Hashi Mashi

Tips for Your Mind & Body

Home » Weight Loss

Weight Loss Tips to Boost your Mood & Lean Out your Body

The Best Diet to Lose Weight Fast – Secrets You Already Know

By - Last Updated

best diet to lose weight fast
What is the Best Diet to Lose Weight Fast? Unlock the Secrets of Weight Loss that You Already Know

Unlock the Secrets of Weight Loss

You want to know the best diet to lose weight fast? I understand and empathize. Six years ago, I was topping out at 275 pounds. I felt hopeless, isolated and that it was impossible to ever get back to a normal weight. Looking for the best diet to lose weight fast became an obsession. I tried Macrobiotics, veganism, vegetarianism, Atkins, Pritikin, paleo, you name it. The bottom line is that I understand how deeply obesity can affect your mind and body.

If you are 30 pounds or more over your ideal weight, you are obese according to the National Academy of Sports Medicine. 

What can you do if you are 50, 75 or 100 pounds overweight? Do not despair, the following roadmap will put you back on track fast. First, let’s find out if you are at your ideal body weight, overweight or obese. This is step one to becoming conscious of what you are doing to your body.

Do You Know Your Ideal Weight?

Use the National Institute of Health’s Body Mass Index Table to Find Out:

  1. Find your height in inches or centimeters in the left-hand column labeled ‘HEIGHT’.
  2. Now, move across the row to the right named ‘WEIGHT’ and find your current body weight in pounds or kilograms.
  3. The number at the intersection of the HEIGHT and WEIGHT columns is your Body Mass Index (BMI).
  4. Notice the color associated with your BMI to determine whether you are underweight (blue), healthy (green), overweight (yellow), obese (orange) or extremely obese (red).
  5. This BMI table is courtesy of https://bmicalculator.mes.fm/bmi-chart
  6. Note: if you are an athlete and have a significant amount of lean body mass, muscle, this bmi chart will not be accurate. This bmi chart is specifically for average people, not for athletes, olympians or bodybuilders who have more muscle mass and lower body fat than the average person.
  7. Therefore, if you are an average person, please continue and discover whether your weight is healthy for your height or not.
best diet to lose weight fast bmi chart
Do you need the best diet to lose weight fast?  Are you a healthy weight? Graphic Credit: https://bmicalculator.mes.fm/bmi-chart

If you are overweight, obese or extremely obese for your height, you are in the right place.

HM FIT RX™ is the best formula to lose weight fast.

Do Diets Work?

Let’s get a few things out of the way. I am not going to give you a diet to follow for a few months. Why not? Because there is plenty of evidence out there that diets do not work.

Statistics show that 97 percent of dieters regain everything they lost and then some within three years.1)http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2015/03/diets_do_not_work_the_thin_evidence_that_losing_weight_makes_you_healthier.html#lf_comment=286251224

Any program that you start, with the intent to stop it in a while, will never work. You need to change your habits which got you to overweight or obesity in the first place. You can lose 10 or 20 pounds fast, but how long will you maintain your weight loss? And I am sure you are not only interested in losing weight. I imagine that you want to be healthier and fitter.

Right?

Instead, you will learn the secrets for weight loss and maintenance for the rest of your life. Don’t laugh if right now you are so heavy that you cannot believe reaching your ideal weight. The real you is a normal sized man or woman at an ideal and healthy weight for your height. As you found in the Body Mass Index table above.

You can achieve a healthy weight and meet your real body.

You can save yourself from chronic illnesses like heart disease, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes, which are all associated with excess weight. What does it mean to lose weight ‘fast’.  Fast does not mean losing 40 pounds in 40 days! The fastest suggested weight loss by the National Academy of Sports Medicine is two pounds per week. This rate will help you achieve your ideal weight faster than you thought possible.

Now, are you ready to begin your weight loss transformation?

The Secrets of The Best Diet to Lose Weight Fast

This is the first secret of the best diet to lose weight fast:

Eat!

Yes, that’s right, start eating the right food, at the right times. I know it sounds counter intuitive. Many if not most people try to eat less when they want to lose weight. Or, they avoid certain food groups completely to lose weight. What if I told you that food is your friend, would you believe it?

So many of us think that food is the enemy.

No, in fact, the opposite is true, starvation is the enemy. Meaning, that any time that you distress your body by not eating often enough, you are preventing fat loss. To lose fat, your body needs to know that it will receive fuel, nutrition. By eating enough calories, your body can start to release fat.

Without enough calories, your body will hold onto your fat stores. This is the foundation of permanent fat loss, knowing that real food is your friend. And that you must start eating. Never forget that real food is your friend.

When Is The Best Time To Eat?

The word DAY is in uppercase, because the emphasis on your calories should come in the daytime. As opposed to the majority of your calories coming in the evening. This is the opposite of how overweight and obese people eat. Obese and overweight people eat nothing or very little during the day, and have a dinner that can go all night.

Have you ever done that?

You must eat, and on top of that, you have to add the best times for eating. For most people who are busy during the day, that is when you most need your fuel. So, you should prepare for a busy day by having a good breakfast. A few more hours, have lunch. Then a snack between lunch and dinner.

When night rolls around, you do not need so many calories.

Why do you have to eat so much at night? To watch sports/news/shows, play mahjong, or sit on the couch? There is no need for tons of calories in the evening. You need your fuel for daytime activities. Overweight and obese people eat too many calories in the evening, because they starve their bodies in the daytime.

You can never outsmart your body. Your body is more brilliant than you are, despite what your mother may have told you.  If you starve your body in the day, your body will force you to eat non stop in the evening. This sets up the vicious cycle of starve during the day and binge at night. A typical scenario that guarantees you will be fat.

The best diet to lose weight fast starts with a satisfying breakfast and tapers off to a modest dinner. Then, a few hours after a moderate dinner, you are ready to lay down, sleep and give your body the rest it deserves. This is the second secret, eat more during the day, and less at night. If you are a late morning breakfast person and just despise an early breakfast, here is a solution for you: If your first meal is at 12pm, then do not eat later than 8pm at night.

Even if you do not eat till 10 am to 12 pm, make sure to drink either water or green tea.

What Is Real Food and Why Should You Care?

Take a selfie picture of yourself now. Even better, take one photo from the front and one photo from the side. Now you can see the results of eating processed food. If you are overweight or obese, you most likely got there with processed foods.

Best diet to lose weight fast substitutes real food for processed food
Before and After 6 Months on the Hashi Mashi Plan – Your Before Photo Will Help You Get Started

Food engineers and scientists create processed food in industrial plants/facilities. Craving engineers who work in taste institutes for gigantic companies develop junk foods. Believe it or not, the food industry giants hire scientists to figure out how to get you addicted to their ‘food’.

If you want to change your body, you must change the quality of your food.

Therefore, the third secret is to switch from processed food to real food. For example, instead of drinking apple juice, eat an apple. And it goes without saying that if you have pop tarts for breakfast, it is time to replace the pop tarts with old fashioned oatmeal. Instead of a frozen dinner, have fresh broccoli and chicken. Add a sweet potato on the side.

Trade in the blueberry muffin for old fashioned oatmeal with blueberries.

You need to substitute real food for processed food. A typical American supermarket has close to 50,000 products. 2)https://quizlet.com/120841786/food-inc-study-guide-flash-cards/. Processed foods made in a factory and not on a farm are the majority of these products.3)ibid

We are not talking here about organic and grass fed beef.

