Despite everything you've been told, the best way to lose fat isn't reducing calories — or even counting them. That old "you must burn more calories than you consume to lose weight" is a myth. Studies have shown that not all calories are equal. Some calories boost your metabolism, some fuel the mind, some repair the body, and some are stored as fat.
The quality of your food, activities, and lifestyle is what's really important to your weight loss goals. Here are five ways to lower your setpoint weight and become slim for life.
The Best Way to Lose Fat? Eat More Fat-Burning Foods!
Living a SANE Lifestyle — and having a leaner body — is all about eating plenty of non-starchy vegetables, nutrient-dense protein, whole-food fats and low-fructose fruits. Choosing these foods rather than processed foods and starches, sweets and trans fats will help you shed pounds and keep them off.
The best part it's also easier than you might think. Non-starchy vegetables, such as broccoli and celery, are loaded with fiber. Fiber swells in your stomach, making you feel full much faster — and stay full longer — than a buttered roll or a donut. If you load your plate with non-starchy vegetables, you won't have room for inSANE sweets and processed starches.
Nutrient-dense proteins, such as salmon, or lean chicken also keeps you full longer than sugar and other simple carbohydrates, and it's far healthier for your body.
There are many foods from which to choose, to help lower your setpoint weight. Here are just a sampling:
Non-starchy vegetables:
| • | Broccoli |
| • | Brussels sprouts |
| • | Cauliflower |
| • | Carrots |
| • | Kale |
| • | Spinach |
| • | Tomatoes |
| • | Zucchini |
Nutrient-dense protein:
| • | Chicken |
| • | Cod |
| • | Cottage cheese |
| • | Egg whites |
| • | Lamb |
| • | Salmon |
| • | Sardines |
| • | Turkey |
Whole-food fats:
| • | Almonds |
| • | Chia seeds |
| • | Coconut |
| • | Flax seeds |
| • | Olives |
| • | Pumpkin seeds |
| • | Sunflower seeds |
| • | Walnuts |
Low-fructose fruits
| • | Acai berry |
| • | Blackberries |
| • | Blueberries |
| • | Cherries |
| • | Goji berries |
| • | Lime |
| • | Peaches |
| • | Strawberries |
The best way to lose fat also involves eating foods in the correct order. Start with a half a plate of non-starchy vegetables, which will fill you up so you won't be tempted to eat carbs or other unhealthy foods. Then choose a portion of nutrient-dense protein. Finish your dinner off with a serving of low-fructose fruit for dessert, maybe sprinkled with the superfood chocolate.
Exercise Less: The Best Way to Lose Fat?
Most people gasp when they hear that changing what you eat and not exercising less is the best way to lose fat, but there needs to be a bit of explanation here. While physical activity is important, strenuous exercise is unnecessary. You can potentially hurt yourself and raise your setpoint weight by exercising incorrectly.
Eccentric strength training is the way to go if you want to lower your setpoint and lose weight. This form of exercise involves quickly lifting a light weight and then slowly lowering it. You only need to perform 10-20 minutes of eccentric and smarter interval exercises each week to see results, and you don't have to spend hours at the gym. You can do eccentric strength training at home.
If you enjoy jogging, yoga, aerobics or swimming, keep doing them. You can be as active as you want to be with these exercises. It's important that you enjoy yourself. Doing anything you dislike causes stress which, itself, can raise your setpoint weight.
Get Plenty of Shut-Eye
Sleep is also extremely important when it comes to losing belly fat. Studies have shown a link between sleep deprivation and obesity, although the exact reason for this link is unclear.
While theories vary, the most common ones hold that people who don't get enough sleep may eat more unhealthy foods, or they may be hungrier than their well-rested counterparts, or they may be too tired to exercise. But there is no doubt, as studies have confirmed, that people who get enough sleep significantly reduce their levels of cortisol, a stress hormone known to cause fat accumulation in the belly.
Though your sleep needs may vary, you should strive to get at least seven hours of shut-eye each night.
De-Stressing Is the Best Way to Lose Fat, Says a Surprising Body of Research
Though few people equate stress with fat accumulation, there is a link. Your body produces a ton of cortisol when under too much stress for an extended period. As noted above, studies have proven that cortisol leads to fatty accumulations around the waistline, which is not just a cosmetic concern.
Abdominal fat surrounds your organs and can lead to a host of health problems. It increases your risk of, heart disease, high blood pressure, and other serious conditions.
Stress hormones can also make you crave simple carbohydrates, such as sugar, which can lead to overeating the wrong types of food. To prevent these dangers, make a point of de-stressing yourself daily.
Relax and Lose Belly Fat!
There are many activities you can enjoy that will relax and rejuvenate your mind, body, and soul. Here are just a few.
Meditate: Many studies have shown that meditation has a positive effect on stress, blood pressure, and the mood. But not everyone has the time or patience to sit and close their eyes for even a mere 10 minutes. Fortunately, there are other ways to relax.
Practice yoga: Yoga emphasizes the mind/body connection and is the form of yoga most commonly practiced in the West.
Adopt a dog or cat: Studies have shown that the simple act of petting a dog or cat can lower your levels of stress hormones and your blood pressure.
Take a stroll in the park: There's no explanation needed, except the fresh air, sun on your face and exercise just feel good.
Sit on a park bench and laugh with friends: What could be more soothing, and fun than this?
Go dancing: Dancing is fun, and the exercise releases endorphins, a hormone secreted by the brain and nervous system, which makes you feel great.
Rent a funny movie. Laughter really is the best medicine, especially when it comes to stress. It can also relieve pain and perhaps even help cure illnesses. When Dr. Norman Cousins was diagnosed with a degenerative disease in 1964 he could find no relief for the excruciating pain.
Though his doctor gave him only months to live, Dr. Cousins checked himself out of the hospital, began ingesting high doses of vitamin C and started watching a continual stream of funny movies. He claimed that 10 minutes of laughter gave him two hours of pain-free sleep, something that not even morphine could do. He believed it even cured his illness within a few months.
Stay Hydrated
Staying hydrated may not be considered the best way to lose weight by most people, but it is crucial to lowering your setpoint weight and achieving your weight loss goals.
Drinking enough water helps your cells burn fat and may keep you from overeating. Often many people who feel hungry are actually dehydrated. Try this: The next time you're hungry, drink a full glass of water and see if that zaps your hunger pangs.
Even if you're not dehydrated, drinking water is a great appetite suppressant. If you drink at least one glass of water before every meal, you'll be surprised at how quickly you'll feel full. You may have to push your plate away before you even get to the low-fructose fruit portion of your meal.
To maximize the best way to lose weight, how much water should you drink? The amount needed varies, but it's not necessarily eight glasses per day, the amount experts say you should drink.
A woman should have around 11.5 cups, and a man should try to get 15.5 cups a day. A little more or less than this amount won't hurt, but if you're concerned whether you're getting enough water, just check the color of your urine. Typically you're well hydrated when your urines are pale yellow or clear.
Make sure you drink primarily water, green tea or black tea. Avoid sugary drinks, because they don't provide the hydration you need, and sugar damages the body while increasing weight gain.
Make sure to stop drinking water or tea a few hours before bedtime or your sleep will be interrupted by bathroom calls throughout the night. Remember, too, that tea contains caffeine, which can keep you from having a good night's sleep.
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