While nutrition itself may not solely cause the condition of weight loss resistance to manifest, it can certainly be a trigger.
Efforts to reverse the condition should include eating healthy and complete meals at regular times, each day and every day. Meals timing and consistency are very important habits for your body to start regulating the hormones out of balance, which could be insulin, cortisol, thyroid, estrogen, testosterone, etc.
If you struggle with weight loss resistance, dieting is no longer an option. Building healthy eating habits are of utmost importance. Your focus should be on having breakfast, lunch and dinner every day comprised of high quality proteins (e.g. meat, fish, eggs, dairy), healthy fats (e.g. coconut oil, avocado, olive oil, nut and seeds), and low glycemic carbohydrates (e.g. vegetables, fruits, starchy vegetables, unprocessed grains). Same applies to snacks: choose a combination or protein, fats, and carbs.
One very important habit to implement is to eat a healthy and complete breakfast comprised of high protein, moderate fats, and low-glycemic carbohydrates within one hour of waking up. This macronutrients combination will ensure to provide the nutrients necessary to promote a healthy hormonal balance by controlling blood sugar levels (insulin response), lowering stress of overnight fasting (cortisol release), favouring the production of hormones (testosterone and good estrogens production), among others.
Now, I reiterate the importance of eating complete meals at regular times everyday. A nutrition pattern like not eating breakfast with the reason of not being hungry, then skipping lunch because of being too busy at work, then finally eating a decent size dinner, and succumbing to cravings for sweet and/or salty foods in the evening disturbs the hunger/satiety hormones, disrupts the brain chemistry, and favours fat storage.
If you struggle with weight loss resistance, this pattern must stop. You have to eat a healthy breakfast (see recipes below), a complete lunch and dinner (see guidelines above) at regular times. Include snacks if needed to control hunger.
Here are a few healthy breakfast recipes to get you started:
- protein pancakes: 2 eggs blended with 1/4 cup coconut flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp cinnamon; top with peanut butter and 1/2 cup berries
- smoothie bowl: 1 scoop protein powder blended with 1/2 cup almond milk, 1/2 avocado and 1/2 cup berries; topped with 1/4 cup gluten-free granola, 1/2 banana sliced, and 1 Tbsp shredded coconut
- protein oatmeal: mix 1/4 cup oats with 1/2 cup egg whites, 1 tsp cinnamon and microwave for 3 minutes; topped with 1/4 cup mixed nuts, 1/3 cup berries and 1/2 banana sliced
- overnight jar: 1 scoop protein powder with 1/2 cup almond/cashew milk and 2 Tbsp chia seeds put in a jar and in the fridge overnight; in the morning top with 1/2 cup berries or 1/2 banana and 1 Tbsp pumpkin seeds and 1 Tbsp pecan
- classic: 2 eggs cooked in 1 tsp ghee with smoked salmon, 1/2 grapefruit and 1 Tbsp almond butter
Start your day tomorrow by eating one of these breakfast recipes within one hour of getting up! Let me know in the comments how you feel!