Nutritional expert and personal trainer Richelle Melde doesn't mince words when it comes to healthy weight loss. Owner of Ultimate Body Boot Camp, Richelle shares her no-holds-barred advice on losing that weight — for good!
I have some great news for you — you are not as overweight as you think! In fact, a lot of the weight that you carry may not even be fat — it's what I call "fake fat." There are some really simple solutions to overcoming your food cravings and metabolic challenges. Follow these tips and you will lose weight!
Let's start with understanding the foods we put in our bodies and what they to do us. So many of us now are almost addicted to eating C.R.A.P.
C: Caffeine
R: Refined, processed foods
A: Additives and preservatives (aspartame, alcohol)
P: Pastured milk
Most of us actually have sensitivities to most of these types of foods. When your body is sensitive or allergic to something, it reacts with an immune response. So when we eat, food particles are detected as toxins and our bodies launch an attack to get them out. This process is achieved through an inflammatory response. Most simply, the food particles are engulfed with water to eliminate them. This causes bloating, gas, sleep problems, emotional changes, lethargy, depression, swelling, nasal congestion, puffy face, irritability, heart burn … the list goes on and on!
Food reactions are a vicious cycle that disrupt the metabolic rate, increase hormones that cause weight gain, create hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), reduce energy levels and contribute to illness and disease. Ask yourself how you feel after you eat a meal. Are you tired? Do your eyes feel puffy? Do you get a stuffy nose or feel like you're having an allergy attack? Does your belly feel super full and inflated? These are all common symptoms of food allergies or sensitivities.
Okay, so what is this "fake fat"?
Fake fat is the "beer belly" or "pregnant belly" that we use to describe someone with a larger abdominal area. The distention of the belly is the "fake fat," it's inflammation: bloating, swelling, gas, food fermentation, etc. Most of us just think that exercise alone should combat our weight issues, but truthfully, 80% of the weight loss challenge is your diet and nutrition. If you continue to eat foods that create inflammation, it's not a metabolic issue that can be corrected by burning calories. It is a systemic issue that must be addressed at the root.
What can you do?
1. Eat a colorful plate of food with whole, organic vegetables, fruits and proteins.
2. Avoid processed foods. Ask yourself, did this food item once have eyes? Grow from a tree? Sprout from the ground? If you answer no, then don't eat it! It's that simple.
3. Reduce stress. Find a way to relax and have some alone time — even if this means you must wake up 15 minutes earlier, do it! The body reacts to ALL types of stress the same, and if you are emotionally stressed and you have food allergies, you are just compounding the cycle of inflammation and will not lose weight or feel any better. Remember, your body is a whole unit. You must create balance throughout your systems because they all work together.
4. Reduce the portion size. Your protein portion should be about the size of your fist. You can eat as many veggies as you'd like. Keep the fruits to 3/4 cup or less per serving.
5. Chew your food completely to reduce the amount of undigested food particles leaking out of your gut.
6. Avoid the most common reactionary foods: Dairy, wheat, corn, sugar, soy, eggs and peanuts.
7. Drink water. You should drink about half of your body weight in ounces of water each day. Try not to drink water while you eat however, you should drink 20 to 30 minutes before eating to help the digestion process. Drinking during the process can inhibit digestion.
For questions about nutrition and weight loss support, contact Richelle Melde at Ultimate Body Boot Camp.
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