Many people equate weight loss to strict calorie restriction, cutting out favourite foods and rigorous exercise regimens, but the most sustainable approaches sometimes look different.
There are countless anecdotes from slimmers who successfully shed pounds eating higher-quality versions of the foods they know and love.
Samantha Costa recently detailed her approach after she lost just under 60lbs in six months in a bid to defeat her polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) symptoms.
She claims carbohydrates massively assisted her weight loss journey after she swapped her usual white pasta for whole grain and whole wheat pasta. Exercise was also key to her success.
Protein-dense foods can help shed fat around the belly
PA“In that diet, I lost 50 pounds in around six months,” Samantha explained. “It was probably closer to 60 pounds, 58 to be exact (4st 2lb).
“I did this diet by eating carbs but I switched my carbs to wholegrain and whole wheat instead of white carbs because, for me personally and my body, that’s what worked best.
“It was really hard because I’m someone who loves carbs, I’m Italian, I love eating pasta, I love eating all of those types of foods so I really did have to get adjusted to it.”
Complex carbohydrates not only control appetite, but they help burn fat by taking longer to break down than simple carbohydrates.
The health body Medicine Net confirms that the regular consumption of these slower-to-digest carbohydrates often results in weight loss rather than weight gain.
“I realised that [I could lose weight] eating foods that I still liked but that was a little bit healthier for me [and] had a little bit more fibre in them,” added Samantha.
“So that’s what I did, I [literally] had grilled chicken, pasta, grated cheese, and tomato sauce every single day because that’s what made me happy, that’s what made me want to keep going."
It should be noted that while Samantha ate the same foods daily, variety is encouraged to promote better gut health.
The content creator noted that protein also helped in the diet. Upping protein intake is supported by dieticians because it helps build muscle mass and promotes fullness after meals.
Protein also increases the metabolic rate and is therefore considered a top choice to target unwanted fat around the abdominal area.
Although carbohydrates and protein of the right kind assist in weight loss, every journey has its drawbacks.
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Samantha lost roughly 58lbs in six months
SAMANTHA COST / YOUTUBE
“Obviously there were times when things did not go as planned,” said Samantha. “I want to say that weight loss and gym progress are never linear.
“There [are] always going to be times where you have setbacks. There are going to be times when it feels like you can’t do something.
“I always say to people who ask me ‘How do you flip your mindset?’ that there is going to be a day when something in your brain just switches.
"If you tell yourself every single day for one year that you believe in yourself, eventually you’ll trick your mind and you will believe in yourself.”