Sunday, March 15, 2015

Why Zig Zag?

Erin Traill, diamond beachbody coach, zig zag diet, long term weight loss, avoid weight loss plateaus, hashimotos, hypothyroid, fit mom, nurse, pittsburgh

So as many of you can tell - I took the week off!!! My first entire week off since I started my journey - I focused on stretching and resting my body... Not only did I stop vigorous cardio workouts, but I also loosened the leash on my nutrition - And why, why would I work so hard and then throw it away the next week? Well I don't see it like that... I have Hashimotos, which causes my metabolism to be a little slower than normal even with medication - I have learned that when I zig-zag my calories and constantly "trick" my metabolism, I am able to lose weight faster long term - plus, it is a little fun to take a break from all the chicken and spinach!

There is a type of art form to losing fat and gaining muscle - because you have to be in a negative caloric state to lose fat but you need to be in a positive caloric state to gain muscle - so HOW?

So I have a few rules:

  1. Eating at least 5 meals a day - this helps control blood sugar levels (thus keeping your cravings at a minimum) and you'll get protein in small amounts throughout the day to help support growth and recovery of muscles. When you are constantly feeding your body, your body doesn't feel like it needs to "hold on" to stored fat.
  2. Remember portion control!
  3. Think before you eat! If you are getting ready to workout, then eat more complex carbs, if you are getting ready to nap or be sitting in the office eat less than the average amount of carbs
  4. Plan cheat meals - but a cheat meal, but make sure you are committed to get back into it come Monday! Cheat meals (I'm not talking about eating a Big Mac, either people!) help readjust for basal metabolic rate upward, support lean muscle growth, and give you a little "mental" break
  5. Reducing calories can make it impossible to get all the nutrients your body needs to remain healthy and active - so DRINK SHAKEOLOGY DAILY!

Erin Traill, diamond beachbody coach, zig zag diet, long term weight loss, avoid weight loss plateaus, hashimotos, hypothyroid, fit mom, nurse, pittsburgh
When I am doing a program, I am very faithful to the nutrition plan because I want my results to be
genuine.. I usually try to hang out around 1400 calories, then every 3rd day I will drop those calories to 1200 a day and then back up to 1400 calories. It keeps my metabolism guessing, and then at the end of the program and before I start another program, I will take my calories up to 1800-2000 for a weekend... Which then forces my body to get used to that many calories, and then it shocks my metabolism when I drop back down to 1400 and 1200 calories/day. This helps me avoid weight loss plateaus. Please know, that this is specific to me - and your calorie needs might be very different! It is important not to starve your body, it will be counter productive for long term weight loss success, trust me - been there!

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