Download - to lose weight – without dieting

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Feature Break through your weight barriers

Shedding those kilos shouldn’t be about deprivation and rabbit food. Charmaine Yabsley asks the top holistic experts for alternative ways to whittle your waistline.

1Exercise smarter

“Lose fat, especially from your mid section, by giving up boring treadmill hour-long workouts for high intensity interval training (HIIT),” says personal trainer Natalie Carter. “Four to 20 minutes of HIIT will burn more calories than your standard low intensity treadmill workout, plus you’ll still be burning fat long after you complete the session. Start with eight intervals of 20 seconds of intense exercise, such as sprinting, and rest completely for 10 seconds. Do this three to four times a week with a rest day in between.”

2Stand and deliver“Become more aware of your posture

and breath, says Karina Stewart, doctor of traditional Chinese medicine. “Pull the shoulders back, expand the chest by breathing deeper, and pull your belly in. Changing your posture and breathing metabolically activates your core to burn calories more effectively. Learning to engage your abdominal centre, which is two inches below the navel, with your posture and breath can maximise circulation around your body by distributing more oxygenated nutrient-rich blood to areas that may have been previously metabolically underutilised.”

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to lose weight –without dieting

21ways3Head to bed

“Most people aren’t aware that this one simple change can actually help them lose weight,” adds Stewart. “Growth hormone, which is necessary for building the lean muscle mass that plays a large role in determining your basal metabolic rate, is produced most during deep sleep. The window of opportunity to optimise growth hormone production is between 10 p.m. and 4 am, so boost your metabolic momentum by going to bed before 10 p.m.”

4Go for green“The combination of green tea and

exercise targets tummy fat. In one recent study, green tea not only boosted weight loss but also helped triglyceride control,” says Stewart.

5Pay attention“Mindless eating occurs when we lose

connection with our food. We eat without awareness of the flavour, we rush and eat more than we need, and we don’t enjoy our food as much as we could,” says psychologist Joann Lukins. “To be mindful of your food: turn off the television; sit down to eat, chew slowly, and put your cutlery down between mouthfuls; consider eating in silence, even if not for the entire meal; and give some thought

to your environment – sitting at a table where some effort has been made to create a relaxed ambience makes a big difference.”

6Replace, don’t erase

Health coach Kat Loterzo says, “Eat protein and green vegetables with each of your meals and snacks. Be sure to eat a breakfast containing protein within 30 to 60 minutes of waking. And, as soon as you wake up, do a simple 5-10 minute workout routine of 20 squats, 20 lunges, and 15 push-ups, at your own pace.”

7Love your body“Before any change can happen your

head needs to be in the right place,” says clinical hypnotherapist Kerrie Saunders. “Spend a few moments every day visualising your ideal body and how it feels to have already achieved what you want. This way your subconscious mind has a positive focus and direction. Starving in order to lose weight will always backfire as the survival instinct kicks in and you end up gaining more weight so the body feels safe against the perceived ‘famine’. Get to know the language of your body – what it likes to hear, eat, and do – and treat your relationship with your body as you would one with a good friend.”

8Eat smarter carbs“Cut out highly processed wheat

products, which contain refined sugars, create fat cells and only temporarily satisfy hunger,” advises master food coach Susie Beville. “But don’t be afraid of ‘good’ carbohydrates which your body and brain need – brown rice and rice-based products, wheat-free breads and pasta, and grains like buckwheat and barley. Add lean protein, including chicken, fish, egg whites, tofu and quinoa, to every meal to ensure your metabolism works your body to lose fat without hunger.”

9Look into my eyes

“Together, hypnosis and Time Line Therapy™ produce a powerful effective intervention which gets to the root cause of the behaviour and limiting decisions that drive overeating patterns,” says hypnotherapist Narelle Lee. “This may take the form of a non-surgical gastric band for clients with a BMI greater than 30, or other hypnotherapy scripts for lighter clients. For clients choosing the full weight loss program, I also show them how to use a pendulum as a biofeedback device to accelerate metabolism, which further enhances weight loss.”

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10Smart swaps“These easy swaps fill you up and

taste great, yet strip kilojoules by at least 50 percent,” says accredited practising dietitian Trudy Williams. “Swap two grilled sausages for 20 barbequed prawns; replace ½ cup of potato salad with ½ cup mixed beans, and have 15 deli-style olives instead of a small bag of potato crisps.”

11Shift focus“Don’t think in terms of weight

and size; instead, think about attaining great health,” says health coach Jenny Wright. “Consider what the food you are eating is actually doing to your body, energy levels, and long-term health. Eat delicious, real food – and weight loss will be a side effect.”

12Eat regularly“Regular, healthy meals keep

you fuller for longer, prevent bingeing, and provide you with the nutrients you need to burn energy, detoxify, and make hormones, which all help you to lose weight,” says medical herbalist Sarah Ellis.

13Start the day right

Naturopath Deborah Rugari says, “Research shows that people who eat breakfast are less likely to overeat during the day. Just like a car, a full tank is needed to travel through the day: the better the fuel, the better the performance. Ensure your breakfast and lunch include palm-sized and -thickness lean protein; morning and afternoon, snack on nuts, seeds and fruit; and enjoy a light evening meal. Include a brisk walk every day after eating to prevent muscle loss and drink one and a half litres of plain water to wash away toxins.”

14Do what you love

“People regard exercise as something that needs to really hurt to be doing any good!” says peak performance expert Vanessa Bennett. “Unsurprisingly, after a week or so they decide it’s all too hard and so do nothing. If you think of exercise as incidental to other things, such as seeing a friend over a walk instead of a meal, you increase your movement and get your body ready to take on more strenuous activity. It’s better to move with less intensity than not at all, especially when starting out.”

