The diet secrets no-one talks about

Wanna know a secret? What I'm about to tell you no-one else is willing to admit. ALL DIETS WORK. That's right - all diets work at least for a time. Some work better than others. The way to truly make them effective for you is to stick to them. However there are some "secrets" that work all the time and these are the ones I lay out for you in this blog.

If you truly want that leaner body you need to follow the regular advice I give out because all the posts have research to back them up.

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However, when it come to diets, there are the not so well known facts, the ones that may seem counterproductive or illogical and yet have been proven to work in the real world time and time again, sometimes with science to back them up. Once you start to incorporate these into your regime you’ll be hooked.

What am I talking about? Read on.

· Cheat on your diet. That’s right – you heard me! Cheat on your diet. I know everything you may have read or heard is in total opposition to this but bear with me. I absolutely recommend that from time to time you eat what you like, even if it is not the most healthy or nutritious thing. You cannot get lean without sticking to a clean diet but at the same time occasionally straying (i.e cheating) can actually help. You see, when you diet levels of the hormone Leptin drop. Leptin keeps hunger down and metabolism up so when its levels drop you burn fewer calories and tend to eat more. Overeating bumps up Leptin so for one day, preferably for one meal, eat whatever you like such as a burger with fries, pizza, an ice-cream or whatever. As long as the overall calorie balance is fine one meal, especially a cheat meal, will not make that much of a difference. Also we live in the real world. Sticking to your diet is difficult (especially if you think of it as a diet that has to be kept). Your cheat meal gives you a mental and physical break and allows you to stick to your plan better.

· Eat before bed. Say what!! Again you heard me right. If your body is starved of fuel for too long a period (such as during the 7-8 hours you are sleeping) it breaks down muscle for fuel. Muscle is active tissue which keeps your metabolism up and continues to burn fat. So by eating a slow digesting protein food you will supply your body and its muscles with the nutrients they need. Excellent options are yoghurt, cottage cheese, natural peanut butter (not the variety with sugar added!), double strength skim milk (mix skim milk powder with skim milk instead of water) and so forth.

· Add some fat. Eating fat makes you fat, right? Not really. Healthy fats, such as omega-3 fats and monounsaturated fats, can actually help you lose body fat. Sources include salmon, trout, walnuts, olive oil, avocados, plain nuts, almonds and natural peanut butter. Whole eggs also fall into this category, and don’t worry about the cholesterol as eggs contain the “HDL” (good) cholesterol. Research has also shown that people who consume whole eggs for breakfast lose more body fat than those who do not. Just don’t go overboard by frying them or going for cheese omelettes and so on. Plain boiled, scrambled, poached or an omelette without anything added is what I am talking about

· Eat fat burning fruits. How many people do you know who have got fat from eating fruit? Thought so. However some fruits are better than others. A study from Scripps Clinic in San Diego found that people consuming half a grapefruit or 240mls of grapefruit juice three times a day lost on average 4 pounds over 12 weeks without any other changes to diet or lifestyle. So consider adding half a grapefruit to your breakfast and lunch every day.

· Drink cold water (as cold as possible). Drinking water may seam a simple way to get lean but it works. Plus it’s cheap. A study out of Germany showed that drinking 2 glasses of cold water a day could increase metabolic rate by about 30%. It is theorised that that this was due to norepinephrine release brought on by the water (the body released this to increase metabolism to heat up the water and this faster metabolism burned more fat!). Drinking extra water also helps you seem fuller so you tend to eat less at mealtimes.

· Drink black coffee without milk or sugar about 20 – 30 minutes before your cardio. The caffeine in coffee acts as a central nervous system stimulant (which is why drinking too much can make you jittery!). This results in greater fat loss. Adding milk negates the fat burning effects of caffeine and sugar simply adds calories. Add sweeteners if you want. If you have acid problems or ulcers, however, avoid this tip and stick to cold water, chilled if possible, instead.

Avoid diet drinks. Research has suggested that such drinks cause you to feel hungrier and provide a false sense of security so you stray from clean eating. Moreover they still increase insulin release, which can inhibit fat burning and cause the body to actually store fat! But if you absolutely cannot do without your Diet Coke try to limit yourself to one per day at the absolute most. If at all possible try avoid fizzy drinks altogether