WHAT ARE THE FOODS YOU SHOULD AVOID ON YOUR FAT LOSS JOURNEY?
Well, the answer is: THE FOODS THAT YOU DO NOT LIKE TO EAT. Hell yeah, it’s that simple!
To put things into perspective, understand this: THERE ARE NO BAD FOODS, ONLY BAD DIETS.
Let me be honest with you. When I started my fitness journey, I was told (or rather, influenced) by many self-proclaimed gurus that I must cut down my carb intake to lose weight. And what started was a year-long sabbatical from eating all the foods that made me feel ‘okay’ or ‘good’. 365 days of penance for being overweight and ruining my relationship with food (read carbs) for a long time.
WHY DO DIETS FAIL?
Most people who either fail at losing weight, or fail at keeping the lost weight off, adopt a very rigid and restrictive method of dieting. Remember this… No food inherently makes you fat. It is your relationship with the food and the quantity consumed that causes weight gain.
For long-term success, it’s always better to include the foods that you like to eat in your diet, because adherence & consistency comes when you enjoy what you are eating.
MAKING ‘SCIENCE’ OF THINGS:
Fundamentally, to lose or gain weight, what matters is the difference between how many calories you consume through food versus how many calories you burn throughout the day.
- If you eat more calories than how much you burn, you will gain weight.
- If you eat fewer calories than how much you burn, you will lose weight.
- If you eat and burn the same number of calories, you will maintain your weight.
That’s it. This is all you need to know to manipulate your body weight.
THE GOOD NEWS & THE BAD NEWS
You could eat whatever you wish to eat under the sun, and still lose weight, if you consume fewer calories and burn more. But it’s not the end of the story.
You could literally live on pizzas and cupcakes and lose weight, but you would also lose health in the process, as you have failed to meet the nutritional needs of your body.
Food is medicine and eating the right way can enhance your health, body composition, mood, consciousness, and more. Having the right balance of protein, carbs, fats, fibre, vitamins, and minerals is key to the seamless functioning of your system.
As a thumb rule, 80% of what you consume should address the vital requirements of your body (basically nourishment), and 20% (if you wish) could be the foods that you enjoy. This is a healthy way to approach your diet, taking care of what your body needs and allowing room daily for what your mind wants. A win-win!
A FEW TIPS FOR YOU
- Do not overcomplicate dieting by completely restricting foods that you like. Practice the 80-20 rule. You will be amazed at how easy it would be, to stick to the diet for the long term, without compromising your results.
- Eat enough protein & veggies throughout the day. As a thumb rule, eat anywhere between 20-30 grams of protein per meal, spread across 3-4 meals per day, and have one portion of vegetables in every meal.
- Eat your fruits… Sometimes, they really help you curb any unwanted sweet cravings, which could eventually lead to binge eating.
- Exercise regularly, it’s the best medicine that’s seldom spoken about.
- Sleep well every night. If there’s one thing that’s the most overlooked, but at the same time, is a powerful tool to lose fat and build muscle effectively (if all the above points are addressed well), it’s sleep.
If you do some/ all of the above, you will gradually become consistent with your lifestyle and adherence will never be an issue.