2 Ways To Make Fat Loss Effortless
“80% of the results come from 20% of the causes. A few things are important; most are not.”
How to control hunger and make faster progress.
You don’t need to track calories or restrict food choices. No exotic supplements or bans on eating after 8pm. And absolutely zero stress.
With these 2 simple tips, 90% of you will lose weight, control calories, and break free from the chains of diet stress that have been keeping you down for far too long.
Best of all, I’m going to ask you to eat more. Not less. Hooray!
The top two ways to control hunger and make weight loss feel easier than burpees on the moon are:
Eat a lot of protein
Eat enough fiber
These tips work because protein and fiber are hunger crushers. Essentially, they stare down hunger and stomp on its throat.
Fat loss comes down to eating fewer calories than you burn. A high protein and fiber diet doesn’t override that fact, but it makes reducing your calories a zillion times easier.
Losing fat is like basketball. In basketball, you need to score more points than the other team. Just like “to lose fat you need to burn more calories than you eat”, this principle is helpful but doesn’t tell you how to score more points.
Practical advice to win more games - like learning how to dribble with your left hand or how to perfect your free throw technique - is the valuable information you need to win.
A high fiber and protein diet is the key “how” that will keep you full, help you lose fat, and allow you to maintain a healthy weight over the long run.
Here’s why protein and fiber are full-fledged fat loss hacks and how much you need to eat to reap the benefits.
Protein is pivotal.
Wouldn’t it be neat if you had access to a food that fills you up, builds strength, and boosts your metabolism?
If you ever come across a lamp that turns out to house a Genie that offers you 3 wishes with the caveat that you’re not allowed to wish for more wishes, you wouldn’t even need to waste his/her time asking for such an unbelievable food because we already have it - protein.
Just like the lamp, protein is magical.
Protein is your secret fat loss weapon because it:
Reduces hunger. When you’re not constantly hungry, it’s easy to eat fewer calories and drop fat faster than you can say, “The sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick.”
Has the highest thermic effect of food. This means that it “boosts” your metabolism by helping you burn more calories at rest. For every 100 calories of protein you eat, 30 are used for digestion.
Is the best macronutrient for building muscle and strength. To build muscle, you need to have amino acids (the building blocks of protein) floating around in your system. Frequent consumption of protein is an anabolic I.V. drip, giving you the raw materials you need to gain and maintain muscle.
Improves recovery and reduces soreness. A high protein diet will help you recover more quickly between workouts, improving strength and performance over time.
No ifs, ands, or buts about it. If you’re low on protein, eating enough consistently is one of the best ways to improve how you look, feel, and perform.
How much protein should YOU eat?
I’ve had some strongly held beliefs that have turned out to be dead wrong. Perhaps none more egregious than thinking that the more protein I shovel down my face, the more muscle I will gain.
Ask me back then, “At what point is it overkill?” In response, I would pull a Cady Heron in the final round of the state mathletes competition and explain…
250-300 grams of protein daily was the regular routine.
Today, my answer has changed dramatically. Instead of being based in puberty and a 10 gallon bag of mass gainer protein powder (that was 1,000 calories/serving), my stance now is grounded in science.
Most recommendations are mumbo jumbo technical jargon and aren’t helpful. Plus, the RDA (recommended daily allowance) is set to prevent deficiencies, not build muscle and strength.
Here’s how much protein you need to reach your goals.
Goal ➡️Recommended protein intake
Build/maintain muscle while losing fat ➡️ 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight
Gain muscle and strength ➡️ .8 - 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight
Maintain a lean, strong physique ➡️ ~1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight
These recommendations are for optimal results for most active people trying to stay strong and lean (in other words, you).
Fiber is the focus.
Fiber intake is the most under looked aspect of a high quality diet.
If your jaw is on the floor right now, you’re not alone. Fiber gets a bad rap but eating enough is crucial for getting to an optimal body weight and staying healthy.
If we were playing a word association game, what words would come to your mind when presented with “fiber?” Probably prunes, prune juice, and your beloved Grandma/Nana/Mimi/Mawmaw, right?
