Feeling Full on a Diet

When calories are restricted, you want to make damn sure that anything you eat is going to be filling and also have some nutritional value.  If you are trying to get the majority of your calories from processed foods (including processed "health foods") you are going to be hungry all the time, not to mention severely lacking in micro nutrients and minerals.  This is why making proper food choices is so important.  Feeling hungry on a diet is normal, feeling like you might lose your mind if you don't fire a bag of Doritos down hatch is not.  By eating real, whole foods it is infinitely easier to create a sustainable plan. So, what are some easy foods to add into your diet to feel fuller, and give you the will power to walk past McDonalds on your way home from work.

Broccoli - This should be a staple.  Stir fry it, steam it, eat it raw in salads, whatever you choose, it is super filling and is loaded with fiber and nutrients.  

Leafy Greens - The calories from leafy greens are almost negligible, but they can still be quite filling.  Try throwing a big pile of greens onto your stir fry for the last thirty seconds.  They will wilt into the mix and add a lot of volume to a meal without adding much in the way of calories. Another good option is a mixed green salad with some tomatoes, onions, and apple cider vinegar, or balsamic vinegar as the sauce.

Fruit - Fruit is a great choice when dieting because it's a delicious way to load up on vitamins.  A few generations back, people knew that eating several servings of fruit everyday is a must. I know a lot if people that might not get two servings of fruit in a week. When focusing on losing fat be careful though.  The carbs found in fruit are different from those found in vegetables, and starchy sources.  Our body can only process a certain amount, and going over that amount will result in fat storage.  So limit yourself to two or three servings of fruit to avoid messing up your fat loss plan.

Mushrooms - I have fallen in love with mushrooms, and in particular shiitake mushrooms.  These are high volume foods that take on the flavor of what ever they are cooked with, and they have an incredibly low calorie content considering how filling they are.  I throw them into every stir fry I make.

Salsa- I think I could eat industrial sized jugs of salsa and never get sick of it. The beauty of salsa is that it's packed with flavor, but has very few calories. If I don't have time to cook anything special, I'm more than happy to dump salsa on some chicken and chow down.

What am I missing on this list?  What would be your top 5 add-ins when trying to lose fat?  Leave a comment below and let us in on your advice!

Read More

The End of the Beginning

Twelve weeks flew by like nothing.  I actually can't believe that this 12 Week Challenge is done.  I remember when I first started this I had big plans for what my celebration meal. I was going to have a big dirty Pizza Hut feast with some ice cream, and maybe have another foray into cheesecake town.  So, what ended up happening this weekend?  I went to the gym, went out to one of my favorite Taiwanese style stir fry restaurants, and then went out for drinks.  No wild celebration dinner, no gorging, and no cheesecake.

I've had several conversations about whether or not I accomplished what I wanted to accomplish with this 12 Week Challenge.  I think that what I have accomplished is hard to quantify.  I feel like a new man, and it's an unbelievable feeling.  I have developed a new relationship with food, and with my health in general.  Last night I could have gorged on some of my favorite "cheat foods", but really had no desire to.  I ate reasonable amounts of food that I enjoy, and woke up this morning feeling right on track.

On Friday night after I did my weekly weigh in, I was talking to my good friend about the progress I have made over the past two years.  I can remember going to the doctor two years ago for my health check up, and seeing 92 kg come up on the hospital scale.  That's right, 92 kg.  In two years I have lost almost 20 kg!  I hope that you find that hard to believe, because I sure do.  I've talked a lot about finding sustainable ways to be healthy and to get into the shape you want, and I really feel like finding what works for me is my biggest accomplishment.  Over the last twelve weeks I lost 13 lbs, but more importantly, I learned how to manipulate my diet to lose weight, feel better, and not live a completely food-centric life.

