Where do I begin my fat loss journey?
You’ve made up your mind and you are committed to take control of your health, lose body fat, and stay healthy. But, you ask yourself, “Where do I begin?” I’ve been there too and I’ve learned a thing or two on my journey that may help you answer that question. It is easier than you may think. So, let’s begin.
When beginning anything in life, there is a process of steps to get you to whatever the goal is. For instance; if you have never ridden a bike in your life, you can’t just jump on a bike and expect to be able to pedal, have excellent balance and ride like an expert. After a few steps of learning with training wheels and commitment, you took off those training wheels and rode like the wind. It’s the same with a health journey. You can’t expect to lose body fat right away and have a fitness model’s body (if that is your goal) without following steps.
How you look and feel begins with what you put in your mouth. If you are always eating the standard American diet, SAD, like fast food, highly-processed packaged food, surgery drinks, ice cream, cakes and pastries, your body composition will be fat and soft and you won’t feel so good. So, this is how you begin your fat loss journey.
Remove industrial seed oils.
Open your pantry and remove any bottled seed oils. These oils are canola, corn, vegetable, soybean, safflower, and grapeseed. This also includes artificial butters like margarine and vegetable shortening. These oils are highly inflammatory, high in omega-6 fatty acids, and oxidize when heated. The oxidation further causes inflammation and free radicals which may lead to premature aging, skin disease, heart disease, immune dysfunction and even cancer.
Read the ingredients to all packaged foods in you pantry. This is because the manufacturers of these packaged foods use many seed oils in their products. After reading the labels, remove any packaged food that contains any seed oils. It will surprise you how many products labeled as “healthy” contain these unhealthy oils.
Replace your bottle seed oils with coconut oils, olive oil, avocado oil, and butter/ghee. You can even make your own lard by slowly cooking your bacon in the oven to gently render the bacon fat without burning it. Pour that bacon deliciousness into a sealable glass container and place in the refrigerator for future use.
Eliminate or greatly reduce the consumption of sugary food and sweet beverages.
Sure, sugary foods and beverages taste good, but just like seed oils, they are proinflammatory, may contribute to immune dysfunction and cancer, and they offer zero nutritional value. High intake of sugar can lead you down a path of storing excess body fat and may lead to insulin resistance and Type-2 Diabetes. All of which may lead to other metabolic diseases.
If you do want to have some sweet treats or beverages from time to time, opt for those that are sweetened with a natural, zero calorie sweetener such as stevia or monk fruit. Avoid products sweetened with artificial chemicals such as aspartame, sucralose and saccharin. These chemicals may cause the same metabolic issues as real sugar, just without the calories.
Drop grains, breads and cereals.
What? No bread? No pasta? No Cheerios in the morning? I know, giving up bread, pasta and your morning cereal ritual seems extreme, but hear me out. Grains do not need to be part of your diet and for many, including grains may be harmful to their health more than they realize. For many decades, the government, nutritionists and conventional health professionals have confused you with their push for a whole grain diet because they say it lowers heart disease and cholesterol. What they aren’t telling you, is that most humans have a biological grain intolerance to some degree. That’s because grains contain antinutrients that are hard to digest. If an individual has a high intolerance for these antinutrients, many serious health issues may manifest like nutrient malabsorption, gastrointestinal disorders, and autoimmune diseases. The three most prominent antinutrients in grains are lectin, gluten, and phytates.
Lectins - This antinutrient is actually a mild toxin that is at high levels in grains. When lectins enter the digestive tract, they inhibit the natural repair process of the intestines which may leave you vulnerable to possible digestive issues and autoimmune disorders. During the digestive process, lectin proteins bind to insulin receptors which may lead to insulin and lectin resistance. We already know what insulin resistance can lead to. This lectin induced damage compromises leptin signaling, the hormone that signals you are full, and makes your body believe it is starving thus causing you to overeat which leads to fat storage.
Gluten - This antinutrient is a protein that is found in wheat, rye and barley. Many, maybe even more than 50% of the population, have a non-celiac gluten sensitivity or even a full celiac gluten intolerance known as celiac disease. A gluten intolerance can cause many metabolic problems like intestinal disorders, joint pain, peripheral neuropathy, and autoimmune disease to name just a few. If you experience any of these issues, performing a full gluten elimination may improve symptoms.
Phytates - This antinutrient is also known to cause difficulties with digestion. This is because phytates bind to essential nutrients in food in the digestive tract thus preventing their much needed absorption which can lead to vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Food high in phytates may lead to high blood pressure, diabetes, heartburn and acid reflux, storage of body fat and elevate inflammation.
So, this is how to begin your fat loss journey. Begin with these small, actionable steps and you will start to feel better and begin the metabolic process of losing body fat. Remember, fat loss and optimal health is a process. Stick with it and you will be successful. You got this!!
