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Throw away that scale and other tips from Brad King to trim down in 2012
By Brad King
Illustration by Jessie Mead
It’s that time of year again. Diet time. If you are truly serious about losing those unwanted pounds, then stop dieting and start losing fat for life with these easy, yet proven tips.
1) All weight is not created equal
Throw away your bathroom scale, as it does not differentiate between fat and lean muscle tissue.
2) Muscle is your metabolic engine
Lean muscle tissue dictates how many calories you can burn over a 24-hour period. No one can afford to lose one pound of muscle if their goal is fat loss.
3) Control insulin
By over-consuming the wrong types of carbohydrates (and I am not talking about fruits and vegetables), you generate a rapid increase in blood sugar levels that, in turn, causes the pancreas to pump out loads of the hormone insulin. Insulin is essentially a storage hormone that not only lowers blood sugar, but also has a powerful message for your fat cells: Store Fat!
4) Belly fat loves stress
The longer you maintain a stress response, the more body fat you accumulate.
5) Sleep loss and appetite
Studies show that even a single night of sub-par sleep makes you hungrier the next day.
6) Drink more water
Water helps control your metabolism through a process called hydrolysis.
7) Stay away from artificial sweeteners
One study published in the International Journal of Obesity showed that artificial sweeteners may actually enhance your desire to overeat by hindering your body’s ability to estimate overall calorie intake.
8) All or nothing never works
By consuming a proper balance of protein, fibre and essential fatty acids (along with low-glycemic carbohydrates) at regular intervals throughout the day (eating approximately every three to four hours), you can stabilize blood sugar levels and create a proper fat-burning environment.
9) Diets don’t work
In most diets people lose approximately one pound of lean muscle tissue with every pound of fat. I call this the Smaller Fat Person Syndrome.
10) Oh, No! Not another famine!
Lowering your calorie intake to extremely low levels can actually slow your metabolism.
11) Fibre-Up
Studies have shown adding five to 30 grams of fibre per day to a healthy diet leads to an increased sense of fullness, which ultimately reduces the desire to consume extra calories that contribute to body fat stores.
12) Stress less
When you find yourself in a stressful situation, try these simple steps: (1) instantly look up; (2) take a deep breath right from your belly; (3) smile, and if you can, let out a big old belly laugh.
13) Sleep your weight off
A healthy fat-burning metabolism is dependent on a good night’s sleep. Sleeping less than seven hours a night dramatically boosts your chances of accumulating fat.
14) Hungry or thirsty?
It is theorized that somewhere in our evolutionary past the signals for hunger and thirst may have crossed wires. In other words, when you feel hungry,
you may actually be thirsty. By keeping yourself properly hydrated, you can avoid false cravings for food.
15) Exercise is no longer an option
Proper exercise, which I define as Biocize, helps create an optimum metabolic environment for continual fat release all day long.
Brad King, M.S., MFS is a noted authority on nutrition, obesity, longevity and health. He is the creator of the highly successful Fat Wars series, the Losing Fat for Life Plan and the Abundant Health System. He is the author of 10 books, including Fat Wars, Beer Belly Blues and 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Losing Fat 4 Life!
January/February 2012
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