If you’re looking for a way to lose some weight, you’ve probably heard about the Eat-Clean diet, which basically consists of eating only fruit and vegetables and avoiding food products with added sugar or oil. Although this diet works well for many people, it’s not for everyone. In fact, some people have gotten so used to eating only certain foods that when they go off-course, they end up gaining weight rather than losing it. Believe it or not, this is actually a common issue and there is a known solution!
Let’s explore how you can lose weight without going hungry by following a simple routine that incorporates intermittent fasting, eating natural foods, and getting plenty of sleep. This is a three-step process that anyone can follow and it’ll get you on the road to a healthier and happier life!
Step one: Intermittent fasting
The first step in the process is to try intermittent fasting. Many people think that this step alone will help them lose weight, but it depends on what you mean by “fasting.” If you eat only once or twice a day, then yes, you’ll lose weight, but if you’re depending on your body’s natural rhythms to tell you when to eat, then you’re setting yourself up for failure. What you want is a schedule where you eat four to six small meals per day throughout the week, with two to three hours in between each meal. For example, if you usually eat breakfast at 8 a.m., lunch at 12 p.m., and dinner at 6 p.m., then you could try eating at the following times:
- 8 a.m.-10 a.m.
- 2 p.m.-4 p.m.
- 6 p.m.-8 p.m.
- 10 p.m.-midnight.
- noon-2 p.m. (breakfast)
- 4 p.m.-6 p.m. (lunch)
- 8 p.m.-10 p.m. (dinner)
- 10 p.m.-midnight. (optional dinner/night snack)
- midnight-6 a.m. (sleep)
This kind of routine keeps your metabolism surging and active throughout the day, which makes it much easier to lose weight. According to research, people who follow this type of schedule lose about two to three times more weight than those who eat regularly throughout the day. It also helps to keep blood sugar levels stable, which means less chance of gaining weight due to constant spikes and crashes. If you’re new to this, it might also be a good idea to try an evening meal prep to make the most of those four to six periods of energy throughout the day.
Step two: Eating natural foods
While the benefits of intermittent fasting are clear, what about the food that we put into our bodies while we’re fasting? A lot of people think that eating food during those hours is a bad idea because it’ll affect the scale. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth! What you need to do is focus on eating natural foods, which means avoiding manufactured foods made with flour and added sugar. Instead, you want to opt for fresh fruits and vegetables whenever possible. If you’re able to get all of your food from plants and animals, then you’ll be doing your body some favor.
Intermittent fasting gives you a chance to try out different foods and see what works best for you, while still adhering to the basics of a healthy diet. One of the best things about this approach is that you’ll be naturally decreasing your intake of food without having to obsess over how much you eat. Eating natural foods is also essential for those suffering from diabetes or hypoglycemia, as the body needs sufficient intake of carbohydrates to function properly.
Step three: Get plenty of sleep
The third step is to get plenty of sleep. Believe it or not, your bodyneeds plenty of time to restore and repair itself, and it does this while you sleep. So, make sure that you get at least seven to eight hours of shut-eye each night, which enables your body to function at its best. Studieshave also shown that people who get seven or more hours of sleep per night lose about twice as much weight as those who get less than seven hours of sleep. Just because your body is resting doesn’t mean that you have to be inactive, however. Movement during sleep can actually be good for your health. It’s called REM (rapid eye movement) sleep and it’s recommended that you move around a bit while in sleep, as this helps the body restore itself and get back on track.