3 Powerful Weight Loss Hacks
It’s time to break free from the dieting mentality. It’s time to put a stop to the constant struggle of feeling uncomfortable in your own skin. And it’s definitely time to quit beating yourself up over the reflection in the mirror!
Now is the time to embrace the beautiful and unique body you were given, because it’s the only one you have! Whether your weight loss journey is just beginning or you have just 10 more pounds to lose, these 3 powerful weight loss hacks might be just what you needed! Diets and quick-fixes may deliver results short term, but adapting a healthy lifestyle guarantees lasting results! Keeping the weight off comes down to how you live your life, the habits you create, and the choices you make on a daily basis. Let’s take a look at the KEY contributing factors of successful weight loss. Here are the 3 powerful weight loss hacks:
HACK #1: BOOST THE FIBRE- Fibre is your new best friend! Aim for a goal of 40g of fibre daily. Did you know that for every 1g of fibre you eat, your body burns 7 calories. That means that by eating 40g of fibre daily your body will be eliminating 280 calories (40g X 7cals). That amounts to 1,960 calories a week and 7,840 calories a month!
Additionally, fibre helps promote regular bowel movements which are not only crucial for weight loss but also overall well-being. It is ideal to have 1-3 bowel movements a day, anything less than that may cause toxins in your colon to recirculate in the body.
So where do you get your fibre from?.. Plants! Fibre is abundant in plant foods; fruits, vegetables, nuts/seeds, legumes, and whole grains. It is important to note that animal foods (meat, poultry, seafood, dairy) are void of fibre and therefore have a very slow transition time through your digestive tract, leading to constipation and indigestion.
Fibre is also food for the good bacteria in our gut which helps them to thrive. When the good intestinal bacteria outweighs the bad bacteria, the individual will reap the benefits of better digestion and a naturally slimmer body composition. On the other hand, refined sugar (candy, pastries, white flour, treats, desserts) feeds the bad intestinal bacteria which promotes inflammation and weight gain. It is best to increase your fibre intake gradually in order to allow your digestive system to adapt well.
Fibre boosters to add to your food: Chia seeds, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, psyllium husks, acacia fibre, hemp seeds
HACK #2: STRESS MANAGEMENT- Chronic stress inhibits the body’s ability to burn fat. Weight loss is not just about what you eat but also about how you feel! What would you rate your stress from 1 (low) to 10 (high)? If it’s anything above 5 then stress is most likely interfering with your weight loss goals.
Stress is a natural part of life which helps us to cope with change, but when stress becomes chronic it can become destructive to our overall health. High cortisol levels (stress hormone) promotes fat storage in the body. Physiologically speaking, when the body is in a state of high stress, its first concern is survival and its last concern is fat loss. So let’s turn that around by making stress management a priority.
Proper sleep plays a huge role in the body’s ability to better managing stress. Getting enough sleep also helps to suppress the hunger hormone ghrelin and thus prevents you from over eating. It is ideal to get 7-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep every night. Check out ‘The Ultimate Stress Guide’ for more tips on how to handle stress effectively!
HACK #3: INTERMITTENT FASTING- The practice of fasting has been around for as far back as the biblical times and it is still used today as a method of cleansing the body. Let’s make something clear, intermittent fasting is not a prolonged fast but rather a scheduled eating pattern. Out of the 24 hours in a day, it allows for an 8 hour feeding window and a 16 hour fasting period. By doing so, the body facilitates the breakdown of fat by increasing its metabolic rate (1).
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are consumed within 8 hours of the day. No meals should be skipped or reduced in portion size. Make sure to reach your 40g of fibre intake, along with adequate protein, fat, and carbohydrates. During the 16 hour fasting period refrain from any caloric intake and allow only water, black coffee, and herbal tea to be consumed during this time.
It is completely up to you to choose your feeding/fasting schedule. For example, you could choose a feeding window of 10am-6pm, 11am-7pm, 12-8pm, 1-9pm, or what ever works best with your schedule. Your fasting period will therefore be the remaining 16 hours and that includes the hours you are asleep.
There are many benefits associated with intermittent fasting aside from optimal fat loss. Some of these include:
~cellular repair (when the body is not busy digesting, it is busy repairing) (2)
~may help prevent type 2 diabetes (3)
~may help reduce inflammation in the body (4)
~may help prevent premature cognitive decline and aid in the growth of new brain cells (5)
*It is important to note that intermittent fasting may not be appropriate for everyone. If you are pregnant, breast feeding, elderly, underweight, or have a history of eating disorders it is best to refrain from fasting.