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The Food Plan You Should Follow to Break Through Your Weight Loss Plateau

It's not that hard...

21 March, 2018
The Food Plan You Should Follow to Break Through Your Weight Loss Plateau

You've probably heard this a million times before, but when it comes to losing weight, and keeping it off, it boils down to diet more than anything.

Exercise is still extremely important for staying in shape, toning up and overall health, but if it's a change in the scales you're aiming for, it's time to reconsider what you're putting in your body.

We asked William Dawson, a strength, conditioning and nutrition coach, for his ideal food plan. Dawson doesn't believe there's a one-size-fits-all approach to dieting, as all bodies and metabolic rates are different — but he does have some good tips we can all apply to our lives.

Adjust your carbohydrate intake

"Your body has a huge capacity to store carbohydrates," says Dawson. "When you eat more carbohydrates than your body immediately needs, you store the remainder as glycogen. For every gram of glycogen you store, you also hold on to approximately four grams of water."

"While this weight isn't body fat, it can make you feel bloated or puffy — the best option is to cut out refined, dense carbs like white breads, pasta, and baked goods, and include more nutrient dense carbs like fresh fruits, veggies and whole grains like quinoa and whole wheat couscous," advises Dawson.

Unfortunately, it sounds like you need to eliminate some of the best foods in life. But it's a sacrifice you'll need to make to reach your weight loss goal.

Rotate your protein sources

If you've been fuelling your body with the same thing for a while, your body might be getting used to it. "If you've been eating chicken breast and egg whites for the last couple of weeks, it's time to switch it up," says Dawson. "Get some red meat a couple times per week, or add some lentils and beans—they are high in protein as well as iron! The body is very efficient as adapting; change creates change. Switch it up by rotating your protein sources and ditch the current choices for a week. Try scallops, turkey and Greek yoghurt."

Don't forget about fibre

"For every gram of fibre consumed we eliminate approximately seven calories, so consuming 40 grams of fibre a day essentially cancels out 280 calories — that's about 30 minutes less you have to spend on the treadmill, a day," says Dawson. If you do the maths, that could amount to significant weight loss over a year.

"My advice would be to source out higher fibre foods within the same food group — black beans, for example, have 2.5 grams more fibre than chickpeas, whereas barley has almost double that of brown rice." Simple food swaps can make all the difference.

Reduce your sodium intake

"Sodium and water are good mates!" says Dawson. And while that sounds fun, it's not ideal for weight loss. "When you consume more salt than usual, your body may hang on to extra fluid, which can translate to the scale," he explains. "The best way to control sodium intake is to eat more fresh unprocessed foods, and ditch the salt shaker."

Drink more water

If we lost a gram for all the times we've been told drinking more water is key to weight loss (and health in general), we wouldn't need to follow a food plan like this. But perhaps it's not about drinking more, it's about when you drink.

"Drinking more water is an essential component of calorie burning, and it helps flush out any excess sodium and fluid you may be hanging on to," explains Dawson. "Having a glass of water before meals can have an added weight loss benefit, plus make you less likely to over consume during meal time. Drinking one or two glasses of water before eating can cut calorie consumption by 75 to 90 fewer calories, an amount that could really snowball day after day."

We'll drink (water) to that.

From: Harper's Bazaar Australia

Credit: Cosmopolitan
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