You might be one of those people who have tried losing weight on something like a low-fat diet. You’re sick of being hungry, and you don’t believe that being healthy should be so hard.
It just doesn’t make sense that we should have to weigh everything and use calculators to lose weight, plus the hunger that comes with calorie restriction is terrible. In this article I am going to outline some tips on how to lose weight naturally.
If you're feeling like this guy ... keep on reading!
The fact is, many fitness and health gurus will tell you that losing weight is all about calories in and calories out. That is, if you eat more than you burn, you will gain weight. If you eat less than you burn, you will lose weight. Right?
Well, this is true to a certain extent. But people often forget that the human body is very complex, and the brain does its best to control our body fat levels.
It really does matter what types of foods those calories come from. A lot of people find that if they just change their food selection, they start losing weight naturally without any calorie counting at all.
I’m not saying this will work for everyone, but it does for a lot of people and I am going to share how to do it.
Stop eating sugar, grains and industrial seed oils
Doing a low-carb diet obviously requires that you cut out the main sources of carbohydrate in your diet. These are usually sugar and grains.
Yes, even whole grains contain a lot of carbs and can be detrimental to weight loss even though some of them can be fine to eat for people who aren’t overweight.
Sugar.. we probably don’t need to discuss that one very much since you’ve heard it all before. What I might add is that other things disguised as sugar such as high fructose corn syrup are to be avoided too. I’d also recommend against fruit juices, since they contain a lot of sugar.
The seed oils (soybean oil, cottonseed oil, etc.) don’t really have anything to do with carbs, but they are extremely bad for you and should be avoided. Also avoid trans fats at all costs!
Eat more protein and fat instead
Obviously, if you eat less carbohydrates then you need to have something instead. Here is where protein and fat step in.
Your main protein sources should be meat, fish and eggs. There is no need to worry about saturated fat content because it isn’t bad for you in any way like some people would have you believe. The research proves it!
For fat, I recommend eating full-fat meat, and using butter or coconut oil to cook your food. Extra virgin olive oil is great to sprinkle on salads.
Grass-fed meat is better than grain-fed, but don’t go out of your way to buy grass-fed meat if it is too expensive for you.
A great oil to supplement your diet with is fish oil, a tablespoon a day should give you plenty of Omega-3 fats to support your overall health.
Saturated fats are better for cooking because they have a higher smoke point than unsaturated fats.
Get carbs from vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds
Vegetables and fruits are healthy, tasty and should be your primary carb sources on a low-carb diet. However, it might be best to avoid starchy vegetables like potatoes and to limit your fruit intake to about 2-3 per day so as to not go over your carb limit.
Nuts and seeds do contain some carbs, but they also have plenty of healthy fats and nutrients.
How many carbs per day
The carb range for how to lose weight naturally on a low-carb diet differs between people. For many, eating in the range of 100-150 grams of carbs per day is sufficient.
There are, however, some people that are extremely sensitive to carbs and need to eat less than a 100g or even less than 50g in order to start seeing results. Don’t worry, there’s nothing unhealthy about low-carb diets, in fact ketogenic diets which are extremely low in carbohydrates possess some great health benefits.
Check out my article on how many carbs per day for info on the amount of carbs for natural weight loss.
The blueprint
- Cut out all grains, sugar and industrial seed oils.
- Replace them with full-fat meat, fish and eggs.
- Eat vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds.
- Supplement your diet with healthy oils such as fish oil and olive oil.
- Use saturated fats such as butter or coconut oil to cook your food.
- Aim for less than 150g of carbohydrates per day.
- Do not count calories and don’t starve yourself.
- Try to keep your food as natural as possible, processed food is bad.
Conclusion
If you’ve ever read research studies on low-fat vs low-carb diets, then you might have realized that people need to actively restrict calories in the low-fat group to make the results comparable, while the low-carb folks can eat anything they want.
That’s right, in many of the scientific studies on low-carbohydrate diets, calories aren’t restricted in any way. Eating this way often results in less hunger, less overall calorie intake and automatic weight loss.
If you follow these tips I outlined above on how to lose weight naturally, then there is a good chance you should start seeing some results without being constantly hungry and energy-deprived.
Hi Kris,
Your website is really well presented and intriguing! I was found to have high LDL and triglycerides about 18 months ago and with Lipidol and some pretty dramatic lifestyle changes I’ve managed to get them to good normal levels but I would still like to lose another 15 lb or so and find a way to cut out the meds.
