How I lost 30 Pounds in 16 Weeks: Part II
Welcome to Part II! Within this 3-part series, I'm overviewing the low hanging fruit, which allowed me to see success while dieting for the bodybuilding competition I competed in this past summer. Assuming that the vast majority of my audience is not currently preparing for a bodybuilding show, I hope you find that 90% of things discussed here are actually applicable to all looking to shed a few pounds.
In the first installment of this series, I went into detail to answer the question, "How Much Did I Eat?" If you haven't read that post, I suggest tapping the link to set the groundwork for the words forthcoming.
Here, I answer the question..."What Eating Strategies Kept Me on Track?" So without further exposition, let's get down to it. I boiled down my answer into 3 distinct eating guidelines that were able to suppress hunger and keep my caloric goals met.
Understand Your Go-To Meals
It's inevitable that you'll have times while dieting where either hunger, cravings, or both will rear their ugly heads. For me, those thoughts tend to creep into my psyche at night time. I do a pretty good job of keeping my hungry mind occupied during the work day, but after I get home, my brain begins to relax and think about Trolli Gummi Worms.
In order to satisfy that sweet craving, I kept my refrigerator stocked with as much strawberry greek yogurt as I could. No, that didn't completely satisfy my craving, but that was my Go-To Meal readily available and could suffice me for the night. Not to mention, it was a great source of casein proteins before bed.
Eat Your Protein and Veggies First
It's well documented that foods filled with protein and fiber are more satiating than their carbohydrate or fat-ridden counterparts. Given a plate full of food, always eat the protein source and vegetables first, so as to temper your hunger for the rest of the meal.
Additionally, it's real easy when slicing your calories by a large margin to skimp on micronutrients akin to fruits and veggies simply because you're consuming less volume.
Meet a Water Goal First
I could get into a 3000-word soliloquy regarding the importance of water to all bodily functions including sleep, thoughtfulness, etc., but for the sake of your thumbs I'll keep this brief.
Adequate water consumption (like protein consumption) can temper hunger to a large degree. Yes, there is a lot of scientific truth that drinking a glass of water can curb your appetite. Personally, my water goal was ~128oz each day. I carry around a water bottle wherever I go, and I make a mental note to consume four 32oz servings before I touch any other drink.
Not only does this strategy suppress hunger to some degree, but it ensures your window to "slip up" is decreased. Also, there's all that about general health and well-being.
There you have it. Part II is in the books.
Articles like these are great because they can get you in the ballpark of weight loss, but there’s so much more to this puzzle. If you want to lose weight and look awesome, I recommend visiting the SERVICES page of my website.
I don’t claim to be a genius, but I do think I’m pretty damn good at helping people lose fat, build awesome physiques, and do so in a very practical and healthy manner. If you have any questions or concerns, please CONTACT me.
If you’d like to support the author, please do so is by sharing my writing and business by word of mouth and via social media. Having recently made public the business-side of DrBrianGrant.com, I’m very excited to have started working with clients of various backgrounds.