This post may contain affiliate links to items I love, and I am confident you will too! All opinions are my own, however, I may receive a small commission on purchases. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For any health advice I give on nutrition and weight loss, make sure you check with your doctor, as I am not a health professional.
The health and fitness industry has a lot of trends that change and evolve as we learn more about the human body. The main idea of eating whole foods, limiting sugar and fat, eating many small meals for a fast metabolism and drinking lots of water has held it’s place as the golden rule. Well, here are some methods to transform your health and lose weight, that are not the golden rule. In fact, they go against the grain and push the limits on what we know.
Let’s start with the first and the obvious, a Ketogenic diet. This is a full on full-fat diet. As in, bacon, beef, chicken, butter…think of something fatty and that’s probably going to be a staple in your diet. Why is this against the grain? Fat is high in calories, which is not normally conducive to losing weight. But, if you stick to the rigid carb restrictions, you will put your body into ketosis, which basically makes you burn fat as fuel, rather than carbs. It’s all the rave now, and many are jumping for joy with results. Will it last as a healthy way to lose weight? Not sure. But it’s been gaining in popularity, and it does help you get off the sugar! You might have a hard time knowing what to eat. I found these Keto Boxes that send you lots of goodies to get you started! Save 10% by using code HAPPYHOLIDAYS. Sign up for their email list, and you’ll get a bunch of great recipes to get you started too. Protein powder is a big part of this diet, I talk about a clean one I love, and I go over some powders for breastfeeding mamas.
Second is fasting. How many times have we heard to eat many small meals a day to keep our engines (metabolism) revving? Well, another popular method to losing weight and keeping it off is to what’s called intermittent fasting. This is where you fast about 12 or 16 hours, and have a set window of time to eat. Some combine a ketogenic diet with this, while others eat as they please, but the concept is to allow your body to fully burn the fuel you consume. You also get into the habit of plain, not eating, which is a good habit to develop when you are working hard to lose fat. I personally don’t like to eat breakfast. I like to have a few cups of coffee, get going and accomplish a few things, then I’ll start getting hungry for a brunch. That’s just my style, and it works well for me. If I do eat a big breakfast, I fall back asleep, which is not good with three kids running around! If you don’t mind going some time without eating, it could be a great method for you to try this year to accomplish your fitness goals.
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Third is macros rather than calories. Again, rather than sticking to the traditional weight watchers idea, where we eat as healthy as possible within a certain caloric intake, we are now focusing on the macro nutrients. Counting nutrients to achieve the perfect ratios of carbs and proteins is the main focus and reason for achieving insane fitness goals, while the idea of calorie limits is a player in the outfield. With this method, you do still stick to a caloric intake limit, but it’s not the main focus. It’s a lot of thought and counting for me, but it seems that every #motivationmonday I see, they are proclaiming macros to be a driving force to their rock hard abs. There’s a place called Meal Plan Magic where you can plan out your meals according to the macro nutrients. It’s super helpful to get started because counting macros can be overwhelming at first.
Lastly, maybe technically a fourth method, but there are some great new apps out there to help you lose weight. I also wrote about some that even pay you money to be healthy and active.
The Noom app is a progressive idea because it offers personalized emotional and physical guidance from health professionals. It’s super personalized, going in-depth into your personality style, habits and goals with health professionals. It’s a great opportunity to jump start your fitness goals this year!
Another app I am loving to really transform my workouts is Aaptiv. It’s really a trainer in your ear. I run faster, like the music and have access to so many trainers and classes for way cheaper than a gym. You feel like you are being coached right through your workout. Very personal.
