Plus Seven-Day Diet Program to Jump-start Your Weight Loss
We can get away with a little extra padding on our butt and thighs, but stomach fat isn’t so flattering. So if you want to shed it in a nanosecond, it’s time to get down to work. And, aside from counting calories and making healthy food choices, your best bet for whittling your waistline is to incorporate the following 10 ways to get rid of tummy fat while also starting off with the seven-day diet based on these research-proven concepts.
Choose Less Processed
All food is processed. Simply cutting a carrot or steaming a piece of broccoli means your food has been processed. Cooking, canning, freezing, slicing and dicing are all methods that “process” foods. And though processing itself isn’t bad and in fact in some instances actually helps preserve the nutrition value of a food or even enhance it, less processed foods may be better for your waistline.
In a novel crossover study examining the post-meal thermogenic response (calories burned during digestion) after a whole food meal versus a processed meal, researchers measured subjective scores of satiety (fullness) and post-meal calories burned for a 5-6 hour period after 17 men and women consumed one of two equal calorie meals— one a “whole” food meal and the other a “processed” food meal. The whole food meal consisted of cheddar cheese on multi-grain bread, whereas the processed food meal was processed cheese on white bread. Both meals contained the same amount of calories as well as protein, carbohydrate and fat. Each subject consumed the whole food and processed food meal on separate occasions. Though there were no differences in feelings of fullness after the meals, significantly more calories were burned after the whole food meal (137 ± 14.1 calories) as compared to the processed food meal (73.1 ± 10.2 calories). This study shows that our bodies may expend more energy in the form of calories during the digestion of less processed as compared to highly processed foods.
Whey Less
Protein is essential for building and maintaining muscle tissue. Yet the power of protein doesn’t stop there. It also wages a double attack on body fat by increasing post-meal satiety (fullness) and ramping up calories burned during digestion. But, not all protein is created equally.
In a study comparing the effects of meals varying in protein type— casein, soy or whey— researchers found that while whey increased post-meal calorie burn (diet-induced thermogenesis) to a greater extent than casein and soy and all three slowed the post-meal rise in blood sugar, casein and soy did so with very little, if any, increase in insulin secretion. Insulin is a lipogenic hormone, promoting the storage of fat in fat tissue and inhibiting the breakdown of fat. How is this possible? Casein is a slow protein and soy an intermediate protein and therefore both slow down stomach emptying, which blunts the rise in blood sugar from food.
Another study examining the effect of whey on weight and waist circumference used a double-blind randomized design to examine the effect of an equally caloric quantity of whey protein, soy protein or carbohydrate on bodyweight and body fat. Ninety obese or overweight yet otherwise healthy adults were randomly assigned to a 1,670 calorie/day diet plus either 56 grams of whey, soy or carbohydrate consumed twice per day for 23 weeks. After the 23-week period, bodyweight and body fat of the group consuming the whey protein were both significantly lower than the group consuming the carbohydrate, though not significantly different than the group consuming soy. And, waist circumference was significantly smaller in the group consuming whey versus both the soy and carbohydrate group. The results of this study are consistent with other studies that have also shown whey protein improves body composition and/or weight loss even when added to a diet that isn’t restricted in calories.
So which protein is best? Incorporate all three into your diet. Whey, casein and soy area all beneficial. Incorporate dairy into your diet for a natural blend of whey and casein or, make a shake with milk, tofu and fruit. Mix and match these proteins for optimal results but always be sure to include whey if you want less weight around your stomach.
Pick Animal Protein
In addition to sliding whey, casein and soy into your diet, you may want to think twice about going completely vegetarian. Data from the Danish Diet, Cancer and Healthy Study, which followed 44,897 men and women aged 50-64 years of age for a three-year period, examined the association between dietary factors and changes in waist circumference. Interestingly, they found that total daily calorie intake and calorie intake from carbohydrate, fat and protein were not related to changes in waist circumference. However, protein intake was inversely associated with increases in waist circumference. Those who ate more protein, particularly animal protein, had smaller waists!
What’s so wonderful about animal protein? It could be its content of essential amino acids (EAAs; all animal based proteins contain all of the EAAs). Past research shows that approximately 10 grams of EAAs per meal maximally stimulates muscle protein synthesis. Another study shows that EAAs matter if you want a nice waistline too. In this cross sectional study, researchers examined the relationship between the amount of quality protein (defined as the ratio of EAAs to total dietary protein), carbohydrate and dietary fat and the amount of times the 10-gram EAA threshold was reached throughout the day, and percent central abdominal fat in 27 healthy adults. Though there was no relationship between carbohydrate or dietary fat and central abdominal fat, the amount of quality protein consumed in a 24-hour period and the amount of times the EAA threshold was reached per day were both inversely related to percent of central abdominal fat. More quality protein and time the EAA threshold is reached = less central abdominal fat.
