In this article we are going to look for 7 sure fire ways for women not to lose weight. Some of them will be obvious and some of them will be contentious but I ‘ll ask you to reserve judgement until you’ve read the whole of the article.
Let’s dive in. The surest way over the long term to keep weight on is to count calories or starve yourself. The whole diet industry is based on starvation and deprivation diets from the pure silly to the downright dangerous. The body has built in protective mechanisms to protect against starvation and any weight lost through these methods is very rarely fat mass – it is usually lean muscle, bone and water. All of these tissues are metabolically active (ie they burn calories!) so reducing them is just dumb! Water loss and particularly bone loss can be very dangerous in a female and this should be avoided at all costs.
The second best way for you ladies to hold onto those pounds is not to move. Although vigorous exercise is best even climbing stairs, gardening, walking to the shops or sex! can burn calories if you do them enough. Make regular exercise a part of your weekly routine and throw in some of the above activities and your total calories burned will rise dramatically.
Next. Another great way for you to lose the battle of the bulge is to not get enough protein. Many of the ladies I consult with are massively protein deficient (particularly if they’re vegetarian or vegan). Eating protein speeds up your metabolism and helps release the hormone glucagon from the pancreas which is a fat burning hormone. If you eat small amounts of protein, especially meat and fish, your pancreas only spits out miniscule amounts of this vital fat burning hormone so I encourage you to up your protein intake if you want to lose those pounds.
Number four on the list of the top seven ways to stay fat is fat phobia – I know it sounds like a paradox but you must eat good fats to lose weight and then eliminate the bad fats. Saturated fats which were once labelled bad fats are now recognised to be necessary in small amounts, particularly if sourced from organic animals. The real villains are the trans fats (or hydrogenated fats) – these are the chemically altered compounds which are often used to add flavour to foods and extend shelf life and are very damaging to not only your waist line but also your cardiovascular health.
The best fats for fat loss and therefore generally the most ignored are the Essential Fatty Acids, commonly called Omega 3’s and Omega 6’s. These hugely important little fats are highly anti-inflammatory and through other chemical means allow your body to burn more fat for energy.
Being chronically dehydrated, as most people are, is another sure fire way to hold onto those pounds. Not only does it mean you don’t digest food very well but it also means you’ll become constipated allowing many of the toxins in your body to be reabsorbed back into the blood causing liver overload which ultimately leads to you holding onto excess body fat.
We’re nearly there now. Item number six on the list for staying fat is to eat refined carbohydrates as though they’re health foods. Grains, pasta, rice are all fine for triathletes and marathon runners who do vast amounts of exercise but for the average 50 kilo female all it does is cause your body to produce more insulin than normal which will instantly add inches to your waistline.
The final nail in the coffin for fat loss is not getting enough fibre. As a population our fibre intake has dropped dramatically in the last century. This is partly lifestyle determined but it’s mainly due to convenience. Most people eat packaged convenience food that is devoid of fibre (and vitamins and minerals) in return for convenience and speed. Fibre slows down the absorption of food which means you feel fuller for longer – it’s also vitally important for bowel health and protection against a number of cancers!
We’ve covered a lot here and I know you may be going away with more answers than questions but I would suggest if weight loss is a goal for you then try to avoid the seven behaviours I outlined above for a minimum of four weeks. Then I’m certain you’ll be pleasantly surprised not only by the good news on the scales but also with a reduced butt size, increased energy and a better outlook on life.