My 7 Best (SIMPLE) Diet and Fitness Fat-Blasting Tips
In the past 2 1/2 years, I have lost 47 lbs and, with that, achieved the following milestones: gone from XL Angelica hospital scrubs to Medium; gone from a US size 14/16/18 to size 8/10/12; lost 12 inches off my waist; and fit back into my wedding dress and pre-pregnancies closet (insert happy dance!!!!)
Here are 7 key tips that have helped me accomplish these challenging but definitely attainable milestones:
- Eat an apple or a cup of mixed berries before you eat your biggest meal of the day (for me, that’s before lunch): This will allow you get fuller faster and you will consume less food/less calories. Plus, you get good fiber and tons of healthy vitamins and minerals in the process.
- Add a cup or two of spinach to your favourite carb entree (for me curried quinoa, brown rice with sauce, Nigerian yam porridge, or herb-roasted potatoes): You can just add a little bullion to fresh cut or frozen spinach. This will add tasty volume to your meal with minimal calories. Spinach is an excellent source of key vitamins (Vitamins K, A, C and B6 [Folate]), iron and fiber. Again, with this trick, you will get fuller faster and you will naturally and more easily cut calories.
- Drink apple cider vinegar–at least two tablespoons daily–mixed with water and drunk before your meal(s): I do three tablespoons mixed with water twice a day. Apple cider vinegar helps improve your body’s sensitivity to insulin, helps lower blood sugar response to meals, and also increases the feeling of fullness so you naturally eat fewer calories which aids fat loss (are you noticing a theme yet? LOL!) * Dietitians recommend organic, unfiltered apple cider vinegars that contain a solution called mother (which is a substance that consists of strands of proteins, enzymes and healthy bacteria).
- Harness the calorie blasting power of jogging in place: This is a low-impact aerobic exercise that I use to supplement my regular high impact exercises or combine with my sculpting/weight lifting routines to really push my daily calorie burn. I also use this exercise when I am unable to get to my regular high-impact daily exercises because of a busy schedule. I insert it into brief chunks of time throughout the day. I can jog in place as I do other things like cooking, washing dishes, folding laundry or even attending zoom meetings/conferences (off video and on mute of course…LOL!) This is efficiency on steroids.
- Intermittent Fasting: **WARNING**If you have an eating disorder or are at high risk of developing one–do not attempt intermittent fasting because it is very easy to use intermittent fasting to cover up inflexible restrictive eating habits and/or orthorexia (an unhealthy obsession with healthy eating). I eat between 1PM and 9PM every day (16 hour fast/8 hour eating window). I have found that doing this has helped me keep my daily caloric intake at a healthy level that has allowed me to lose stubborn belly fat and sculpt lean muscle (I consume 1800 to 2200 calories per day on average; of note, I burn 3400 calories per day on average). Check out these Healthline articles: 10 Evidence-based Health Benefits of Intermittent Fasting and Intermittent Fasting 101–the Ultimate Beginner’s Guide.
- Track your calories (track what you eat and what you burn): I use My Fitness Pal and it has helped me be more mindful of what I eat–I am now well-versed on how many calories are in a 5 inch butter cake from California Pizza Kitchen (1000 calories–yikes!) and how it can quickly add up and blow my daily caloric goals. I am able to make much better choices, have greater portion control, and, therefore, I do not feel deprived or starved in the process. It is an AMAZING tool.
My Fitness Pal app @chichi_chic_md
- Eat slowly: Eating slowly increases the levels of the gut hormone (ghrelin) that produces the feeling of satiety and controls hunger–so it helps you feel full and this can help you, you guessed it, reduce your caloric intake. Slowing down gives your brain time to receive and process the signals that ghrelin sends–this takes about 20 minutes.
@chichi_chic_md
I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic. Please share any healthy diet tips that have helped you lose fat and/or maintain a healthy weight or share any other thoughts/comments that you have in the comment section below and let’s grow together, building a strong community of healthy and fit lifelong learners.
Love,
Chichi
These are actually really useful!! I’m inspired.
Thank you so so much Amaka for taking the time to check out my article and leave me a kind comment. I am so glad you found some inspiration. Best wishes for 2021 and beyond…exciting possibilities 🙌🏽🥰
Very useful and realistic tips. If only Rose can be keenly committed to the exercise part!🤦♀️🤦♀️
Great job Chy Bekee, and thanks for sharing!👏👌
Thanks Rosey 🥰 The good news for you is that the diet portion is the more important one, so start there. Thanks again ❤
Thank you so much Chi Chi for sharing your experience and this great tips. It requires discipline. I sure need to go through this journey
Thank you for taking the time to check out my post and for your kind compliment. A journey of a 1000 miles begins with just one step…so just start. Before you know it, you will reach your goals. Best wishes 🥰
Wow!! Chichi. Congratulations on your weight loss journey. That’s amazing. I love all the 7 tips and will definitely incorporate them in my daily routine. Daily exercising is one of my biggest challenge but I love the jogging in place. That’s so doable. Will start that today.
Awwwww…thanks Buchi. You are so sweet. Thank you for taking the time to check out my article and to leave me feedback. Yes, I really take advantage of jogging on the spot. Best wishes on your fitness journey my dear.🥰
Hi Chichi! I intermittent fast and can attest to the fact that it works! I eat between the hours of 11-7. I can maintain my weight without watching what I eat with that schedule, and I intend to implement some of your ideas regarding adding spinach and starting with an apple or cup of berries before I eat my biggest meal.
Wow! That’s awesome Heather. I hope those two tips yield great success for you. Best wishes on your fitness journey 🥰❤
So useful, thanks!
When you do intermittent fasting, is it for several days at a time? All the time?
Hi Kellie. Thank you so much for checking out this blog post. I actually fast now for majority of my time since I have found it very supportive of/complementary with my health and fitness goals. The 16/8 method also comes naturally to me as lunch/brunch and dinner have always been my favorite meals of the day and my mornings tend to be quite busy and packed that it is easy for me cut out breakfast. I also do not drink coffee or tea, so, again, I didn’t have that to give up though there are good fasting options for the morning for coffee/tea drinkers. Hope this helps 🥰