Right now, I am suggesting that you think about every one of your meals. And use real food wherever possible. For example, if you have fries at night with dinner, have a baked or sauteed potato. You like diet coke and pizza in the afternoon? Have a big salad with tomato, onion and grated mozzarella cheese on a slice of whole grain bread instead. If you have time, you can saute the bread in a tad of olive oil and sprinkle some garlic powder.

This is where the art of weight loss transformation and fitness meets science. You have to get creative in re-creating similar flavors that you instinctively crave. The third secret is to switch from processed food to real food.

Can I Sit On The Couch And Still Lose Weight?

No, you cannot sit on the couch and still lose weight. Sure, you can starve yourself and do that, but you will not get healthier and fitter. Sitting disease is a common affliction of the overweight and the obese. You sit most of the day, and then you sit some more, on the commute, eating at a table, and in the office, in your car.

Look at that selfie that you took before. That is the result of a lot of sitting.

It is no secret that Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps consumed a huge amount of food while training: The now-18-time Olympic champion was devouring 12,000 calories per day to fuel his Olympic training schedule. His daily diet consisted of fried egg sandwiches, two pounds of pasta and an entire pizza. 4)https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2016/05/22/michael-phelps-man-of-the-12000-calorie-diet-says-he-doesnt-eat-much-anymore/?utm_term=.6b65ea1f29ed Phelps swims at least 80,000 meters a week, which is 50 miles. He practices twice a day. Phelps trains for around five to six hours a day at six days a week.

Phelp’s eating habits is not the best diet to lose weight fast, unless you are also swimming 50 miles a day. At the least, start walking 10, 20 or 30 minutes a day, 5 times a week. This will help to restart your metabolism and activate your deconditioned muscles.

This is the fourth secret, start moving, and work up to at least 30 minutes, five times a week.

Start These New Habits to Lose Weight Fast

Eat real food, at regular times, throughout the day. For most people, three meals and one or two snacks is sufficient. Start walking for 30 minutes a day. Do not stop eating for more than 3 to 5 hours, do not go hungry. You need to be patient with your body.

You did not become obese over a weekend.

Overweight and obesity is the result of inactivity, overeating and/or eating processed foods. And, this is not your fault, remember that. As mentioned above, food scientists spend their lives and careers devising new ways to addict you to their junk food brand. Of course, there is much more you can do to speed up your weight loss transformation. But for weight loss basics, nothing is better than learning that you need to eat real food to lose weight.

Make the right change, the better choice of real food over processed food. And eat more during the day than at night. Add 30 minutes a day of walking and you are on your way. When you start to reach more comfortable weight, then you can add strength training.

Exercises like deadlifts, squats, pushups and various cardio techniques.

For now though, let’s get you down to your ideal body weight, a healthy weight for your height!

Summary of The Best Diet to Lose Weight Fast

  • Start eating and stop starving yourself to lose weight.
  • Eat your larger meals earlier in the day, and a bit less towards the evening.
  • Switch from processed food to real food.
  • Walk at least 30 minutes, five times a week.
  • At this point, you should have recorded your scale weight and taken your selfies.

Now, it is time for step two of HM FIT RX™.

Go to this next article about a new habit for you to start tomorrow morning, called the daily weigh.

Read this article next: How Often Should You Weigh Yourself ?

What do you think is the best diet plan to lose weight fast?

Recommended Reading:

 

References   [ + ]

1. ↑ http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2015/03/diets_do_not_work_the_thin_evidence_that_losing_weight_makes_you_healthier.html#lf_comment=286251224
2. ↑ https://quizlet.com/120841786/food-inc-study-guide-flash-cards/
3. ↑ ibid
4. ↑ https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2016/05/22/michael-phelps-man-of-the-12000-calorie-diet-says-he-doesnt-eat-much-anymore/?utm_term=.6b65ea1f29ed

Obese Man Ditches 3 Common Habits and Loses 75 Pounds

By - Last Updated

obese man ditches 3 common habits and loses 75 pounds in 6 months
Obese Man Ditches 3 of The Most Common Habits and Loses 75 Pounds in 6 Months

Are You Sick and Tired of Being Overweight?

Do you feel guilt and shame because you are overweight?

Are you tired of the condescending looks?

Have you been overlooked for promotions or raises and you think it is because you are too fat?

Do you suspect that your husband or wife are not as attracted to you anymore because of your weight?

Are you wondering if you are just lazy or weak because you cannot get down to a normal weight?

Does your feeling fat affect your self-esteem and confidence?

Are you afraid of what your obesity might cost you in terms of your health?

Well, here is the good news for you.

Your obesity is NOT your fault.

The natural result of the current American/western lifestyle for most men and women in America is to gain weight and get fat.

75 percent of adult americans are either overweight or obese.

Today, 7 in 10 Americans are obese or overweight, but only 36 percent think they have a weight problem.1)https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/12/01/nearly-half-of-americas-overweight-people-dont-realize-theyre-overweight/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.2aa1a912eba8

The consequences of obesity are much worse than just not looking good in or out of clothing.

Now, here is even more good news:

You can easily correct the problem.

If no one has been able to tell you how, you will know how by the end of this article.

Is Food Your Friend or Foe?

You eat, but you get fatter and fatter with the years.

Epidemiologists have observed that the average person typically puts on 1 to 2 pounds a year from early adulthood through middle age.2)https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/01/29/the-age-when-you-gain-the-most-weight/?utm_term=.617dd6b57e18

The average American will gain about one pound of additional weight each year from age 25, or 35 additional pounds by the age of 60; because we typically also lose about a half pound of bone and muscle mass each year — unless we’re physically active, of course — then our body fat is increasing by 1.5 pounds each year …3)https://www.sharecare.com/health/weight-loss/how-much-weight-person-gain-lifetime

Before you ditch this article, do the following thought experiment: take your current weight, and add two pounds for every year until you hit age 50 – 60.

The average American will gain 35 pounds by the age of 60.

3/4 of the adult population over 20 is either overweight or obese.

But, you do not have to be part of that statistic.

You need to learn how to eat without gaining weight.

Think about your typical week day.

You rush off to work.

You have to give a presentation or go to a meeting.

And you have a 30 minute to one hour or more commute to the office.

Where you will sit most of the day.

While you are walking to your job, you stop off at a food cart and get a bagel and butter.

Add an orange juice and/or coffee with a muffin.

Sometimes, more often than not, you do not have time for breakfast.

Or even lunch.

Then you come home famished at the end of the day.

Does this sound familiar to you?

Do You Ever Think of Real Food?

Food like vegetables, whole grains, oatmeal, berries, eggs, legumes, fish, water, tea, nuts, fruits?

You likely have no time for real food.

If you have a slice of tomato on your bagels and lox, you think you had your vegetables for the day.

What is more convenient than processed food?

You grab a donut, a brownie, a slice of pizza, a hamburger, an egg mccMuffin.

Industrial facilities manufacture processed food.

Your average supermarket is overflowing with processed food.

You are lucky if you can find watercress, bok choy or okra in your supermarket.

Vegetables do not take center stage.

Frozen dinners, ice cream, snickers, chips, pretzels, licorice, refined grains, high sugar and/or fat processed foods, (even if they are vegan processed foods) get the center aisles.

A New Study Proves Fast Food Is The Problem

A new study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that people who cut back on added sugar, refined grains and highly processed foods while concentrating on eating plenty of vegetables and whole foods — without worrying about counting calories or limiting portion sizes — lost significant amounts of weight over the course of a year.

The research lends strong support to the notion that diet quality, not quantity, is what helps people lose and manage their weight most easily in the long run.

