Lose Weight WITHOUT Dieting
Published by David Nordmark at Smashwords
Copyright 2010 David Nordmark
Discover other titles by David Nordmark at Smashwords.com
Power Isotonics – The Complete Book of Dynamic Self-Resistance Exercises
Natural Fitness - Natural Bodyweight Exercises For Men and Women
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Disclaimer
The exercises and advice contained within this course may be too strenuous or dangerous for some people, and the reader(s) should consult a physician before engaging in them.
The author and publisher of this course are not responsible in any manner whatsoever for any injury which may occur through reading and following the instructions herein.
Table Of Contents
THE KEYS TO NATURAL WEIGHT LOSS - THE ANIMAL KINGDOM WAY
Beware The False Gods Of Weight Loss
Why we eat So Much (and how to STOP)
What is a Key Ally of Natural Weight Loss?
Your Body Is NOT A Garbage Disposal
You Have To Respect The Queen, But Don’t Forget About The King
Dinner Strategies For Weight Loss
Another Valuable And Easy Weight Loss Tactic
Some Thoughts On Counting Calories
Natural Foods and Healthy Weight Loss
A Summary Of The Eating Habits You Need To Adopt To Lose Weight (without dieting!)
THE KEYS TO NATURAL WEIGHT LOSS - THE ANIMAL KINGDOM WAY
Who is Healthier - Animal or Man?
When it comes to health and fitness, my philosophy is that you should always cast one eye to nature and the animal kingdom to see how they do things. Why is this? The answer is that because almost without exception, animals in the wild are far fitter and healthier than man. How many fat, out of shape animals have you seen in your life? The only ones I can think of are people’s pets, and that’s because they’ve adopted the un-healthy and un-natural ways of human beings. In the wild, animals are lean, fast, and strong. Now, take a seat in a shopping mall and watch as humanity parades past you. You could be there for hours before you see a person who is half-way healthy. Clearly, animals know what they are doing, and people don’t. What’s their secret?
Why Most Weight Loss Plans Fail
The problem with most programs that promise weight loss (either natural or not) is that they force you to follow some kind of plan. Now, think about this. Do animals in the wild ever follow any kind of diet plan? If you accept the fact that animals are far healthier than most people, might this not be some kind of clue as to how you should proceed in accomplishing your weight loss goals? The fact of the matter is than human beings tend to over think things. Take a look at the following list, and see how many points you agree with.
Weight Loss Beliefs - How Many of them are True?
My problem is that I need to lose 20 pounds.
There is no substitute for will power if you want to lose weight.
All successful programs for healthy and natural weight loss require a special eating plan and special low calories meals.
Three pounds a week is about the minimum amount of weight that you should lose on a good diet program.
The fact of the matter is that it would take me about 50 push-ups, 100 deep knee bends, and 200 sit ups combined with running around the block several times to burn off the calories from one piece of pie. This is why exercise is not that important in helping me reach my weight loss goals.
When following a weight loss program, it is a good idea to weigh yourself everyday. This way, you’ll know if you’re making progress and you can reinforce your success.
It is absolutely necessary to adhere strictly to a diet in order to achieve success. If you deviate from the plan at all, you are condemning yourself to failure. You might as well not even try if you make a habit of cheating.
Now, how many of these statements above are true? The fact of the matter is that none of them are. These are all false beliefs, and if you believe in any of them, you have been sabotaging yourself from the beginning. It’s like you are planning a trip to the North Pole, but you have the false belief that the Arctic is a tropical paradise. Instead of preparing for the cold, you pack your swim trunks and sunglasses. Your trip is doomed before it starts.
Drop the False Beliefs of Man
Man overcomplicates things. Rather than live in tune with his natural self, he adopts a series of false beliefs that ultimately work against him in a variety of ways. In the chapters that follow, I hope to help you replace these false beliefs with real ones. For you see, from my experience, the real key to healthy and natural weight loss is not what you are eating. Trying to drastically change the kind and amount of food that you consume simply will not work in the long term. Remember our animals friends. They do not follow a diet, and neither should you. The only diet that works is to NOT FOLLOW A DIET AT ALL! Let me make this point again. The key is to replace your false beliefs with real ones. In essence, the only thing that needs changing on your weight loss journey is you. In the following chapters I’m going to show you how. I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s much easier to reach the North Pole if you have some understanding of its true climate.
All the vest to you, and enjoy the journey,
Yours Sincerely,
David Nordmark
http://www.animal-kingdom-workous.com/
Beware The False Gods Of Weight Loss
In the introduction I wrote, I mentioned that if you want to achieve easy and healthy long term weight loss, the thinking “I need to lose X number of pounds” does not help you. Why is that? Doesn’t everyone begin any weight loss plan with the idea that they want to lose a certain amount of weight? That’s true, but think about this. The issue is not really losing that X number of pounds. I’m willing to bet that if you’re reading this, you’ve probably waged your own personal battle of the bulge many times. I’m also willing to bet that you’ve actually WON more than your share of battles. If your goal was to lose 20 pounds, I’m willing to bet that you achieved that goal. The problem is that these were only temporary victories, correct? As soon as you reached, or came within spitting distance of your goal, you stopped following whatever weight loss plan you were on, and the weight returned with a vengeance. That’s why the statement “I need to lose X number of pounds” is so dangerous to achieving long term weight loss. The goal is not to lose X number of pounds, but to lose it and keep it off!
