As much as we love exercise, just exercise alone will not help you lose the gut.
Your diet is a huge part of the equation.
You could spend hours in a gym (not that it’s needed) working yourself into the ground, but if your nutrition is NOT in check then you are wasting your time.
While your diet is probably not terrible, the 5 secrets below will help you improve it. A diet based around ‘real’ foods rather than processed is going to help you shift the lard a lot easier.
Nutrition Secret #1: Eat Real Foods
Whilst most busy guys are rushing around like headless chickens grabbing a sausage roll and a packet of crisps here and there, we want to you to focus on real foods such as good quality protein (chicken, eggs, turkey, steak, fish), fruits and vegetables to begin with. Not only will these foods nourish your body, they will also keep you feeling fuller for longer and prevent you from feeling hungry and overeating junk.
Top Tips
Spend 10- 15 minutes each evening either preparing your food or thinking about where you can get it the next day.
You could cook up an extra portion of greens and chicken and pop it into a tupperware box for the next day. Or simply think about where you can pick up healthier options (such as salads, cold meats, fruit pots) rather than buying on the run from a vending machine. Most well-known supermarkets do an array of healthy pre-packed nutritious foods.
Nutrition Secret #2 Drink more water
Drinking lots of water is another extremely simple way to increase energy levels and promote fat loss. Chronic dehydration triggers false hunger signals that causes you to eat extra calories. Try these tips…
-Try and UP your water intake to a minimum of 2 litres per day if you are currently drinking under that. You will be popping off to the toilet more but once your pee becomes clear it means you are nicely hydrated. Yellow or brown, then you are dehydrated. Get hydrated and watch your energy INCREASE!
-Cut down on the fizzy drinks, these don’t hydrate you, water will.
Nutrition Secret #3: Load up on fibre
Most of us do not get enough fibre in our diet. This is a problem since fibre is essential when it comes to getting lean. Fibre-filled foods are low in calories and are filling, so you’ll be eating less and getting lean. Try these tips…
-Turn salads into meals. Add a serving of lean protein to a large pile of greens for a satisfying meal.
-Include vegetables in every meal. The benefits to eating more veggies are too many to list, so just know that your body will become healthier and leaner with each fibrous bite.
-Fruits are a tasty source of fiber. Eat fresh, seasonal fruits every day.
Nutrition Secret #4: Eat fewer carbs. Now we didn’t say to cut out all carbs but rather to eat fewer carbs.
These nutrition secrets are meant as lifestyle changes for you to stick with long term. Eating fewer carbs is a realistic and very effective way to attack the gut.
Try these tips.
– Eat more carbs on the days you exercise. Carbohydrates are our bodies main source of energy and therefore when we exercise we will need more.
Think oats / bagels / rice or pasta (cup-full cooked) in and around exercise (pre or post or both).
Having a day off exercise? No need for as many carbs.
It’s important to understand that carbohydrates alone don’t make you fat, over eating and not exercising enough does that. People do however have a massive tendency to eat too much bread and pasta when they are not doing enough exercise so let’s look to keep that in check.
Nutrition Secret #5: Only wholesome sweets. Refined sugar-filled sweets will quickly add up around your waistline. Learn to enjoy natural sweets. Try these tips…
-Fruit is natural candy. When you stop eating refined sugar you’ll find fresh fruit to be more sweet and delicious than ever.
– Do not eat foods that contain high fructose corn syrup. These items are the worst for your waistline.
-Try wholesome sweeteners, like pure maple syrup, raw honey or dates in your cooking instead of white sugar. Get white sugar out of your kitchen.
Take these nutrition secrets and run with them. These tips, along with a challenging and consistent exercise program, are the formula for a healthy more energised and leaner body.