Plant Produce in Your Diet
Though the Danish Diet, Cancer and Health Study revealed the importance of animal protein for our waistlines, the results shouldn’t steer you toward a meat lovers only diet. This study also showed that fruits and vegetables were inversely associated with waist circumference while refined grains from potatoes and foods with simple sugars were associated with greater waist circumference.
How does produce keep your waistline in check? There are at least two possible explanations (though probably many more). For one, studies show that people who consume a low-energy density diet (less calories per volume of food) tend to consume fewer overall calories than those who consume a high-energy density diet (more calories per volume of food). Produce is high in volume and generally lower in calories than many other foods. In addition, some types of produce are loaded with polyphenols, the most abundant antioxidants in our diet, some of which may also play a role in metabolism including catechins, resveratrol, quercetin and curcumin.
Focus on Fats
Eat fat, lose weight? Not exactly but, the Danish Diet, Cancer and Health Study did find that intake of vegetable fat was associated with greater waist circumference. Sure olive oil and other liquid fats may be better choices for heart disease, when compared to solid fats like butter and shortening, but a little goes a long way and you can easily over-consume vegetable fats.
Additional research shows that though greater intake of vegetable fat is associated with greater waist circumference, unsaturated fatty acids (the kind found in liquid fats) are burned more rapidly than long-chain saturated fatty acids (the kind found in solid fats like milk chocolate, shortening and butter). And, medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) may be advantageous over both. A few studies have showed that MCTs added at mealtime in place of other fats increases calories burned over the course of the day.
Friendly Probiotics
Healthy bacteria lives in our gut and does more than just keep our immune system running strong and help our body absorb nutrients from food. Studies also show that throwing off the balance of our gut bacteria may be related to obesity. And the evidence supporting the role probiotics play in weight management is mounting. A multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled intervention trial examining 87 subjects with a high BMI and higher abdominal visceral fat area were randomly assigned to receive either 200 grams daily of fermented milk containing the probiotic Lactobacillus gasseri SBT2055 or fermented milk without this probiotic for 12 weeks. Abdominal visceral and subcutaneous fat decreased significantly in the group receiving the fermented milk with the probiotic whereas no changes were observed in the group that didn’t receive the probiotic.
Though all probiotics have different actions and supplementation with other strains of probiotics may not yield the same results as found in this particular study, eating foods naturally rich in probiotics may still help with weight management. Good probiotic rich foods include yogurt (check the container), miso, tempeh, kefir and sauerkraut.
Keep Chronic Stress at Bay
Though some stress in our lives is good and keeps us focused, chronic stress will cause your body to pump out excess amounts of the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol stimulates your appetite and increases your blood sugar so your body is well fueled during times of stress. When your blood sugar is high, your body will pump out the anabolic hormone insulin to help lower blood sugar levels. And part of insulin’s job is to transport and metabolize sugar in fat cells while inhibiting fat breakdown. And cortisol itself also stimulates fat production. And, as if the biochemical cascades manufacturing fat in your body aren’t bad enough, those who are stress eaters will turn to food to manage their stress and, let’s face the facts, most of us aren’t munching on broccoli when we are strung out.
Calcium and Vitamin D
There has been a little back and forth hoopla over calcium and vitamin D in recent years. Does it or does it not play a role in weight management? Well, one of the latest studies shows that calcium and vitamin D may play a role in the regulation of abdominal fat. For each of two parallel, double-blind, placebo-controlled 16-week trials, 171 overweight and obese adults were randomly assigned to receive either three 240-milliliter glasses of reduced-calorie orange juice fortified with 350 milligrams calcium and 100 IU vitamin D, or a control of a 240-milliliter glass of regular or reduced-calorie orange juice, also consumed three times per day. Though no groups lost weight, the reduction in visceral adipose tissue, as measured by computed tomography scans, was significantly greater in both groups receiving the calcium plus vitamin D fortified orange juice. Another study examining 119 healthy postmenopausal women found dietary calcium intake was significantly associated with less gain in intra-abdominal adipose tissue over the course of a year. Combined, these studies lend even more support to the notion that we should meet our daily calcium and vitamin D requirements.
Curb Alcohol Intake
If you’ve heard that a little alcohol is good for you, take note of the word “little.” A longitudinal study examined lifetime use of alcohol and measures of abdominal and overall fat in over 250,000 adults enrolled in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition Study. They found that lifetime alcohol use was positively related to both general overall body fat and abdominal fat.
Burn More Fat With HIIT
Though weightlifting builds the lean, toned muscles that cover the pages of this magazine, aerobic and anaerobic exercise helps you shed body fat so your incredible musculature stands out. And though any cardio burns calories and you could sit on a stationary bike for hours on end, the most effective way to shed body fat is to hike up the intensity and go all out for a short period followed by active rest and repeat this cycle several times for 20-30 total minutes. In a comparison of endurance training and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) over a 15-20 week period, researchers found that HIIT leads to favorable metabolic adaptations in skeletal muscle that favor the utilization of fat.