So, what is the key then for you to reach your weight loss goals? The key is to focus on attacking your behaviors, and not the weight itself. Now, changing behaviors, even in the cause of healthy weight loss, can sound a little daunting. However, it really isn’t. When it comes down to it, changing behaviors really just amounts to changing the little habits we all do that directly affect your weight. Some of these little habits are so small, you may not even be aware of them. Nonetheless, they are important, and they are the key to achieving long-term natural weight reduction.
Treat your Body like your House
Look at it this way. I think it’s fair to say that most people would consider their bodies to be as important as their houses. However, when they want to remodel their bodies, what do most people do? They attack the job with no skills and no blueprint whatsoever. At best, they may rely on the latest fad diet they’ve read in the back of some magazine. Would you proceed with repairs on your house in the same way? In order to achieve your weight loss goals, you need to make sure you have the skills and the tools.
When I started this little essay, I mentioned that there were two false gods. I’ve hope I’ve gotten across the reason why Dieting, the “I need to lose X number of pounds”, is a false weight loss god. However, why is Willpower also a false god? The problem with Willpower is that it is an inherently negative concept. The idea of Willpower is that you are forcing yourself to do something you don’t really want to do. In the long term, this is a losing strategy. Rather than relying on the unpleasantness of Willpower, you are better off relying on positive tools, like desire, perseverance, and patience. Using these, it is easy to change your habits and your body overtime.
Why we eat So Much (and how to STOP)
If you want to achieve long term, healthy weight loss, the first question you have to grapple with is why do we all eat so much in the first place? If you think about it, you will find that most of the time you are not eating because you are hungry. For most of us, eating when we are not hungry is one of the unconscious habits I mentioned previously. This is the exact opposite of what animals in the wild do. They only eat when they are hungry. Understanding why you are eating when you are not really hungry is a major weight loss key.
Learn Why You’re Eating So Much (it’s often not hunger)
If you are really interested in acquiring the habits to achieve natural weight loss, one very useful exercise is to record everyday everything that you eat. As well, you will want to record when, where, and under what circumstances you are eating. Even more importantly, you will want to record how you are feeling emotionally before, during, and after you’ve finished your snack/meal. What this will reinforce to you is that most of the time you are consuming food for reasons other than hunger. Another bonus is that if you know you have to write down the reasons for eating before you eat, it will often give you pause, and you may not eat at all in the first place!
If not Hunger, Why do People Eat?
What are some common reasons people eat, aside from hunger? Some people find that they like to eat when watching television. They often don’t know why, but sitting in front of the TV becomes an invitation to raid the fridge. My guess as to why people do this is boredom. I don’t want to knock television, but a lot of people wind up watching the boob tube because they really have nothing else to do. The problem with television is that (shocking truth coming up, prepare yourself!) a lot of the shows are really not that interesting. So, what do you do? You grab some food to up the “fun” quotient. Soda pop is fun and colorful, and it can be pleasurable to allow your tongue to play with a bag of potato chips or candy. I’m guessing this is why a lot of junk food is made up to be so colorful and toy-like to begin with. This is also part of the reason why people rarely grab some carrots when they are raiding the fridge. Regardless, this is a habit you are going to want to break.
Food, Food, Everywhere ...
Another weight loss enemy is simply how available food is. When you order a meal at any restaurant in North America, the amount of food on the plate is usually far in excess of what you need to satiate your hunger. When that food is there, the natural habit to “finish what is on your plate” naturally kicks in. Portion size is very much an issue, particularly in western diets.
On a more serious note, another foe in the weight loss battle are negative emotions like loneliness or depression. For too many people. eating becomes a balm to sooth these negative feelings. Plus, when people do this, they usually reach for some kind of sweet, high calorie food like cake, ice cream, or chocolate. They never reach for carrot or an apple instead. Again, this is an unconscious habit. People do this without thinking.
The good news about all of the above is that all of these behaviors are learned behaviors. Just like Pavlov’s dogs, we have taught ourselves to crave food based on signals other than hunger (this is why keeping a journal is so important). However, once you are aware of whatever unconscious habits you possess, you can start the work of changing them.
What is a Key Ally of Natural Weight Loss?
In order to achieve long term healthy and natural weight loss, it is vital that you understand the helpful role that water can play. Our bodies require a steady supply of water more than any other compound save oxygen. A healthy person can only survive for about three days without water. For a person in poor health, that length of time might be a day. In developing countries, one of the leading causes of death for children is intestinal diseases from bacterial infection that result in diarrhea. What causes death is not the bacteria, however, but dehydration. Without water, our bodies cannot function for very long, which is why the thirst mechanism is so powerful. So, how does this knowledge affect us and our goal for natural and healthy weight loss? Let me explain.
