I tried writing this post at 36,000ft as I travel to Orlando for a conference on doing business on the Internet, but the flight was so bumpy getting through all those storms, I almost lost it several times. I do missed the days when I thought turbulence was actually fun. Luckily, I arrived safely and so am sending this out to you right before the day begins….
Over the past few days, I’ve been giving you ways on not only how to examine and potentially change your relationship with food, but practical tips on what to do once you get to the holiday party.
But today, I wanted to take the curtain. In this post I’m going to break down EXACTLY what you should be eating so that when you go to these parties, and temptation bites, you won’t feel an ounce of guilt. In fact, the strategy I’m about to reveal encourages you to eat as much as you want. And not just for one meal, but for an entire day.
Yep. A whole day. So that means if you want pizza at work, have a date at a fancy restaurant, and then have a holiday bash to attend, you can go all out without deprivation. Without guilt. Without gaining a single solitary little pound.
It takes a little planning in advance, but when done correctly, this strategy can have amazing results. It’s pretty simple but you have to follow it.
So here’s what you’re going to do.
Step 1. Figure out the date of your next party. Look for the event that is about 7 days away. Let’s say for example, if today is Sunday, your next party is on Saturday. And maybe on Saturday you have your kids’s party and then at night you have your own party.
Step 2. From Sunday until Friday, you are going to eat a low carbohydrate diet. I will provide a list of acceptable foods during these days.
Step 3. Then, Saturday is your “cheat” day. Notice I said day, not meal.
So your week would look like this:
Sunday- Low Carb
Monday- Low Carb
Tuesday – Low Carb
Wednesday – Low Carb
Thursday – Low Carb
Friday – Low Carb
Saturday – Cheat Day
Without getting into the science behind what this strategy does, just know that it has a lot to do with little hormone called Leptin. Basically Leptin tells your brain to burn fat. The higher your leptin levels (up to a certain point) the more your brain says it’s ok to burn the fat in your body. But when leptin levels drop (as in super low calorie diets or low carb diets -think Atkins) your body’s ability to burn fat is affected. When leptin levels drop, your body starts to store calories as fat instead of burning off excess. Calorie intake levels affect leptin as well. The lower amount of calories you consume, the lower the leptin levels. This is why individuals can be overweight, eat very little and never lose weight. I see it all the time. But by “cycling” through as in the above strategy, you are reducing your calorie intake just long enough for the leptin to drop but then immediately boosting them back up again with a high calorie meal.
Body builders use this method constantly to reduce body fat before a show. They will deplete and replenish. The strategy above does the same thing. It allows you to reduce calories to create a deficit without the added reduction in leptin levels so you continuously burn fat. In fact, you HAVE to increase your calorie intake at the end of the week in order to re-trigger the production of leptin.
If you don’t get it now, don’t worry, I will explain the details in a later post. The big thing to remember is that you can eat whatever you like for an entire day, and still lose fat, if you follow the above strategy.In fact you MUST overfeed and increase your calorie intake significantly on your cheat day in order to ignite leptin production again.
You will still need to exercise on a regular basis. This does not give you a free pass from your regular exercise program. If you are not exercising on a regular basis then this strategy is not for you.
Below I have provided a list of foods/guidelines that are ok to eat on your Low Carb days.
Guidelines to keep in mind:
Meal/snacks should have 1 serving of protein, 1 serving of fat, 0 servings of carbohydrates, and as many vegetables as you like.
Keep alcohol consumption to a minimum.
Eat consistently throughout the day and don’t save yourself for the one big meal.
Make sure to keep up with your exercise.
Protein options
Beef (any version is fine just make sure it is grass-fed and antibiotic free)
Chicken (vegetarian, hormone and antibiotic free is best)
Fish (Salmon, tuna, mackeral, etc. any fish with fins)
Beans (kidney or black, not canned) *keep consumption to a minimum as beans contain some carbohydrates
Eggs (whole or whites, vegetarian fed, organic is best)
Shellfish
Turkey
Lamb
Ham (watch for salt content)
**If you are vegetarian, I recommend obtaining your protein from a concentrated source such as Isagenix Protein Powder.
Fat options
Dairy (look for organic options when possible)
Butter
Cheese
Cottage Cheese
Cream
Fat-containing Meats
Beef
Chicken (dark meat)
Duck
Lamb
Pork
Fish (aim for smaller fish to minimize mercury content)
Anchovies
Bluefish
Herring
Salmon
Mackerel
Sardines
Tuna
Oils
Canola Oil
Extra Virgin Olive oil
Flax-seed oil
Marine/Fish oils
Raw Nuts
Almonds
Brazil Nuts
Hazelnuts
Peanuts (in moderation)
Pecans
Walnuts
Other
All Natural Peanut Butter (in
moderation)
Almond Butter
Avocado/Guacamole
Flax seeds (ground)
Eggs
If you are unsure whether to eat a food that contains a fat or a protein, remember this: If you are eating a very lean protein, then you can add a fat to the meal. If you are eating a protein that already has a high fat content then there is no need to add a fat to that meal.
Free vegetables – eat as much as you like whenever you like. Eat organic when possible.
Kale
Swiss Chard
Broccoli
Cabbage
Salad Greens
Cucumbers
Mushrooms
Raddish
Spinach
Zuccini
Squash
Okra
Now when following this plan, it is important that you
- Exercise on a regular basis (if you’re not doing that, please contact me ASAP)
- Eat at regular intervals throughout the day – that means every 2.5 – 3.5 hours
- Wake up at your regular time
- Listen to your cravings and give in to them on your cheat days
- Avoid too much alcohol
OK that’s basically it. Go out and try it and let me know how it goes. You shouldn’t feel hungry, nor should you feel as if you are starving or depriving yourself of the foods you love.
If you have any questions, leave them in a comment below and i’ll be sure to get to it as soon as I can.
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