In the last post reviewed a small sampling of the mass of research showing that getting a balanced amount of protein (about third of our calories) from natural sources is healthy and helpful for long-term fat loss. So how did the myth that protein is bad for us get started in the first place?

The Protein is Bad for You Myth Debunked

The myth came out of studies where animals that were fed extreme amounts of protein experienced problems. However, rather than proving more protein is harmful, these studies prove that until we exceed two grams of protein per pound of body weight per day, we will get only healthier and slimmer by upping our protein intake.

“The Nurses’ Health Study is the only large prospective study to have examined the link between dietary protein and cardiovascular disease….The group of women who ate the most protein…were 25% less likely to have had a heart attack or to have died of heart disease…eating a lot of protein doesn’t harm the heart.” – W.C. Willett, Harvard University

To put two grams of protein per pound of body weight into perspective, an inactive 150-pound person would not enter the protein danger zone until they ate eleven chicken breasts per day, every day. That would total two grams of protein per pound of body weight, and would mean that 60% of their total calories were coming from protein. That is a terribly imbalanced diet and an unnatural amount of protein.

Bad things happen if we eat too much of anything. Luckily, it is nearly impossible to eat too much high-Satietyprotein. Additionally, a natural increase in our protein intake will improve our cholesterol, triglycerides, and insulin regulation, while lowering our risk of cardiovascular disease. And it does not matter if the protein comes from lean meat. In fact, low levels of animal protein have been associated with an increased risk of strokes.

But The China Study Says Meat Is Deadly

Let’s focus on meat for a moment. There is nothing wrong with eating high-quality meat. Besides the fact that meat was a cornerstone of our diet for most of our evolutionary history, there is no clinical data showing that meat is unhealthy. TheJournal of the American Medical Association reviewed 147 studies on the impact of diet on health. They found zero correlation between meat consumption and cardiovascular disease. Separately, researchers found that people in England have eaten about the same amount of animal fat—the source of most of the concern with meat—since 1910. Meanwhile, the number of heart attacks increased 1,000% between 1930 and 1970. It looks like animal fat is not causing the climb.

Similarly, during basically the same period of time in the U.S., a similar increase in heart attacks occurred while the amount of animal fats being consumed dropped. Meat is not unhealthy. It is a fantastic source of protein and therefore a key part of a natural balanced diet.

But Doesn’t Protein Weaken Our Bones?

Last but not least, at some point one of your more annoying coworkers will bring up some misguided magazine article arguing that protein promotes osteoporosis. This myth comes from the fact that digesting protein requires more calcium than the digestion of fat or carbohydrates. Certain individuals claim this finding shows that eating a lot of protein will suck calcium from our bones. That is inaccurate.

“Controlled human studies show that commonly used complex dietary proteins, which have a high phosphorus content, do not cause calcium loss in adult humans.” –H. Spencer, Edward Hines Jr. Veterans Affairs Hospital

First, you will not be eating a lot of protein. You will be eating the amount humans evolved to eat. Second, you will have no need to grab calcium from your bones since a natural balanced diet provides at least 150% more calcium than the typical U.S. diet (for example, leafy green vegetables are excellent sources of calcium. Calorie for calorie, spinach provides nearly twice the calcium as reduced-fat milk.). Third, protein digestion does not negatively impact bones if intake of the mineral phosphorus is increased, and a natural balanced diet does that.  Finally, while more protein increases the need for calcium, it also increases the body’s ability to absorb calcium. When more protein is taken in, the body automatically makes better use of calcium. Studies show that a natural level of protein increases bone density by raising levels of the protein IGF-1.

With respect to adverse effects, no protein-induced effects are observed on net bone balance or on calcium balance in young adults and elderly persons. Dietary protein even increases bone mineral mass and reduces incidence of osteoporotic fracture. – M.S. Westerterp-Plantenga, Maastricht University

The only drawback with protein is the misinformation about concentrated sources of protein. Let’s cover that in the next post.