Why it is an Ally of Weight Loss
When our bodies need water, we start to get thirsty. The problem though, is that this thirst is often misinterpreted by our brains as hunger. We are aware of an oral uneasiness in our mouths, and we think we need food to fix this. However, if we would just stop for a second and really mediate on this uneasiness, you will find that it is really the call of thirst, and not hunger at all. This is a vital point to understand.
All Natural Foods Contain It
In a way, however, our brains are not misinterpreting the thirst signal that much. The fact of the matter is that most food, including our favorite sweets, are mostly made up of water. For example, chocolate cake is 25 percent water, whereas apple pie is 48 percent. Beef is 60 percent water, and chocolate pudding is 65. So, in a way, you are satiating your thirst when you eat. Still, if your goal is to lose weight, isn’t it obvious you are better off satiating your thirst with pure, calorie free water, rather than chocolate cake?
A New Protocol
So, the next time you feel what you think are pangs of hunger try this. Wait for 7 minutes and see if the pangs don’t just go away. If they don’t, try drinking a glass of water. At best, you may find that your hunger pains go away completely, as water is exactly what your body needed. At worst, you may find that you still need food, but that you will have to eat much less of it. Either way, you will be that much closer to achieving your weight loss goals.
A Final Point
In closing, I feel I just need to add one more point on the whole drinking water thing. There is an idea out there that you need to drink X number of glasses of water per day, regardless of whether you are thirsty or not. I think this is a bunch of baloney. From what I understand, there was a study done 50 years ago that found that human beings need a certain amount of water per day. So far, so good. However, this study was subsequently misinterpreted to mean that we need 8 glasses of pure water every day. The water in Juice, Coffee, Tea, and in food, doesn’t count. This is apparently not true at all. As in so many other things, one person made a mistake, and then shmexpert one quotes it, as does smexpert two, and so on. Remember how I mentioned how human beings overcomplicate things? This is a prime example of this in action. What does a bear do in the wild? If he’s thirsty, he drinks. Period. This is the example I think you should follow. There’s no need to become some kind of mechanical water drinking robot if natural weight loss is your goal.
In order to put yourself successfully on the road to natural weight loss, it is important to get yourself organized. For example, if you decide that you are going to work in your yard, one of the first things you do is to gather all of the tools that you’ll need. Likewise, if your task is to achieve healthy weight loss, you need to organize yourself with some key strategies to make your job easier. These easy weight loss strategies are designed to make it easier to change your unconscious habits, so that you are only eating when you are truly hungry.
The Power of the Kitchen Table
The first of these easy weight loss strategies is to only eat at your dinner table, using plates, knives, forks, etc. One of the destructive habits that people often acquire is grabbing something to eat quickly when they are doing something else. Human beings call this multi-tasking. Animals don’t do this, and neither should you (especially when you are eating). Grabbing that chicken leg and eating it on the run is just too easy to do. Once again, if you really are hungry (and not just thirsty), you should eat it. But by forcing yourself to put that chicken leg on a plate and using proper utensils, you have to put in some effort. This is the kind of effort that will force you to think about what you are doing. Do you really want to go through the trouble of eating that chicken leg? Making this deal with yourself is a great natural and healthy weight loss tip.
Focus on What You are Doing!
Another natural weight loss tip is to make sure that when you eat, that you focus on eating exclusively. This is related to the first point. If you are watching TV and you want a snack, you must physically get up, go the table, and eat the snack there. The question that you’ll force your self to answer is, are you really hungry? Do you really want to stop reading, knitting, cleaning, etc to eat? If so, go for it. Just think about it first! As well, this means NO READING AT THE TABLE. When you are focusing on your meal, you should not be distracted by the newspaper, work, etc. The table should be used for eating exclusively, that’s it.
Being aware of when you most commonly snack is also a important to natural and healthy weight loss. Let’s say that you most commonly snack out of habit between the hours of 8pm and 10pm (most likely when watching TV). If this is the case, try scheduling something else during those times. Go for a walk or take a class in photography, whatever you want to do. Just make sure you are doing something else that you find interesting during these danger times.
Out of Sight, Out of Mind
The final natural weight loss tactic is to make sure that all of your snacky food is hidden from your eyesight. If you have a jar of cookies on your counter top, move it into the cupboard. Arrange your refrigerator so that when you open it, the first thing you’ll see are healthy fruits and vegetables, rather than cans of Coke and chocolate cake. When you can’t easily see those tempting foods, it is much easier to avoid them.
Your Body Is NOT A Garbage Disposal
One of the biggest enemies on the road to achieving long term healthy weight loss is the “clean your plate mentality”. You know what I’m talking about. We can all remember times when we were truly full, but our Mom’s would admonish us about kids starving in Africa, or some such thing. I don’t mean to attack dear old mom, but this attitude has probably caused more bad eating habits than any other, and is the absolute bane of natural weight loss. Let’s analyze this concept for a bit.
First of all, whether you finish all the food on your plate or not will not affect the situation in Africa one bit. What’s more, consider what you are doing. If you did not clean off your plate, what would you most likely do with it? In all likelihood, you’d throw it in the trash. So, when you think about it, when you clean off your plate and you’re not hungry, you’re treating your body like a trash can! How does this make you feel? Do you really want to store garbage in your body? Can you see why the “cleaning your plate” mentality is a bad habit you need to jettison?
