1. Don’t drive yourself nuts wondering how to reduce body fat while you’re running away from cravings
I am not saying pig out on junk food every time the thought pops into your head but on those occasions where you just can’t function because you are dreaming of that Mars Bar you so desperately think you need then by all means buy one, eat it and get the craving out the way so you can get on with life.
2. Work with your hunger pains
Many folk seem to think they are gaining results from suffering away listening to their tummies rumbling, feeling sick and dizzy from not eating, convincing themselves that they must be losing tonnes of body fat. WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!
By causing your body to starve you are actually encouraging your body to store the food you do consume as well as slowing down your metabolism – this is not how to reduce body fat.
Take note of the time you are hungry and plan your meals so you have something on hand. Remember if you’re training regularly you should be eating up to 5-6 nutritious meals per day – all of which should contain a lean source of protein.
3. Do you have fat phobia?
Do you avoid meat, eggs, dairy and any thing else that you think might have fat? If you do then you’re going to have to smarten up because it may cause you more grief and could deter those much wanted fat loss results.
Lean red meat and poultry, fish, egg whites, whole eggs, low calorie dairy (not the ones with crappy sugar in them) and greek yoghurt can play a major role in assisting with providing your body the “goods” it needs to build strong healthy muscles.
As for junk food well there is nothing wrong with having a cheat meal once in a while, in fact it can help boost your metabolism by shocking it! Just don’t go over the top with it… In other words, that doesn’t give you the green light to play “cookie monster” at the next all-you-can-eat buffet!
How to reduce body fat… more cool tips
4. Using veggies and salad to your advantage
Rather than filling up on rice, pasta, potato and bread for all your meals take advantage of the great recipes and the variety that veggies and salads offer. Not only do they fill you up but they don’t rely on as much flavoring to make them taste good. PLUS they don’t have any where near as many calories.
Your evening meal is a perfect example. Due to our lack of activity in the evenings, consuming lighter meals with less calories is a better fat loss option than consuming heavy rice and pasta dishes, especially when all you are going to be doing is taking it easy and sleeping.
5. Drink lots of water!
To keep you hydrated and feeling re-freshed.
6. Have fun with your protein intake.
If you battle with consuming enough protein then find a protein powder such as Prograde (or if you prefer a vegetarian option you can go with organic pea protein powders like Vital Protein ) that you enjoy the taste of. Most protein powders have different flavors as well.
You also have the option of mixing vanilla protein powder with yogurt, fruit, and other natural low GI food sources to help make them more enticing. Trying to reduce body fat is a little easier when you feel like you have more options to prevent boredom with your eating plan.
7. Battling with Calorie reduction?
Why not cycle your calorie intake? As most of you know reducing your calories by 15 % can help break plateaus …. but then what do you do when your body gets used to that?
Say for example you’re consuming 1900 calories per day. You’ve completed the above option of reducing your daily calorie intake by 15% which equals 1615 calories per day. You can then mix it up a little…
Decrease your calorie intake by 10% (1900 – 10% = 1710 calories per day). Then ” up” your calorie intake by 5% (1900 + 5% = 1995 calories per day) and so on – get my drift? Keep your body guessing while also stimulating your metabolism. Some people alter it on a weekly basis some every few days… go with what works best for you. Throw this into your eating plan once in a while to clean out the cobwebs.
8. Keep your portion sizes simple
If you use “gram portions” with your meals and find that your eating program falls by the wayside because you don’t have time to weigh your food etc then use “portions sizes or comparisons” to quickly calculate the size of your meals.
A deck of cards is a great way to gauge a portion size. Find something on hand that is close to the size of the amount of food you require for your portions so you can have it handy and compare it. It’s faster and helps the reduce the hassle of preparing meals.
9. Add variety to your meals
Not long ago I wrote an article on “spicing up”. your food. Why not introduce new Indian, Italian, Mexican and Asian healthy dishes into your eating program to help keep those taste buds happy. And so you’re not smacking your head against the wall falling back into the same pit falls, feeling frustrated with how you’re going to reduce body fat.
10. FRIENDS AND FOOD
You may think that this is old fashioned – but it works and it’s fun.
Why not have a “bring and share” food bash. Have everyone bring over their favorite low GI / low calorie / healthy casserole / dish / salad / whatever. Socialize with your food and make it fun. You will be surprised at just how many wonderful healthy cooking ideas can arise from a bring & share dinner.
Happy healthy eating folks,
Yours in fun, health and fitness
© Mandy Gibbons
Virtual Fitness Trainer
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