Guest post by Evolve MMA, Asia’s premier championship brand for martial arts. It has the most number of World Champions on the planet. Named as the #1 ranked martial arts organization in Asia by CNN, Yahoo! Sports, FOX Sports, Evolve MMA is the top rated Martial Arts gym in Singapore.
Most people struggle with their weight. We all want to trim down the edges. And while we do try our best, sometimes, it’s hard to figure out how to approach things. Most of us don’t even know where to start.
For starters, there are just so many different kinds of diets and eating methodologies that it can sometimes be confusing. Information is so readily available, but at times, it can be too much to process.
Intermittent fasting? Keto? Atkins? South Beach? A lot of these diet fads come and go, and only a handful of legitimate and effective weight-loss diets remain. So how do you choose which one to go with?
Mixed martial arts athletes such as Amir Khan, Song Ka Yeon, and Miesha Tate are well-versed and experienced on the ins and outs of fitness. The trio train and teach at Evolve MMA in Singapore along with other World Champions and help loads of their students in finding the right weight loss diet for them.
All three athletes have been gracious enough to share their thoughts and opinions to help guide you in choosing the correct weight loss diet for optimal results.
Today, Evolve Daily shares four ways to figure out what’s the best weight loss diet for you.
1) Keep a food journal
According to Song Ka Yeon from the Evolve Fight Team, keeping track of your food intake, including data on calories, the time you eat, and the way you are feeling during meals can help give you valuable insight into your eating habits.
This can help you identify eating triggers, tendencies, and bad habits that you may need to correct. It will also give you an idea of a compatible diet plan for weight loss.
Most of us don’t put too much thought into what we put in our bodies. We just eat what we like, and usually, this does not bring positive results.
“By keeping basically a diary of what we eat, we pay more attention to what we eat for nourishment. The calorie counting alone will help us determine what diet is ideal for us for weight loss,” says Ka Yeon.
“If you’re eating most of your calories towards the end of the day, then maybe you could try intermittent fasting. If you like high protein and fatty food, you can try Keto.”
2) Determine your eating schedule
Make exercising and eating healthily a part of your lifestyle.
We all have our own schedules throughout the day. Some of us wake up extra early to have breakfast, while some work extended hours.
For those who are used to certain eating periods, intermittent fasting is a great option for a weight loss diet. The secret lies in knowing when you are most comfortable eating.
Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern that restricts eating to a specific “feeding window” which is usually eight hours or less. During the non-eating period is a period of fasting, wherein no calories are consumed.
Determine your eating schedule, and you can make intermittent fasting work for you.
Even if you’re not on intermittent fasting, though, it’s still a good idea to keep track of your eating schedule. Maybe you tend to binge eat more at certain hours of the day. You can discover a lot of things about your eating patterns. This way, you can also make the necessary adjustments.
3) Find alternatives to unhealthy food
A science-backed plan will help you build muscle faster.
ONE Championship lightweight contender Amir Khan from the Evolve Fight Team is one of the most supremely conditioned athletes in the world. He’s long and athletic, and very strong. He’s also one of the most skilled martial artists in the world.
Khan believes a big reason why he’s so fit is because he makes intelligent decisions when it comes to what he eats.
It’s easy for us to give in to our cravings. But making smart choices when it comes to food is the key to weight loss.
“Most diets advise you to stay away from unhealthy food like sweets, sugary drinks, and junk food,” says Amir.
“But in order to strike a balance between eating healthy and enjoying the food you eat is finding healthy alternatives to the food you crave. Like if you are a person who loves to eat fried rice, maybe substitute white rice for adlai or quinoa.”
There are a good number of options out there that are considered excellent weight loss foods — choices that are high in fiber and are great sources of nutrients. It’s time to pay attention to what we eat.
4) Find food that’s easily accessible
Last but not least, in order to determine what the best weight loss diet is for you, is understanding what you have access to locally.
Evolve MMA Instructor Miesha Tate is a legend in women’s mixed martial arts. When she moved from the United States to Singapore, it was quite an adjustment for her. Thankfully, Tate has been so happy to discover such amazing fresh and delicious food in Singapore.
“Singapore is absolutely fantastic. The food here is great. It’s so fresh, and everything is of high quality. I didn’t have a hard time adjusting to it when I moved here,” said Miesha.
“Especially with my family here and my little girl, Amaia, we absolutely love to eat. I guess the key to weight loss is really finding good food that’s easily accessible locally.”
You can definitely try different kinds of weight-loss diets out there. But they should all involve fresh and nutritious food that you can find in your area.