 

“Simply lowering the percentage of energy from total fat in the diet is unlikely to…reduce coronary heart disease incidence.” –  F.B. Hu, Harvard University

Overcoming the fear of fat is critical to eating a natural, balanced ratio of nutrients. We should never again skip SANE sirloin steak and non-starchy vegetables in favor of inSANE whole wheat spaghetti with whole wheat garlic bread. Fat is delicious, Satisfying, unAggressive, and almost impossible to overeat unless combined with starch or sweeteners. That is why most people end up losing weight on low-carbohydrate, high-fat diets like Atkins. Basically, any diet discouraging fat encourages weight gain.

You and I have already reviewed research disproving that foods containing fat are fattening, but let’s quickly recap: If we set aside the myths we’ve been told for the past forty years, there is no reason to think fat is bad for us. Natural foods contain fat. Natural foods were the only thing our ancestors ate for 99.8% of our evolution. How could the only foods available to us for 99.8% of our evolution harm us? If anything, we must have evolved to thrive on foods containing fats. Furthermore, the theory that fat is fattening has never been proven, despite over a billion dollars’ worth of research attempting to do so. Finally, a decline in fat in our diet has been accompanied by the largest spike in obesity and disease rates in history.

A great many scientific studies show that worrying about fat is at best a distraction, and at worst, harmful and fattening. Consider the research done just at the Harvard Medical School:

• “Among European countries, no association was observed between the national percentage of energy from fat and median body mass index in men…a clear inverse relation was observed in women.”
• “Limiting unsaturated fats, which is usually done by increasing carbohydrate…is detrimental. This is consistent with metabolic studies indicating that replacing unsaturated fats with carbohydrate increases triacylglycerol and decreases HDL cholesterol. Furthermore, low-fat, high-carbohydrate diets provide a higher glycemic load, aggravate hyperinsulinemia [clogging], and may thus increase the risk of diabetes and coronary artery disease.”
• “Studies and…trials have provided strong evidence that a higher intake of [omega-3] fatty acids from fish or plant sources lowers risk of coronary heart disease.”

Next, let’s cover specifically how to eat SANE, natural, not necessarily fat-free foods, while easily avoiding inSANE foods that facilitate fat gain and feeling more satisfied and energized than ever.

Fat FAQs
1. The Smarter Science of Slim cites dozens of international research studies that show natural fats aren’t bad, but then goes on to recommend lean meats, a blend of egg whites with whole eggs, and low-fat or fat-free plain Greek yogurt and cottage cheese. Is this a contradiction?

2. Why should I eat egg whites vs. whole eggs? Why should I eat low-fat cottage cheese and low-fat plain Greek yogurt vs. the full fat variants?

Everyone takes a look in the mirror at some point in life, and they don’t like what they see. Those moments may have led you to ask how to lose belly fat.  If that sounds familiar, don’t worry you are not alone and there are easy solutions that work naturally and safely. Keep reading, I promise you won’t be disappointed 🙂

These simple SANE tips can be integrated into almost every lifestyle, and can be enjoyed by the whole family, even a significant other who is not “on-board” with a new diet. That means you will never have to wonder ever again… “How can I lose that belly fat?”

How to Lose Belly Fat? Lower Your Setpoint Weight!

Before you plan on losing 50 or 100 pounds, focus on the reality of how fatty tissue functions in the human body. It’s present for a very important purpose.

Fatty tissue nourishes you during periods of food shortages. With this evolutionary purpose in mind, it makes sense that your body holds onto the fat (especially belly fat), as a form of survival. No matter how frustrating it may be!!

In reality,your body has a natural setpoint weight which is the weight that your body will fight to stay at.  It’s about a 10 pound range and it’s the exact reason naturally thin people stay thin.

The good news is you can lower your setpoint and enjoy that same naturally low setpoint weight. This is the easiest way to lose belly fat that has been proven by over 1,300 studies.

Losing weight can feel nearly impossible unless you focus on lowering your setpoint weight.  Here are a few real-life tips to help lower your set point weight which is the best way to answer the question: how to lose belly fat.

It’s difficult to lose more than your setpoint allows.

Alter Your Diet

If you’re wondering how to lose belly fat, altering your food intake is the most effective solution. Not exercise, and not fad diet pills.