This is the habit you need to develop if healthy, long term weight loss is your goal. When you are no longer hungry, STOP EATING! This is what the animals do, and this is what you should do to. For example, let’s say you’re eating at McDonald’s. Now, I know most health guru’s are going to say that you should never darken the door of a fast food restaurant, but I say nuts to that. If you live in the real world and are a real person, you’re going to find yourself in a McDonald’s at some point. When you are there, order WHATEVER YOU WANT. If you want a Big Mac, go for it. However, eat slowly and as soon as you are no longer hungry, simply stop eating and throw the rest away. If you force yourself to become a human garbage disposal, you will be storing that garbage on your body in the form of FAT. Once you are full, just imagine that every extra bite is being added to your stomach or thighs. Are you sure you want to keep eating?
So, to sum up, practice the habit of only eating when you’re hungry. This is the natural way to eat, and the way that animals consume food all the time. Eat what you need. Remember that finishing off that last meatball is not going to help any poor soul in Africa. Treat your body with respect, and not as a garbage disposal, and you will be on your way to a slimmer, more dynamic you.
You Have To Respect The Queen, But Don’t Forget About The King
To fitness pioneer Jack Lalanne, proper nutrition is the Queen, but exercise is the King. Does this mean it’s not possible to embark on a plan of healthy weight loss without starting some kind of exercise program? Well, no. However, without exercise, losing weight will be far more difficult. The reason for this is simple biology. For all animals, including human beings, exercising our muscles and bodies is normal. We evolved needing strong healthy muscles to survive. This is why our bodies don’t just need exercise, they actually crave it. This is why there are so many benefits to exercise (which I’ll get to in a moment) beyond weight loss. Do you want to know an interesting fact? The truth of the matter is that most of the time, people who are overweight do not eat more than people who are not. In fact, they actually may be eating less food. So, if over eating is not the main difference between overweight and normal people, what is? The biggest difference is activity. Excess weight is more often than not a sign of a deficit in activity, not a surplus of food.
This is why exercise is such a key to achieving long term and permanent weight reduction.
The Benefits of Respecting the King
So, what are some off the benefits of exercising? Well, first of all, by increasing the amount of calories your body consumes, it makes healthy weight loss easier. Depending on how much you exercise, you may not even have to eat less food! Another benefit of achieving natural weight loss via the exercise route is that the weight tends to come of more slowly. How is this a benefit? Studies have shown that the slower the weight comes off, the slower it will come back on. Again, we are interested in long term weight loss, not a short term fix.
You Will Feel Better
Another benefit of exercise is that it actually makes you feel better. As I’ve stated before, one of the reasons people often overeat is as a kind of emotional salve. Exercise does the same thing, it does it better, and it helps to reduce your waistline at the same time! As a hobby, exercise also gives you something else to do besides eating. There is more to life than working and trying to avoid the refrigerator.
Lose Fat, not Muscle
When you lose weight with exercise, you are only losing the fat. This is opposed to the no exercise / consume less calories method which will cost you lean tissue that you want to keep like muscle, cartilage and bone. Depending on the kind of exercise you do, you may even add more muscle! The great thing about this is that muscle is much more active than fat, and will help you burn more calories. Exercise also helps to normalize your body functions, and vigorous exercise can actually depress your appetite! Like I’ve stated before, your body, just like our animal brethren in the wild, evolved needing physical activity. When you provide it, your body will be able to start to return to the natural and healthy state that it wants to be in. This is why achieving healthy weight loss with exercise is so much easier than without it.
Dinner Strategies For Weight Loss
If you want to reach your weight loss goals, one of the feelings you need to become aware of is how you feel after dinner. How do you typically feel? Do you feel like you’ve eaten too much, the right amount, or maybe too little? Feeling stuffed is obviously a problem, but so is not eating enough. Why is this? The reason is that if you leave the dinner table feeling unsatisfied, you are more likely to raid the fridge later. If healthy weight loss is your goal, you will want to feel “Just right” after dinner. How can this be done?
Dinner is a Ritual, not a Task
The first thing dinnertime weight loss principle that you need to understand is the need to approach dinner as a ritual. When you are finished with this ritual, you expect to feel satisfied. However, what can happen is that we come home in such a rush, we are still in work mode. We approach dinnertime as a task that needs to be completed as soon as possible. We may also use food in an attempt to soothe whatever frustrations or emotions that may have been aroused during the work day. In our mad rush to eat, we wind up eating too much. This is a habit that needs to be broken as well.
In order to break through this weight loss barrier, it is important to make dinner an organized meal. Dinner should be planned in advance, if possible. If you simply raid the fridge, grabbing whatever is available, you are much more likely to overeat. Try to buy only the amount of food that you need for your planned meal. If you don’t have the food, you will not be able to eat it. Further, you are best to put the food that you think you will eat on your plate, and then immediately wrap up any leftovers and put them away. If you can’t see the extra food, you are much less likely to eat it later. This is a sound dinnertime weight loss strategy.
