I lost 40lbs and why you can do it too.
Everyone can lose weight, and, honestly, it’s not even that hard to do. All it takes is a little discipline, knowledge, and determination. The best part? It’s not frustrating or painful, as diets can be. So why do so many people struggle to lose weight, or if they do, put it back on? It’s down to misinformation and sales techniques!
The misinformation.
Weight loss and weight maintenance are determined mostly by our diet. Weight loss is not determined by how much you exercise. Exercise and other factors such as sleep, rest, and lifestyle habits contribute to the overall picture; however, nutrition is responsible for at least 80% of the equation.
The misinformation about food and what is and isn’t healthy is a massive problem. The food industry has, over time, hijacked our brains and told us what’s good and what’s bad, by labeling their products in a way to make you believe they are healthy.
For example:
| Low Fat Yogurt | Unhealthy | High in carbs and added sugar |
| Margarine | Unhealthy | Made from heavily processed seed oils that contain chemicals causing inflammation |
| Heart Healthy Oats | Unhealthy | Wheat is high in starchy carbs which convert to sugar in the bloodstream |
| Whole Wheat Bread | Unhealthy | Processed wheat flour is high in carbs and rapidly converts to sugar in the bloodstream |
| Low Fat Milk | Unhealthy | High carbs and added sugar |
| Pasta | Unhealthy | Processed wheat rapidly converts to sugar |
| Rice | Unhealthy | Grains containing large amounts of carbs |
The list goes on and on, and people get the wrong end of the stick, try to eat healthily by, for example, only eating low-fat products, which, are full of carbs and added sugars, and make you fat! We are led to believe meat is bad, which is also not true as long as the meat comes from healthy animals that have been raised organically. But worry not, you don’t have to eat meat to succeed with this, I’m just saying, it’s not unhealthy.
Fake claims.
Then you have this, blog posts that contain blatant lies about weight loss. Take a look at these misleading titles:
- 6 Ways to use Meditation TO LOSE WEIGHT
- RAPID WEIGHT LOSS: 10 Pounds in 10 Days
- Why Juicing for Weight Loss, WORKS, WORKS, WORKS
- 10 Best Online Yoga Programs to help you LOSE WEIGHT
- The Best Probiotics for WEIGHT LOSS and why you need them
I read the articles, and everything they claim
In summary:
- You cannot lose weight through meditation.
- Losing 10 pounds in 10 days is not possible and would be dangerous.
- Juicing does not work for weight loss. Juice contains sugar!
- Yoga does not work for weight loss. You can trim your body, but not lose weight.
- You do not lose weight with probiotics.
This blog makes false promises with dramatic headlines to sell their yoga program and probiotics. Very sad.
Why are so many people overweight?
The reason so many people struggle with weight gain is almost single-handedly because of the terrible food and beverages consumed over many years.
Think about this; kids and teens aren’t generally overweight. It’s when people start reaching their mid-twenties is when that change happens, and insidious weight gain begins to set in.
The culprits.
1) Sugar
2) Carbohydrates
3) Processed Foods
4) Grains
The sugar craze.
Sugar is highly addictive, more so than class A drugs. Think about this for a moment. Most people consume sugar multiple times a day. Sometimes knowingly, but mostly unknowingly. Sugar is hidden in all kinds of foods and drinks, and you would never know unless you know.
Restaurants add sugar to pretty much all their sauces. We even feed our kids sugar in the form of candy or other sugar-laden baby foods, as soon as they are off breast milk. Sugar is pretty much everywhere and is the most significant cause of obesity today.
I’m not asking you to take my word for it, so I prepared these articles for you to read.
US National Library of Medicine
Let’s take a further look at the damage sugar does to our bodies besides making us fat:
1. Sugar causes glucose levels to spike and plummet.
2. Sugar increases the risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
3. Your immune function can be affected by sugar.
4. A high-sugar diet can lead to chromium deficiency.
5. Sugar accelerates aging.
6. Sugar causes tooth decay.
7. Sugar can cause gum disease, which can lead to heart disease.
8. Sugar affects cognition in children.
9. Sugar increases stress.
10. Sugar takes the place of essential nutrients.
Sources:
The carbohydrate myth.