The main parts of your diet should contain nutrient-dense proteins and non-starchy vegetables. In fact, you can eat almost an unlimited volume of these natural, whole food items. Artichokes, bean sprouts and asparagus, red cabbage and  broccoli are just a few examples for your meals.

Follow up the protein and vegetables with whole food fats and low-fructose fruits, such as strawberries and papaya. Limit your intake of high-fructose fruits, dairy and sweets.

Drink More Water

It’s a fact that many people eat unhealthy foods and feel “hungry” when they really just need  water. The trick with hydrating the body is to do it on a continual basis. Sip water throughout the day. If you wait until you’re thirsty, the body is already dehydrated.

To avoid bathroom breaks at night, however, you should refrain from drinking water about three hours beforehand. Hydrate yourself when you wake up and through the day until about dinner time.

Understand the Nutrient Factor

If you’ve dieted in the past, the concept of cravings isn’t new to you. When you crave something however, that fact more than likely reflects missing nutrients in your diet. Your body responds to the dieting by activating hunger for certain foods that are rich in those missing nutrients.

Eating a larger volume of nutrient-dense proteins, non-starchy vegetables and low-fructose fruits gives you a well-rounded diet, one that is proven to burn more fat because you have lowered your setpoint weight.

Your body shouldn’t crave anything, SANE eating is always about eating so many nutrient dense foods that you are never missing anything! In fact, you’re actually eating more than you did before. (Get the “eat More, lose more” free food list and weight loss plan here)

Get Active

Losing belly fat always involves some form of exercise… but probably not nearly as much as you think. In fact, over-exercise is a surefire way to raise your setpoint weight which leads to unwanted belly fat.

The right way to exercise to lose belly fat is to focus on 20 minutes a week of eccentric exercises.  That means focusing on the lowering movement of any exercise. It’s slow and low-impact, so perfect to do at home without any extra equipment.

The best part is that it activates a special calorie hungry muscle called type 2-B.  That means your metabolism will get a boost and you will burn more calories even if you are sitting on the couch!

As long as you’re active for up to 20 minutes during each session, these workouts may be repeated only once a week.

Seek Out Interests

An associated “trick” to losing belly fat is simply living life at an active level. Set a goal for everyday movement, such as walking the stairs to your office or exploring a belly-dancing class.

The key factor when you choose a movement, is loving the activity. Yoga, jogging and dancing are all activities that are more like a fun diversion than actual exercises. You don’t realize that you’re burning fat until you look in the mirror.

Prioritize Rest

Sleeping may seem like a lazy man’s sport, but it actually helps you lose belly fat over time. Ideally, sleep about seven hours each night. Don’t sacrifice sleep for extra time at the gym or work either. Regardless of your activity level, sleep will always be the most important factor in your quest for a leaner appearance and lowering your setpoint weight.

Next Step: How to Lose belly Fat With SANE

Ready to finally break free from the yo-yo dieting and belly fat rollercoaster by balancing your hormones and lowering your body’s setpoint weight?

Want to know the exact foods and serving sizes that are scientifically proven by over 1,300 peer reviewed research studies to boost metabolism, burn belly fat and enjoy virtually effortless weight loss like a naturally thin person?

Download the free SANE metabolism boosting food list, cheat sheet and “Eat More, Burn More” weight loss program by clicking here.

Before I show you how to lower your set point weight and give you the four steps to lasting weight loss transformation I need to acknowledge the elephant in the room.

It is the massive amount of misinformation out there when it comes to weight loss and that special four letter word: “diet”. Count calories. Fat is bad. Force your body to go drill sergeant on you with a zillion crunches as soon as you wake up. Don’t eat white foods. Drink diet shakes all day long. Celebrities with flat abs eat these foods and so should you. Stop the nonsense!

Don’t worry, we are not going to be talking about any of that. Instead we are going to be learning how to lower your set point weight with one simple sentence that will transform your life and your body. Ready to get started? Great, let’s dig in.

