Losing weight can be daunting. Social media is swimming with gimmicky diets, weight loss drugs and contraptions that promise quick fix miracles. It can feel overwhelming weeding out good information from the bad and there is a lot of nonsense out there resulting in weight loss but mostly loss in muscle mass. This loss of lean muscle leads to weaker bodies, wrinkly skin, as well as health issues including a dysfunctional metabolism, weakened immune systems and more. Our bodies are pretty efficient at storing fat and losing muscle but the good news is there are tips proven to help with fat loss while maintaining or even building muscle! Let's jump into it..
1. Eat at home
People are eating out or ordering in more than ever before. The problem is that restaurants cook their foods in excessive amounts of butter and oil - most often with cheeper seed oils which are inflammatory and associated with heart disease, cancer, dementia and other health issues. They also add large amounts of added sugar and fat. All of which add excess calories and that is a deal breaker for weight loss. To develop the habit of eating at home, one must set up a routine of shopping for groceries and prepping foods (chicken, steak, hardboiled eggs, slow cooked chili, soups or stews, chopped veggies). Having a few go-to meals on rotation helps to eliminate the stress of what to make.
2. Prioritize protein at every meal
Eating adequate protein is one of the best ways to help curb cravings. At least 30 grams of protein at each meal is essential for stimulating muscle-protein synthesis and maintaining lean muscle mass. It is recommended to consume 1 gram of protein per pound of ideal body weight daily. So if you weigh140 pounds and want to maintain that weight, aim for 35 grams of protein at breakfast, lunch and dinner and add another 35 grams of protein in between meals as a snack ie. shake, greek yogurt or cottage cheese. Play with the math!
3. Journal food and portion sizes for 1-2 weeks
It's easy to overlook how many calories people consume because they never measure portions. Even healthy foods like avocado, nuts or olive oil are calorically dense and can add way more calories than needed. A digital food scale is one of the best investments and you can find an inexpensive one on Amazon. Just measuring portion sizes for 1-2 weeks helps you to better understand how much to put on your plate. Knowing that you are journaling every bite you eat or everything you drink will also help bring more awareness to mindless eating.
4. Get Quality Sleep
Sleep and circadian rhythm impacts every single process in the body. We are hardwired to sleep from about 10pm-6am. Yes, that's 8 hours. Quality sleep is essential for supporting muscular, hormonal and metabolic health. Sleep deprivation on the other hand, can affect your hunger hormones: increasing ghrelin which increases hunger and decreasing leptin which decreases appetite. It can also contribute to systemic inflammation over time which can cause breakdown of muscle and prevent the growth of new muscle. Getting a sleep tracker like the Oura ring is helpful for improving sleep.
5. Ditch Processed Foods
These foods are the least satiating and the most calorie dense foods you can eat. They have little to no protein and fiber combined with high levels of sugar, starch and oils and often lead to overeating, consuming too many calories, a spike in insulin and weight gain..and did I mention cravings for more? Not good!
6. Lift heavy and often
In weight loss mode, losing some lean muscle is unavoidable but resistance training can maintain and build lean muscle. Training 3-4 times a week and applying intelligent progressive overload is key. Research shows that 75% of our muscle mass is related to strength training and 25% is from diet. Therefore weight training is a must if you want to be successful losing weight but not muscle. It's important to note that muscle weighs more than fat so monitoring the scale can give you a false read on your body composition status. Getting a dexa scan is an informative way to get your baseline and monitor your progress.
7. Energy Out must Exceed Energy In
You must be in a calorie deficit to lose weight, primarily fat. To lose 1 lb of fat, you need to reduce calories by 3,500 so if you aim for losing 1 lb per week, that's reducing your caloric intake by 500 per day. Find those hidden calories that don't provide much nutrition and eliminate them - sauces, dressings, sodas, alcohol.
8. Don't Overdo Cardio
There is a common misconception that high intensity cardio will melt the fat away. Yes you will burn calories but you will also zap your energy for resistance training, possibly drain your adrenals and increase hunger which can lead to excessive calories. That being said, low end cardio, Zone 2 is beneficial without overdoing it. 2-4 hours per week is good. The intensity is where you are heavy breathing but able to carry on a conversation. A sedentary lifestyle leads to heart disease, diabetes, breast and colon cancers. Walking is a powerful tool for blood sugar control and weight loss. Studies show that shorter walks more frequently throughout the day are more beneficial than 1 super long walk. You will find more success losing weight with diet but strength and muscles with strength training.
9. Manage Stress
Prolonged stress affects sleep and causes inflammation which affects the vagus nerve, impairing digestion, absorption and metabolism making it difficult to lose weight, not to mention can lead to stress eating (not eating from hunger). Having tools to draw from like meditation, exercise, deep breathing are ways to manage stress.
10. Establish a Sustainable Routine that Adheres to all the Above
Getting into a sustainable groove with these healthy habits is a winning recipe for success. Just give it some time, after all, it took some time to gain weight, it's going to take some time, maybe longer to take it off right and keep it off.
To learn more or find support with your journey, contact me at jensnyderwellness@icloud.com.
Interesting and informative. Picked up some good tips. Thanks Jen!