Understanding Your Brain’s Role
Another factor you need to understand is that it usually takes an adult’s brain between 20 and 25 minutes for it to realize that the body has consumed enough food. The reason for this is that this is the time it takes the body to break down the food it has consumed and to figure out whether it has gotten the calories and nutrients it needs. When you rush a meal and eat as fast as you can, you typically consume far more than you need to. This is why it’s so important to eat slowly and with purpose. You have to give your body time to figure out what it has just consumed. Some techniques that can be used for this are to hold your fork in your left hand if you are right handed, to chew at least 50 times before swallowing, or to wait 15 seconds between mouthfuls. Although these techniques do work, the key really is just to slow down and enjoy your dinner. Chew every morsel like it is your last. If you do this, you will start to eat the amount your body actually needs, and your travels on the road to healthy weight loss will be that much smoother.
Another Valuable And Easy Weight Loss Tactic
One of the most valuable tactics that one can learn in the pursuit of their weight loss goals is the delaying tactic. And just what is the delaying tactic? Well, have you ever heard of the advice to count to 10 before saying anything in anger? The idea behind this advice is that anger can be such a fleeting emotion, counting to 10 by itself can often mitigate it. The key here is that rather than thinking about whatever made you angry in the first place, you are focusing on counting. When you have finished counting, your mind is often able to focus on a more positive course of action, rather than yelling and screaming. In pursuing healthy weight loss, this same kind of delaying tactic can often be used as well.
A Familiar Story
Does this scenario sound familiar? You’re walking by your kitchen, and some kind of food starts calling out to you. Maybe it’s a pasta salad from the night before, maybe it’s chicken wings. Whatever it is, you’ve suddenly got the idea in your head that a little snack might just be in order. But is it really? If your goal is to shed some unwanted pounds, here’s what you should do.
A New Course of Action
Instead of immediately raiding the fridge for that last piece of chocolate cake, walk away and do something else for 7 minutes. It can be anything EXCEPT watching television (more on this in a moment). Read a book or magazine, do some knitting, whatever you want to do. If after those 7 minutes are up, if you still want that food, go ahead and eat it. As well, if you do eat whatever it is, don’t feel guilty about it. You haven’t disrupted your healthy weight loss plan at all. Here’s why.
Why it Works
The most powerful parts of our brain are our animal impulses. We like to think that we are rational and logical beings, but the animal impulses have been around much longer, and are much stronger. When you see or even think about food, the animal impulse is to eat it right away. However, when you use this 7 minutes delaying tactic, you are allowing your brain to focus on something else. You’re allowing your rational brain to control your animal side, at least for a bit. This is something to be proud of. Typically, once you start doing something else (BESIDES TELEVISION), you will get so involved in that activity that you will no longer want the food. And if you do, so what? Maybe you are really hungry at that moment. If you are really hungry, eat! You just want to make sure you are not eating on a whim, but on true hunger. This is a very important weight loss principle.
Why Television DOESN’T Count
Now, I’ve made the point that you can do anything else for those 7 minutes besides watching television. The problem with television is that it is not a real activity. It is far too passive, and is simply not as engaging as doing something real. This is why we so often eat when we’re watching the boob tube. We’re bored, and food helps alleviate that boredom. Reading a book, puttering in the garden, taking the dog for a walk. Any of these activities are better than watching TV. The key is to find a hobby that you like. There’s a million things to do, just do it! Not only will it help you reach your weight loss goals, but you’ll have fun in the process!
Some Thoughts On Counting Calories
So far in all of the chapters I’ve written on which weight loss habits to adopt, I’ve avoided the concept of calories. The reason for this is that for most people, counting calories comes dangerously close to dieting, which is something we are trying to avoid. Again, when it comes to achieving long term healthy weight loss, we need to focus on changing our eating habits, not on dieting. Nonetheless, I think we’ve reached a point we’re an explanation of calories, and how they can relate to easy weight loss, is in order.
Just what are Calories?
First of all, just what are calories? When it comes to diet and weight loss, a calorie is a measurement of food energy. To a scientist, a calorie is the amount of energy needed to increase the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius. To the average person, the calories we derive from food give us the energy to maintain our bodies and live our lives. The problem is that for some of us, we simply consume too many of them. When this occurs, our bodies store this energy for future use as fat (as we are all too painfully aware off).
Calories and Weight Loss
Now, how can we use this knowledge of calories to reach our weight loss goals? Well, let’s analyze it this way. It takes approximately 3000 calories to create one pound of fat. So, if you create a calorie deficit (your body consumes more than it takes in) of 100 calories a day, you can expect to lose one pound of fat every 30 days. If you cut 300 calories from your diet a day, you’ll lose 3 pounds every 30 days, etc. Cutting 300 calories a day from your diet is not very hard to do. (this is about equal to 2 cans of coke). I don’t want to get into what specific foods contain how many calories. This information is easily available online. More to the point though, everyone’s diet is different, and people enjoy different foods. If you keep of journal of what you eat (and you should do this), you will find it easy to pick out foods that you either don’t need at all (like cans of Coke), or ones you can eat less of (like eating half a sandwich). The key is to never reduce your consumption of food to the point where you feel deprived. If you do this, you are more likely to try and relieve that deprived feeling by bingeing on something unhealthy. In the game of long term real weight loss, slow and steady is the key to victory.
