Cutting calories out of your diet is imperative to losing weight.
You must consume fewer calories than you expend.
We know that one must have a calorie deficit of 500 calories every day to lose a pound of fat at the end of a week.
It is a pretty simple equation in theory.
In reality it is difficult to achieve because your body is trained by evolution to eat more in times of plenty to prepare itself for the times when there isn't food available.
But for most of us food is pretty plentiful and so this lean time never comes and so that balance is never achieved.
Here are some tips on how to fight the evolutionary imperative to eat more just because food is available.
1.
Have a Small Snack Before Dinner My Grandmother used to harp about me spoiling my dinner by having something beforehand, but it turns out this can actually be a good thing..
depending on what it is of course.
She was probably right that eating cookies before dinner was not the best idea.
Ghrelin is the hormone that starts your stomach rumbling and tells you that you are hungry.
The "Feed Me!" demon, if you will.
And it takes around 30 minutes for this hormone to subside and you to realize that you are full.
So if you have a small handful of nuts (I love almonds) about 30 minutes before dinner your hunger will be subsiding by the time you begin your actual meal.
2.
Avoid Soft Drifts with Meals Liquid calories are one of the first places anyone on a diet should make cuts.
For some people who drink a lot of cola this can actually be a substantial dietary change just in itself.
The high fructose corn syrup (a sugar in soda) interferes with the hormone (leptin) that tells your body you have stored enough energy from your meal to stop eating.
So with that signal delayed by the soda you eat more.
Sodas also pack a huge number of calories by themselves.
There are a 400 calories in a 32-ounce "extra-large" Coke, which is almost a quarter of what the average adult woman needs in a whole day.
3.
Feel Full Longer by Eating Fiber When you eat a meal high in fiber the ileum (a section of the small bowel) can squeeze and slow down the rate at which food moves through the intestines.
As a result you get a slow, but steady supply of fuel.
You feel full much longer and avoid those crashes that sometimes trigger a snack binge.
Some high fiber foods include whole grains, berries, apples with skin, oranges, avocados, broccoli, spinach, many beans, and certain nuts (those almonds again!), etc.
4.
Eat With Awareness Mindfulness is a great thing to practice in every aspect of your life, but it is especially important at meal time.
How many meals do you eat while on the phone, in the car, or sprawled in front of the tv? More than we care to admit, I am sure.
In consuming food in this way we have no idea what we are eating.
Being mindful of what you eat means cutting out those distractions.
Eat at a table, turn off the tv, etc.
Not only will this make the meal more emotionally satisfying (you might take the time to strike up a conversation with your table companion) but in taking time to eat and being aware of what you are eating you will give those pesky ghrelin levels time to come down and for your body to realize its full on less food.
5.
Build More Muscle! I'm not sure I'll ever be able to say this enough.
Sure everyone probably knows that muscle burns more calories than fat, but how about TWELVE (12) times more! That is a pretty hefty difference and explains why adding just a tiny bit of muscle to your frame can have such a positive benefit (one of many physical benefits of weight training for women not to mention the psychological benefits too) on your overall shape and is why adding some muscle can actually make a lot of women smaller.
You must consume fewer calories than you expend.
We know that one must have a calorie deficit of 500 calories every day to lose a pound of fat at the end of a week.
It is a pretty simple equation in theory.
In reality it is difficult to achieve because your body is trained by evolution to eat more in times of plenty to prepare itself for the times when there isn't food available.
But for most of us food is pretty plentiful and so this lean time never comes and so that balance is never achieved.
Here are some tips on how to fight the evolutionary imperative to eat more just because food is available.
1.
Have a Small Snack Before Dinner My Grandmother used to harp about me spoiling my dinner by having something beforehand, but it turns out this can actually be a good thing..
depending on what it is of course.
She was probably right that eating cookies before dinner was not the best idea.
Ghrelin is the hormone that starts your stomach rumbling and tells you that you are hungry.
The "Feed Me!" demon, if you will.
And it takes around 30 minutes for this hormone to subside and you to realize that you are full.
So if you have a small handful of nuts (I love almonds) about 30 minutes before dinner your hunger will be subsiding by the time you begin your actual meal.
2.
Avoid Soft Drifts with Meals Liquid calories are one of the first places anyone on a diet should make cuts.
For some people who drink a lot of cola this can actually be a substantial dietary change just in itself.
The high fructose corn syrup (a sugar in soda) interferes with the hormone (leptin) that tells your body you have stored enough energy from your meal to stop eating.
So with that signal delayed by the soda you eat more.
Sodas also pack a huge number of calories by themselves.
There are a 400 calories in a 32-ounce "extra-large" Coke, which is almost a quarter of what the average adult woman needs in a whole day.
3.
Feel Full Longer by Eating Fiber When you eat a meal high in fiber the ileum (a section of the small bowel) can squeeze and slow down the rate at which food moves through the intestines.
As a result you get a slow, but steady supply of fuel.
You feel full much longer and avoid those crashes that sometimes trigger a snack binge.
Some high fiber foods include whole grains, berries, apples with skin, oranges, avocados, broccoli, spinach, many beans, and certain nuts (those almonds again!), etc.
4.
Eat With Awareness Mindfulness is a great thing to practice in every aspect of your life, but it is especially important at meal time.
How many meals do you eat while on the phone, in the car, or sprawled in front of the tv? More than we care to admit, I am sure.
In consuming food in this way we have no idea what we are eating.
Being mindful of what you eat means cutting out those distractions.
Eat at a table, turn off the tv, etc.
Not only will this make the meal more emotionally satisfying (you might take the time to strike up a conversation with your table companion) but in taking time to eat and being aware of what you are eating you will give those pesky ghrelin levels time to come down and for your body to realize its full on less food.
5.
Build More Muscle! I'm not sure I'll ever be able to say this enough.
Sure everyone probably knows that muscle burns more calories than fat, but how about TWELVE (12) times more! That is a pretty hefty difference and explains why adding just a tiny bit of muscle to your frame can have such a positive benefit (one of many physical benefits of weight training for women not to mention the psychological benefits too) on your overall shape and is why adding some muscle can actually make a lot of women smaller.
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