How To Lose Weight Without Starving Yourself

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How to lose weight without starving yourself

Losing weight without starvation – is it possible?

The ultimate dream of every woman is to eat all the good food in the world without getting putting on weight. Or even better – a chocolate that aids in weight loss. Fortunately, these dreams could actually be a reality for you and I’m here to help break down the facts (and fat) for you.

I’ve got a few tips that may help! (keep reading..)

FREE 3 DAY EATING PLAN

To give you an example of what a balanced weight-loss diet can look like, I’m currently giving my 3 day eating plan away for FREE – But won’t always be. Make sure you grab a copy!

1. Eat a decent breakfast

Most leading nutritionalists in the world agree that eating a hearty breakfast is the key to both losing and maintaining weight. Why? Well, remember all those times you skipped breakfast and then found yourself raiding the pantry at midnight, stuffing your face with whatever you could find in an attempt to suppress that uncontrollable hunger? That’s why. 
Skipping a meal simply tells your brain at midnight that you’re hungry because your body hasn’t had enough nutrients in the day.

2. Eat breakfast a little later than usual

Instead of eating right when you wake up at 6am, try taking breakfast with you to work and eating it during your tea break. Overnight oats, a smoothie, or a breakfast wrap made the night before are effortless to pack, and super easy to eat at work. Although, we do understand how awkward it is to crack open a smelly dish in the office… So maybe don’t add tuna to that breakfast wrap.

3. Eat protein with every meal – but not too much!

Protein is one of those foods that’s either over-played or under-played. People either consume too much of it, or far too little. However, a little bit of protein with every meal is good for the body as it helps with muscle strengthening and sustains blood sugar levels. Remember that time you ate something like a donut (or a slice of cake, or a bag of potato chips) for lunch, and 30 minutes later you were hungry again? Yup, that’s because there was literally no protein to sustain your blood sugar levels with all of that sugar.

4. Load up with fruits and vegetables

Meh. We know this doesn’t sound exciting, but padding out your meals with fresh fruit and vegetables could be your saving grace. Most vegetables (excluding root vegetables) and also fruits such as berries are ‘free’, meaning they have very little calories, but contain loads of nutrients. This means you can pretty much eat as many of them as you like.

5. Eat carbs!

Wait, what? Carbs have such a bad reputation. They have basically been assigned to criminal status in the dieting world. However, carbs are the innocent who have been found guilty on false charges, and are slowly regaining popularity again. Actually, carbs are surprisingly low in calories when compared to protein, but they do need to be paired with protein (even if it’s just peanut butter) so as not to cause spikes in sugar-levels. So bring out the PB sandwiches!

6. Eat fats!

Fats (like carbs) have a bad rep because we hear the word ‘fat’ and we freak out. No, eating fat will not make you fat – so long as it’s good fat… and as long as it’s eaten in small quantities. Eating half an avocado on your toast won’t make you look like an avocado, it will just feed your brain and organs what they really need to keep working: the good fats. Good fats also help to keep your blood sugar in check.

7. Avoid sugar and refined flour

Sugar and refined flour are like those girls in high school who come across as sweet and innocent, but then turn around and spread nasty rumors about you behind your back. They are essentially the Regina George of foods. They taste good, but they spike your blood sugar levels too quickly, have absolutely no nutritional value and leave you feeling hungrier than before. There is also evidence to suggest that these foods may be the cause of cellulite. Who here feels personally victimized by Regina George?

8. Avoid artificial sweeteners

Your primitive instincts may be turning to artificial sweeteners in an attempt to satisfy your sweet tooth, however this is an even worse idea than sugar itself. If sugar is the Regina George of food, then artificial sweeteners are Damian and Janice Ian – they will make you so hungry that you eat your body weight in food anyway. (And no, it’s not water weight, Regina.)

Rather opt for healthier sugar alternatives such as maple syrup, honey or stevia. They are twice as yummy anyway.

9. Drink lots of tea and moderate amounts of coffee

Most diet pills contain green tea and coffee extracts in them. This is mostly because caffeine is believed to speed up the metabolism, but also because it aids in digestion (if consumed in moderation). And let’s not forget its super power to wake up our minds and keep us focused. However, be aware of the cream and sugar. While some milk and cream products have good fats, most of the products used at coffee houses are stuffed with preservatives and chemicals. Plus, we’re trying to cleanse ourselves of mean girls right now. So drink lots of plain green tea (I like green mint tea) and moderate amounts of coffee (too much coffee can cause digestive issues) with some unsweetened almond milk and stevia or honey (my fave).

10. Eat chocolate!

Just like green tea, cocoa helps to speed up the metabolism and also acts as an antioxidant. So, dark chocolate is both delectable and healthy! It may even aid in weight loss when consumed in small bits (we’re talking pieces here, not entire bars or slabs!).

11. Eat three big meals a day

There is a reason why we traditionally eat three meals a day: because it takes on average (roughly) 4 hours for your body to digest food. So if you eat breakfast at 9 or 10am, lunch at 1 or 2pm, and dinner at 6 or 7pm then you should never be hungry or feel the need to snack during the day. Food for thought…

12. Watch your calorie intake

While nobody enjoys counting these little buggers called calories, there is some need for it. Calories are just a fancy-shmancy name for energy, and losing or gaining weight is just a simple equation of energy going into the body versus energy going out. Unfortunately you will never lose weight by sitting on the couch 24/7 and eating waffles. Sad (I know), but true.

13. Get 8 hours of sleep

Ahhhh… sleep. A long sleep is not only a great recharge exercise, it also helps to keep you from aging too quickly or gaining too much weight. When you sleep, you naturally have more energy, and so your body craves less food. So invest in a good bed and make sure to get those full 8 hours  of beauty sleep every night (if your schedule can manage it, but you really should try to make a plan to get enough sleep).

14. Get some sunshine!

If you needed an excuse to go frolicking on the beach today, then here’s one: sunshine is incredibly good for your physical and mental health (in moderation, and please use sunscreen). Sunshine releases vitamin D, which keeps you feeling happy and helps you to sleep well. So choose sunshine over comfort food!

15. Eat what you enjoy

If you love pancakes, try these easy healthy pancakes (my fave oat and banana pancakes). If you like hot chocolate, then go ahead and make a healthier version of hot chocolate! Don’t deprave yourself of the foods you love, rather find ways of making them healthier – or just eat them in moderation. Simply work in the food you love (to your recommended amount of calories per day based on your build and physical activity). But overall, if you eat what you love then you won’t hate the process of losing weight – seriously, it doesn’t all have to be salads and green smoothies.

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So, you don’t have to starve yourself to lose weight (and I don’t recommend that).

I hope that these tips help you if you’re trying to lose weight, or if you’re trying to get into better shape!

Liezl Jayne XO

FREE 3 DAY EATING PLAN

To give you an example of what a balanced weight-loss diet can look like, I’m currently giving my 3 day eating plan away for FREE – But won’t always be. Make sure you grab a copy!

Photos sourced from unsplash