My short pro football career – “cup of coffee” in the NFL as some might say – ended in 2005.
I played offensive line, and had hovered around 300 pounds for years.
When I decided to officially “retire” and move on to the next phase of life, I quickly realized that I didn’t need or want to be walking around at that size anymore.
And I knew a LOT of getting my weight down was going to be about changing my diet.
I remember the first few weeks – it was MISERABLE!!
lol
I DID drop weight fast, but I was STARVING.
I had been used to eating a LOT of calories – 4000++ daily – and here I was all of a sudden at probably 2000 or 2500.
But then, I figured out how to changed things up, and I was all of sudden able to go from starving all day, to being just slightly hungry, if not at all.
You see, the mistake I was making – and one we see SO many people do as well – is that I was focusing on the wrong TYPE of foods.
I was still eating breads, pastas, sugar, you name it – I was just hitting my calorie target.
And the truth is, as long as you are strict about tracking and hitting your calorie goals, you CAN lose weight this way.
But it’s TOUGH to stick to, because you are hungry all the time!!
Here’s a BETTER approach:
1 – Eat lean protein at every meal
Include a lean protein source at every meal. This could be poultry, fish, egg(s), protein powder, etc. This will give you the fuel you need and help you stay full.
2 – Eat veggies and/or fruits at every meal
Your primary carbohydrate source should be veggies and/or fruits. Your goal is to include one of these at every meal as well. You can get WAY more full on veggies and fruits than on breads or crackers or chips or whatever else!
3 – Eat a “good” fat at every meal
Finish off each meal with a “dash” of good fat like nuts, seeds, olive oil, avocado, etc. This will also help you a LOT with satiety.
4 – Minimize your starches and processed carbohydrates
Keep your intake of things like bread, pasta, crackers, etc. to a minimum.
5 – REALLY minimize your sugar intake
Rarely, if ever, eat sugar. Period. You get the UP … and then the down … and all of a sudden want to eat again 🙂
6 – Drink about half of your body weight in oz. of water per day
So if you weigh 150 pounds, you should shoot for about 75 oz. of water per day (nine or ten eight ounce glasses). Sometimes, when you *think* you are hungry, you’re actually just a little dehydrated.
7 – Follow the “90%” rule
This rule says that you need to be “on” with the seven rules 90% of the time to see progress. For example, if you eat three times per day, seven days per week … no more than two of your meals can break these rules.
These “cheat” meals actually HELP you, have something to look forward to, and stay on the plan, the rest of the time.
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Focusing on the right foods can make ALL the difference when you are trying to diet down.
Incorporate the tips I covered in today’s article, and see if they help.
’till next time –
– Forest Vance
Master of Science, Human Movement
Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach
ForestVance.com
PS – I recommend the Underground Fat Loss Manual as a complete program to help you rapidly lose bodyfat:
It is on sale this week.
And, when you order it thru my recommendation, I am going to send you nine separate 7 day meal plans, designed by a registered dietician, for free.
You’ll get 1500, 1750, and 2000 calorie versions of:
– 7 day Paleo plans
– 7 day Vegetarian plans
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Just order using the link below:
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Forward your receipt to fvtraininfo (at) gmail.com
And we’ll send you the bonus meal plans 🙂