Almost every day I hear from women who are ready to make changes in their lives – starting with losing extra weight. These women know that weight has so much to do with health, and they’re committed to living the healthiest lives they can.
Being ready for change is the first step towards healthy weight loss, but as you likely know, dropping stubborn pounds is never easy. There are so many factors at play, whether you’ve struggled with your weight all your life, or the pounds have crept on in recent years. Far too many people still have the mistaken notion that if you just eat less and exercise more, those pounds will come off. But that’s just not true for so many women!
We need to look at all the factors – hormonal imbalances, emotional trauma, metabolism, toxins, and so much more. It can seem overwhelming, but there are plenty of diet and lifestyle changes – some very small and easy to implement – that you can make to get your weight loss started. The tips below will help you transform not just your weight, but your whole life. Losing weight is where you start – but the overall goal is to live a happy, healthy life!
5 Changes to Help You Lose Weight Fast
1. Exercise smarter, not harder
Exercise is important when you’re trying to lose weight, but here’s something you might not have considered: you may be exercising too much! Interval training, or short bursts of exercise alternating with a rest period, have been shown to help your body continue burning fat long after your workout is over.
Isn’t that good news? You don’t need hours every day to make a difference to your weight loss – just 20 to 40 minutes of interval training three or four times a week is plenty.
Here’s some more quick tips about exercise that can make a difference:
- Scheduling your workouts like any other appointment can help you stay focused on your goals.
- Switch it up! Doing the same exercises day after day can be boring, making you less likely to follow through. Different types of training will help you meet your goals – don’t ignore the strength training!
- Do a few short sessions throughout the day if you can’t manage a 30 minute block. You don’t even need equipment – try walking up and down the stairs in your office building for ten minutes mid-day.
- Find a group of people you love and exercise together. Fitness is always more fun with friends!
- Most of all, find exercise that you truly enjoy. Forcing yourself to do something you hate only adds more stress to your life — and stress can bring weight loss to a screeching halt!
2. Choose a metabolism-boosting diet
You don’t have complete control over your metabolism. For example, your genetics may mean you have a naturally slower metabolism. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do to be sure it’s functioning as efficiently as it can.
It’s important to consider any conditions that might be negatively impacting your metabolism, such as thyroid issues, autoimmune disease, inflammation, leaky gut syndrome or other digestive disorders, hormonal or adrenal imbalances, and systemic yeast overgrowth.
If you’re impacted by any of these factors (many people are without even knowing it) weight loss can feel nearly impossible. Addressing these issues means paying close attention to your diet, and avoiding foods that are certain to disrupt your metabolism functioning. What are some of these foods? Let’s take a quick look.
Processed foods
One of the reasons obesity is such a problem in our country is the easy accessibility and low cost of highly processed foods. When we eat these foods, our body craves even more – we’re biologically programmed that way! But the lack of healthy nutrients in these products means we often suffer from deficiencies if they make up a large part of our diets.
If the ingredients list has words you can’t pronounce, it’s best to put it down and move on. Fresh fruits and vegetables, lean protein, and healthy fats are a much better choice. Avoid all fast food – that change alone can make a world of difference!
Added sugar
For a long time, fat was demonized and sugar is what manufacturers used to make up for the lack of flavor in low fat foods. Did you know that this war on fat was pushed forward by research funded by the sugar industry? More current information has clearly demonstrated that healthy fats are actually beneficial to your health – and added sugars are exactly the opposite!
It’s so hard to avoid added sugar because it shows up everywhere, under multiple names designed to confuse consumers. High fructose corn syrup, dextrose, maltodextrin, fructose, juice concentrate, cane syrup – it all means added sugar! Read the labels of foods you may think are healthy – like protein bars, granola bars, flavored yogurt, even bread. You might be shocked to discover just how much added sugar is in the food you eat every single day.
Research documents the impact that sugar has on obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular health, and other chronic conditions. Consumption of added sugars in the US is well above the upper limit recommended by the USDA, so it’s no wonder we see so many of the health issues on the rise.
Naturally sweet foods, like fruit, are a much better way to satisfy your sweet tooth. If you must add sweetener, use natural options like stevia or raw honey — in moderation!
Refined grains
Grains are made up of compounds that have potential to cause metabolism trouble. You’ve probably heard a lot about gluten, one of the main compounds in refined grains. Gluten can be behind chronic inflammation, leading to a host of uncomfortable symptoms including joint pain and weight gain.
Two of the other main compounds, starch and phytic acid, bring their own difficulties to the table. Starch is quickly converted into sugar, which can wreak havoc on your blood glucose levels, and phytic acid blocks absorption of minerals when it binds to them.
If you want don’t want to adopt an entirely grain-free diet, try sprouted or fermented grains. If you want to bake, try using almond flour or coconut flour, both of which are far healthier for your metabolism.
Unhealthy oils
Please don’t buy into the “fat is evil” philosophy. The truth is, your body needs fat to thrive. But don’t be fooled into thinking all fats are created equal either. Vegetable oils and canola oil are found in refined foods that simply slow down fat burning.
When cooking or baking, replace vegetable oils with coconut oil or grass-fed butter. Any time you have a need for butter, make sure you use the real thing instead of margarine or other substitutes!