It also suggests that health authorities should shift away from telling the public to obsess over calories and instead encourage Americans to avoid processed foods that are made with refined starches and added sugar, like bagels, white bread, refined flour and sugary snacks and beverages, said Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University.

The new study stands apart from many previous weight-loss trials because it did not set extremely restrictive carbohydrate, fat or caloric limits on people and emphasized that they focus on eating whole or “real” foods — as much as they needed to avoid feeling hungry.4)https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/20/well/eat/counting-calories-weight-loss-diet-dieting-low-carb-low-fat.html

Fast food, junk food, processed food, leads off the 3 commonplace habits of the overweight man or woman.

If on the other hand you focus on eating real food, you will lose your excess weight, faster than you ever thought possible.

Recommended Reading:

Obesity – Is it Worth Losing Your Mind?

The Best Diet to Lose Weight Fast – Secrets You Already Know

Ultra-Processed Food Horror Show

Why Is It So Hard To Lose Weight?

Weight Loss Plan and Fat to Fitness Solution

Lose Weight Without Counting Calories

Do you eat on the run?

In the car, on the subway, walking on the sidewalk.

Is it true that sometimes you have no time for meals during the day?

The only time you get to eat is when you gets home?

Have you ever said “I did not eat all day, I was so busy at work!”?

And feel a tinge of heroism for being such a hard worker.

Not realizing that your fat and flab is your body’s revenge.

Because you starved your innocent body the entire day!

So dinner will go on for hours and hours.

Endless snacking and eating while sitting and watching TV.

The only time you gets to relax.

Let’s get this straight.

During the day when your body needs food and energy to function, you starve your body.

But at night, when it is time to rest, that is when you overfeed your hungry body!

All you have to do starting today is to make sure that you have 3 meals and 1 snack every day.

For example:

Breakfast at 9 am

Lunch at 12 pm

Snack at 3 pm

Dinner at 7pm

Your train your body to expect fuel at those times.

And now your body can start releasing stored up fat.

Because you are no longer in a famine!

The number 2 usual habit of the overweight man or woman is having no set meal pattern.

Recommended Reading:

How to Lose 20 pounds in 3 Months Using 5 Simple Steps

Easiest Way to Lose Weight

Can Type 2 Diabetes Be Reversed ?

Build a Body You Can Be Proud Of

That is easy, just sit most of the day!

But hold on, you know that sitting will not build the body you want!

But do you do the following?

Sit in your car, on the bus or train to commute?

Then you sit in your office, at your desk or at meetings the rest of the day.

And then you sit once more in the car, bus or train on the way home.

Once home, you takes your seat at the dinner table.

Or on the lazy boy or couch for another 3 to 5 hours.

An entire day of sitting.

All you have to do starting today is to start moving.

At least 30 minutes a day.

Either walk to or from the bus or train for 30 minutes before your commute.

Or take a 30 minute walk break during your lunch time.

You have to start moving.

Walking alone is enough to start losing weight, you do not have to go pump iron for 2 hours.

Therefore, the third bad habit of the overweight man is Sitting. Too. Much.

3 of The Most Common Habits That Make You Fat

All you have to do is ditch these 3 typical habits of the obese western man or woman:

  • Fast food
  • Skipping meals
  • Sitting too much

Who Is The Obese Man?

I know the story of this fat guy.

His own brother labeled him a fat bastard.

That is what brothers do, right?

His brother loved him so much, he was hoping that calling him a fat bastard might knock some sense into him.

And you know what?

It worked.

In 6 months, by ditching these 3 ordinary habits, I lost 75 pounds.

And over the course of a year and a half, I took off a total of 100 pounds.

That’s right, this obese man was me.

And I am hoping that my story will inspire you to make the same small changes.

bad habits to change to lose weight
Ditch 3 common habits and you will even lose weight in your face

In 2012 I was over 250 pounds with a 50 inch waist.

bad habits create a big fat belly
‘Normal’ and ‘commonplace’ Habits that Lead to Big Bellies for Men Who Look Pregnant

What Were Those 3 Common Habits?

  • I ate fast food the majority of the time.
  • Skipped meals regularly.
  • Rarely moved.

I decided to:

  • Eat real food and cut out the processed food.
  • Stop skipping meals and have at least 3 meals and one snack every day.
  • Start walking at least 30 minutes a day. After a few months I added pushups, squats and deadlifts a few times a week.

In 6 months, I lost 75 pounds and a total of 100 pounds over the course of a year and a half.

I ditched 3 common habits and lost 75 pounds in 6 months.

Bad Habits of the Overweight Man
Which 3 Bad Habits Should You Fix to Lose Weight?
Bad Habits to Fix Which Can Help You Lose Weight
Fixing 3 Common Bad Habits Can Help You Lose Weight

Conclusion

Ditching these 3 common habits can help rebuild your health and fitness.

Miraculously, my body responded at the age of 55 and I lost 75 pounds in 6 months.

And close to a hundred pounds in a year and a half, getting leaner and stronger than I thought possible.

I am not special.

Your body will respond in the same way.

When you start getting healthier, you will find the motivation to care and strength to train harder.

Your doctor will no longer tell you it is urgent to lose weight.

In fact, your doctor might ask you how did you lose weight?

So he/she can share it with other overweight patients.

You will become stronger in mind and body so you can survive the rat race.

Or even worse, divorce, estrangement, depression, and job loss.

You will be visible again.

Hope, confidence and a brighter future are now the portrait of your life.

A new life that you are creating by rebuilding your strength and fitness.

Start ditiching these 3 bad habits.

Let the magic begin today.

Recommended Reading:

Weight Loss Blogger Hashi Mashi Revealed by the New York Times

References   [ + ]

1. ↑ https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/12/01/nearly-half-of-americas-overweight-people-dont-realize-theyre-overweight/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.2aa1a912eba8
2. ↑ https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/01/29/the-age-when-you-gain-the-most-weight/?utm_term=.617dd6b57e18
3. ↑ https://www.sharecare.com/health/weight-loss/how-much-weight-person-gain-lifetime
4. ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/20/well/eat/counting-calories-weight-loss-diet-dieting-low-carb-low-fat.html

How to Lose 20 pounds in 3 Months Using 5 Simple Steps

By - Last Updated

I need to know how to lose 20 pounds in 3 months.

How many times have you said or thought that to yourself?

“It is so hard to lose weight, I hardly eat anything!”

You might have said that as well in frustration.

Is it really easy to lose 20 pounds in 3 months?

I know how you feel. I have struggled with overweight and obesity since the age of 10, pretty much all of my life. It took me 50 years to make some sense out of the confusion.

I’d hate for you to have to wait that long.

The shocking truth is that losing weight is not as complicated as you think. Your body is always trying to get healthier, if you just let it.

You do not need any magic potions or shakes to lose 20 pounds or more.

Nor do you need special meals delivered to your door step.

I will give you the best way to lose 20 pounds in 3 months, based on my own experience and others who I have coached.

If you are ready to invest some effort and planning, get ready.

You do have to put in some effort, but not as much as you think.

how to lose 20 pounds in 3 months
How to Lose 20 pounds in 3 months or 100 pounds over 10 months following 5 easy rules

The Challenge

I imagine you have wanted to get into better shape for a long time now.

For many people, each year after the age of 25 means additional pounds, and they add up.

The average American will gain about one pound of additional weight each year from age 25, or 35 additional pounds by the age of 60; because we typically also lose about a half pound of bone and muscle mass each year – unless we are physically active. If not, our body fat is increasing by 1.5 pounds each year from 25 to 60, or more than 50 pounds of fat over 35 years.1)https://www.sharecare.com/health/weight-loss/how-much-weight-person-gain-lifetime

You want to get healthier and fitter, but, you have no idea where to begin.