If you want a smaller waistline, incorporate some or better yet, all of our Top 10 into your life. By following these guidelines and focusing on your hunger and satiety cues, you can throw calorie counting out the window and still see results.
Seven-Day Diet Program to Jump-start Your Weight Loss
Day 1
Breakfast:
½ cup (measured dry) old-fashioned oats (oatmeal)
2 eggs + 2 egg whites
Caffeinated green tea
Mid-morning snack:
Whey protein shake (containing at least 25 grams of protein)
Lunch:
Large mixed green salad with 1 Tbsp oil-based dressing
4-6 oz grilled chicken
½ cup brown rice
Mid-afternoon snack:
6-8 oz plain low-fat or nonfat Greek yogurt with 1 tsp honey mixed in
½ cup berries
Dinner:
1 cup steamed broccoli and cauliflower
6 oz white fish (substitute chicken if desired) sautéed in 2 tsp olive oil, topped with fresh dill
½ cup cooked brown rice
Day 2
Breakfast:
Egg sandwich: 2 hardboiled eggs sliced + 2 hardboiled egg whites sliced on top of 2 slices whole grain toast (spread with mustard or light mayo if desired)
Mid-morning snack:
1 piece of fruit
Lunch:
Tempeh Reuben: Top 2 slices of whole grain bread with 6 oz sliced tempeh and sauerkraut. Broil in the oven or a toaster oven until hot and toasty.
Mixed green salad with ½ Tbsp oil based dressing
Mid-afternoon snack:
1 piece of fruit
Dinner:
4 oz grilled chicken or shrimp
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 steamed broccoli and cauliflower
Day 3
Breakfast:
2/3 cup nonfat or 1% fat cottage cheese
½ cup pineapple mixed in
Mid-morning snack:
1 piece of fruit
Lunch:
Soy burger:
1 soy veggie patty
1 slice (1 oz) low-fat cheddar cheese
2 slices whole grain bread
Mid-afternoon snack:
½ cup carrots
2 Tbsp hummus
8 oz skim milk
Dinner:
1 medium whole grain tortilla (or Mission Carb Balance Tortilla)
2 scrambled eggs
2 egg whites
4 Tbsp salsa
½ cup black beans
Day 4
Breakfast:
½ cup oatmeal
1 scoop whey protein mixed in 8 oz skim milk
Mid-morning snack:
1 apple
1 Tbsp peanut butter
Lunch:
Grilled chicken or turkey breast sandwich:
4 oz grilled chicken or turkey
2 slices whole grain bread
lettuce and sliced tomatoes
chopped fresh vegetables (cucumber, tomatoes, carrots) drizzled with balsamic vinegar mixed with 1 Tbsp olive oil
Dinner:
1 medium baked potato or sweet potato topped with:
1 cup 1% cottage cheese
½ cup steamed broccoli
Day 5
Breakfast:
8 oz low-fat or nonfat Greek yogurt
1 oz chopped walnuts
Mid-morning snack:
1 piece of fruit
Lunch:
Mixed green salad topped with 1 Tbsp oil-based dressing
4 oz grilled chicken
1 cup brown rice
Mid-afternoon snack:
1 oz sliced low-fat cheddar cheese on top of sliced apple (1 whole apple)
Dinner:
2 soy veggie burgers cooked and sliced on top of:
mixed green salad
1 Tbsp oil based dressing
1 orange
Day 6
Breakfast:
2 whole eggs + 2 egg whites
½ cup diced vegetables mixed in as an omelet— mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, zucchini
1 apple or other whole fruit
Mid-morning snack:
6-8 oz plain Greek yogurt with 1 tsp honey mixed in
¼ cup walnuts or other nuts on top
Lunch:
2 Tbsp hummus spread on top of 1 whole grain tortilla and topped with:
4 oz grilled chicken
Shredded carrots
Chopped beets
Dinner:
½ cup edamame
6 oz grilled salmon
2/3 cup fresh pineapple
Day 7
Breakfast:
1 cup brewed caffeinated green tea
Protein shake made with 1 cup Kefir, 1 scoop whey protein and ½ cup frozen mango
Mid-morning snack:
1 banana
1 Tbsp peanut butter
Lunch:
1 cup brewed caffeinated green tea
Grilled cheese and turkey sandwich
2 slices whole grain bread
1 oz low-fat cheddar cheese
3 oz deli sliced turkey breast
Mid-afternoon snack:
½ cup cottage cheese
¼ cup chopped walnuts mixed in
Dinner:
Tofu scramble (recipe below)
2/3 cup brown rice
Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to a stir-fry pan and add onions, garlic, mushrooms and any other vegetables. Sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add 6 oz crumbled extra firm tofu, cover and cook 5-7 minutes or until done.
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