They were the best of times, they were the worst of times.
Mostly, they were the fattest of times.
If South Africa had a Fat Party, it would get 50% of the vote. Yes, fully half the South African population weighs too much.
So, no, it’s not wardrobe malfunction. It’s just that there wasn’t anything else that would fit after Christmas dinner(s) and New Year’s celebration(s). Maybe a few other events also squeezed in between you and your underwear.
As Paul Simon sang in the ’80s:
“Why am I soft in the middle?
The rest of my life is so hard.”
Stop scrolling Temu and Shein for new clothes. You can retro-fit your body into its pre-December shape (2010 edition) for less than a pair of Temu shoes.
Here are twelve steps you can take to erase some (or all) of that “new you”. Pro tip: There are no shortcuts. Anyone who tells you there is a shortcut, is selling something – most likely something really expensive.
Step 1: Bust the myths
In order to lose weight, you need to bust a lot of popular myths:
* Fat makes you fat: Bogus. It’s sugar and carbs that make you fat.
* A vegetarian diet is best for weight loss: False. Animal products help you lose weight faster.
* Exercise helps you lose weight: Not really. It’s regular, intentional movement, like walking, that helps you lose weight, especially if done early in the day.
* Sweeteners help you lose weight: False. Sweeteners trigger hormones that stop weight loss.
* Eating less helps you lose weight: Partially true. Eating less often helps you lose weight.
When you start changing things, these and other myths will get thrown at you. When you realise that the shareholding of Big Media, Big Agri and Big Pharma has significant overlap, you begin to understand why these myths have been so ingrained into public consciousness. Food is the funnel by which Big Pharma gains most of its customers. If you can be convinced that good food is bad and bad food is good, you’re Big Pharma’s customer for life.
Step 2: Map the path
Put down your targets, linked to dates. Don’t aim at more than 1 kg weight loss per week – that is not sustainable. Women generally do not lose more than 0.5 kg per week under optimal circumstances.
Remember: Small steps add up to big journeys. Don’t despise the small gains (losses). Just be patient and consistent.
Always remember: Regaining your ideal weight is a marathon, not a sprint.
What is “ideal weight”? Take your height in cm and deduct 100 from that number. That is more or less you ideal weight in kg. Women should probably be a few kg under that and muscular men can be a few kg above that, but at least you now have a number to guide you.
Step 3: Make it known
Nothing keeps you so motivated as having other people asking you about your goals. Yes, it is sometimes embarrassing to have to answer honestly, but if you only have yourself to report to, you’re likely to fudge the truth a bit.
Stick your map to the fridge (strategic choice) where the family can see it. You can even chart your progress on that same map.
Fear of failure is the biggest cause of failure. If you’re scared to do this, you might as well not start; you’re just wasting your own time.
Step 4: Bring a friend
Studies show that implementing a lifestyle change with one or maximum two friends helps people maintain their commitment for much longer. Challenge a friend, work colleague or family member to join you in your journey.
Step 5: Real meals
Only trust food you’ve made yourself, or food that was made by someone who loves you.
Eating prepared or packaged food opens the floodgates of hidden additives. Worse still, the cost is often more than double of what it would have cost you to prepare the food yourself.
Fruits: Three fist-sized portions per week
Vegetables: All, except potato, sweet potato and rice.
Meat and Fish: All kinds and types.
Eggs: Yes! No limit.
Dairy: All types are OK, but not more than a tablespoon of milk a day.
Grains and grain-based products: None.
Sweeteners: None, only xylitol (if you must). Raw honey allowed, max three teaspoons per week.
Do not count calories. If you eat from the above list only, you will feel full pretty soon, and stay full for a long time afterwards.
Real meals are eaten at real tables. Sit down at a table and eat. If you stand and eat, or watch a screen while eating, your cortisol levels (= stress hormone) do not drop. This means, the food you’re eating will be turned into reserve fuel (read: fat) instead of being earmarked or immediate burning.
Step 6: Fuel to the fire
You need to understand the difference between good oils and bad oils.
Bad oils are heat-processed oils, like sunflower, safflower, canola and sesame oils. They cause inflammation in the body, with disastrous results.