Before we learn how to lower your setpoint weight, if you are unsure what that means exactly you can catch up with this article: “What is My Setpoint Weight”

Step 1: Get Your Head Right About Your Lower Setpoint Weight

You would not climb a mountain without bringing the right equipment. Well, losing weight and lowering your setpoint is no different. Luckily we don’t have to climb a mountain but we do need the right mental equipment. And we need to leave behind anything that will weigh us down for our journey. Both literally, metaphorically, and especially emotionally.

Leave behind shame and guilt because it will no longer serve you. Focus on progress instead of perfection and work on taking the simple consistent actions that will add up over time. Habits are far easier to change if you believe in your ability to change so don’t forget to use positive self talk as much as possible.

Step 2: Get The Correct Information Backed By Science To Lower Your Setpoint Weight

The amount of junk science out there is staggering and paying attention to the wrong fad can not only stall your weight loss it can even make you gain back more weight due to how your set point weight dramatically increases when you yo-yo diet! It really isn’t rocket science. Study after study from respected institutions such as Harvard Medical School and the Mayo Clinic point to one obvious fact. Eating lean protein, whole food fats, and large amounts of non-starchy vegetables will lead to lasting metabolic healing and a lower setpoint weight. Can it really be that simple? Yes! I’ll show you how you can learn more about eating to lower your setpoint weight in a bit, but for now let’s move on to step number three.

Step 3: How To Lower Your Set Point With One Simple Sentence

That’s right, there is one little sentence you can use to make sure every choice you make lowers your setpoint weight.

And here is the thing that makes this work so well: Every choice you make in life either raises or lowers your setpoint weight. Everything. If you are stressed that releases cortisol and raises your setpoint weight. If you eat a correctly proportioned SANE meal your hormones will heal and rebalance over time and that will decrease your setpoint weight. In fact many things that we think should help us lose weight, actually raise our setpoint weight like strenuous exercise. Now you know why it’s been so hard to lose weight!

So the one simple question you can ask about everything in life from what you eat to how you exercise is: “Will this raise or lower my setpoint weight?”

That’s it. When you look at life through this simple lens it clarifies each choice and give you more motivation than ever to stick with your transformation plan. I’ll give you the opportunity to learn exactly what lowers and what raises your setpoint weight at the end of this article.

Step 4: When It Comes To Lowering Your Set Point Weight Strive For Transformation, Not More Of The Same Old Information

So many people continue to struggle with their weight because they keep trying the same failed methods with different names and different fancy packaging and pictures but they are all the same.

It’s time to completely change your relationship with food and create your own personal food transformation and to do that we have created a short assessment that will give you your Set Point Risk Score. This will also give you the exact steps you can take to lower your risk score and thereby lower your setpoint weight. Click here to learn more.

There is one question we hear more than any other here at SANEsolution from our new members: “How do I lose weight fast?” Unfortunately, science has yet to devise a product for instant fat-burning that doesn’t come with harmful side effects.

However, the SANE way of eating can help you lose weight quickly, and without sacrificing your long-term health.

With that being said here are 7 SANE tips to lose weight fast:

1. Hydration is Key

You should drink enough water that your urine is pale yellow or clear. Although many experts recommend drinking eight glasses of water per day, not everyone needs this much water while others require more.

Ultimately, a woman should aim for about 11.5 cups while men should strive for about 15.5 cups per day. Proper hydration can curb your appetite, and help your cells burn fat. Drinking water right before a meal will make you feel full, which can reduce how much you eat.

Extra Tip: Eliminate sugary beverages because they don’t hydrate you properly and contain harmful ingredients. And always stop hydrating about three hours before bed so you can be sure to get enough sleep (see tip #3).

2. Want To Lose Weight Fast? Opt for Nonstarchy Vegetables

All veggies contain carbohydrates in some form, so you can’t totally avoid carbohydrates on any plan to lose weight fast. However, some vegetables will help your body burn fat more than others.

For maximum fast weight loss you want to opt for:

• carrots
• zucchini
• broccoli
• peppers
• cucumbers
• lettuce,
• spinach,
• kale or tomatoes

Important: Be sure to limit potatoes and winter squash if you truly want to know how to lose weight fast.