Why does Weight Loss get Harder Overtime?
One other interesting point on calories when it comes to achieving easy weight loss. Have you ever noticed how when you begin any weight loss plan, the weight initially seems to come off very quickly? However, as you progress, the pace of weight reduction seems to slow, until it stops completely. Have you ever wondered why this is? I mean, if you reduce the amount of food you eat a day by a 100 calories, shouldn’t you just keep losing weight forever (until you presumably vanish from the face of the Earth?) The reason why this phenomena occurs is that the fat itself on your body requires 10 calories to maintain itself daily. So, when you start losing fat, the amount of calories your body needs daily also goes down. In the case of a person who deliberately starts to consume 100 calories less a day, they will be able to eventually lose 10 pounds. However, once they’ve lost 10 pounds fat, their bodies now require 100 calories less a day also. Their bodies have reached a new equilibrium. If this person want to lose more weight, they will either have to consume even less calories a day, or increase the amount of calories burned, usually by exercise.
Natural Foods and Healthy Weight Loss
Many health advocates, including such notables as Jack LaLanne, advocate a program of eating as much natural food as possible for weight loss and general health. What exactly does he mean by natural foods? In a nutshell, he means eating food that is in as close as a state as possible to how it is found in Mother Nature. Food in its natural state is almost always much less fattening and more nutritious than food that has been processed by man. I’ve even heard Jack LaLanne say that a good rule of thumb to follow when it comes to food is that if man has touched it, don’t eat it. This is the way animals eat, I believe we should strive to follow their example when possible. Why is this, and how does this knowledge help us achieve our weight loss goals?
What Man does to Food
When a good product is processed by man to make it more convenient (IE, it is put into a box, wrapper, or can) a number of things are done. The first thing food manufactures typically do is to add a lot of sugar or other sweeteners to the food. They also typically add a lot of highly saturated fats and oils, as well as remove much of the fiber. The processing of the food also typically removes much of the food’s nutritional value. To demonstrate this, take the example of a potato. In order to prepare it naturally, the easiest thing to do is to bake it in its own skin. When you prepare a potato this way, a potato will typically contain 145 calories, and will be packed with vitamins and minerals (30 milligrams of vitamin C, for example). It will also contain very little fat. However, take that same potato and turn it into its equivalent in French Fries. 10 French Fries (which is about what you would get from a single potato) would contain 214 calories, which is a 47% increase from our baked potato. This increase in calories is mostly in the form of fat. As well, the food preparation process removes a significant amount of vitamins and minerals from the potato. In the case of Vitamin C, these 10 French Fries may only contain 16 grams, which is a 47% decrease. Now, consider turning that one potato into 20 potato chips. What happens now? Well, the calorie count goes up to 228, and the Vitamin C count goes down to 6. From this potato example, is it not obvious as to why eating food in a more natural state can be a big help with healthy weight reduction?
It Gets Worse
But the story doesn’t end there. One potato could produce 10 French Fries or 20 potato chips, but would you really limit yourself to this amount? I can see limiting myself to a single baked potato, but only 10 French Fries and 20 potato chips? Not likely. In the real world, I could eat 30 French Fries or 60 potato chips with no difficulty. You do the calorie math on what that means. As well, this kind of food is not consumed in a vacuum. A potato in its natural state is 75 percent water. French Fries, however, are only 45 percent water, and potato chips 2 percent. So, knowing this (not to mention the added salt), you’re probably going to be thirsty. What are you most likely to drink with your French Fries and potato chips? Water? Not likely. Most people will drink soda pop or beer. This is why if you want to lose weight in a healthy and natural way, eating food in its most natural form is generally a good way to go.
A Summary Of The Eating Habits You Need To Adopt To Lose Weight (without dieting!)
Do not diet, ever again.
Focus on changing the behaviors and habits that have caused your weight gain, not the weight itself.
Keep a Journal and record what you are eating, when, and why. Figure out why you often eat when you are not really hungry
Do not eat in front of the television.
If you feel that you are hungry, realize that you may be in reality only thirsty. Try drinking some water first.
Learn to only eat at the kitchen table using knives, forks, and spoons. Break yourself of the habit of grabbing something on the run and wolfing it down.
When you are eating at the table, focus only on eating, or talking with your family. No reading or watching TV.
Move any tempting food you have, like cookies or cake, to places where you can’t see them. Move them to the back of your refrigerator or cupboard. Move the healthier food to the front.
Do not treat your body like a garbage can. If you are no longer hungry, stop eating.
Start some kind of exercise program. I discuss a variety of options later in this book. Pick something you like, and get going.
Approach dinner as a ritual, not as a task to be completed. Plan your dinner in advance, if possible.
Only put the food you think you need on your plate. Put the rest away in the fridge right away.
Eat your food slowly, without distractions, and with a feeling of gratitude. Give your brain a chance to understand that you are eating a full meal.
If you are hungry for a snack, walk away and do something else for 7 minutes (except watching television). If you are still hungry, go ahead and have the snack at the table.
Strive to eat food in as close to its natural state as possible. Try to avoid food that comes packaged in a box, wrapper, or can.