All that’s about to change. Now, when you hear the word fiber, you’ll think:
Researchers consistently find that eating a high fiber diet is one of the best ways to reduce hunger and manage calorie intake. By keeping you full - by shutting down hunger and cravings - you’ll feel satisfied eating the “right” amount of calories.
Because the only way to gain fat is by eating more calories than you burn over time, fiber’s hunger-crushing power is a fat loss phenomenon. You’ll be so full between meals that the thought of more food will make you want to chuck a sandwich at a wall.
If your goal is to get to a healthy body weight and maintain it over the long haul, you need to make fiber a top diet priority.
Plus, eating enough fiber offers a ton of other benefits including:
Improves blood sugar control
Lowers cholesterol
Improves G.I. health and regularity
Reduces risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer (1).
If you’re thinking “Who knew fiber was such a miracle? I’m sold, #teamfiber till I die. Hey John, could a high fiber diet help me live longer?”
It does! High fiber diets have consistently been shown to reduce risk of disease and death, improving lifespan.
This study tells you everything you need to know (2). The striking takeaway - For every 10 grams of fiber a study participant ate, his/her risk of dying from any cause was reduced by 10%. Put another way, an extra 20g of fiber reduced risk of dying by 20%, 30g by 30%, and so on.
Those results are mind-blowing. There is not a single nutrient other than fiber that has such a significant, health-promoting effect.
Fiber is the real deal.
How much fiber should YOU eat?
Considering up to 95% of Americans don’t eat enough fiber, you probably need to step up your game (3).
The average American eats just half of the 25-35 grams of fiber/day recommended by the American Heart Association.
A better, more specific target is to shoot for 14 grams for every 1,000 calories consumed. If you’re eating 2,000 calories you’d shoot for 28 grams of fiber, 3,000 calories and 42 grams of fiber, you get the idea (4).
It’s rare for anyone to eat too much fiber, but if you’re pounding bean burritos and slamming bowls of fiber one all day you may run into problems. Eating too much fiber can interfere with nutrient absorption and, again, cause G.I. distress.
You will likely benefit from eating as much fiber as you can from whole foods without noticing any harmful effects. That said, if you go from a daily intake of 10 to 70 grams of fiber without any ramp up, your stomach will let you know. (5).
Work up to the recommended amount of 25-35 grams of fiber/day and, as tolerated, feel free to increase up to the 50-70 gram range. As we learned with that study above, there doesn’t appear to be a ceiling to the health benefits of a high fiber diet.
Take the 80/20 approach to work smarter, not harder.
On day one, my clients are willing to do whatever it takes to succeed.
“Hard work? Bring it on.”
“Sweat? The more the better.”
“Meals consisting entirely of chicken and broccoli seasoned only with the salt from my tears? Let’s do it. “
Then - and this happens every time - they run out of gas.
Motivation fades and suddenly the energizing force that was powering them through the discomfort and unsustainable changes is nowhere to be found. They sleep through their alarm, “forget” to meal prep their chicken in tear sauce, and fall right back to square one.
If you rely on short term motivation to grind through inconvenient, unsustainable habits you will fail. That’s why I preach the importance of making changes that are simple, enjoyable, and give you a lot of bang for your buck. The “80/20 Rule” perfectly encapsulates my approach (6).
This concept suggests that 20% of your efforts will give you 80% of your results. When it comes to diet, eating enough protein and fiber is your 20% that will make fat loss feel effortless. You won’t be hungry all the time, you’ll gain more muscle and strength, and - best of all - you’ll think, “Hey, this isn’t too tough. I can actually do this.”
Once you put the pieces together you’ll understand that losing fat doesn’t need to be torture. Getting healthy doesn’t mean sacrificing everything you love. Best of all, when you start feeling better and reaping the benefits, you’ll start having fun.
When working out and eating well starts to feel easy and enjoyable, that’s when you’re onto something.
Sources:
GIF Sources (giphy.com)