15Dig deep“Weight is 100 percent related to

your stuck emotions from the past, so give yourself the gift of emotional processing through hypnosis, coaching, therapy, EFT or kinesiology,” advises mindset specialist Kylie Ryan. “When you are emotionally free and feeling safe to become slim, your body will naturally become slim without diets, deprivation or self-punishment. If you are struggling with your weight, your body could

have an unconscious desire to remain overweight. Often this is a method of protection against an imagined negative future when you become slim. Ask yourself, What is the worst thing that could happen when I reach my ideal weight and shape? Or, a coach can help you uncover unconscious self-sabotage.”

16Look to the East

Traditional Chinese medicine practitioner Peter Afatans, recommends eating with chopsticks. “It takes longer to eat, giving your body time to tell you it’s satisfied, so you eat less,” he explains. “Drink Chinese tonic teas for energy- and metabolism-raising - with more energy your body won’t go looking for more, like fatty, sugary snacks. Use bowel-moving herbs in teas or tonics. A good bowel movement will reduce your weight by 500-1,000g. Senna is used extensively in Chinese medicine, though it’s best in leaf form and as part of a tonic tea blend.”

17Scratch stress“When we’re frightened, angry

or tense our bodies become flooded with adrenaline and a stress hormone, cortisol.

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This worked well for cavemen, but when you’re not about to run from a sabre-tooth tiger, you don’t use these hormones. They – and all the sugar released into the bloodstream – just float around your body, eventually ending up as fat on your tummy. They also make you crave more sugar because this is the primary fuel adrenaline bursts use,” explains celebrity trainer James Duigan. “To stress less for a flatter tummy, cut caffeine: have no more than two cups of tea or coffee a day. Excess caffeine can stimulate your nervous system, causing your adrenals to pump out cortisol. Lose the booze. Alcohol stimulates your adrenal glands, plus it’s full of sugar which makes you fat. And take a good fish oil: omega fatty acids control levels of cortisol and adrenaline in the body, plus they burn fat around your middle, reduce inflammation, and reduce sugar cravings.”

18Put on your listening ears

“Listen – really listen - to your body,” says accredited practising dietitian Laura Jean. “Let hunger be your main cue to eat and satisfaction your cue to stop. Over time we lose our connection with these inbuilt cues. Before you start eating, ask: ‘Am I physically hungry?’ Use a satisfaction point of 80

percent of fullness as your cue to stop eating. Then you can begin adjusting so you use your body’s signals most of the time when interacting with food.”

19Divide and conquer

“One meal a day, either lunch or dinner, should be a salad with a protein topping, such as grilled chicken, fish, prawns, tuna, cottage cheese, boiled eggs, feta cheese, beans or lentils,” suggests health and nutrition consultant Barbara Karafokas. “Notice your plate portions: three-quarters should be salad, one-quarter topping.”

20Powder punch“I swear by matcha (green tea

powder) for speeding metabolism and aiding weight loss,” says health coaching nutritionist Jessica Tzvetkoff. “It staves off sugar cravings and hunger, and the caffeine boosts energy levels. Half to one teaspoon per day is plenty; the rest of the day, have normal brewed green tea.”

21Go vegan“An easy way to lose weight is

to include a couple of vegan meals in your weekly eating plan,” says personal trainer Ben Stephens. “They are tasty and packed full of fibre, complex carbohydrate, protein, and vitamins and minerals.”

Ben’s Tuscan bean stew• 2 tablespoons olive oil• 1 garlic clove , crushed• 2 carrots, diced• 2 celery sticks, diced• 1 large leek, chopped• 900ml vegetable stock• 1 tablespoon tomato purée• 3 tablespoon pearl barley• 1 x 400g tin borlotti beans• 50g leafy greensHeat oil in a large saucepan, add garlic, carrots, celery and leeks, and cook until softened. Add stock, purée, and barley. Bring to a simmer then cook for 15-20 minutes until barley is just tender. Add beans and greens and simmer for 5 more minutes. Serve with crusty bread.

“Wheat is highly processed, contains refined sugars, creates fat cells, and only temporarily satisfies hunger.”

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Feature Break through your weight barriers

Dr Joann Lukinspsychologist and director of Peak Performance Psychology, www.peakpp.com.au

Kylie Ryanmindset specialist, www.mymindcoach.com.au

Karina StewartDoctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine and co-founder of Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary, Thailand, www.kamalaya.com

Vanessa BennettCEO, Inside 80 Performance, www.inside80 performance.com

Natalie Carterpersonal trainer and fitness expert, www.newoutlookfitness.com.au

Deborah Rugarinaturopath, www.thehouseofhealing.com.au

Narelle Leehypnotherapist, www.the performance masters.com.au

Barbara Karafokashealth, nutrition and wellness consultant, www.barbara karafokas.com

Trudy Williamsaccredited practising dietitian, www.foodtalk.com.au

Jessica Tzvetkoffhealth coaching nutritionist, www.nutritionandstyle.com.au

Kat Loterzohealth coach, www.katloterzo.com

Peter Afatanstraditional Chinese medicine practitioner, www.peteraftanas.com.au

Jenny Wrightheath coach, www.hellogreat health.com

Ben Stephenspersonal trainer, www.benefit active.com

Kerrie Saundersclinical hypnotherapist, www.kerriesaunders. com.au

James Duigancelebrity trainer and creator of the Clean & Lean Diet, www.bodyism.com

Sarah Ellismedical herbalist at The Wellness Room, www.thewellness room.com.au

Susie Bevillemaster food coach, www.myfitbody.com.au

Laura Jeanaccredited practising dietitian, www.eatwellwith awareness.com

Meet our expertsChange your life - for the lighter and leaner!

“Work with your body rather than against it - your body has a deeper wisdom than the diet industry.”