Is there a ‘recipe’ for improving your health and fitness? I believe the answer is yes, and it is not as complicated as you think.

No matter what shape you are in now, do not give up.

It is never too late to get back into shape, no matter what your age.

Whether you are a beginner in fitness, or a former athlete,along the way of life, many of us put on 20, 30, 50 or more pounds and have no clue how to lose the weight and get back into shape.

Obesity is one of the few preventable risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

And there are many people who do not even realize that they are obese.

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) defines obesity as:

  • A body mass index over 30, or waist measurement over 40 inches for men.
  • A body mass index over 30, or waist measurement over 35 inches for women.
  • Obesity is also defined by the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) as a person who is at least 30 pounds over their recommended weight for their height.

What Is Your Ideal Body Weight?

Here is a simple formula to help you determine the recommended weight for your height according to the Hamwi method.

For men:

The ideal body weight formula is 106 pounds for your first 5 feet of height, plus 6 pounds for every additional inch

For women:

The ideal body weight formula is 100 pounds for the first 5 feet of height, plus 5 pounds for each additional inch.

You can now easily calculate your approximate ideal body weight based on your height using the Hamwi method.

Exercise Is Medicine

You cannot control age or family medical history.

But you can control what you eat and if you exercise.

Being overweight or obese increases your risk of developing high blood pressure.

In fact, your blood pressure rises as your body weight increases.

Losing even 10 pounds can lower your blood pressure—and losing weight has the biggest effect on those who are overweight and already have hypertension.

Losing 5% to 10% of your body weight and building up to 150 minutes of exercise a week may help you to slow or stop the progress of type 2 diabetes.

“If you sit [inactive] most of the day, 5 or 10 minutes is going to be great,” Albright says. “Walk to your mailbox. Do something that gets you moving, knowing that you’re looking to move towards 30 minutes most days of the week.”2)https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/type-2-diabetes-guide/reversing-type-2-diabetes#1

With weight loss, you can slow down or even stop the progression of type 2 diabetes.

You may be able to reduce cholesterol levels significantly by losing 5% to 10% of your body weight, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Healthy weight is so important for overall heart health, that the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology released a new report calling for physicians to create customized weight loss plans and recommend counseling with a dietitian or certified weight loss professional for at least six months.

Obesity is a risk factor for many diseases, cardiovascular being one of the most prevalent and fatal.

Take a look at this first graphic, an obesity map of the USA from the CDC:

How to lose 20 pounds in 3 months obesity graphic cdc

Now look at the incidence of cardiovascular disease in the US as illustrated in the second graphic below.
You will see a striking resemblance in the states where obesity and heart disease are most prevalent.

how to lose 20 pounds in 3 months heart disease graphic
Notice how the obesity graphic above parallels this graphic of heart disease in the USA

 

Why The Big Focus On Weight Loss In America?

Now we understand why we are so focused on losing weight.

We know intuitively that a healthy weight is more likely to produce health.

Losing weight is going to help you avoid type 2 Diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol and a lack of physical activity.

Once you are at a more comfortable weight, it will be much easier to exercise.

If you are a man over 45 , or a woman over 55 , then you already have one risk factor for heart disease, the main killer of men and women in the United States.

This is why getting your weight under control is so critical.

Fear is a great motivator, and fear of all of the complications brought on by obesity is real.

Now that you know some of the negative effects of excess weight, there is no reason to be despondent.

The great news is that your body is always trying to attain a state of health and fitness, if you just let it.

My intention is to help you learn or relearn how to lose 20 pounds in 3 months.

After your first 20 pound weight loss, you can repeat the cycle if you have to lose more weight.

Remember, this is not a diet, this is a system, a plan, new habits that you will stick to for the rest of your life.

Recommended Reading:

Why Is It So Hard To Lose Weight Over 50?

Start Small

Small steps, new lifestyle habits, one after the other will bring you to your destination.

These small changes will result in a major transformation.

Losing 20 pounds over the next 3 months is within the healthy guidelines of 1/2 – 2 pounds of weight loss per week.

But, do not push yourself to lose more than a pound or two each week.

As soon as you settle into this system, your body will work it’s magic and release the right amount of fat.

The first step is to establish a routine of 3 meals and at least one snack every day.

You must establish a regular meal pattern.

This is the first way how to lose 20 pounds in 3 months.

Related Post:

14 Effective Weight Loss Tips

Hashi Mashi Is The Easiest Diet to Lose Weight Fast – Secret Sauce of Weight Loss

1. Establish a Regular Meal Routine

A foundation of consistent fat loss is having a regular meal pattern.

Some people think that going low carb is the pillar of fat loss.

Others think that starving themselves, such as intermittent fasting is the best way to lose weight.

Everyone has an opinion on how to lose weight.

Does it make sense that weight loss seems to be more complicated than rocket science?

Of course not.

So, let’s simplify the easy steps that you can take to transform your body from fat to fit.

Depending on your starting weight, you can do this in only three months.

If you are only 20 or 30 pounds overweight, you can see great results in 3 to 4 months.

You can absolutely lose 20 pounds in 3 months.

For 50 or 60 pounds, you are looking at 6 to 7 months.

Do not attempt to lose more than 2 pounds a week.

Even one pound a week is a great success.

Your first small step is to establish your meal routine.

For example:

8am – breakfast

12pm – lunch

3pm – snack

7pm – dinner

Related Post:

7 Effective Good Breakfast Tips

Why is a Regular Meal Routine so Important?

When you skip meals, your body gets distressed.

Skipping meals is not the way to lose weight and certainly not fat.

By skipping a meal, your body does not know when the next meal is coming.

As a result, your body will hold onto your fat reserves very tightly.

Just one pound of fat in your body, stores 3,500 calories!

Your body will not release that fat if your body believes that it needs to hold onto the fat.

Instead, your body will take some of your muscle reserve, which is more expendable.

Muscle is your friend, but also very expensive for the body to maintain.

One pound of body fat only requires a few calories a day to maintain, whereas a pound of muscle can require between 50 and 100 calories.

As a result, your body would rather hold onto body fat instead of muscle.

Unless you teach your body that it is not necessary to hold onto your body fat.

You do this by teaching your body that it will be fueled every few hours.

By eating regular meals, every day, your body gets used to your pattern.

Whatever you demand from your body, your body will adapt.

Like a magic genie (within human reason of course!).

How to Release your Body Fat

If you take away one idea from this post, take this one:

Establish this regular meal pattern.

By eating regular meals, your body will be more willing to release your fat.

3 meals and a snack worked wonders for me.

I lost 100 pounds over the course of a year, approximately 2 pounds a week.

Four years later, I continue to maintain this weight loss.

You have to experiment a bit to see what works for you.

But clearly, having a regular meal routine is the foundation of your transformation.

You might just need 3 meals and a snack or 2 snacks.

You want to make sure that your body gets some fuel every 3 or 4 hours.

Never Be Hungry

You should never be feeling hungry.

I know the temptation to fast and stop eating, thinking this will help to really get rid of fat.

Don’t do it!

All that we accomplish by fasting is starving our poor body and not losing fat.

(Even worse, you might be setting yourself up for a binge.)

You might lose some water weight, but not fat.

The water weight is lost from your cells as your body uses stored carbohydrate (glycogen) in your skeletal muscles which are bound with water molecules.

So, we do not lose fat on a fast, we end up losing water and muscle tissue.

