By Our ability to lose and maintain weight lies in essential hormones that work for or against us. I won’t lie to you – the road towards controlling your hormones for optimal fat loss isn’t an easy one. Can you get away with eating the foods you love all the time? The answer to that is yes and no. If you are a very disciplined person, your road towards fat loss will be a lot easier. However, for most of us, we may be plagued with hormonal blunders, from negative nutritional choices or perhaps dieting for far too long. All of these can, and more than likely will negatively impact your ability to lose weight. But that’s not to say that this will be a problem for good. It will take some time, lots of patience and a little bit of experimentation – but it’s all completely worth it!
One: eliminate high glycemic carbs
After you consume a meal with fast-digesting carbs, your blood sugar levels might skyrocket. This environment ensures your body will start storing glucose in the muscle tissues – and more than likely, in the fat cells. If this happens consistently, you have a high chance of developing diabetes, becoming obese and developing the onset of many other health issues. Make it one of your priorities to say no to the following high glycemic carbs:
- Pastries
- Cakes
- white bread, rice and cereals
- Potatoes
- Watermelon and pineapple
You’re probably wondering when you can start having these indulgences – as you should include a cheat meal once a week. However, if you are overweight, I recommend you not indulge in a cheat meal. The best solution is to stick with eliminating these carbs first, and when your body begins to react by losing weight, your insulin levels will become more stable – then you can think about indulgences. Until then, hold off. For those who train at an intense level – in terms of weight lifting or strenuous training for an event, you can get away with eating these carbs (although I would not recommend it) within 2 hours post-training. You are better off eating protein after your workout with a healthier dose of carbs. It will all depend on your body composition and metabolism. Don’t make the mistake of running to a cake store after your workout.
Two: Train effectively.
Training with weights 3-4 times a week and then adding some low impact moderate exercise (such as walking) will help your muscles use more glucose. If you do this consistently, your blood sugar will remain steady, and the insulin in your body will work better. It then trickles into your post-workout phase – which means these effects seem to last after your workout too. If you exercise very hard one day, then follow that with a low impact activity the next day. That will ensure your muscles still get to recover, and you will still allow your blood sugar to stay on a stable level for fat loss.
Three: Don’t overtrain
Training and diet are intertwined in more ways than you can imagine. When you train too much, hormones and chemicals filter through the bloodstream. Chemicals in the bloodstream affect blood sugar levels and impact recovery. When muscles are worn out from training, they will have difficulty up-taking sugar. Blood sugar levels need to remain steady for them to repair and recover from exercise. Keep that in mind when you think that more training is going to help you get there faster.
Four: Pay significant attention to your nutrition.
Nutrition is one of the primary causes of blood sugar fluctuations. Therefore, it’s essential to eat the right foods to balance your daily levels. What we want to avoid is any slumps during that 3 pm slump. I know that many people feel the need to add something sweet to increase their energy levels. However, the better alternative is eating well throughout the day, so you won’t ever become plagued with debilitatingly low blood sugar levels. Eat more of the following foods as often as possible• Broccoli• Seafood• Nuts• Flax seeds• Sauerkraut• Kale• Berries
BIG Bonus: Intermittent fasting
Fasting helped me regulate my blood sugar levels – without sacrificing too many foods I love. Sure enough, I don’t eat junk food as I would prefer to look after my health – but I don’t feel guilty when eating a cheat meal any more. The reaction to carbs is minimal at best. Food doesn’t affect my blood sugar levels anymore due to my daily, consistent fasting regime. The main reason it works so well is that you are not eating throughout the day. That’s how the body can start using fat sources for energy. If you don’t mind abstaining from food and fast-tracking your way to weight loss success, then give fasting a try. Making optimal food and exercise choices will help you stay disease-free and maintain weight loss. Several other things can halt our progress, such as stress and genetics – but the most crucial factor you can start on right now is nutrition. Taking control of one aspect at a time will lead you towards a more successful weight loss and maintenance pathway. Remember to change one thing and allow it to take as long as it needs to. Our bodies respond during different phases of the process. So stick with the course, keep trying and exercise consistently every single day