Most of us are food addicts…
We lose weight, and put it right back on.
We break our resolutions, and no matter which diet or exercise program we try, can’t seem to hit our goals.
Throw Out Conventional Weight Loss Tips
My wife would kill me if she read the following line, because she believes in personal responsibility, but I’m going to say it anyway…
It’s not your fault.
That’s because 99% of what you’ve read about weight loss won’t work for you.
You don’t need another set of weight loss tips, or another healthy recipe book, or a p90x workout DVD.
You need to retrain the way you think about weight loss.
Successful weight loss isn’t about working out harder…
You’ve got to implement a winning Accountability “system”, one that won’t allow you to fail, as we discuss in the Food Addict’s Guide to Losing Weight (and Keeping it Off).
While creating social and financial accountability boost your odds of hitting your goals, (and Accountability is the most important of our 5 Phit Principles), probably our 2nd most important principle is Losing by Addition – mind hacks that will help you crush your weight loss goals.
Losing by Addition – Phit Principle #5
Of our 5 Phit Principles, my favorite is to use mind hacks. With mind hacks you can train your brain to think you’re not on a diet.
The best way to fail at any diet long term is to a create an unsustainable system that leaves you feeling deprived…
Feeling as though you are constantly craving your favorite foods is a recipe for failure.
In our Losing by Addition principle, we teach you to add habits to your daily routine, rather than take away.
Below we’ve listed some of our favorite examples of Losing by Addition.
These 10 Commandments of losing weight will mess with your head (in a good way). They’ll make you less likely to fail because if you implement them, you’ll not only lose more weight, but you’ll be happier while doing it, and won’t feel like you’re on a restrictive diet.
1. Start your day off right
Consuming healthy fats and high-quality protein during your first meal of the day will properly fuel your body and keep your blood sugar stable. Avoiding sugar and starch in the morning will greatly reduce cravings and keep your energy levels up so you can have a successful day.
2. Eat plenty of healthy fats
All the of the best researching is confirming what our ancestors knew for centuries… healthy fats should not be feared! The terrible recommendations to eat a low-fat diet may have been one of the most harmful, misleading nutrition advice of our time.
Consuming the right types of fats will satiate your appetite, reduce foods cravings, and provide numerous health benefits.
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3. Don’t stress about being perfect
I’ve said it before and will say it again.
I love simple, easy diets.
… and what better way to forget you’re actually on a diet than to eat anything you want for a meal, or if you’re on a Low Carb Diet, you can cheat ALL DAY!
Not everyone agrees with the all-day food binges, but I love them. I typically gain a few pounds in a day, but it’s mostly just water weight and sheds off after a couple days.
Plus, besides rejuvenating the weary dieter’s spirit, many experts say that if you’re on a high protein/low carb diet plan, a cheat day is essential. Here’s what Tim Ferriss has to say on the subject:
Paradoxically, dramatically spiking caloric intake in this way once per week increases fat loss by ensuring that your metabolic rate (thyroid function, etc.) doesn’t downregulate from extended caloric restriction. That’s right: eating pure crap can help you lose fat. Welcome to Utopia.
4. Brush, Floss, and Rinse at 7 p.m. Every Night
What the heck does this have to do with losing weight?
Exactly!
I told you that you wouldn’t feel like you were on a diet with these commandments.
Here’s the deal… Nutrition experts mostly agree that eating late at night leads to weight gain, especially if you’re snacking on junk.
Eating an early dinner may be one of the single most important things you can do to lose weight!
So give that mouth a good cleaning a few hours before bed, and avoid those late night temptations.
Kim Jefferson, the “Fabulous” master fitness coach over at FabFitSquad.com says “brushing your teeth interrupts your taste buds” so the snack won’t taste as good. Plus, who wants to have to brush their teeth again?
This might not work 100% of the time, but it’s just another simple layer of protection between you and weight gain.
Phit Tip: Hydro flossers are more effective than traditional floss. Here is the product we use:
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5. Pledge Money to a Charity You Hate
Want to ensure you’ll follow up on a goal you’ve set?
- Sign up for Stickk.com and create a weight loss goal.
- Next you pledge an amount of money that you WILL LOSE if you do not reach your goal. (Set this amount high.)
