplined enough to prepare their own meals then it is far more likely that they will achieve the results they want.
Think about how many meals you have each week that you don't prepare yourself. These may include eating out at restaurants, dining at a friend's house, going through a drive-through at a fast-food outlet, picking up Chinese or a pizza on the way home or simply throwing one of the frozen dinners in the microwave.
If we assume that we consistently have 5 small meals a day, as we should, then over the period of week we will consume 35 meals. Then, if you can be certain that you're only having 2 or maybe 3 meals that you don't prepare yourself then you'll be fine. If not, consciously make an effort to incorporate this habit into your lifestyle; it will make a massive difference in your weight-loss efforts.
7. Eat 'normal, 'everyday' foods
Eating 'normal', 'everyday' foods seems like a standard recommendation but you would be amazed at how many diets actually make it difficult for you to do this.
Any nutritional plan you intend to follow must recommend foods that are easy to obtain, easy to prepare, foods that you currently eat and enjoy, the same as your family eats, foods that provide good nutrition to your body and a good variety of foods to ensure you provide your body with as many nutrients as possible.
This means you will be able to follow this nutritional plan for the rest of your life and therefore will be able to maintain your results once you achieve them.
Overall, if you incorporate the top 7 Nutritional Principles into your lifestyle you will be able to easily lose all the weight you want, achieve the body of your dreams and best of all, be able to maintain the results for the rest of your life.
Stephen Smith is the part-owner of Body Concepts, an Australian supplement company, and Focus On, a health and lifestyle magazine. Stephen has been involved in the health and fitness industry for over 18 years and after completing a science degree from the University of Western Australia, spent many years researching the most effective ways to help people lose weight quickly.
In 2004 he published his best-selling book, Look Good Feel Great which explains exactly what people need to do to lose all the weight they want to get in the best shape of their life.
Lots of free articles and interesting weight loss information can be found on his website: http://www.quick-weight-loss-principles.com