A balanced diet and eating healthy foods are some of the best ways to protect your health. The choices you make and the lifestyle you follow help you prevent multiple diseases. Similarly, 7-time Mr. Olympia and fitness enthusiast Arnold Schwarzenegger has shared various ways to maintain a healthy diet in his newsletter on Arnold’s Pump Club.
Yet again, in connection with this, in Schwarzenegger’s recent newsletter, he writes about ‘The New Science of Healthy Dieting.’ Backed by scientific data, Arnold cites that a recent study found that a little extra flexibility in diet can be the most efficacious way to lose weight.
“Not obsessing about everything you eat resets your metabolism! (No, it doesn’t reset your metabolism, but it does help.)”
Furthermore, Arnold mentions that when you lose weight, your resting metabolic rate gradually slows down. One does not need to worry, as the smaller you become, the less energy is required for your body, which is considered healthy. However, the issue here is, your resting metabolism is about 60 to 70 percent of your overall metabolism.
When individuals follow diets that make them lose weight too fast, their metabolism can slow down faster than the amount of weight they’ve lost. The Austrian Oak, in other words, states that people burn fewer calories than they should at their new weight, making it tougher to maintain or lose weight.
“You burn fewer calories than you should at your new weight, making it harder to maintain or lose weight.”
To understand how this works, scientists observed 12 studies to measure the efficacy of diet breaks. Once the study was completed, on average it was found that taking breaks burned around 50 calories more in a day than those not following the diet breaks.
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Though the results achieved might not seem too much, Arnold suggests looking at the bigger picture to lose weight.
Arnold Schwarzenegger breaks down the best way to lose weight
The Terminator actor added that the ideal way to lose weight is to slowly hit small goals, like finding the proper workout, maintaining a healthy metabolism that works wonderfully for your body, etc., all to make the transition easy.
While there is an overload of advice pointing to avoiding sugar and other junk food, research shows otherwise. Multiple studies show that eating something you enjoy (non-nutritious foods) once in a while doesn’t affect your body negatively; rather, it can, at times, facilitate a healthier metabolic adjustment to eating better.
“More importantly, people who take breaks successfully lose just as much weight — if not more — as those who follow strict plans.”
Revamping what you eat and mixing your food choices is a demanding task for your body. Restricting certain foods can not only induce more tension and anxiety, it can also make you fall off track from following healthy habits again.
“Changing your body is as much about the psychological burdens as the physical changes.”
Furthermore, Arnold states that it’s natural to have cravings for certain foods, so it’s important to set up the right plan. Scientists also agree that having cheat days removes the psychological pressure from dieting. In conclusion, Arnold points out that, not imposing a rigid routine can still help you indulge in your guilty pleasures and achieve great results.