Establish a regular meal pattern, 3, 4 or 5 times a day, so your body knows what time it will get fed.

That is the first step to weight loss that is primarily from your fat.

2. Get Up and Move!

Another pillar of effective weight loss is to start moving and burning calories.

You must expend more calories than you consume in order to lose fat.

In order to lose fat, let’s assume that you have already established your meal pattern, your daily eating times.

Now that you have your regular meal times, you want your body to know that you need to burn more energy.

What is the best way to do that?

Is it by starving and eating less?

The answer is no, because there is no reason or need to starve your body.

Your body needs energy, your brain needs glucose to think, to remember and to learn.

Is it by eating protein powders and not real food?

I also say no, this is not necessary.

The amino acids from protein powders if you use them, are going to build or repair muscle tissue.

That is the main rationale for protein powders and meal replacements.

And if you only use protein powders and limit carbs, you are going to be missing an important macronutrient (carbohydrates) that is the preferred energy source (carbs turn into glucose) for all the cells of your body.

The best way to burn fat then, is by demanding more from your body in the form of movement.

Your body is built to move.

Sitting around all day just tells your body that all you need to do is to sit around.

But, if you do 30 minutes of cardio 5 times a week, your body will get the message to start burning fat for energy.

Especially if you do moderate intensity cardio, approximately 65% to 75% of your target heart rate.

The point is that by asking your body to burn more calories through movement, this is the way to burn through your fat reserves.

At the least, make sure that you are doing some sort of exercise 30 minutes a day, 5 to 6 times a week.

You need to move in order to lose 20 pounds in 3 months.

Whether the physical activity be cardio or strength training.

2a. Don’t Eat Less – Establish a Schedule and Move More

Some people say that every diet can be reduced to four words, eat less, move more.

While there is a basic truth to that idea, it does not give you a proper plan.

Eat less, what does that mean to a person who is 30, 50, 60 or 100 pounds overweight?

What does eating less mean to anyone is struggling with overweight, obesity and weight loss?

Have you ever heard a person who is trying to lose weight?

“I hardly ate anything today and I still cannot lose a pound!”

Have you heard that line before, or have you said it yourself?

So, telling a person who thinks they are hardly eating anything all day is not productive.

I think that establishing an eating and training schedule is the solution.

By establishing regular meals, your body already knows that it will get fuel.

And now you are demanding more calories through movement, either cardio, strength training and/or stretching,

And suddenly your body says, “Ah, you are demanding more energy, no problem, I have stored fat and will release the energy from my fat reserves.”

By building muscle in your strength training, you are also demanding more calories to maintain that muscle.

However, the foundation of burning fat is by having a regular meal pattern to start.

It is much more effective for your body to burn fat through movement (exercise, cardio, walking, running, lifting, swimming, stretching), than by starving your body with no food and no movement.

That is just cruel to our body that just wants to keep us alive and does so by breathing and circulating blood with oxygen and beating our hearts our entire lives.

So, the bottom line, is that on top of your regular meal routine pattern, now you establish a movement pattern, every day or at least 5 – 6 days a week.

It is always a good idea to rest up your body at least one day a week, take a break.

Now you have two pillars, regular meal pattern, pillar 1 and regular movement pattern – pillar 2.

In the old days, people moved around all the time, farming, hunting, building.

Today, modern life does not require a lot of movement, because we have transportation, no need to move, the car, bus or train will move you from place to place.

Then there is entertainment, so instead of playing, we watch others who are playing or moving around on a screen, on a stage or in a stadium.

The movement pattern that I suggest is 5 days a week of cardio, between 30 min to an hour max.

If you do 30 minutes a day, that in fact,  is the recommended guideline for an adult.

For muscular strength and endurance, I suggest 2 to 3 times a week of strength training, which will hit your entire body at least twice a week.

You should also do stretching on a daily basis for flexibility.

Simply put, exercise is medicine.

3. Real Food is your Friend

What do you eat? Where is your fuel?

The preferred source of energy for your body is carbohydrates.

Classic and traditional carbohydrates in many cultures are real foods such as vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains, which are great sources of carbohydrates.

For example, in Asia, rice is prominent as a fuel source.

In India, there is rice and lentils.

In South America, common carbohydrates are sweet potatoes and beans or corn and beans.

Europe survived and thrived on the white potato and buckwheat, also known as Kasha.

The middle east has pita bread made out of wheat flour, and hummus, which is made out of chickpeas.

In every culture, all over the world, the main source of energy for thousands of years has been either grain and/or legumes.

This is besides the seasonal vegetables and fruits that were available in each geographical location.

Stick to real food (as opposed to processed manufactured food) and besides exercise, food will also be your medicine.

3a. The Evil Carb – Is That True?

News flash – carbs are not evil.

How many times do you meet someone who tells you they need to lose weight.

And before you say anything, they say that is why they are not eating carbs.

So that they can lose weight.

The sad part of that story is that removing carbs from your diet is not the answer.

I have experienced the same demonization of carbs.

When I originally began the Hashi Mashi Diet, I swore off carbs.

Yes, I lost a lot of weight, but I also felt like I was very hungry.

Even starving, and that cannot be healthy.

On top of that, I did not feel strong.

So, Hashi Mashi has evolved as I have learned more about exercise and nutrition.

The solution is to have a moderate amount of food at scheduled times and move more.

Yes, and even if you eat some carbs, you are still better off than the person starving him or herself from good fuel sources.

You are not bad because you like carbs.

Your body likes carbs because carbs are easily transformed into fuel for energy.

Carbohydrates are broken down into glucose that provides energy for your cells.

Believe it or not, your brain is the most energy-demanding organ, using one-half of all the sugar energy in the body.

Brain functions such as thinking, memory, and learning are closely linked to glucose levels and how efficiently the brain uses this fuel source.

You need glucose for your mind, to think, to remember and to learn as well as feeling good.

The solution is in balance, not in extremes.

3b. Protein for What?

Protein is broken down into amino acids.

Amino acids are used to either build and/or repair muscle tissue.

Protein is not for fuel.

Do not eat protein for fuel.

Eat protein to enable your body to build and repair tissue, that is it.

Eat carbs for fuel and protein for tissue building and repair.

Your body needs about 45 to 65 percent of calories as carbohydrate and 10 to 35% of calories as protein.

The rest is from fat.

You need approximately 0.8 grams of protein per kg of body weight.

As your exercise level increases, so do your protein requirements.

You do not need a protein powder for protein if you eat regular meals every day and include protein foods.

For example, a cup of whole grain cereal like oatmeal has about 7 grams of protein, 2 tbsp of peanut butter has 8 grams of protein, a cup of lentils has about 16 grams of protein.

The average woman for example needs approximately 46 grams of protein a day.

A sedentary man on average will require 56 grams of protein a day.

You can easily get 40 to 50 grams of protein a day through real food.

And you do not need a lot of food to get your protein.

Your typical protein powder gives you 20 – 30 grams of protein.

Protein powders are good for convenience, but they are not required for fat loss.

A cup of milk, a slice of bread and a tablespoon of peanut butter will also give you 20 grams of protein!

In a 12 week period, it is reasonable to lose 20 pounds in a month, which is within the guidelines of 1/2 to 2 pounds a week.

Truly, you can even lose 24 pounds in a month.

You do not want to lose more than 2 pounds a week.

One pound a week is great too!

4. Meal Schedules and Templates – the Real World

Between 7 – 9am have breakfast, whenever that works out.

Somewhere between 12 – 1 have lunch.

Between 3 and 4 have a snack.

