Cutting calories has been a weight loss method for decades, but Dr Michael Mosley revealed “it’s not always enough” to speed up fat burning. Instead, he explained that people need to avoid major food groups in order to hurry things along.
Eating fewer calories than normal doesn’t necessarily mean a person will have to eat less food.
To be able to cut calories without eating less and feeling hungry, higher calorie foods need to be replaced with lower calories ones that have a high satiety level.
According to the CDC, these are usually foods containing a lot of water and that are high in fibre.
Speaking on ITV’s This Morning, Dr Mosley explained: “Cutting calories isn’t always the best method.”
Instead, he advised avoiding sugar, starchy carbohydrates, and processed meat in order to transform the body’s metabolism and put it into fat-burning mode.
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“Switch instead to whole grains including bulgur (cracked wheat), whole rye, wholegrain barley, wild rice and buckwheat,” he said. “Brown rice is OK.”
Other “healthy and filling” alternatives to stodgy carbohydrates include lentils, kidney beans and chickpeas.
Stocking up on fruit and vegetables will also play a huge role in a person’s weight management plan.
Substituting snacks with fruit and veg can easily save a person over 100 calories or more by opting for an apple rather than a protein bar.
The nutritionist also advised to avoid ultra-processed foods in order to “watch your waistline”.
This is because they’re often “packed with sugar, fat, and salt, as well as chemical flavourings and preservatives”.
Foods that are considered processed include:
Burgers
Chips
Pizzas
Hotdogs
Pre-packaged meals
Mass-produced ice-cream
Sweets
Crisps
Energy bars
Bakery goods
His Fast 800 diet website states that anything that includes the word “instant”, such as instant noodles, soups and desserts.
But there are alternatives. People can ensure they are avoiding processed foods by making them from scratch, or opting for lean meats at the supermarket.