3. Sleep Enough

Although the ideal amount of sleep varies from person to person, you should get at least seven hours each night.

While sleeping seems counterproductive to how to lose weight fast, especially considering you don’t burn as many calories when you’re asleep as when you’re awake, if you’re well rested, you will dramatically reduce your stress hormones such as Cortisol which is also known as the “belly fat hormone.”.

When you get a good night’s sleep, you have more energy during the day and will burn more calories, even when you’re not exercising.

It really is this simple:, getting adequate sleep boosts fat loss. Also, be sure to never reduce the amount you sleep to try to squeeze in an extra workout because it’s counterproductive.

4. Do Eccentric Strength Training

While eccentric exercises can sometimes seem a bit strange, this form of exercise performed in the comfort of your home for just 20 minutes a week can have dramatic results..

Perform merely 10 to 20 minutes of eccentric exercises each week. This particular form of exercising allows you to gently move and tire your muscles quickly with very little effort. No pain or strain here, just gentle and fun way to lose weight fast.

What exactly does “eccentric exercise” mean? Put simply it means that you quickly lift a light weight, and then slowly lower it. You can modify almost any exercise this way by focusing on the lowering motions for radically more effective (and quicker) workouts.

For more information about eccentric exercises check out this video.

5. Destress Yourself

Your stress hormones can cause you to overeat and slow your metabolism, which opposes the whole concept of how to lose weight fast. Not to mention, if you eat in an effort to comfort yourself during stressful times, you could find yourself gaining unwanted weight.

So how can you destress to lose weight fast? Find a way to get active and focus your mind, whether that means walking, dancing, meditating or doing yoga. Whatever you choose, focus on fun, safe and productive ways to channel your stress.  Be sure to avoid alcohol, and other types of self-medication that can actually increase stress and weight gain.

When you focus on staying stress free throughout your day not only will you have more energy and a brighter mood, you will also be working to fight the fat-causing “stress hormones” that are the hidden reason so many people can’t lose weight.

6. Eat in The Correct Order

While you were probably told you always had to eat your main meal before you could have dessert, there’s more to the order in which you eat and how it affects your weight.

You want to start your meal with half a plate of the non-starchy vegetables we mentioned earlier in order to start filling up on a food that isn’t rich in fat or carbs. Then, you want to consume a nutrient-rich protein such as fish, lean ground turkey or pork chops.

Finally, low-fructose fruits should act as your dessert.  These will satisfy your sweet tooth without the sugar and empty carbs in non-SANE desserts. (Or you can enjoy chocolate if you know the secrets to burning fat with chocolate)

These foods are nutrient rich and provide many of the vitamins and minerals needed for a faster metabolism in order to optimize your weight loss. They also have the power to curb your cravings for sugar if eaten in the correct amounts. Plus, by consuming foods in this order, you reduce your desire to snack on processed foods after a meal.

7. Grocery Shopping Tip

One last eating tip while you are learning how to lose weight fast with SANE is to stay away from the center section of the grocery store.  Why? The center aisles are almost entirely filled with processed, and grain filled foods.

This is because these will “stay fresh” for weeks or even months (since they are loaded with preservatives) and the grain ingredients are much cheaper to produce.

So stick to the outside aisles where healthy whole foods run the show.  Load up your cart with fresh meats filled with nutrient dense proteins and non-starchy fresh vegetables.

Bonus Tip: Don’t stress about always getting organic. It’s far more important that you start with the basics instead of worry about being perfect. As we always say here at SANE: “Strive for progress and not perfection.”

Next Step: How To Lose Weight Fast With SANE

Ready to finally break free from the yo-yo dieting rollercoaster by balancing your hormones and lowering your body’s setpoint weight?

Want to know the exact foods and serving sizes that are scientifically proven by over 1,300 peer reviewed research studies to boost metabolism, burn fat and enjoy virtually effortless weight loss like a naturally thin person?

Download the free SANE metabolism boosting food list, cheat sheet and “Eat More, Burn More” weight loss program by clicking here.