According to a recent study, the obesity rate in the United States continues to grow. Americans are finding themselves pudgier and at higher risk of disease than ever before due to poor eating habits. As of 2018, the adult obesity rate was above 35% in 7 states and at least 30% in 29 states - this is way too much beef! If you’re having issues with a belly that pours over your belt or a buttock region that resembles unevenly poured concrete with an accent of cottage cheese, try some of the food and lifestyle tips below to get you on your way towards performing like a Zen Commando.
Here’s some motivation: I recently lost 23 pounds of unwanted chub in just over three months by implementing the recommendations I have outlined below. I paid attention to what I ate, slept well, exercised daily, and most importantly embraced change: Did I lose unwanted fat? You bet! I can promise you this: THESE FIVE TIPS WORK!!
But I bet some of you are saying “Wait a minute!: I have five kids, a husband (or wife), two dogs, a sick chimpanzee, and a stressful job.” To that I say “Okay, sorry to hear that’s why you’re where you are today, but if you don’t make this a priority, you’re going to remain a chunky monkey.” Stop making excuses right now, define your goal, and get on the road to a healthier and leaner you!
1. DIET. A healthy diet is the most important part of the battle against fat. “What you put into the body, is what you get out of it.” Here are some diet tips to get you on track:
Eat whole foods with plenty of color (do you hear vegetables?). Eliminate processed foods and avoid pastas, breads, sugar, dairy, simple grains and alcohol.
Proteins, Carbs, Fats. Your meals should include all three. A portion of protein (meat), some good complex carbs, and small amount of healthy fat. I’m an advocate of The Zone Diet which is listed below.
Avoid starchy carbohydrates (pasta, breads, potatoes, et al.)
Smaller portions! Americans over consume just about everything! You don’t need to have a four-egg omelette loaded with a pound of American cheese and a half pound of bacon! Downsize …. “Less is more!”
Avoid eating too late in the day. Make a rule not to eat past 6pm. Why? Your body has to digest and metabolize the food you take in and this requires internal activity. If you find yourself waking up in the morning lethargic, ask yourself how late did you eat the night before.? Did you eat right before bed? If so, chances are your body didn’t get sound sleep because it spend hours working overtime to metabolize the food you ate. See notes below on SLEEP / REST.
Booze. Eliminate it! “Yeah, but Zen Commando, a glass of wine is healthy for you, look at the French and Italians, bro.” Okay, believe what you want but you don’t live in France and if you want to lose weight, stop drinking alcohol and watch your waist or hips diminish. This even applies to Pabst Light drinkers!
Drink plenty of water. Avoid sugary beverages - SICKENING! Carry a bottle of water with you throughout the day and stay hydrated. Squeeze some lemon juice into it for added taste. A good rule of thumb is to drink half your bodyweight in ounces per day.
I don’t subscribe to any particular fad diets, or profess to promote one over the other, though from my experience, the time-tested Zone Diet works best because it was designed to find a cure for disease through healthy eating and properly balancing macronutrients.
So, what does the Zen Commando diet consist of?? Primarily cost-effective food bowls consisting of various veggies, a complex carbohydrate and topped off with a portion of fish. On rare occasions, consumption of red meat or poultry is permitted. Oh, toss in a pizza at times too :-)
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2. SLEEP / REST. The human engine requires rest and recovery to perform. DO NOT fool yourself otherwise. Everyone has a natural circadian rhythm pattern that should guide your daily sleep/wake routine, and when you go against it you are messing up your body’s software and exposing it too failure. The best time for fat burn is while sleeping - so use it to your advantage.
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3. EXERCISE. Want to lose weight? You have to move to burn off the belly cheese! “Well, I don’t have time to exercise. It can be forty-five minutes of walking, running, streaming an exercise video in your living room, climbing stairs at home or even a hotel, or time spent in the gym, but you need to sweat to burn the fat!! Don’t fall prey to victimhood and making excuses. Accept no WEAKNESS!! There are no excuse when it comes to this hard-won victory!
4. INTERMITTENT FASTING.
Intermittent fasting is a great and reliable option of weight loss for overweight and obese people. See below links for more details.
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5. MINDSET. Finally, and most importantly, you have to make a choice to lose weight! But it’s a bit deeper than that… First, you have to ACCEPT and ACKNOWLEDGE that you have an issue and make a conscious EFFORT to CHANGE. Change your lifestyle habits for the better - go to bed at a reasonable hour, eat clean foods, and exercise. STAY POSITIVE!
“Change is the only constant in life”
Next, you need the DISCIPLINE to maintain your course and not derail. DO NOT become a victim of your own weak choices and excuses. Check-out this video here to find out what the secret to success in losing weight - IT COMES DOWN TO ONE THING!
In this day of impulsiveness, keep in mind, weight loss isn’t like Amazon Prime and on-demand. It takes DEDICATION and PATIENCE to lose the weight, and EFFORT to maintain it. It took me three months, a dedicated workout regimen, and a clean diet to get me back to fighting weight, All things are possible and you can make it happen, it’s not hard - Believe in yourself! “Invictus - Remain Unconquerable.”