Good oils are extra virgin olive oil, extra virgin macadamia nut oil and extra virgin coconut oil, as well as MCT oil These good oils will give you energy without harming your body. Take 1-3 tablespoons of any of these per day, mixed in with food.
Of all the commercially available oils, macadamia nut oil contains the highest percentage of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. It also tastes tons better than olive oil, and is half the price.
Step 7: Skip a meal (or two)
As soon as you’re comfortable with the new diet plan, you can start skipping meals. The best meal to skip is supper, but for many, it is their biggest meal. In this case, skip breakfast, or limit it to one egg, or a small salad.
As you get used to this, try skipping two consecutive meals. This is known as OMAD (one meal a day). You can do this once a week, or more than once a week. The more often you do it, the faster your weight loss will be.
Step 8: Add nutrients
There are a couple of vital nutrients that we do not get enough of nowadays. Here are a few:
* Vitamin D: Low vitamin D levels are linked to obesity. Our Mega D3 supplies 40,000 IU in one capsule. Taking one capsule once or twice a week is safe and will help lift your vitamin D blood levels quickly.
* Magnesium: Magnesium is involved in virtually every energy-related reaction in the body. Without magnesium, you will struggle to burn fat. We recommend 2 capsules of our MgO daily until you reach your weight goals.
* Vitamin C: It has a wide range of benefits during weight loss. We recommend 2-5 g daily, dissolved in water and taken over time (not all at once). See here for our Non-GMO Vitamin C Tablets and Powder.
* Ketones: Ketones are an alternative fuel source to glucose. Taking ketones as a supplement triggers the liver to produce more ketones (by breaking down fat). So, ketone supplements not only help with energy, but also help speed up weight loss.
Step 9: Stay hydrated
Drink more water. Make a plan to drink at least 2L of fluids every day – mostly water. One way could be to get a flask, filling it with water in the morning and making sure it is empty by evening. More water intake helps the kidneys flush out more waste products. It also decreases appetite, which helps with food cravings between meals. Add a dash of lemon or mint to make it taste interesting.
Step 10: Breathe deeply
Take 3 deep breaths at least once an hour. Deep breaths get rid of excess carbon dioxide and up the oxygen levels to the brain. This helps to relax you (=> lower cortisol levels => more fat gets burned).
Step 11: Get enough deep sleep
Few people grasp how important sleep is for weight loss. During deep sleep, cortisol levels drop, which helps you lose weight.
Go to bed at the same time every night (even on weekends). A fixed bed-time is a precious gift to your brain. Your brain loves routine and a fixed bed-time helps you sleep deeper.
Go to bed at 22.00 or earlier. It may take some getting used to, but eventually you will fall asleep quicker. This is the easiest way to get that magical 7 hours of sleep every night.
Turn off wifi and screens at 21.00 every night (the kids will hate you at first). Blue light from screens, wifi and mobile radiation are all linked to sleeplessness and poor sleep quality.
Don’t have your phone next to your bedside.
Step 12: Gratitude
There is a lot of talk about “mindfulness” nowadays but in the end it all boils down to gratitude. Set aside a few minutes every day to verbalise gratitude. Listing all the things you can be grateful for early in the morning makes a difference to your health. It may take a few weeks, but just try it.
Spend a few minutes at night to reflect on all the good things that happened during the day and all the good you could bring to others. Gratitude is the softest pillow.
By practising gratitude, you reframe your story from being a victim of random forces to being a victor surveying the battlefield. It takes special effort to counter the destructive messaging blaring and staring at you all day. Fear is not your master. Loss is not your identity. When you practise gratitude long enough, then fearful situations are opportunities for courage. Loss becomes an opportunity for standing up anew. This is not psychobabble, it is a shaking off of the slave mentality being fed to us. Every media channel, tells us we are incapable of rising above our circumstances. It takes effort to stop this from shaping our identity.
Gratitude allows you to soar above all the chaos, so take the effort. It’s more than a warm feeling in the heart, it must be verbalised.
If these 12 steps are not enough, here’s more:
* A video by Prof Ben Bikman
* And if you would like a six month, in-depth guided journey to better health, head over to FIRE For Life to sign up for a course.
To your (fat-free) health!
The Team at Integrow Health