Most medical practitioners/publications refer to research that suggests a strong correlation between red meats, saturated fats, high LDL cholesterol and coronary artery disease but you are recommending a diet which encourages eating “full-fat meat” and “saturated fats”. I haven’t had time to follow up on all the research you link to yet, but is your dietary advice suitable for someone who is worried about harmful cholesterol levels?
Also, last question!, there’s lots of talk about the benefits of eating oats, but I’m assuming you’re putting them in the “Not to Eat” list with all grains. How do you judge whether or not to eat foods that have harmful and helpful attributes?
Mark
Hello Mark,
Health professionals are generally misinformed about the correlation between heart disease and LDL cholesterol. There are two kinds of LDL: “Large and fluffy” and “Small and dense”.
Saturated fat raises large and fluffy LDL cholesterol, which is benign and has no correlation with heart disease. To examine LDL particle size, more expensive tests are needed and therefore your doctor probably didn’t do them.
Saturated fat also raises HDL, which is the good cholesterol, and avoiding excess carbs reduces triglycerides.
Cutting carbs also reduces blood sugar, insulin levels, blood pressure, body fat, way more than a low-fat diet.
Avoiding sugar, refined grains, omega-6 polyunsaturated fats and trans fats is the key to good health.
Oats are definitely better than most other grains, it may be okay to eat them but I wouldn’t make them the foundation of your diet. Meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, healthy fats and oils, perhaps some occasional potatoes/sweet potatoes, these should form the majority of your calories if you want to lose weight on a low-carb diet.
What I am providing is definitely not medical advice, but if you examine the literature yourself you will see the same results: (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,7).
I’ve also done compilations of foods to avoid and foods to eat, right here:
http://www.kriskris.com/worst-foods-to-eat/
http://www.kriskris.com/foods-to-eat-to-lose-weight/
That’s a really good summary of a low carb diet, but do you think you should have a re-feed every once in a while, like a high carb day once per week, or a high carb meal after training?
I found when on a strictly low carb diet for more than three weeks I suddenly lost a lot of strength and my stomach got swollen. I seemed to lose muscle and gain fat. The way round it was to do a re-feed occasionally.
Yea I think that’s definitely a good idea, especially for those who do high-intensity training. But I still feel those high carb foods should come from healthy sources.
Some people take the re-feed idea out of context and go binge on candy, donuts, pizza, etc, which is definitely not good at all. In my opinion, there’s a great distinction between “re-feeds” and “cheat meals”.
Is couscous ok or any kind of rice?
Yea that’s fine, although you should watch the carb content if you’re planning on a low-carb diet.
is it okay to use a sweetener like stevia or agave?
I’m pretty sure stevia is fine, but not agave.
What about lentils? I like to make soup with lots of veggies, some ham, and cumen, coriander, and tumeric. Lentils are legumes, so where do they stand as per the carb issue?
Adrian, lentils are fairly high in carbs, but probably fine as long as you don’t eat enormous amounts.
Since getting older I have stopped doing as much physical activity as I use to. I am on the light side, 2-3 times per week, and also stand at my desk for 75% of the work day. My wife and I are a young couple, I am probably 30lbs over weight. I use to roll at a good 145 – 150 but now have been about 180 for a few years. (getting older, desktop job etc)
I am trying to increase that but I know that my food intake could use some work also.
Right now I eat meat twice a weak. Fish once a week. This is mainly because my wife is not a big meat eater.
My diet consists of a lot of vegetables, but also a lot of rice and pasta. I have tried being careful with the pasta I use, mainly it’s a yolkless egg pasta. I think I can find a cauliflower based pasta too actually. I don’t eat much fruit other then a banana every 1 or 2 days.
Basically I am trying to find a diet that helps my wife (who is quite petite) and I eat properly on a consistent basis, which we are comfortable with making on a weekly basis. For example, I have a vegan co-worker who has to work very hard to prepare his meals. Something like that would not work for me because of my schedule, but I do enjoy to cook, aslong as I know what I’m making will taste good and be good for me.
Do you have any advice on rice, pasta, etc? I’m not looking for that 100% make me drop 20 lbs right away thing, I just want to be able to say that I am doing a better job of nourishing us.
Thanks for the articles.
Hello Buck,
Wheat based pasta is definitely not good, but rice are considered okay although they are fairly high in carbs.
You should check out these articles here:
http://www.kriskris.com/foods-to-eat-to-lose-weight/
http://www.kriskris.com/worst-foods-to-eat/
And perhaps check out my weight loss guide, which I think will be helpful to you.