Carbohydrates aren’t better than sugar; once ingested, carbs turn into glucose in the bloodstream, which is sugar. Most people don’t burn off the excess glucose, which then winds up as triglycerides in your fat cells.
Consuming carbohydrate-rich foods leads to insidious weight gain, and there is no way to lose weight as long as you are a carb feeder.
Let’s look at a typical lunch box I used to prepare for my kids to take to school:
Whole wheat sandwich, with processed ham and cheese, smothered in mayonnaise = processed ham with sugar and bread loaded with high fructose corn syrup, is sugar.
Crackers = processed wheat with sugar and salt.
Potato Chips = processed and deep-fried potatoes with sugar and salt.
Apple = heavy in fructose, which turns into sugar in the bloodstream.
Fruit compote = processed fruit with sugar.
There we have it, 95% of their lunch contained sugar and other objectionable ingredients. And I thought I was feeding them healthily!
Processed Foods.
Processed foods are the worst, even worse than sugar. How can that be? These “foods” are loaded with sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and additives designed to make you addicted and eat more of the stuff.
It’s rotten and wrong, but hey, it’s legal, so why not, right? Processed foods such as potato chips, pasta, noodles, fast food, and pretty much all packaged foods are the biggest contributor to obesity, today, next to sugar.
Please read more at www.Medicalnewstoday.com
Grains.
Gluten is a problem, but it’s only one part of the problem. Wheat, especially Dwarf Wheat (which is what is grown today), contains super starch amylopectin A and super gluten. Once grains are milled into flour, the starch they contain become a high carbohydrate food, which is quickly converted into sugar in the bloodstream, causing inflammation and weight gain.
The biggest problem is wheat, the major source of gluten in our diet. But wheat weaves it misery through many mechanisms, not just the gluten! The history of wheat parallels the history of chronic disease and obesity across the world.
Dr. Mark Hyman
Dessert? Hammer Time!
I couldn’t resist mentioning dessert, because everybody loves dessert. It’s our treat! Again, that’s the sugar calling you; your brain is asking for the pleasure zone, the dopamine release that will make you feel happy!
Ever noticed when you eat a cake or cookies, you always want more? That’s your brain going insane on the sugar rush! In the past, I would eat a whole pack of cookies when the sugar cravings hit me at night while watching TV. Not good!
By the way, many folks eat dessert for breakfast, daily! Think pancakes, syrup, muffins, waffles, croissants, chocolate croissants! Ahhh, such yummy stuff, and it goes so well with coffee, I know. But, these foods are killers, and contain practically zero nutrients!
By the way, there are healthy options available for pretty much all of the goodies I’ve mentioned, sugar-free, and just as yummy once you get used to them. You can read about sugar-free and wheat flour-free goodies here.
The mix.
Back to dessert, and sugar-coma time. I’ve given you all the information you need to get started with your successful weight loss journey, and it’s the simple and honest truth. There is no other way.
I’m not advising you to go keto, paleo, or vegetarian, or vegan. What I am suggesting is to keep in mind what foods cause inflammation and weight gain. Whichever diet suits your mindset and belief system, go with it, just try to stay away as much as you can from the mentioned culprits.
It’s up to each individual to take the plunge and change the way we eat and drink, moving away from sugar and processed foods, grains, and carbs. It is honestly the only real way to lose weight and keep it off for good!
Exercise and movement are essential, but mostly for your heart health. Everyday movement such as walking, biking, swimming, jogging, yoga, or any other activity you enjoy is vital to staying fit and healthy.
What can I Eat?
The big question then is, “what the hell can I eat to lose weight and be healthy?”
To help you along with that, I’ve included my “What Can I Eat Food Guide” right here. As I said, it’s up to you to go low-carb, no-carb, or switch it up as you feel.
Please feel free to view more of my posts on health, fitness and natural eating on my blog www.robshealthcrunch.com
Thank you for reading, and please send me any questions or comments you may have.
Live Well.
Rob
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Former Olympic Athlete & Certified Health Coach
“It is my mission to help people lose weight and build a healthy, strong heart, body, and mind, supporting a longer life.”
