Many individuals who are desperate to lose weight do not realize that they can - and should – eat lots of calories. Crash diets do not work, when it comes to long term fat loss. In fact, they usually have the opposite effect - weight and fat gain. There are, however, some very easy tricks to incorporate into your routine to help ramp up your metabolism.
However, as a disclaimer, if you’re after a quick fix to mimic the effects of steroids or other illegal drugs, you’ll be looking at a harsh reality dead in the eyes. These drugs are dangerous, and are illegal for a reason.
Follow these simple, easy steps to hone in on the last 10% to push you over the edge and help you lose those few extra stubborn pounds!
Table of Contents
1. KEEP CALORIES IN CHECK
Make sure you are eating plenty of calories. Skip the starvation diets and/or cleanses - please. Secondly, make sure that you are including good calories, and leaving out bad ones. This means making your diet as nutrient dense as possible, which the Paleo diet will accomplish for you automatically (I told you this was easy!). Leaving out the bad calories can be trickier, but you simply choose between avoiding ice cream and achieving their weight loss goal, or downing a pint and keeping those extra pounds. Ultimately, the choice is yours.
2. EAT QUALITY OVER QUANTITY
Of these quality calories, protein is probably the most important. Most of us do not eat enough protein, and the more protein we eat, the more satiated we will be and the more muscle we can build - both important cornerstones of true weight loss. Thermogenesis requires adequate protein - as does muscle growth. Without protein, you will never become leaner and meaner.
3. FATTEN UP
The next step (which is so commonly overlooked) is indulging in lots of healthy fats. This means extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, avocados and other Paleo Diet staples.
4. SLEEP IT OFF
One of the biggest secrets to fat loss, is so simple, and yet so overlooked. As I’ve previously written, getting enough sleep is absolutely vital to fat loss. In fact, sleep deprivation will cause fat gain! Getting an appropriate amount of sleep may be the most unrecognized and underreported secret to fat loss - and yet so many of us struggle to achieve it. Why is this? Examine your lifestyle and see what you can strip away (another secret to fat loss - eliminate activities and stressors – don’t add them!)
So to review, boost your metabolism and get rid of stubborn body fat by getting enough calories (quality here is vital), eat plenty of quality proteins and fats, and get lots of high quality sleep (8-9 hours per night). These four Paleo cornerstones will ramp up your metabolism and help you lose body fat.
Perhaps two more key notes should be mentioned here. The first is to avoid sugar at all costs. Sugar is your enemy when it comes to fat loss. 1-2 servings of fruit are all you usually need, and it’s vital (if you want to lose fat) to keep your carbohydrate intake to starchier sources, like sweet potatoes.
The second key is to give it time! Weight loss does not happen overnight - it really does take patience. I have had so many clients who have given up after a week of not achieving their goal, which is truly heartbreaking. I know that if they were to simply hold on for another few weeks, they would see very good results, and stick with it.
A Paleo diet and lifestyle will provide you with all the tools you need to maximize your metabolism and lose weight. If you have very complex metabolic or health issues to deal with, you may need to see a doctor or practitioner, but this isn’t always necessary.
Go home, get rid of all the processed and man-made foods from your house, keep exercising and sleeping, and reap the rewards of a Paleo-driven, fuel-efficient metabolism!
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This article originally appeared on The Paleo Diet.