- … Oh and one more small thing. Choose a charity you hate to receive the funds if you don’t hit your goal.
Stickk calls this an “anti-charity”.
6. Limit the Amount of Fruit You Eat
“What’s that? I always learned fruit was good for me”
Trust me. This is one health food you can stand to eat less of.
Fruits may very well be one of the biggest hidden culprits of weight gain!
I say this because when people eat a bowl of pasta or half a pizza, they realize they are doing something bad for their bodies that will likely cause weight gain.
When they have fruit, on the other hand, they believe they are doing something very good for their bodies, which is NOT usually the case.
Reducing high-glycemic carbohydrates, such as fruit, is essential for weight loss and reducing your chances of many chronic diseases.
When having fruit, consume it with healthy fats which will radically slow the conversion of sugar in your body making it far less harmful.
7. Burn Off a 1,000 Calorie Cheeseburger with a 500 Calorie Workout
Have you ever gone running at the gym on the treadmill and looked at the calories you burn? You might jog for 30 minutes and the calorie meter says you’ve burned a measly 200 calories?
“What!” You think. “That won’t even work off half the doughnut I ate this morning.”
The problem here is faulty math. We assume it’s a calorie for calorie exchange, but it isn’t.
And guess what… It works in our favor.
Burning 200 calories on the treadmill, and assuming that’s all you’ve burned, fails to take into account that the two hundred calories burned during the exercise itself are not the only benefit. The body will continue to burn calories at a higher rate once the exercise is done than it would have had you not run in the first place. Over time, added muscle helps to burn more calories as well.
Here’s another mind hack. DiscoverGoodNutrition.com says that the higher the intensity of the workout, the more calories you’ll burn long after the workout.
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is one of the best forms of exercise to burn fat and increase your bodies caloric burn post workout.
How’s that for incentive to hit the gym and hit it hard?
8. Make Your Bed
Did you know that simply getting organized in your personal life or at work can help you lose weight? FitWatch.com says that when you feel overwhelmed, confused, or stressed out, that you are not likely to take good care of yourself either.
According to Charles Duhigg’s, author of “The Power of Habit”, making your bed is a “keystone habit”, a habit upon which other good habits can be built. In multiple studies, people report feeling happier and are more productive on days they make their bed.
When you’re happier and more productive, you’re less stressed. When you’re less stressed… well, you get the point.
9. Do 5 Pushups and 5 Squats Per Day
When I really need to exercise and I really don’t want to exercise, I lie to myself.
I say, “Ok, we’re going to go jogging for 5 minutes. I’ll work up a little sweat and that’s all I want to do.”
I think to myself that anyone can work out for 5 minutes, even if I don’t feel like it.
Invariably, I run more than 5 minutes.
Heck! I’ve already gone to the trouble of changing my clothes and putting on my running shoes, and working up a bit of a sweat. I’d be crazy not to stay out a bit longer.
I use the same mind hack to do 30 to 40 pushups and air squats every morning. I tell myself I’m just going to do 5 of each. 99% of the time, I do a lot more.
10. How to Lose 2 Pounds in 7 Days
Sounds like a lofty goal, right? Nope!
Does it sound doable though? A resounding YES! Anyone can lose 2 pounds in a week, right?
You may ultimately want to lose 50 or 100 lbs, or go from a size 16 to 6, but that kind of goal can seem insurmountable.
Remember to set yourself a simple, achievable goal, and you’ll be more likely to stick to it. Hit your goal, and set yourself another.
The idea here is to make your workout so simple, that you will do it.
11. BONUS TIP: Forget About Working Out
Look, we all know that in a perfect world, weight loss should be achieved by monitoring your diet and exercise.
But if you have weight to lose, you need to get it off by any means necessary.
What I mean is this… if the prospect of eating better AND starting a regular workout routine is just too difficult (as it is for many Americans), then don’t. You can easily lose weight without exercising.
Start small.
If all you can do is commit to eating better, try to apply the above strategies and consider incorporating high-quality nutritional supplements to aid your body in weight loss and improve your overall health.
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Share! If you have a lesser known health tip or mind hack for losing weight, we’d love for you to share it in the comments below.
