Before we DIVE iin head first into the fat loss strategy, let's take a quick step back so we can go forward. I am FASCINATED by the trends in nutrition! It was my favorite class in dietetics school back in the early 2000's!
Check out this meal plan from the book, 'What shall we have to eat?', published in 1893. These are meals that my great grand parents, maybe your great-great grandparents may have eaten. These are the roots that my grandmother taught me and STILL influence me today!
Now, aside from strategies to remove more grease from the sausage to improve its health value, what do you see missing?
There are no extremes, no caloric values assigned, nothing that came from a package and plenty of calories!
Trends to note from this publication:
ate 3 meals/day, no fasting, but also did not graze/snack throughout the day
no dietary extremes
no fear of carbs (ate higher carb)
consumed mostly saturated fats, ate relatively low PUFA (no veg oil and not much nuts/seeds)
consumed the demonized foods of today: meat, dairy, flour, sugar, fruit, potatoes and grains
no processed food/food in a package.
One more bit from this eye opening publication below:
Now this generation did not have to deal with the crappy food system that we all must deal with today loaded with frankenfood and ingredients bred in laboratories. Food sourcing greatly impacts the foundations of our health.
WHAT can we put into practice from our ROOTS to help support efficient fat loss today?
The 1800s gives us a unique window into a different relationship with food-- one where abundance was celebrated, meals were a source of joy, and the dinner table was the heart of family life. In an era before processed foods and modern food fears/orthorexic behavior, people maintained a simpler, more intuitive connection with their meals.
Most intriguing to me and perhaps where the root of much of our food fear, constant yearning for skinny comes from is how their approach to food differs from our modern perspective. While we, today, often grapple with complex dietary rules and restrictions our ancestors focused on nourishment, celebration and making the most of available nutrients.
YES!! OUR WORLD today is much different than the one my great grandparents lived in! OUR stress and distractions are much higher but I would argue that calls for the need for even MORE ATTENTION to be place on our food.
The disconnect from our food LEADS to more susceptibility to illness, disease and body composition struggles.
This week on instagram I spoke to some important fundamentals that should be in place to support our foundational health long term. These practices make our defined efforts at fat loss much more successful. If you want the full implementation, you can grab it HERE. I always recommend my clients go through a hair test (HTMA) and blood work prior to assess for deficiencies and how they are handling stress prior to implementing a fat loss phase. This mama's test below demonstrates some room for improvement BEFORE she embark on a fat loss phase.
How to approach fat loss with the fundamentals in place:
Approaching fat loss takes strategy, patience and an understanding of how the body works! YOU absolutely can have a successful fat loss phase without sacraficing your health. BUT, your body must be prepared to do so!
While fat loss phases are, at their core simply a caloric deficit = weight loss. This does not mean they are easy. Accountability and a solid plan of action makes a HUGE difference. (THIS is where great coaches shine).
BEFORE YOU ENTER INTO A FAT LOSS PHASES, you must improve your basal metabolism which comes from:
Exercise Activity Thermogenesis: activity, movement and exercise
Thermic Effect of Food: calories you use to break down the food you eat
Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis: unplanned movement, cleaning, etc.
Basal Metabolic Rate: the calories your body burns at rest to keep you alive (LARGEST %, almost 70% of total metabolic output)
CHRONICALLY under eating will destroy tour health and lead to systemic decline!! Severe restriction will slow your metabolism and make fat loss efforts even harder!
Fat loss phases are QUICK...the work around them is where the EFFORT lies! Think...get in and out FAST!
After your cut phase, you slowly add calories back in and work back up to maintainance. HINT: you want this as high as possible!
HERE is what a fat loss plan should look like:
EAT WHOLE FOODS IN A CALORIC DEFICIT
A well designed caloric deficit does not require you to cut out foods that you love and does NOT remove carbs. The portion sizes change but the food quality and diversity stays put!
A sample day for a fat loss phase or "cut" could look like this (NO total amounts because calories will differ based on the individual).
BREAKFAST :
Strawberries
Fat free greek yogurt
Eggs
Spinach
Sourdough bread
LUNCH:
Baked pumpkin
Lean ground beef (90%), pat the grease
Raw sharp cheddar cheese
Blueberries
DINNER:
Baked sweet potato
Baked flounder
Fat free cottage cheese
Dark chocolate
Cantaloupe
LIFT HEAVY WEIGHTS
Focusing on preserving muscle tissue while losing body fat is paramount. Our muscle tisues is the most metabolically active tissue so, more muscle = higher metabolism. A caveat here, be sure that your body is PREPARED to lift heavy. This involves a progressive increase in resistance, not just a day that you go out and decide to deadlift bodyweight. You can connect with me HERE if you are interested in programming!
ZONE 2 CARDIO
Steady state cardio is most efficient during this phase to support fat loss without overtaxing the system. There is HUGE value to building a VO2Max with high intensity efforts but fat loss phase is not the ideal time.
HIT YOUR DAILY STEP GOAL
As your caloric intake drops, the body NATURALLY tries to down-regulate your metabolism by reducing movement. Keep moving to ensure consistent energy output!
SLEEP
Aim every day for 7-8 hours of high quality sleep each night to support your overall health and recovery.
A solid plan, a nourished body and consistent effort yields results every single time! This is exactly what the Resilient Mama Method is all about and why we draw on our roots, the way that our great grandparents ate to support our body in modern times! If we listent to nature, learn from the wisdom of the past and simplify our strategy...success will NOT be fleeting!
I cant wait to meet you!!
~Amy
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