Somewhere between 6 and 7 have dinner.

Stop eating after 7 or 8 pm, you do not need more food for your sleep in the evening.

Base this on your schedule…so for example:

9am breakfast

12pm lunch

330pm snack

630 dinner

What to have for these meals?

Keep it simple, for example:

Breakfast

Lose 20 pounds in 3 months with oatmeal
Lose 20 pounds in 3 months with Oatmeal for Breakfast

A cup of old fashioned oatmeal ( easy to prepare and filling ), some berries or banana.

You can add a hard boiled egg.

Or a banana, blueberries, grapes, walnuts ( a tablespoon or 2!) and a plain or vanilla greek yogurt (try to use a brand with low grams of sugar).

Or a slice whole wheat toast, a tablespoon of natural peanut butter, some slices of banana or strawberries on top.

Lunch

Lose 20 pounds in 3 months with a simple turkey sandwich for lunch
Simple Turkey Sandwich with Avocado – Easy Lunch

whole wheat pita, hummus, vegetables.

whole wheat pita, vegetables like cucumber, tomato, pickle and a small can of tuna with tbsp of mayo.

vegetable soup with a cup of whole grain or bean based (non-gluten) pasta.

1/2 cup of brown rice, a SERVING of chicken/fish/meat, a vegetable….a serving is about 4 oz or the size of a deck of cards.

left over chulent (bean stew) and a vegetable

tuna fish sandwich with vegetables on rye bread

Snack

a banana

an ounce of raw almonds (about 24 almonds)

an apple and a few walnuts

a plain yogurt (if you did not already have one)

a hard boiled egg (if you did not already have one)

a baked potato

Dinner

lose 20 pounds in 3 months with simple dinners
Simple beans, chicken and spinach

Broccoli, potato, lentil soup

Asparagus or spinach or mushrooms and tilapia or some other white fish

sweet potato and vegetable and salmon (4 oz)

or keep it even simpler:

any vegetable, including raw vegetables and a potato/sweet potato/whole wheat pasta

sometimes there is no time to cook.

easy to boil a sweet potato and have some vegetables and chick peas.

a. The Main Meal Template Is:

Fruit in the morning – with a grain like oatmeal and/or if you want, a protein like an egg or yogurt.

A vegetable and beans/chicken/fish in the afternoon, or grain and vegetable…even sushi, brown rice/avocado, rice and fish sushi.

A fruit and/or some nuts for snack in the afternoon.

A simple dinner at night.

Do not eat after 7 or 8 latest in the evening as mentioned before.

At night, there is no reason to eat.

End of the day, sun is down, time to sleep, not eat.

Drink water or lemon water or tea between meals….minimize drinking with meals.

Shoot for 8 glasses of water a day.

If you drink water, believe me you will be much less hungry…and many other benefits…!

Having four meals a day makes it easy to get your 8 glasses.

Have a tall glass of water 30 minutes to an hour before and after meals.

That will work out to 8 glasses of water a day, perfect!

5. The Stomach is not meant to be FULL

Your stomach will let you know when your body is hungry and needs energy.

But your stomach is not designed to be filled with endless quantities of food at one time.

Eat up to 2/3 fill of your stomach.

Your stomach is literally about the size of your fist.

This is why you want to keep the size of the food that you eat to the size of your palm or so, you do not need more.

If you eat a moderate amount every few hours, you will be shocked at how much your body will transform.

You just need to give your body a chance to recover from the excess processed food and amount that we usually ask the body to deal with.

The stomach is not built for a thanksgiving dinner every meal of every day.

“The stomach of an adult is about the size of a fist.”3)https://www.reference.com/science/big-human-stomach-2bc73162f366a298
Remember what one of the most famous medieval Physicians said 900 years ago:

“Overeating is like poison to your body.

It is the main source of all illness.

Most illnesses which afflict a person are caused by harmful foods or by filling your stomach and overeating, even of healthful foods.4)Mishneh Torah – Chapter 4, Law 15 – Moses Maimonides, 1135-1204, Spanish Rabbi, Physician & Philosopher”

How to Lose 20 Pounds in 3 Months Summary

  1. Establish a set regular meal pattern routine, 3 meals and 1 snack a day, about 3 to 4 hours apart.
  2. Start moving, at least 30 minutes a day of moderate exercise, 5 – 6 times a week. Add deadlifts, squats, push ups and jumping rope once you have lost enough weight and can start strength training. As far as equipment goes, weightlifting requires a small area and a minimum amount of equipment available in most gyms that have free weights. Or you can set up a home gym in a small area of your basement or garage with these tools for deadlifting and fitness.
  3. Real Food (not processed) is your friend, even carbs, just stick to real food. Such as vegetables, whole grains, legumes, lean protein, fruit, nuts and seeds.
  4. Use the Meal Template to create your own menu. Instead of ‘dieting’ and ‘restricting’, ‘Crowd out’ junk food by focusing on real food.
  5. Eat to 2/3 fill of your stomach. Overeating creates the state of overweight and is like poison to your body.

If you follow these 5 steps, you will be surprised three months from now when you are 20 pounds or more lighter and feeling better than ever!

Related Posts:

The Benefits of Deadlifting After 50

How Deadlifts Change Your Body in 27 Ways

10 Simple Deadlift Proper Form Rules to Prevent Lower Back Pain

If you have other ideas and experiences on how to lose 20 pounds in 3 months, please share.

For personalized coaching how to lose 20 pounds in 3 months, please contact me.

References   [ + ]

1. ↑ https://www.sharecare.com/health/weight-loss/how-much-weight-person-gain-lifetime
2. ↑ https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/type-2-diabetes-guide/reversing-type-2-diabetes#1
3. ↑ https://www.reference.com/science/big-human-stomach-2bc73162f366a298
4. ↑ Mishneh Torah – Chapter 4, Law 15 – Moses Maimonides, 1135-1204, Spanish Rabbi, Physician & Philosopher

Why Is It So Hard To Lose Weight After 50?

By - Last Updated

Why is it so hard to lose weight after 50? If you turned 50 today or ten years ago, and still wonder why it is so hard to lose weight after 50 , this post is for you. Anyone of us who has hit the milestone of 50 knows how that feels. You go to your doctor, he tells you that you are overweight or obese, have high cholesterol or high blood pressure and may be close to getting type 2 diabetes. You say, so what should I do? I have tried so many diets. How, you ask, how do I lose weight? He shrugs his shoulders and/or tells you to eat less.

You probably already think that you do not eat so much, and you are right. It seems like yesterday that you were playing on your high school baseball or football team. Or maybe you did varsity tennis or swimming. The point is that you were able to play your sport. You were in shape and it was probably the fittest time of your life.

What happened over the last 30 years? How did we go from being lean and strong to as toned as a bowl of jello? Where did all these layers of fat come from? Is there a simple, effective plan that can help you to lose weight and get back in shape, even though you are over 50?

Why Is It So Hard To Lose Weight After 50
Why Is It So Hard To Lose Weight After 50 ? And What You Can Do To Make It So Easy

You Sit Too Much

Why is it so hard to lose weight after 50? First of all, you do not move much. Since you got your first big time office job, you have been sitting – a lot. Think about your day. You sit at the breakfast table to have your morning coffee and muffin. Then, you get in your car or hop on a bus to commute to your job for a good thirty minutes to an hour. At the office, you sit for at least another eight hours if not more. By the end of your work day, you have already sat for a good 10 hours. And then, you go home. Back to sitting during the commute and you get home for dinner and sit some more.