What happens now?  I would still like to get a little bit leaner before I begin focusing on building muscle again. Building muscle is easier when your bodyfat is low, and since I am already on the fat burning train, I think I should keep going.  Another month, or two at the most, and I should be ready to start "reverse dieting", which means slowly bringing calories back up after an extended weight loss period.  I am going to continue to track my progress and make regular updates both on here and on facebook.  I really want to thank you for all the support that you've given.  You have no idea how much motivation I have gotten from you clicking "like" on my facebook updates, or leaving comments on the blog.  It has made a world of difference, and I want to thank you once again.  Keep an eye out for more updates, and be sure to let me know if there is anything you have questions about, or would like to learn more about.  I'm not an expert, but I am doing my best to learn as much as I can along the way.  As I said, this is only the end of the beginning!

Read More

What Is This All About?

The other night I went to a party, and got to see a lot of people that I haven't seen for a while (I moved). It was awesome to see everyone again, and I was blown away by how many people have actually been reading this blog, and following my 12 Week Challenge progress. A lot of people had words of encouragement, as well as some really good questions and comments. The question that came up the most was about my goals, and why exactly I am doing this.

Ten weeks ago, the goal was to lose as much fat as possible in twelve weeks. Plain and simple. However, this has evolved into something much more than that. It has turned into a mission to become a healthy, happy person. I've always been the kind of person to dive into something new, and do it furiously for a while. In some cases a long while, in others, not so long.

This challenge, and the knowledge I'm gaining from it, have led me to realize that doing things in spurts is a terrible way to accomplish anything. True success is the result of sustained effort over a long time. Let's say I lose a huge amount of fat over the course of this challenge, but do it by seriously restricting my diet, avoiding social gatherings, and generally being a diet obsessed hermit. What have I accomplished? I would much rather find a way to reach my goals while still living a normal life, and enjoying time with the people I care about.

My goal now is to develop habits to this effect. Simple strategies that make losing weight, and being healthy an integral part of my life, as opposed to something exclusive that is done 12 weeks at a time. Fat loss may be slower, but who cares? This 12 Week Challenge is a "Rest of my Life Challenge" to become, in the words of Elliot Hulse, the strongest version of myself. 

Read More

How to Get Fat Fast

Last week was my birthday, and to celebrate, I feasted. I have eaten only healthy food since I started this 12 Week Challenge, and I was craving something greasy. I wound up sitting behind a table that was loaded with the likes of cheeseburgers, poutine, and nachos. It was glorious, and if there had been any long supressed cravings lurking about, they were taken care of.  Oh, I also polished off a small cheesecake for dessert.

I fasted the entire day leading up to this meal, and decided not to worry about calories, or macros, or choosing healthy food. Just an all out stuff your guts feast.

So, what effect did this have on my fat loss progress? It killed it. The next morning I looked puffy, was 2kg heavier, and felt pretty gross. I realise that the majority of this is just water retention following such a face stuffing, but even after five days of returning to my healthy ways, the residual effects are still there. My waist measurement went up this week, as did my weight.

This is a perfect example of why making healthy food choices is so important. I eat a big filling meal every night. The difference is that it is a big meal of vegetables, meat,.and some rice, not fried cheese, and gravy. I'd say that my birthday dinner was in the range of 3000-3500 calories. There is no way I could eat 3000 calories of healthy food in one sitting. People always talk about how five days of hard work can be undone on the weekend. The truth is it can be undone in one meal.

Lesson learned though. Another important point is that I didn't freak out and cut calories or try to play catch up by running hill sprints every morning this week. I got carried away, but I will catch up by returning to my regular diet and carrying on. When I emphasize sustainability this is what I'm talking about. Sure, I took a step back, but taking three more steps forward is as easy as continuing on as before, and being patient. So that's what I'm doing.  If I do get another craving for some "cheat food", I will be smarter.  The IIFYM approach to dieting can be useful, and in hindsight, that would have been the way to go.

Keep an eye on my progress here and on facebook. If you have anything to share about fat loss, healthy cooking, or exercise be sure to leave a comment. If you feel like showing some support be sure to click like, or share!