As I’ve already mentioned, Jack Lalanne once said that when it comes to health, diet is the Queen, but exercise is the King. When you have both, you have a kingdom. With the first part of this book you now have at your disposal some very effective principles that you can follow when it comes to eating. If you follow these principles you will almost certainly have the “healthy diet” portion of your kingdom together. But what about the King? You know that if you want to be truly healthy you need to exercise in some way. But which exercise method is best for you?
Once again I suggest we look to the animal kingdom for guidance in this area. Any animal you can think of is far healthier and stronger than any human being. In fact compared to our animal brethren most people are but pale, sickly imitations, almost an affront to nature. If this is the case how do animals get this way? Do they pump iron in a gym? Do they run on a treadmill all day? Of course not. The only exercise they get is by using what mother nature has already given them - namely their own bodies and bodyweight. I’ve really come to believe that there is a lesson here for us as well.
Consider the Gorilla. It has been estimated that a Gorilla in the wild is anywhere from 6 to 20 times as strong as a man. How does it get this way? A Gorilla exists on a mainly vegetarian diet and does not exercise in any kind of way that man would recognize. All it does is use it’s own body and bodyweight and yet it is as strong as can possibly be. What is going on here?
The more I think about it the more I believe it makes sense from an evolutionary perspective. Evolution is all about adaption and survival of the fittest. If one animal starts doing something that gives him an advantage over its peers that animal is more likely to survive. This makes it more likely it will pass on its genes which will perpetuate this advantage.
Allow me to illustrate this point with a thought experiment. Let’s say there is a fruit that most (but not all) Gorilla’s find bitter and distasteful. However if consumed this fruit will give the Gorilla more energy and make him significantly stronger. What happens if those few Gorillas who don’t find this fruit to be distasteful start consuming it? They will get stronger, their offspring will be more likely to survive, and before you know it in a few generations all of the Gorilla’s will be eating this fruit.
What does this mean for exercise? It means that for a Gorilla to reach his full potential all he needs to do is to do what comes naturally to him. He will be at his strongest by simply doing Gorilla things like walking, sprinting, climbing trees etc. This is how the Gorilla has been evolutionary adapted by mother nature to be at his best. If there were an advantage to training some other way some Gorilla somewhere would have done it.
Now I know you might be thinking this is all well and good for Gorillas and other animals but men and women are different. From my own experience as well as other accounts I’ve read I submit to you that this is not the case.
For myself I used to run and lift weights in order to stay healthy. I thought I was healthy and in good shape. However my perceptions were smashed by reality when I took up Judo and Yoga.
When I was taking Judo I really enjoyed it. However I was shocked at easily I would get injured. I thought my body was strong from all of the weightlifting I did but it didn’t seem to help me here.
With yoga I remember going into a class thinking it would be a breeze. I mean, all you’re doing is holding a posture for a set period of time. If I could perform squats with weighted barbells shouldn’t I be able to do this? Well, you would think I could, but I couldn’t. I remember the simplest postures absolutely knocked me on my ass. Despite the fact that I was weightlifting and running when it came right down to it I had to conclude that my athletic body was in many ways weak and functionless.
This is when I started to question the wisdom of man created exercises. I started to train more naturally using only my own body, just like the animals do, and I haven’t looked back since.
I don’t want to go on and on about my experiences here. If you want to read more you can go to my website at animal-kingdom-workouts.com. However to demonstrate that this is not just me who has had this revelation I want to tell you a brief story I read in Christopher Sommer’s book “Building The Gymnastic Body.”
Now gymnasts are amazing athletes and immensely strong. They can perform feats of strengths that few can match. If you’ve ever seen a gymnast perform an iron cross you’ll know what I mean. How do they train? You guessed it. They train naturally, using only their own bodies and bodyweight.
At any rate in his book Mr. Sommer relates a story about how he decided to take up weightlifting after his years of competitive gymnastics were over. He went into the gym and do you know what happened? He started throwing weights around like nobodies business. Mr. Sommer had never lifted weights before so he was really impressed. He figured that if he could do lifts now that put to shame all of the bodybuilders and weightlifters in the gym what would happen if actually trained for it? He decided to find out. He abandoned his natural gymnastic training and started weightlifting full time. What happened? Did he get stronger? Did he feel better? Not in the least. In his own words:
“ I got sore, stiff, slow, tired and my athletic ability, after initial gains, was not only not improving, but was beginning to slip.”
To summarize he was getting weaker, not stronger. His body felt worse, not better.
Although this surprised him at the time it should make perfect sense to you by this point. By abandoning his natural gymnastic training Coach Sommer was, without knowing it, working against his own evolutionary inheritance. After much trial and error Coach Sommer came to realize this himself. He went back to his system of bodyweight gymnastic exercises and his high level of health quickly returned.
Now, Christopher Sommer’s book is excellent. If you are a gymnast or a martial artist I highly recommend it. However, what if you’re not a gymnast or martial artist? What can you do? The truth of the matter is that there are many different kinds of natural bodyweight exercises that anyone can do if they so choose. To give you a taste for this what follows are some sample exercises that you can try. If you do, I think you’ll be surprised at just how fast your body will respond. Being stiff, sore, weak and overweight is not what nature intended for us. By taking up a program of natural training you’ll reach your potential in no time.
