In this post I'm going to share 4 weight loss lessons that could speed up your efforts or bring you out of that plateau you’re currently in!
#1 - The Disadvantages of Volume-Eating
For all its advantages, remember that a risk of volume eating is that you might NOT eat enough calories.
Now, you might be thinking that this sounds like quite a good thing from a weight loss perspective...
But IF your calorie deficit is "too harsh", your metabolism will adjust, it won't be sustainable and you'll almost definitely crash and burn at some point!
If you're stuck in that restrict - binge cycle, this could potentially be a cause too. Under-eating is very possible when you eat lots of high-volume, but low calorie-density foods.
#2 - Stop Fearing Carbs
I'm not talking fizzy drinks and pizza of course. I'm talking carb-rich whole grains, beans, peas, lentils, potatoes, etc.
These come with low calorie-content compared to very FAT-rich foods, and are also packed with fibre and other essential nutrients.
I'm surprised this low-carb charade is still going on, given that these whole, carb-rich plant foods are incredible for weight loss!
If you're still tentative about carbs, I get it. There's lots of information out there that tells you carbs are actually to blame for weight gain.
But you are going to need to re-programme your beliefs around carbs so you can fully trust this high-carb way of eating.
I wrote an article on carbs recently and lots of the misconceptions about them. Read it here and re-programme your story about carbs!
#3 - Exercise ABSOLUTELY Matters!
There's lots of messaging in the plant-based sphere that weight loss and health-improvement is all about the nutrition.
I largely agree, but that doesn't mean doing exercise is redundant for weight loss. When done right, it WILL help your efforts.
So don't neglect exercise under the guise that it's only nutrition that counts. It's largely down to nutrition, but a good exercise plan is a great helper!
Plus...forget losing weight for a minute...exercise has been proven to have many benefits to physical and mental health and wellbeing. So my advice that you should exercise goes well beyond the number on the scale!
#4- Oil is NOT a Health Food!
Oil is not a health food in my book. I know this goes against much mainstream health teaching, but here’s my argument why…
Oils have a very high fat content and are processed over and over at such high heat that they’re actually very limited in nutrients.
Compare this to a still fat-rich whole food, like nuts, and you’ll get much more bang for your buck in terms of nutrition per calorie.
Oil is a terrible trade-off between nutrients and calories.
It’s for these reasons that I argue that there a much better sources of “healthy fats” than oil.
This is without even mentioning the huge saturated fat content in many oils too, coconut oil being a common example of a so-called healthy food yet one that’s extremely high in saturated fat.
At this point in the discussion on oil, some may say:
“But what about oils that are LOW in saturated fat? Are they any better?”
You could certainly make they argument that oils with low saturated fat content are much better than those high in sat. fat. However…
Even with olive oil, for instance, it would take a whopping 24 green olives to achieve the same calories and fat as 1 tbsp olive oil.
Those oils lower in saturated fat still run into the same problem of providing very little bang for their buck in terms of nutrition to calorie ratio.
Of course, once in a while, a little oil won’t ruin your results, but this is why I don’t class it as health-encouraging or weight-friendly.
How do you cook without oil? Saute in water, soy sauce or vegetable stock.
How do you make food taste good without oil? Seasonings and cooking method. It will take some adjusting to, but you’ll get there and you'll soon realise how sensitive you are to oil.
That's it. My 4 quick lessons for plant-based weight loss! Hope it helps you out!
If you want to work 1:1 with me to lose 20lbs in the next 12 weeks eating simple, satisfying & carbs plant-packed meals, head over to RyanAdamsCoaching.com to learn more about my Vegan Slim & Sustain Coaching Program.