Read More

Why I Like Fasting

I started this 12 Week Challenge in the hopes of persuading you to try intermittent fasting.  I have changed my mind.  I don't think that you need to fast.  I do think that giving it a try is a good idea, but I'm not going to tell you that fasting is the only way. There are thousands of perfectly good ways to lose fat.  So,what will make or break your diet?  In my opinion the most important thing is sustainability.  Assuming that you're eating a sensible diet based around whole foods, and that your total caloric intake is where it should be, the only thing left is sticking to the plan for as long as it takes.  It's really that simple.  You just need to keep at it, maybe make some minor adjustments along the way, but eventually you will reach your goals.  If you can't bear to go one more day without breaking from your plan, then something is seriously wrong with your diet.  Losing fat is going to take some discipline and will power, but it shouldn't take every ounce of your strength to stop yourself from giving in to cravings.  Set things up properly so that you don't feel like sticking to your diet is a momentous feat of willpower.

This is where intermittent fasting might come into play.  Personally, fasting makes fat loss easier for me.  Here are a few of the reasons why.

1. It Fits my Lifestyle

I have eaten this way for almost two years now.  Skipping breakfast has never been a struggle for me.  I feel more energetic in the mornings, and don't suffer from the crash that I used to get after breakfast. It's usually mid-afternoon before I even think of eating.  Sometimes, it's much later. I love having big meals in the evening, and I can see myself continuing to eat this way for a long time.

2. Controlling Food Choices and Amounts is Easy

When you only have a couple meals to worry about, it's pretty hard to screw things up. For example, typically in the afternoon I will eat something made with eggs, and then at night have a huge feast of fresh vegetables and some protein.  The actual food choices in terms of what vegetables, what meat, and what seasonings, change from day to day, but the basic plan stays the same. By condensing all your food into one or two meals, it is easier to make good choices because you will want to get the most out of everything you eat.  

3. More Satisfying

I honestly don't know how people on calorie restricted diets can eat small unsubstantial meals, and not go insane.  Being able to eat a mountain of food every night makes life so much better.  Even with strict caloric restriction I feel absolutely stuffed after dinner every night.  And, I mean lay down and pass out stuffed. 

4. The Sacrifice and Reward Instinct

This is the same principle that allows makes controlling food choices easier, I know that for me at least, this is a very real phenomenon.  I can easily go the whole day without eating, if I know that there is a delicious reward waiting at home for me.  Another point worth mentioning, is that if you subscribe to the "If It Fits Your Macros" philosophy, your evening meal could consist of food that is normally considered "dirty" and not allowed on a diet.  A lot of people are drawn to intermittent fasting for this reason alone.

5. Developing a Healthy Relationship with Food

How often are you hungry?  Could you confidently rank your sense of hunger on a scale from one to ten?  Fasting is a good way to get used to feeling a very natural sensation, that we have lost touch with.  We are supposed to be hungry sometimes.  Balance is important.  If you are full all the time, you are probably fat, balance it out by being hungry some of the time.  You won't die, and your hard earned muscle won't melt off your body, as is suggested by many nutrition guru's (read supplement marketers).

6. Science

There is a boatload of scientific evidence that supports intermittent fasting as a way to accelerate fat loss, optimize hormones, improve cognitive ability, promote longevity, prevent degenerative brain disorders, etc.  It's a long list that you can easily look into yourself.  At the end of the day though, how you feel is more important.  If you try intermittent fasting, and feel that you are more alert, or have increased sex drive, then maybe fasting is a good fit for you.  If you try it and feel like garbage, it is a bad fit for you and no amount of scientific proof is going to change that. I put science at the end of the list because, to me, it is far less important than all the other reasons.  Being scientifically sound, and being applicable to everyday life are often a far cry apart.

Take Charge

The best advice is to stop reading about what works for other people, and start spending time discovering what works for you.  Try fasting.  If it works for you, awesome.  If you hate it, awesome.  At least you learned something about your body, and how it wants to be fueled.  Keep experimenting until you find something that works well.   Sustainability should always be your goal.  If you find yourself thinking "I can suffer through this for ...", then you might want to reconsider your approach.  Losing fat is going to be difficult, but it should never be torturous.  Find something you can stick to for a long time, and stick to it.

