By Pete Ryan
Fat loss is often focussed on deprivation. You will often see the gurus online touting
this and that, and usually these people will suggest things like:
- Giving up carbs
- Cutting out fat
- Removing treat foods
How about we turn this idea on its head and see where that
journey will lead us? Most people who want to lose fat have a few related
issues. They do not eat well and they do not move enough. If we look at these dual issues and consider
our problems from the viewpoint of adding
things then we can develop a very interesting approach to dealing with these
issues.
Let’s look at 2 scenarios and how we approach them…and the
probable result:
Scenario 1
You come to me and I say you will no longer eat treats, junk
food or desserts. You will cut all sugar from drinks and only eat whole food
stuff from now on; you would also limit yourself to 2,000Kcal (or less) per day. Would that work? Well, technically yes, IF you did that, then you would most likely lose weight…but would
many people stick to it? Research suggests that most people will not be able to
maintain the discipline necessary to keep this up over the long term, so they
will fail and return to their old eating habits. They may lose weight for a while, but
eventually the fat will be regained and maybe they’d even develop more as they
rebound from the caloric deprivation back to surplus calories.
Scenario 2
Suppose a person comes to me and I say they can continue doing
exactly what they do now, but add some vegetables (focus mainly on green leafy
vegetables), have them with as many meals as they can and try to eat those
first. I suspect most people could do
that, they would also be filling themselves up with bulky greens and so not
have so much room for everything else.
So, after a week or two they may well find that they have lost fat, and
also that they have started to feel better too.
So, now suggest that they add a
10 minute walk after each meal. No crazy workouts, just a walk at a pace that
is just above their normal walking pace, but not exhausting. Most people could do that as well. Pop on an audio book or podcast and take a
brisk stroll for a few minutes after most meals. No need to become a zealot, but if you have
10 minutes, briskly stroll around the block, through a park or whatever is
nearby, even on a treadmill while watching a TV programme if you prefer that. I
can see people managing those things without too much trouble.
So, let us look at these two scenarios. One will lead to extreme deprivation and most
probably lead to failure, while the other is very easy to implement and
kickstarts the fat burning process without any sense of deprivation at
all. The mindset is different when you
add compared to when you subtract things.
People feel better when they have more,
the fact that having more will mean they actually consume less and burn
more calories doesn’t matter. The fact
is that having more will allow treats and indulgences, but will still often
result in fat loss and improved health. This means that for some of the
population, this method may be the key to success. Remember, you do not have to stop there,
continue to add things that will improve health, add foods you haven’t tried
before, add things like a new activity to your lifestyle. All of these changes, small as they are, soon
add up.
This approach will not work for everybody, some people have
a single slice of cake, then uncontrollably eat the whole cake! If you suffer
from addictive tendencies, then this method may not work for you. Know yourself, if you are an average person
with some fat to lose, consider this method as an option. Make slow, calculated changes over time. Spend a few months eking out the pound or two
lost by adding in greens, the pound or two lost by adding in a ten minute walk.
Keep the fat loss going over a few months and you will look like a new person
and not have to have given up on any food you enjoy. You will find that naturally you will eat
some things less, but that is all, with the added bonus that you can have that
piece of pie or slice of pizza.
It is a good method to begin the process of fat loss for
most people, so consider adding things to your diet and lifestyle, not taking
things away when you begin the fat loss process.
Savings for 2017