At the dinner table, where most Americans have their largest and longest meal. You sit at the dinner table and then go to the lazy boy or the couch. And sit some more watching tv while snacking. This is the first reason why it is so hard to lose weight after 50. By the age of 50, you have sat for many hours of many days during your life. Lack of movement is a big problem. In fact, scientists have coined the term sitting disease. Because of your lack of movement for so many years, your body is deconditioned. You have lost muscle tone. Your body burns less calories than the younger you that had more muscle.

Start Moving

Sitting too much is one big reason why it is so hard to lose weight after 50. And now you know, that you must start moving if you want to get healthier. All you have to do is get up out of that chair that you love, and start walking. Go somewhere, take a walk, just start moving.

Related:

How Sitting Disease Hurts You Even If You Do Exercise

What’s a Cardio Workout You Never Heard Of that Shreds Fat in 12 Weeks?

Convenience Food aka Junk Food

You grew up on junk food, on convenience food. There are work and life demands. You are not a chef or do not have time to cook. Everything is a rush, to the office, to meet deadlines, to get home and even to catch that plane for vacation. There never seems to be enough time.

Well, the processed food manufacturers have you covered. Because they have formulated thousands of manufactured food items to give you short bursts of energy while keeping you addicted to their product. When you were a kid, you could not see the effects of the processed foods on your body. But now that you are 50 or more, you see the results. And at this point, it is no joke. You are facing serious consequences if you do not learn how to lose weight and get back in shape. Even your doctor has told you the same.

Not eating enough real food is a second reason why it is so hard to lose weight after 50. You do not need to blend shakes all day, count points or calories. But, you do have to start eating real food. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and for emphasis, let’s again say vegetables. There are even many vegetarians who do not eat many vegetables. They have plenty of soy based products, fake meats, breads, muffins, but where are the real fresh vegetables? The secrets of long term success in weight loss and body transformation are I hate to tell you: vegetables.

Related:

Ultra-Processed Food Horror Show

Eat Real Food and Conquer Your Own Mount Kilimanjaro

You Think Vegetables are Decorations for Your Meals

Remember Swanson’s Fried Chicken Dinner or Chicken Pot Pie? I do not know about you, but I literally grew up on them. By the age of 50, many of us still think that the meat, chicken or fish is the main part of the meal. Yes, of course we all expect a few thin spears of asparagus with our steak, but that is to make the dish look good.

Vegetables are not decorations, vegetables are your secret weapons to losing weight after 50, and getting fitter than you ever dreamed possible. Yes, those simple vegetables which are so neglected on most American tables. If you do not believe me, just eat mostly vegetables for a week and see what happens. Add a little healthy fat like avocado and olives, as well as some lean protein like fish, and just watch. You will get results, without starvation, without shakes or counting calories.

So, next time you are in the supermarket, go to the vegetable section, and pick up a fresh vegetables like asparagus, bok choy, broccoli, zucchini, and make sure to have a lot with your dinner. You need to get into the habit of eating vegetables if you want to lose weight, get fit and really transform your body from fat to fit. And the fact that you are over 50, means nothing, it is just a bit harder to lose weight after 50 because of your habits which are ingrained. There is a super easy style of cooking vegetables which are referenced below in how to cook asparagus on the stove Nepali style. You can use this same method for just about any other green vegetable out there.

 

why is it so hard to lose weight after 50
Why is it so hard to lose weight after 50 ? Here is a hint – How often do you eat a lot of vegetables every day?

Related:

How to Cook Asparagus on the Stove Nepali Style

You Need Real Food Daily

Does this answer your question why is it so hard to lose weight after 50? Why do you think it is so hard to lose weight after 50?  Click here for a simple high cholesterol diet and exercise plan.Are you ready to try a simple and effective plan to lose weight and get fit over 50? Start the plan for free…just sign up below and get the Hashi Mashi plan, and you will see results!

 

14 Effective Weight Loss Tips

By - Last Updated

Weight Loss Tips

1. The Sleep Technique – Look to increase sleep.

Commit to increase nightly sleep to at least 7½-8 hours. This is the easiest lifestyle change to make, but has huge effects to weight loss,

This is the easiest lifestyle change to make, but has huge effects to weight loss, and overall health. Sleep regulates your body – hormones, metabolism, and lowers overall inflammation, and repairs your body on a cellular level. Don’t be fooled by artificial lighting – the body was made to sleep when it gets dark. If your body doesn’t have the proper time to repair itself, it just breaks down over time. Sleeping regulates hormonal activity, including ghrelin – the hormone which regulates appetite. This also minimizes late night food cravings (which are the worst health and weight-wise). Look to maximize sleep to be in bed by 10 or 10:30PM. No TV or internet after then.

2. The FoodRx Technique – Food is the most powerful drug for optimal health.

Make a paradigm shift, and see food as medicine to ingest for maintaining good health.

Focus on having as much fruit and vegetables as possible. Eat real foods. Look to de-emphasize processed or take-out food. Eat slower, and stop eating when you are no longer hungry. How to substitute fruit and veggies over high and empty calorie junk foods? Look to crowd-out the bad foods with good ones. Look to crowd out nutrient-deficient food with healthy ones. If you are putting nutrients into your body in the form of real foods that you like such as specific fruits and vegetables, then you body won’t crave or find the need to binge on chips, cookies, or other junk.  The stomach is only the size of one’s fist. When you overeat, the additional calories are stored as fat in your fat cells. Find healthy foods that you enjoy, and emphasize these.

3. The Regular Meal Pattern Technique

Consistent Eating Schedule and Menu

Look to eat at the same times on a daily basis You don’t need a lot of food for optimal health, and overeating is detrimental to the body.  Look to eat small portions more often. Look to eat 400 calories every 3 hours, say 8AM, 11AM, 2PM, 5PM, and 8PM. Eat 5X/day, 400 calories each, with only a deck of card’s work of meat of beans at a time.  This is counterintuitive – make sure not to skip meals, so you don’t become too hungry and binge. Make meals simple to prepare and eat.

4. The Hydration Technique

Drink half your bodyweight in pounds as ounces of water. Kidneys need plenty of water to do their job of removing toxins. In addition, the more hydrated your body is, the less reason your body has to retain water. Your percent water should be 60 percent or above.

5. 5 Main Point Technique

  1. Sleep 7 ½ to 8 hours a night. Look to have lights-out by 10:30PM.
  2. See food as medicine, or a drug. What are you putting into your body?
  3. Hydrate – have 16 oz. of water with a squeeze of lemon juice first thing in the morning. Have a glass of water with lemon or lime in between and after meals.
  4. Up your fruit intake in the morning, especially berries, like blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and/or blackberries.
  5. Stop mindless eating. Eat only when you’re hungry. Stop eating when you’re full.

 

6. Tangibles

Breakfast idea – a cluster of grapes, ½ an avocado, nuts, with 1/2 cup dry oatmeal cooked.

Look for ways to increase veggies, such as a veggie omelet, experiment with sauteeing new vegetables.

Look to break the status-quo of meals always containing a starch along with your protein. Instead of chicken and rice or potatoes for dinner, have chicken or fish simply with vegetables like okra, spinach, broccoli or mushrooms.

Consciously increase your vegetable intake. Try to always have at least one cooked vegetable every evening and one raw salad every afternoon and/or evening.

7. Your Body is Your Friend

Your body is your friend, not the enemy. Your body’s mission is to keep you healthy and stay alive. Your body functions on its own (the heart has its own pacemaker pumping blood to bring oxygen to every cell, respiration takes place involuntarily, etc.), but if you don’t consciously put demands on our body, it will default into lazy mode and atrophy.

