10 STEPS: Eating to Reduce Body Fat… Pain Free!

by Admin
August 15th, 2009
Leave a comment

1. Don’t drive yourself nuts running away from cravings

I am not saying pig out on junk everytime 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 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.

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 will cause you more grief and could deter those much wanted fat loss results.

Lean red meat and poultry, fish, egg whites and low calorie dairy (within reason) play a major role assisting with providing your body with 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.

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 of how this can help you to reduce body fat. 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 shake, bar or meal replacement that you find convenient and the enjoy the taste of. If you get bored with your protein shakes or bars just change the flavors and even brands. Hey – you may as well take advantage of the massive range of exciting new protein options available.
You also have the option of mixing vanilla protein shakes with yogurt and other low calorie dairy products to help make them more enticing. There are loads of protein shake recipes on the net so head to google.com and do a search on them. You will be surprised just how many you find!

7. Battling with Calorie reduction? Mix it up for some variety!

Why not cycle your calorie intake? As most of you know reducing your calories by 15 % can help break that plateau …. 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% = 1890 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 dishes into your eating program to help keep those taste buds happy.

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 calorie / healthy casserole / dish / salad / whatever. Socialize with your food and make it fun. You will be surprised at just how many wonderful how to reduce body fat cooking ideas can arise from a bring & share dinner.

Happy healthy eating folks,

Yours in fun, health and fitness

Persons who are of good health, suspect of their health or are aware of any conditions, physical deficiencies or diseases should always consult a physician before undertaking any eating or exercise program. Mandy Gibbons, Virtual Fitness Trainer, www.virtualfitnesstrainer.com.au and www.virtualfitnesstrainer.com disclaims any liability or loss in connection with the above program or advice given in this article.