Just Eat Healthy and Your Body Will Love You for It
If you’re counting calories to lose belly flab, stop the madness! Calorie counting is time consuming, depressing and completely unnecessary. Don’t get too excited though. Just because you don’t need to count calories, doesn’t give you a free pass to pig-out on pizza and French fries whenever you want. You still have to be mindful of what you eat.
Here’s the thing: when you eat a bunch of processed junk, not only are you loading up on toxins, you’re taking in way more calories than your body can use. What do you think happens to all of those extra calories? Bingo. They get stored in your body as fat.
Even if you exercise regularly, eating a bunch of nonsense foods will make it tough to create the kind of calorie deficit you need to get rid of the blubber around your midsection. If you really want to burn enough calories for killer abs, fill your diet with natural foods that contain protein, healthy fats and fiber.
When I say “natural foods,” I mean foods that have not been processed or filled with unhealthy additives. Natural foods are low in calories; if you stick to reasonable portion sizes during your meals and snacks, you won’t have to spend the rest of your existence keeping tabs on your caloric intake.
Healthy Sources of Dietary Fat
Dietary fat catches a lot of flack and is often accused of being the culprit of heart disease. This is absolutely not the case; fat is not the enemy. In fact, any good eating plan should include fat from quality sources like olive oil, fish oil, nuts, seeds, unrefined coconut oil, organic raw butter, avocados and natural grass-fed beef.
Healthy fats help with nutrient absorption and can improve the health of your heart. Also, fat helps you feel satiated. When you add it to your meals, you are less likely to overindulge.
Healthy Carbohydrate Sources
If most of the carbohydrates in your diet come from refined sources like white bread, pasta, baked goods, processed snacks and sugar, you can forget about losing stomach flab. These types of foods absorb quickly in the body and trigger the rapid release of insulin. When insulin is released too fast, it can give you the munchies shortly after you’ve already eaten.
The bulk of your carbohydrates should come from complex sources like vegetables, beans, legumes and fruits. These foods are rich in fiber so they digest slowly and keep you full much longer than refined carbs.
Healthy Sources of Protein
Protein triggers the release of a hormone called glucagon, which acts as an appetite suppressant. In fact, studies suggest that diets rich in protein can enhance fat loss when it is combined with the proper amounts of exercise. Eat nuts, legumes, grass-fed beef, free range poultry and organic eggs to get enough protein in your diet.
You don’t have to count calories to lose flab in your midsection. Simply dump the processed foods and replace them with natural foods that are rich in protein, healthy fat and complex carbohydrates. Of course, if you want consistent weight loss results, you have to exercise regularly.
Weight loss doesn’t have to be a lifelong struggle. The Diet Solution Program will get you on the right track and keep you there.
Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
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