Episode 175: 10 Tips to Lose Weight Without Tracking Your Food - Part 2
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Summary
So you want to lose weight but you're sick of having to pull out an app or calculator every time you want to take a bite of something tasty.
I hear you. That's why I wanted to load up your tool kit with incredibly effective, science-back strategies to help you reach your weight loss goals without tracking a damn thing.
Last week we got into the first 5 habits to implement, so don't forget to start there.
Already listened? Then you're ready to move on to our second batch of tips and tricks!
6. Always plate your food.
It's so easy to think, 'it's just a bite, that doesn't count' or 'I didn't have that many chips' as you mindlessly reach for another handful. But eating out of the pan or package is a quick way to eat way more than you need without ever even realizing it, and then being shocked when the scale doesn't budge.
By plating your food you're building awareness around portion sizes, you're forcing yourself to check in with your fullness level when the plate is empty, and you're able to be more intentional about your macro ratios (for example, filling half your plate with veggies, a quarter with protein and fat, and a quarter with starchier carbs).
7. Get at least 7 hours of sleep.
Did you know: "inadequate sleep is one of the strongest risk factors for obesity. One study showed that short sleep duration raised the risk by 89% in children and 55% in adults." -Healthline
How? Sleep has a massive impact on our subconscious eating behaviors the next day.
When you're not getting enough shut eye your body is less equipped to effectively balance blood sugar, your cravings for sweets and processed carbs go through the roof (hello quick energy), and your hunger hormones increase causing you to eat more.
"When researchers compared people allowed to sleep as much as they wished with those who slept just two-thirds of their normal time, they found that sleep deprivation was linked to eating more calories.
'When people were sleep deprived, they ate an extra 549 calories per day,' says researcher Andrew Calvin, MD, MPH, a fellow in cardiovascular disease and assistant professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic, Rochester. Over a week's time, that could add up to a pound of weight gain." -Web MD
Note: 1 hour of sleep before midnight is equivalent to 2 hours of sleep after midnight, so get to bed early!
8. Add more joy into your day.
This comes down to primary versus secondary foods. Our primary foods are regular physical movement, positive relationships, fulfilling work, spiritual connection of some kind, personal passions, non-dietary self care, playfulness, creativity, and fun.
And when we are missing those primary foods in our life, we will turn to secondary foods (ie the food we eat) to fill those voids.
I always say, if food is your main source of joy in your day, you don't need another diet, you need more joy.
Think about it this way, we need those primary foods as much as we need the air we breath. And when we don't get enough air...we gasp. Constantly reaching for food for comfort is our version of gasping, trying to pull in any form of happiness possible.
9. Feed your good gut bugs.
Our gut microbiome (the make up of bugs in our gut) impacts virtually every facet of weight loss.
- It affects our mood and motivation since 90% of serotonin is produced in our gut.
- Our gut bugs have the ability to cause strong food cravings and change our taste buds.
- It greatly impacts our energy (and therefore our will to workout and meal prep).
- It affects our metabolism - there are multiple studies showing mice and/or humans changing their gut microbiome via fecal transplant, and despite eating the same foods, either drastically losing or gaining weight.
- It impacts our blood sugar response to food.
- It can raise or lower our inflammation levels depending on the health of the gut and the balance of good/bad bacteria.
- And it directly affects our hunger and satiety hormones.
"If you give two people an amount of bread or lentils at lunch that had the same number of calories, you will of course see less of a blood sugar spike with the lentils. No surprise. But then these two people both have white bread for dinner, and you'll still see less of a sugar spike in the person who had lentils for lunch.
We now understand that this happens because the bacteria that we empowered at lunch are working their SCFA (short chain fatty acid) magic to protect us at dinner.
SCFA's also lower cholesterol by having direct control over the critical enzyme in cholesterol formation and by increasing excretion of cholesterol in bile.
Further, SCFA's directly activate a receptor in fat cells that decreases fatty acid uptake and therefore suppresses fat accumulation... Additionally, SCFA's promote the release of satiety hormones that tell you when you've had enough." -Fiber Fueled
Not sure how to support your gut health for weight loss? That's exactly what I teach in my Follow Your Gut Program! We're currently in early bird enrollment for the November round (hello discount!), click here for more details and to apply!
10. Stop going out to eat so often.
I hate to say it, but if you want to lose weight, especially without tracking your food, eating out regularly is going to make it exponentially harder.
Why?
Because the average restaurant meal in America is 1200 calories.
The portions at restaurants are astronomical.
You have very little control over how things are prepared (and they're often prepared with more dairy, sugar, and oil than you would ever use at home).
There's usually a social pressure involved that leads you to eat more (hello appetizers, drinks, dinner, and dessert).
And frankly, I've rarely met someone who doesn't use eating out as a reason to 'splurge'.
Plus, we drastically underestimate how many calories are in restaurant meals.
The newporter salad at R & D Kitchen that everyone thinks is such a healthy options... over 1200 calories.
A side of parmesan fries at Hopdoddy... over 750 calories.
The salmon quinoa bowl at BJ's... almost 800 calories!
So if you needed a sign this is it, put healthy cookbooks on your Christmas list and start making your way towards the kitchen!
Or, click this link to buy my Clean & Lean Online Cooking Class for just $15.99!
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