Hope that helps,
Kris
Hey Kris,
Quick question, i can’t stand the taste of nuts!! I don’t know what it is but i can’t eat cashews, pistachios, macadamias any of them. they taste really yuk to me. But i do realise they have a lot of health benefits, especially with weight-loss. So what can i eat instead of nuts and beans etc that will still give me the same nutrients that these foods possess?
Many thanks, Alex
If you don’t like nuts then there’s no reason to worry. Just eat a variety of other healthy foods and you will be fine.
Should I count fruits and veggies in the 150g, or just grains?
Fruit and high-carb vegetables like potatoes should be counted.
No reason to count greens or other vegetables with an extremely low carb content.
Hello,
I want to lose about a stone, as I’m 10 1/2 stone and would like to get to 9 1/2. However, I have NO idea how much to eat. No matter what I read… everything always contradicts everything else… I don’t want to get overly thin… but I just can’t lose the weight and wouldn’t know how to stablise it after getting to the correct weight… or how much exercise. please do help!
thanks x
I have read a few things and I was wondering, what is your verdict on beef mince? Is it really a big no-no?
Hello I am a vegetarian meaning I don’t eat any fish or meat products. I do however eat eggs and will consume items that have dairy products in it. How can I lose weight on a low carb diet if I don’t eat meat or fish? I do eat veggie/tofu meat and lots of vegetables and fruits. However I do eat pasta’s and rice which from your articles you don’t suggest for weight loss. Can you give me some options or meal ideas for weight loss and not being able to eat fish or meats?
Sorry but I personally don’t feel that a vegetarian diet is compatible with low-carb, unless you want to eat a LOT of eggs and high-fat dairy.
Hi, I am really struggling with my weight and I look at this as my only option. I am really picky, not that I just don’t want to eat it because it doesn’t taste good, but because It makes me sick just to chew it. I can eat eggs, but if I get to much of it I get nauseous. You write that I need much animal fat, the problem with me is that I only eat filets, if I get plain fat in my mouth I gag instantly. So how can I deal with this problem? I don’t eat beef, I only eat chicken and pork, sometimes mince but rarely. Would it be enough to eat filets? I eat fish too but not often, so I take one spoon of fish oil every night. And can you give me examples of vegetables that’s low carb? and some that I need to avoid? and the same with fruits and berries?
Kind Regards
Lauren
I read that Stevia is used in South America as a sweetener and to prevent pregnancy. For those that are asking if Stevia is ok, this might be something they might want to read up on.
Hi i was just wondering if you were coating oatmeal? I like to eat oatmeal (not the minute kind) with coconut oil and berries.
Can i eat as much as i want? or there’s also a limit of calories intake?
Kris,
Do you think dairy should be consumedon a low-carb diet? is keifer and yogurt(unsweetened) okay?
High fat dairy and unsweetened yogurt (full-fat) is fine.
What about diet soda? Do you know if it contributes to metabolic syndrome?
Yes, there are some epidemiological studies that suggest diet soda contributes to obesity and the metabolic syndrome.
http://www.kriskris.com/is-diet-soda-bad-for-you/
Hey There Kriskris,
I take your point, i have been trying very hard to lose weight my body has always been naturally feminine but just lot of fat everywhere its not like i am obese but i am the plumpy type i need to become skinny and men are supposed to have high metabolisms but its the opposite for me i have a verry low metabolism and gain weight easily which may or may not be good for a transgender anyway i really need to get a flat tummy please suggest how?
I look forward to your next post
Hi how are you ,
how about milk cheese yougurt …… are we allowed to have that on the diet as well ???
Full-fat dairy products are okay, generally speaking, but this differs between individuals.
Be aware that some of them may contain quite a bit of carbs which can add up if you eat a lot.
Also, stay away from anything labelled “low-fat” as it is likely contain added sugar and/or artificial sweeteners.
My only question would be, for someone with a busy lifestyle and a difficult schedule, how would you recommend that person find ways and time to cook and be able to maintain that kind of lifestyle? i currently do this type of maintenance on my body, im 23 at 6 ft. 1 inch and i weigh 322 lbs. i work 2nd shift at a factory. I do heavy machinery, anywhere from 275 parts ran through 3 different stages at weights between 3-8 lbs a part, and up to 1200 parts a night through 2 stages. I work from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. at night so all of my eating for health comes at work. I do not have time to cook the proteins (meat) and i do not like to eat just fruits and nuts or vegetables at work as a cause of my DINNER time is better ate at work because i do not want to eat and fall asleep after work. Usually as a snack i will eat my fruits and some odds and ends to (satisfy) me while at work. How do i avoid the processed foods and what are some other options for a person in my kind of situation?