More dietary hints for a healthy metabolism
- Eat enough quality protein. Ideally you will eat protein with every meal and snack. Great choices include grass-fed beef, free-range eggs, wild-caught fish, organic chicken, and wild game.
- Eat healthy fats, like avocado, nuts, olive oil, and coconut (in its many forms: milk, oil, and flour).
- Add sprouted seeds to your daily routine. Flaxseed, hemp seeds and chia seed are all great options filled with fiber that supports fat loss. As an added bonus, sprouted seed are high in protein and contain omega-3s – so they pack an all around powerful punch!
- Eat a wide range of colorful, nutrient packed vegetables. You can’t lose weight if you focus on calories without making sure you are giving your body the nutrients it needs.
- Drink more herbal tea. One to three cups per day may help rev your metabolism. Green tea is especially effective due to its high catechins content.
- Eat grapefruit. No, I don’t mean eat only grapefruit – a diet too narrowly limited isn’t the way to go. But there is research that shows that eating grapefruit can aid an enzyme called AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) which helps your body use sugar. And grapefruit contains nootkatone, which has been shown to increase AMPK activity.
- Don’t forget to stay hydrated! Drinking plenty of water is one of the best ways to stay on track. You’ll flush out toxins, and keep your metabolism going strong.
- Eat at home most of the time, and cook from scratch.
- Be prepared with healthy snacks. Keep cut vegetables or fresh fruit handy instead of chips or cookies.
- Enjoy your food. Eating slower not only helps you recognize when you are full, but aids in digestion as well.
3. Supplement intentionally for fat loss
Because it’s so very difficult to get all the nutrients you need from food alone, I often suggest supplementing in ways that address your specific issue. For overall general health – including keeping hormones balanced so you can lose weight – I recommend that all women take a high-quality multivitamin daily. When fat loss is your goal, the following supplements can also help:
Fish Oil
Fish oil supplements are a great source of EPA and DHA, omega-3 fatty acids that can help diminish inflammation and may balance out metabolic changes related to obesity. 1,000 milligrams daily can make a big difference.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D helps keep hormones balanced so you can lose excess fat. It’s tough to eat enough vitamin D-rich foods or get enough sunlight for your body to produce what you need. That’s why I recommend 2,000 IU of vitamin D3 daily for most people.
Protein powder
I’ve already mentioned how important protein is to a healthy metabolism and building lean muscle. Protein powder makes it easy to be sure you’re getting enough to support fat loss. You can make smoothies, use it in baking, or mix with water for a quick energy boost. Many of the powders available in supermarkets or pharmacies are heavily processed or contain artificial sweeteners, so be careful to find a high quality powder that won’t sabotage your results.
Probiotics
Your gut health is important to your ability to lose weight, and a high quality probiotic can support digestion and balance the flora in your gut. Research has shown that some strains of probiotics can impact energy metabolism and can be associated with reduction of both body weight and body mass index.
4. Choose the right eating plan for your unique profile
There are so many different diet programs to choose from; how are you supposed to know which one is best? I talked a lot about how to find the best long term solutions for yourself in this article, so I won’t do too much of that here. But I do want to stress that every person is a unique individual — there is no one size fits all diet plan that works for everyone!
I am launching an exciting new weight loss program and accompanying online course because I think it’s so important the women know this information. This program is different than a lot of the popular plans because it’s designed to truly transform your life – not just your weight. In the course, we’ll talk about the factors behind weight gain and obesity, the emotional aspects of weight loss, and intentionally build healthy habits that will help you keep the weight off forever.
The weight loss program itself uses a combination of homeopathic drops and a somewhat strict eating plan for six weeks. Followed precisely, it’s possible to lose one-half to one pound per day. But unlike so many other programs that help you lose weight quickly, this program looks at your whole lifestyle and where you need to make permanent changes so the weight stays off. 20 lbs in 6 weeks sounds sweet doesn’t it. If followed carefully that is exactly what you can expect.
Another unique feature of my program is the genetic profile test I urge participants to complete so that we can discover exactly which type of long term nutrition plan is right for them. All healthy diets include eating organic whole foods and avoiding the processed stuff – but your genetics may mean that you need to avoid specific things to keep the weight off. This profile helps you determine if you should eat low-fat, low-carb, Mediteranean or a balanced diet. When you are eating to work with, instead of against, your genetics, your weight loss happens much more smoothly.
5. Try intermittent fasting
Another great thing about my new program is that the six-week plan encourages intermittent fasting, which can be very effective in boosting metabolism and helping those pounds melt off.
Intermittent fasting means you eat in a limited period of time, then fast for several hours each day. Often this means skipping either breakfast or dinner, since you’ll want the time you spend sleeping incorporated into your fast.
Fasting also helps with hormone production, reducing inflammation, heart health and digestion.
Permanent lifestyle changes mean permanent weight loss!
It’s absolutely possible to lose weight quickly – and keep it off – when you are committed to doing things a different way. It’s all about your mindset, and your desire to transform your life once and for all. The good news is that once you’ve built those healthier habits, you can veer off the path slightly — as long as you get right back on! When you live by healthy choices 90% of the time, you have a little wiggle room for the other 10%. Make the choice for yourself now, and join us on a journey of weight loss and transformation. Aren’t you worth it?
Call us now at 1-800-540-5906 and click here to learn more about our weight loss program!
Reviewed by Dr. Mark Menolascino, MD