Be sure to let me know how it works out for you, and if I can help in any way get in touch either by commenting below or contacting me on facebook.

Read More

Booze

Losing fat, and getting in shape is going to require some will power and determination.  But, it doesn't have to come at the expense of your social life.  I like drinking.  Saturday night drinks have been a part of my life for a long time now, and I don't think that getting in shape should require locking yourself in a room for three months. Sustainability is always the most important part of any fat loss plan.  If you find that your diet is truly a huge struggle to follow faithfully, it probably needs some tweaking.  The plan that I have come up with for myself, is a breeze.  I could keep it up indefinitely and not lose my mind. I have had some great success, not at the expense of my sanity or social life either.

You can't go out and have a two day bender every weekend if you seriously want to lose fat. I'm sorry, but you do need to practice some restraint.  You can however, have a good night of partying once every few weeks, and not hamper your progress too much.  The rules of dieting still apply to alcohol.  Obviously alcohol is not a healthy fuel source, so relying on alcohol for energy is not a practical approach. The principle of controlling calories is still the most important part of burning fat though.  With some simple guidelines, you can go out and have a night of fun here and there, without feeling guilty about it.

Martin Berkhan, the creator of  Leangains Intermittent Fasting, wrote an awesome article about alcohol and fat loss here.  The article is pretty heavy on the science, but it is worth reading for those of you who want to understand more about how our bodies deal with alcohol, and about the myths regarding alcohol that are prevalent in the health and fitness community.  The advice I'm going to share, is based on his work, and on my own personal experience.

How to booze it up, and not get fat.

Total calories.  Burn it into your mind.  This is what matter when losing fat.  Alcohol has 7.1 cal/gram.  This means that an average 1oz shot of alcohol has around 60 to 70 cal.  Depending on how you mix your drinks, this means that 10 drinks will be around 700 cal. or more, depending on what you mix with.  Beer has carbs, so the calories vary from 100 cal to 200 cal per bottle depending on the brand.

If you want to drink, but also want to keep your calories in check, the extra calories from alcohol, need to be compensated for by reducing the calories from food. This is in no way good for your health, but I think we all know that drinking is inherently unhealthy anyway. Keep protein high and replace fat and carb calories with alcohol.

Keep fat low

On days where you want to drink, try to keep fat as low as possible.  Eat lean chicken for your protein, and steer clear of higher fat protein sources like beef, pork, and fish.  The problem with fat and alcohol is that eating an excess of calories almost guarantees that any fat you eat will be stored as fat, and a night of drinking will almost always result in eating more than your maintenance calories.

Carbs

As far as carbs go, you can technically use the carbs from whatever you drink, to replace muscle glycogen. So if you drink after training, higher carb drinks like beer are actually acceptable, remembering to pay attention to total calories of course. 

So here is my advice on how to put "diet-drinking" into action.

 Step 1 

Eat your regular amount of protein (1g/lb of bodyweight). 

 Step 2

 Eat as little fat as possible. Eat a huge pile of fibrous veggies, and leafy greens instead. 

 Step 3 

 Choose beer or liquor. If you trained on the day you plan to drink, beer is ok. 

 Step 4 

 Take a look at the calories from the food you have eaten, and figure out how much you can drink without blowing you calorie limit out of the water. 

 Step 5 

 Calm the hell down, and enjoy life. Assuming that you are being strict with your diet eighty percent of the time, a night out here and there is not going to ruin you. If you follow the advice I've laid out, you will be just fine. In fact, there is a bonus to drinking sometimes. The day after drinking you will have very little water retention, and will look leaner for a few days. So, eat a pile of veggies, your regular protein amount, and have some fun. Also try to remember your goals, and restrain yourself when the McDonald's run happens. Eating five big macs at the end of the night is not going to fit into this plan. Get at it, and enjoy!

Read More