Mini-Workout Introduction
The first natural bodyweight exercise you can try is the mini-workout. This routine is based on a series of yoga postures which are known as the sun salutations. Although the routine looks simple, these postures have the potential to energize and rejuvenate your entire body easily and naturally. Some of the benefits from doing this series of poses include:
rejuvenating your spine and relief from back pain
stretches and strengthens your entire body
promotes flexibility in your ankle, knee and hip joints
keeps your mind in a tranquil yet alert state
increase your own energy levels and fat burning metabolism
One of the best aspects of this little routine is the back bending you will be doing. Almost everyone suffers from a sore back at some point. The best way to cure this is by releasing the stress from the lower back by engaging in some form of back bending. To most people bending backwards can feel awkward and un-natural at first. If this is you do not worry about. Take it easy and try it. The spine is meant to move in a 360 degree fashion. It actually needs it.
Have you ever wondered why do many people suffer from back pain? Once again, in my opinion, it all goes back to evolution. One thing about evolution is that it is very clunky. A system that may have worked well to deal with one circumstance may not be ideal for another. When situations change you are not dealing with a blank slate. You have to use what you’ve got.
In the case of human beings our spines evolved when we were walking on all fours. They are designed to distribute weight evenly along their entire length. When circumstances changed and we started walking we were stuck with this spine. That’s why our spines in some ways resemble a tall flagpole with a big weight (our heads) at the top. How stable is this structure really? Doesn’t it make sense that so many people feel pain and discomfort at the point of highest stress, namely the base of the spine?
Back bending is the best way in my experience to relieve this stress while at the same time strengthening the back. Try it for yourself with the following mini-workout and see.
You will want to move slowly and deliberately when performing this routine, breathing deeply as you do so at all times. No matter what your fitness level, this mini-workout will be a challenge for you. If you are a beginner doing one set may be all that you can handle. If you are more advanced, however, you can increase the number of reps you perform or the length of time you hold each posture. Do what feels best for you. No one knows your own body like you do. For myself, I believe the ideal time to perform this routine is either first thing in the morning or late at night. When I wake up in the morning, I’m usually somewhat stiff, and my head is in a mental fog. Exercise wakes me up, activates my body, and gets my brain into the ON position. It’s truly a great way to start the day (and it will save you from having to buy that $5 latte from Starbucks).
Step #1 - The Mountain Pose
Begin by standing straight , relaxed, and firmly grounded, with your feet together, spine straight, and shoulders back.
Extend your arms straight by your sides while your gaze is directed forward.
Take a few breathes. Make sure you breath slowly, deeply, and through your nose. This will relax your body and mind.
On an inhalation, raise your arms in front of your body and then over your head. Synchronize the movement with your breathing while at the same time keeping your wrists loose.
Arch your back slightly backwards and direct your gaze towards your hands and the ceiling.
Step #2 - Standing Forward Bend
As you start to exhale, begin to bend forward while keeping your arms straight.
Continue to bend forward with your exhale and place your hands flat on the floor beside your feet. If you have trouble keeping your back straight or getting your hands to the floor, bend your knees.
Step #3 - Modified Plank Pose
Step your legs back behind you one at a time. Your hands should be shoulder-width apart and your feet hip-width apart.
Step #4 - Modified Upward Facing Dog Pose
On an inhalation, drop your pelvis towards the floor and lift your torso and chest upwards while looking at the sky. Remember to breathe deeply at all times.
Step #5 - Downward Facing Dog
On an exhale, press your pelvis back up while straightening your arms and legs. Your body should resemble an upside down V. The goal is to have your arms and torso in a straight line with your legs straightened.
Step #6 - Four Limb Staff Position
Exhale and drop your chest forward and down until it is about 1 inch off the ground. If this is too difficult for you, rest your torso on the floor. This is called the Basic Four Limb Staff Position.
From Step #6 press yourself back in Step #3 and repeat as many times as you want.
Variations for the Mini-Workout
What follows are some variations that you can use to make the mini-workout more challenging. Enjoy.
Modified Plank Pose Variation #1
When in the modified plank pose, try lifting one arm in front of you, then the other.
Modified Plank Pose Variation #2
Try lifting one leg behind you, then the other.
Modified Plank Pose Variation #3
In this pose, you try to lift and hold one leg and the opposite arm at the same time. This really works your core, as well as helps improve your balance.
Modified Upward Facing Dog Pose Variation
When in this pose, place all of your forward weight onto your arm while you lift its opposite to the sky. Hold and repeat with the other arm.
When it comes to natural exercises the granddaddy of them all may very well be the pushup. To many people (including myself) the pushup is the king of bodyweight exercises. People all over the world and throughout the ages have enjoyed the benefits of performing pushups and its many variations. It has survived the ages of iron, Nautilus and Cybex machines in the modern world, and will continue to do so in the future. Why is this? Aside from the fact that pushups are extremely convenient to do (no special equipment needed) they are incredibly effective. Let’s look at why this is.
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