Woah it's been a few weeks, right!?! Blink and that's almost a month gone. But I've been working on something very exciting... Working on one of those New Year resolutions. More to come soon. But in the meantime, let's talk cutting...
So summer is fast approaching & everyone starts becoming a lot more conscious of what they should & shouldn't be eating. The most common approach to this has been to diet - be that cutting carbs, fats, fasting... all of which have one thing in common - they're restricting. By focusing so heavily on what we can't have, is there any wonder it becomes so hard to stick to a diet?!?
Instead, I want you to try swapping or portion control, rather than cutting out an entire food group you enjoy! You don't have to give up or cut out something completely to lean out you know! You just have to be controlled. Here's a few tips of what to try instead of the most popular diets, to help you lean out, stay committed & most importantly help you enjoy your food.
T H E D I E T : Low Carb
The one I loath the most! Your body needs carbs! It's a great source of energy, especially if you're upping the intensity or frequency of your workouts! So instead of cutting them, try swapping them for more natural & slow releasing carbs & ones which are less dense in calories. For example, opt for brown rice, bread & one of my favourite - brown pittas. This slow release energy will last all day without leaving you bloated. Try a banana or another piece of fruit for a quick release burst of energy pre workout. Or even swap out the pastas & rice for a bed of veg (courgetti, route mash, broccoli & cauliflower cous cous), for a lower carb meal. But please oh please don't try starving your body of carbs completely!
T H E D I E T : Low fat
Another restriction! Instead, think about reducing your fat intake from processed foods & instead getting it from nuts, oily fish, avocado - natural sources! Don't fall into the scam of 'low fat' ready meals either - as they just substitute fat for sugar & preservatives. Your far better eating something clean & filling - like smoked salmon & avocado on toast...!
T H E D I E T : Fasting
Respect to anyone who can do this, as I know I certainly couldn't!!! I know this method works for a few people, but realistically, if your not one of them, you're going to be miserable restricting yourself so much & most likely binge when you can eat. I would suggest little & often, to regulate your blood sugar & your energy levels - think clean & natural. And definitely snack! I like to have a snack between meals - such as a banana, nuts, yogurt, protein shake - to keep my hunger at bay!
T H E D I E T : "weight loss foods"
They're so full of sugar, sweeteners, preservatives, flavourings... chemicals! And normally quite low in any macro that will actually keep you full past an hour! A great tip I heard once was to look at the ingredients list - the further down the list you go before bumping into something you've never heard of, the better the food! For example compare the ingredients of wholemeal bread in comparison to a bag of crisps... Check out my post on other supposedly 'healthy' foods to watch out for! If you're looking to loose weight, I would definitely recommend having a higher protein diet, to keep you full for longer. Don't give up carbs or fat completely, just lower slightly & gradually!
T H E D I E T : Smoothies
Yes these look delicious & have some great benefits to them. But would you eat half a melon, an orange, 1 banana & half a pineapple in one sitting? Probably not (I hope) as you'd be stuffed! And most definitely maxing out your sugar intake for the day! So be careful when getting creative! Try adding more greens (such as spinach) or making a smoothie for a purpose - like breakfast? Oats, milk, banana, honey... But just consider what you're putting in first...
T H E D I E T : hunger suppressants
Be that pills, drinks or meal replacement supplements. All of which are chemicals your putting into your body! You're far better having a good, clean meal - such a chilli chicken, rice & veg or a lean chilli con carne!
So what is the difference between cutting out & "cutting"? Well when people refer to cutting or "the summer shred", they're not actually cutting our entire food groups. Usually people will change the ratio of their macros & reduce them slightly bellow their maintain level, in order to get lean. Here's my top 3 tips for cutting:
1. MACROS - up protein & lower the percent of carbs. This is so easy to experiment with on My Fitness Pal! I would suggest doing this shift slowly however. Need a little help on where to begin - check out my stress free guide to macros!
2. FOOD - Focus on clean eating & natural foods for snacks. But don't restrict yourself - little & often to keep hunger at bay. Equally, don't cut out everything you enjoy. I like to eat 80% clean 20% not, with little treats planned each day - a serving of chocolate, a couple of biscuits that are quite natural in ingredients & reasonably healthy but oh so sweet & a homemade cappuccino. Why? Because this keeps me going & prevents binges!
3. CALORIES - Slowly reduce your calorie intake, so that your in a deficit. Reduce say by 50 a week, until you're about 200-300 in deficit. But don't go any lower! Especially if you want a little energy for the gym.
I hope this makes your diets a little more tasty & a lot more enjoyable! Stop restricting yourselves completely & find that healthy balance. Once you do it's easy to keep up - I promise :)
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