Muscular endurance is an important part of fitness.  We need to be constantly building and demanding of our muscles for them to grow, because muscle tissue is very “high maintenance” and is most easily is used by the body as convertible energy. Muscle tissue needs to be maintained – fat and muscle loss is the default of not maintaining. Part of maintenance happens by having a good night’s sleep, when tissue repair and growth occurs. Consistent physical muscular demands such as 30 mins. of daily brisk walking not only helps with helps muscular endurance, builds muscular strength, and the added cardio-respiratory of brisk walking etc., but also puts demands on the heart, which done consistently will strengthen the heart muscle, which will enable the heart to do its job more efficiently. Therefore, exercise with cardio helps maintain whole body fitness.

If you cannot touch the floor in a standing position, it is because your hip flexors, hamstrings and tendons, and leg and back muscles are tight from sitting. Look how many older people walk bent over. This is due to stiffness and a lack of flexibility in their muscles from sitting most of the day and not demanding of their body. They walk as if they are still sitting. If a person has stiff muscles, it corresponds to them also having a stiff vascular system, which is far worse. Walking 30 mins./day not only burns some calories, but more importantly activates your leg muscles, which are the largest group of muscles in the body, and need the maintenance of being stretched, as well as gets the blood pumping, which provides flexibility to the vascular system. 

8. Ideas for Eating

To minimize snacking, focus on eating more nutrient-dense foods more often.

Breakfast:

Look to eat around 8AM, and then again at noon. Try a cooked sweet potato and two hard-boiled eggs, or unsweetened oatmeal with fresh fruit or berries in it. 

Mid-Day Meal:

Salmon with chickpeas; chicken with sweet potato; black bean soup. If traveling, try tuna packets in water.

Or a whole grain sandwich with a tsp of zatar, salad and a slice of cheese.

Mid-Afternoon Meal: (before 4PM)

Sweet potato, or other veggie you like, a small amount of brown rice, and some kind of protein.

A serving, an ounce of raw almonds or cashews and some blueberries or an apple.

Dinner (7PM):

Fish and broccoli; spinach and protein;

Try to be in bed by 10PM

Walk briskly for 30 mins. (or treadmill) 5x/week (ideally in the AM).

9. Goal is to lose 1/2 pound to 1 pound a week.

We also want to see your BMI and body fat percentage going down and your water percentage increasing.

For someone looking to lose weight, a reasonable weight loss pace is between ½ and 1 lb. per week. Engaging a consistent nutritious diet plan, drinking a gallon of water daily, sleeping 7+ hours, and incorporating even a moderate level of fitness will easily accomplish this. 

What happens when one engages in some level of fitness training?  Aside from an overall feeling of better fitness, you get a stronger heart, your cells function better, your ability to use oxygen improves, and many other positive effects.

When beginning a fitness program, it is important to know your current Resting Heart Rate, which is a quick indicator of your fitness level. The average adult has a resting pulse rate of 70-75 beats per minute. The more fit one is, the lower their heart rate. Fit people who get lots of aerobic exercise have resting pulse rates in the 50s and 60s because their heart is stronger, and pumps more efficiently.

The Karvonen Formula is a mathematical formula that helps determine your target heart rate zone. The formula involves using your maximum heart rate (MHR) minus your age to come up with a target heart rate range (which is a percentage of your MHR). Staying within this range will help you work most effectively during your cardio workouts.

10. Karvonen Formula:

Maximum Heart Rate

The Karvonen formula is based on a measurement called the Heart Rate Reserve. First, you need to get your age predicted maximum heart rate. All you have to remember is to subtract your age from 220.

Therefore, if you are 67 years old, here is the calculation:

220 – 67 = 153 beats per minute Heart Rate Max.

 

 

Now, how do you figure out your heart rate reserve?

First, let’s get your resting heart rate as we spoke about before by taking your radial pulse for one minute.

Heart Rate Reserve (HRR) = Max Heart Rate minus the resting heart rate.

So, if your resting heart rate is 70, the formula is:

Heart Rate Reserve = 153 – 70 , so the HRR in this case will be 83 beats per minute.

 

Determine Intensity as a Percentage of your Heart Rate Reserve

When you want to pick an intensity to exercise at, use a percentage of your Heart Rate Reserve.

For example, to exercise at 60% intensity will mean that you take your heart rate reserve of 83 and multiply by .60 which equals 49.8.

Then add the intensity to your resting heart rate.

In this case, that will be 70 beats per minute resting heart rate + 49.8 beats per minute intensity of heart rate reserve, which equals 120 Target Heart Rate.

Now you know, your target heart rate for training at 60 % intensity is 120 beats per minute.

 

11. How Does Your Body Get Fit?

The way your body gets fit, is via the Overload Principle. Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demand. Your body will adapt to your demands. If you swim, you’ll be a better swimmer, walker, runner, you’ll get better bio-mechanically. If all you’re doing is sitting, you will get better at sitting, but, you won’t burn fat.

Cardio-vascular fitness is lost after about 48 hours, which is why it’s important to train at least every other day.  A 5 min. warm-up and 5 min. cool down are very important. Starting or stopping suddenly, your muscles are no longer helping the blood flow to/from the heart.

A good goal would be a 5 min warm-up, 20 mins., then 5 min. cool down.

12. Reduce Salt

A great way to lose water weight is by lowering your salt intake. Measure your belly with a measuring tape weekly to track your progress. 1” of waist equates to 5 lbs. of weight lost. Heart disease is the #1 killer in the U.S., of men and women and these are the risk factors:

Over age 45 for men and over age 55 for women

Waist of over 40”

BMI of over 30

Cholesterol of over 200

The body doesn’t require much food to function optimally, and a high quantity of even healthy food is damaging. The liver can only process a maximum of about 400 calories at a time. Any additional calories are set aside, and stored as fat. Instead, focus on eating smaller portions but more often, say every 3 hours.

Your body adapts to everything you do – exercising or not exercising, hydrating or not hydrating yourself, sleeping enough or not sleeping enough, etc. If you fast for hours thinking it is ultimately good for weight loss, think again, as the body will instinctively hang onto the fat, as it will go into a self-preservation mode. 

13. Portion Control

Focus on eating no more than a deck of card’s worth of dense foods, such as meat or beans, and no more than 400-500 calories at any one time, and no more a cup’s worth of other items other than vegetables. Look to eat approximately this many calories:

Breakfast – 500

Mid-morning snack – 200

Lunch – 400

Afternoon Snack – 200

Dinner – 500

That’s a maximum of 1800 calories a day. If it’s nutritious food, you won’t feel hungry.

14. Mind-Set, Must Vs Should:

If we keep doing what we have always done, we will keep getting the same results. In order to get different results, we must change our actions.

Think to yourself before potentially bingeing – “I’d rather look and feel good in my new dress for my birthday, than having this temporary pleasure of eating this now”. 

Get real objectivity – take a picture of yourself as you are now, and have these images handy to look at when you are considering eating fattening foods, for example, chocolate. 

A definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Realize that a trade-off (eating smaller portions, skipping junk foods, exercise where there was none, drinking and sleeping more, etc. are required in order to change your outcome to a better result.  Thanksgiving is only once a year. Maintain your regimen to have a consistent return.

How does one make a lasting change? By focusing on one good habit at a time (for instance first committing to drinking half your bodyweight in ounces of water daily, then adding 7½ hours of sleep, then commit to proper daily food consumption, then adding a fitness component, such as walking). 

Pin It on Pinterest