The Top 10 Ways To Eat Less, Lose 10-20 Pounds Yearly And Still Feel Satisfied! Planet Shark Guest Post!

Planet Shark Fitness’ S. Hughes returns with a guest post for us on how to plan what you should be eating if you are trying to lose weight- thus consuming the proper nutients an calories to keep you healthy and fit- while losing weight!

No matter how many health and fitness professionals you ask and for every article you read, you’ll get a different opinion as to the best ratio of carbs, protein and fats for weight loss. For instance, while the USDA guidelines for these macronutrients are 45-55% carbs, 10-35% protein and 20-30% fat, many bodybuilders recommend intakes of at least 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight and adhere to relatively low carb, low fat diets. Weight Watchers, on the other hand, whose program is based upon ‘points’ (as opposed to counting percentages), nonetheless agrees with the USDA according to their web site.
Eating less doesn’t mean starving yourself and feeling deprived. To the contrary, by averaging a mere 100 calorie daily deficit – without changing anything else you do – you’ll automatically (and painlessly) lose 10 lbs. a year. Similarly, if you’re looking to lose 20 lbs. a year – without even realizing you’re cutting back – simply average a 200 daily calorie deficit. While it can be equally effective to achieve such caloric deficits via moderate exercise, the purpose of this post is to teach you 10 easy ways to do it via your nutritional program.

1. GET YOUR FIBER GAME ON

Fiber is so filling and slow-digesting that by consuming fiber-rich meals and snacks you simply won’t be able to eat as much at any given time – all while feeling totally satisfied. Give it a test-run by swapping out your white rice or pasta with quinoa, bulgur, barley, etc. or replacing your favorite sandwich bread with a low carb high fiber tortilla and see for yourself how full you get – fast!

2. AMP UP YOUR HYDRATION

Many people mistake thirst for hunger and if this might even possibly be you, then it’s time to hydrate pronto! Shoot for at least 1 oz of water per pound of lean body mass daily. If the mere thought of this makes you feel like you’ll be imbibing Niagra Falls, then start slowly and work up to it. While green tea and other clear liquids rate well on the ‘hydration hierarchy,’ nothing beats good old-fashioned water. As an added bonus, by drinking more water you’ll retain less and automatically drop a few pounds of water weight plus lose the dreaded ‘bloat.’

3. EAT MORE OFTEN

Because digestion raises your metabolism 30%, eating more frequently boosts it significantly – especially over time. You’ll also be less likely to over-eat and cravings will become a distant memory once you no longer feel deprived or are in ‘starvation-mode.’ To get your “metabolism party” started, shoot for 5-6 mini-meals daily and never allow yourself to get so hungry that you undermine your metabolism.

4. PREPARE YOUR OWN FOOD
Restaurant portions are not only typically at least twice the size of home-cooked meals, they’re often accompanied by enticing bread baskets, pats of butter, chips and salsa, etc. To make matters worse, since restaurants add lots of salt, sugar and fats to their offerings in the name of ‘taste,’ you end up eating a bunch of extra hidden calories. You’re also much more likely to be tempted to have an appetizer and/or dessert at a restaurant than at home. Best bet: Prepare your own meals whenever possible.

5. USE TINY UTENSILS
While we’ve all heard about the merits of using smaller plates to trick the brain into thinking we’re eating more than we are, my favorite way to slow down the rate at which I devour something is to use a cocktail fork, baby spoon, or chop sticks. Granted, this might sound goofy but it WILL slow you down like crazy, giving your body time to realize it’s full. Use smaller plates (salad plates) too.
(Just make sure to try this at home and not on a 1st date as 1st dates are goofy enough without your chop-sticking your Tiramisu!).

6. CONSUME MORE PROTEIN

Much like fiber, protein is both very filling and slow-digesting. It is also a primary muscle-builder that helps you gain highly coveted metabolism-boosting muscle while ensuring you lose more unwanted fat. Precisely how much protein you need depends on several variables, but as a general rule, your body requires at least 1 gram per pound of lean body mass. Best bet: Assuming you’re eating 5-6 mini-meals daily as noted in #3, make sure each one includes 20 grams of protein (and adjust if necessary).

7. MAKE NO FOOD OR FOOD GROUP OFF LIMITS

Once you decide any food or food group is ‘off limits’ it becomes even more appealing than ever. Consequently, when you categorize certain foods as such, you set yourself up for failure. Instead, embrace the foods you love while making the commitment to enjoy them periodically. If professional fitness models, bikini competitors and bodybuilders can have ‘cheats meals’ and look fabulous, so can you. It’s all about moderation and balance.

8. EMBRACE HEALTHY FATS

Avoiding healthy fats is one of the greatist disservices you can do to your body because they’re not only required on a cellular level, they make you full – not fat. What does lead to excess fat is either consuming more calories than you burn and/or eating too much processed junk in the name of ‘food.’ Meanwhile, enjoying small amounts of healthy fats at every mini-meal helps you to feel full longer and eat a lot less in the long run. Some excellent sources include olive oil, avocados, flax, nuts and seeds.

9. LIMIT SIMPLE CARBS

Complex Carbs

In the simplest terms, simple carbs wreak havoc on your insulin levels setting you up for cravings, excess abdominal fat, diabetes and a host of other health problems. The insulin spike they produce adversely affects your blood sugar and leads to a crash and burn which in turn makes you crave them even more. Since they also leave you feeling hungry an hour or so after consuming them, you ultimately over-eat yet never feel truly satisfied. While again, I never advise giving up an entire food group, limiting simple carbs is a must if you’re serious about achieving your goals and avoiding this perpetual conundrum.

10. EAT JUST BEFORE BED TIME

Yes, you read that right: Always eat just prior to bed-time! Contrary to popular belief, eating late at night does NOT lead to weight gain if you consume the right stuff. The main reasons this works is that it fuels your metabolism, aids in muscle repair, and prevents your body from going into starvation mode which leads to a decreased metabolism and excess fat. You’ll also wake up ready for a healthy breakfast because your insulin levels are in check. Best bets for your midnight snack: low-fat cottage cheese, greek yogurt, egg white scrambles, a hand full of almonds and other slow-digesting proteins.

So there you have it. My top ten tips to eat less, lose 10-20 pounds a year, and always feel satisfied instead of deprived. Even if you don’t embrace all of these ideas, by implementing those that most resonate with you, you can still average a 100- 200 daily calorie deficit and painlessly lose weight – plus keep it off!

As always, I thank you for reading this and welcome your feedback plus any additional tips you have to offer on the subject.

Yours in fitness and health,
Sally
http://planetshark.wix.com/planet-shark-fitness
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Thanks to Planet Shark Fitness’ Sally Hughes for such great 411. Particularly since we have just finished Halloween and looking at Thanksgiving, now is the time to eat better, wiser, and do something good for your body and yourself. ( Like the Paleta Post!)

Feel free to ping her. I do- and she always tips me off to the best advice– and it really works!

Stevie Wilson,
LA-Story.com

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