Over the next few weeks, I am going to be sharing with you guys my top tips to finding balance between living a fat loss lifestyle and not losing my mind!
I always say to pick just one thing to change – so I’m only gonna give you one thing to work on each week 😉
So, my first tip? Buffer Foods!
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the words fat loss, or diet?
For me, usually it’s deprivation. What CAN’T I have? What’s allowed and what’s not?
I immediately go there because for such a long time, when I would try to lose weight, I would give up everything that I enjoyed. I would limit carbs, fruit, wine, and desserts. I would tell myself that to lose fat, I had to eat egg whites, chicken breast, fish and broccoli and drink my coffee black. Eating out at restaurants was something I would also avoid because of all the temptations.
Yes, egg whites, chicken breast, fish, broccoli are usually staples in a fat loss plan, but they don’t have to be all you subside on to reach your goals. Unless you are training for a physique competition, you can (and should in my opinion) add in some of the things you enjoy. By doing this, you will stay on track longer than if you eliminated them all together. Having a small frozen yogurt once or twice a week, or a couple glasses of wine, a slice of pizza, or a muffin at your favorite bakery – whatever it is that brings you joy, you need to make room for it in your life.
Metabolic Effect calls these “buffer” foods, and adding them in to my “Lean Routine”, has really helped me to stick to a fat loss lifestyle without losing my freaking mind! For me, it’s things like having cream in my coffee, a little cheese on my salads, wine a couple nights a week, dark chocolate chunks with peanut butter and wine a couple nights a week (did I already say that?) ☺
I highly recommend all of my clients find a few that they can add in to their routines as well. It is an easy way to feel satiated and less deprived. And it’s also a nice little exercise in self-control. Food will always, always be around, so the more we de-sensitize ourselves to the foods that we crave the less power they will have over us.
As soon as I tell myself that I “can’t” have something – it literally takes over my brain. So I no longer do that. I know that I can, and will, have anything I want, whenever I want.
I just plan for it! If it’s on my terms, I’m much more adherent then when I feel like I’m following “rules” that can’t be broken.
I give myself a little bit of what I want on most days, so that I never really feel like I’m “missing out” on anything.
Now if you feel like you can’t control yourself around a far of peanut butter – then maybe you need a different buffer food. I don’t want you diving tablespoon first into the jar!
Start with choosing a few things that you know you can handle, and practice with those foods first.
When you’re so used to “dieting”, this can be a little scary, right? CHEESE on my salad (gasp)! But think about it, if having a few things during the week can make you feel just a little less deprived, don’t you think you’d be able to stick to your plan longer?
How do you how do you know if you are having too much, or too many buffer foods?
When you stop seeing results!
Take your pictures and take your measurements on a weekly basis to monitor your progress. If you aren’t seeing any changes, something needs to change. It’s as simple as that.
For most of my clients (and myself), it’s going to be changes in diet that need to be made before changes in exercise.
Buffer foods are meant to help you stay the course – not to make you feel guilty or stall your progress. So, choose those buffer foods wisely and monitor your hunger, energy and cravings to get a better sense of how those foods affect you.
If you want to get a little leaner, or you have stopped seeing changes, start by decreasing your buffer foods first, not by “going on a diet” and completely restricting yourself, because as we all know, diets don’t last.
What are some of your favorite buffer foods? Let me know in the comment section under this post on my Facebook page 🙂