It’s September, which wonderfully (or not so wonderfully depending on who you talk to - I’m talking to you Debbie Downers) feels like a brand new year!

And what does a brand new year mean for a lot of us? Healthier eating and weight loss goals!

First off, you are exceptional just the way you are. Right. Now. Never correlate weight loss goals to self worth. It just ends up being a never ending rabbit hole. Be happy with yourself at every single stage of the journey.

Secondly, if you do have weight you would like to lose, please do it the right way and never crash-diet (they DO NOT work long term).

And finally, when it comes to weight loss, (which I know about from both a theoretical and personal perspective), there are some fundamental pillars I think you should know about.

So here are my 5 Golden Weight Rules

They’re actually an excerpt from my Hack Guide: for the Actor, which is a super resource for everyone, not just Hollywood A-Listers ;-)

Some may sound simple and old-school, some may not, but they all have their place (especially the first three).

Follow these rules alone and if you have weight to lose, these will jump start your efforts by leaps and bounds …

1) Sleep 7.5-9 hours per night.

This is number one for proper weight management. I can’t stress how important sleep is for the body. Sleep is essential for proper detoxification (especially brain detox), is anti-inflammatory (an inflamed body holds onto weight) and is hormone balancing (a lack of sleep throws your hunger and blood sugar hormones completely awry).

2) Drink 3L of water per day

A dehydrated state is a bad state. Water helps you produce adequate stomach acid (many people don’t produce enough) and improves your liver health and body’s detox pathways. Bonus -- drinking enough water actually speeds the rate at which you burn calories (1) and decreases overall caloric intake (a lot of people grab food in an effort to reduce hunger, when in fact the main culprit is dehydration).

3) Stop eating 2.5 - 3 hours before bedtime.

If you eat a lot close to bedtime, 2 - 3 hours of your “sleep time” will be spent digesting that large meal and not repairing and recharging like it should. Back to rule number 1, sleep is essential.

4) First two meals of the day (breakfast and lunch) are low carb.

This means:

Protein (palm size) + fat (2-3 servings) + Leafy Greens and low carb veggies (over half the plate)

No starches, grains (including oats) or fruit. This has been an essential hack for many. It sounds extreme, but it’s not. I’m not saying no starches or grains, I’m just saying save it for nighttime. By keeping your meals low on the carbs, and high in protein, fat, and phytonutrients found in low-carb veggies like leafy greens, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers, you keep your insulin release (fat storage hormone) at a minimal level. Continual spikes in insulin throughout the day by having carby-carbs like grains and potatoes or oats at each meal sets the stage for blood sugar spikes, insulin zig-zags, and frustratingly, fat storage and no-fat loss.

5) Include a starchy carb and and/or fruit at dinner.

This means:

Protein (palm size) + fat (2-3 servings) + Starch (1 serving) + (ideally) low carb veggies (like a side salad)

I’m not anti-carb by any means, and actually don’t advise it. For women especially, going low carb can have a negative effect on the thyroid. SO, have your starchy carbs, but have them with the last meal of the day! By saving your carb for your dinner, you get all the benefits of the resistant fibre and nutrients found in starchy carbs like sweet potato, squash, and tubers, but as a bonus, you’ll sleep better! Evening carbohydrates actually promote healthy sleep. So have your sweet potato, or gluten free grain like GF pasta or quinoa, with dinner with some optional fruit for dessert.

 

So that’s it! For more weight-hacks, including how to speed up results, improve your skin and handle anxiety, check out the full Hack Guide here.

To a wonderful September filled with loving yourself, productivity and all the sunshine and rainbows you can handle ;-)