The world of weight loss is full of buzzwords, one of them being metabolism, but it is the most important aspect of weight management. Most people now have the basic understanding that metabolism is the rate at which your cells convert food into energy.
When your body is functioning optimally you experience steady energy all day, deep sleep, good digestion, stable moods, healthy libido, great skin and hair. What people don’t know is that this process starts to slow down at 30, but not for the reasons you think. Women start to lose muscle mass and most don’t exercise in a way that builds or maintains muscle.
Muscle is metabolically expensive because it requires more calories to maintain and burns fat at rest. While strength training doesn’t burn that many calories during a session, it’s the recovery process that is energy intensive. When you diet you lose muscle mass, which lowers resting metabolic rate. This means you have to eat less, or you will gain body fat.
There are some things women can do to get their metabolism and body working at an optimum level again so that they burn more fat, solve health issues, gain energy and get their libido back. This includes pro-metabolic nutrition, which when combined with strength training, helps to transform the body while eating more. Many women have spent a chunk of their lives chasing fad diets and crash courses in exercise only to land back at square one.
How you can turn things around?
I went through this for years and this is what led me to creating NuStrength and my 7-Day Challenge. I believe that the key to helping women transform their bodies to get the results they want and sustain it long term is through pro-metabolic nutrition. This supports your metabolism, and when it’s combined with strength training, we get a winning combination that will lead you to feeling and looking better so that you’re out there living your best life.
Strength training
Adding strength training to your exercise regime helps your body to build muscle. Adding muscle doesn’t mean you will look bulky; this is a common misconception. By working on changing your body composition (adding more muscle and losing fat) you’ll get the toned look that many are after and you will be able to eat more food and maintain a leaner body.
Include food in your diet that is metabolically supportive
Food is a key aspect of helping to fuel your body with the right sustenance and nutrition. You don’t need to ‘eat clean’ or cut sugar and carbs from your diet. Focus on nutrient-dense, easy-to-digest foods, like our grandparents used to eat. Sounds simple, but it works.
Ripe fruits and fresh orange juice
Fill your diet full of ripe fruits and fresh OJ. Delicious ripe fruits and orange juice are power packed with nutrient-dense sugars, vitamins and minerals. Ideally, load up on in-season ripe fruits that you enjoy and digest well for you. They are full of antioxidant-rich nutrients and vitamins and minerals, and provide your body with the energy it needs to fuel your cells.
Potatoes
If you’ve always watched your carb intake, I’m here to tell you that you can eat potatoes, love them and lose weight! They do have a bad reputation for their carbohydrate value but they contain important nutrients including calcium, iron, Vitamins A and C and proteins. With all carbs, you want to pair them with protein and fat (like butter) to balance your blood sugar.
Shellfish
Shellfish like oysters, prawns and lobsters are important foods to support the metabolism. Oysters are particularly high in trace minerals like zinc, selenium and copper. Zinc is important for immunity, hormone health and fertility. Copper keeps your skin looking younger and can prevent greying hair and selenium is protective against the harmful effects of vegetable oils.
Bio-available animal protein
Many women under-eat protein and don’t get enough bio-available animal protein. Protein is crucial for hormonal function and a healthy metabolism, and will help you retain muscle when trying to lose weight. Animal protein is a better choice as it provides a nutrient-dense source of protein with optimal amino acid amounts. It’s not only easier to digest but also contains nutrients that plant sources don’t. Opt for grass-fed meat and eggs, good dairy and seafood.
Grass-fed meat is on the pricey side so if you are watching your budget like everyone else is at the moment, the best alternative is to always pick the leanest cuts possible. Also, bone broth and gelatin are important for increasing your metabolism. These are both great sources of glycine, which has anti-inflammatory and anti-ageing benefits.
Ditch the quick fix
Quick fix diet after quick fix diet will get you nowhere. I spent most of my adult life doing diets: protein shakes, fasting, keto, low carb, you name it and I’ve done it. But since 2015, learning the right things about pro-metabolic nutrition and strength training has led me to knowing that the best way to lose weight is to get results that are sustainable long term.
Kitty’s Eat More, Train Less and Get Results 7 Day Challenge
Kitty’s iconic 7 Day Eat More, Train Less and Get Results Challenge was purposely built for women to achieve sustainable results without drastically cutting calories, carbs and working out nonstop. It’s been developed over years and unlike other online programs, this holistic approach gives women everything they need for long-term success.
Challenge participants receive a meal plan, a work out plan for the home and the gym, as well as training exercise videos to guide them through the workouts. It also includes advanced supplement guides, direct support and a private community to help participants along. It’s time for women to stop starving themselves and take back control of their bodies.
Kitty Blomfield, Founder of NuStrength, and creator of her iconic Kitty’s 7-Day Challenge. Blomfield is a world-leading expert in wellness and weight loss. NuStrength helps women transform their bodies through improved metabolic functioning and strength training. By focusing on educating and empowering people, Kitty Blomfield helps people to achieve the body they want with long-term results.
