How To Drop A Dress Size Ahead Of The Melbourne Cup

Melbourne Cup Day, the highlight of the racing calendar and the day that stops the nation, is just three weeks away – Tuesday, November 5.

So now is the time to plan your show stopper dress. But like many, you might be thinking:

How much weight can I lose in three weeks?
And how on earth will I do it?

It’s very tempting to go on a super restrictive diet in hurrying to fit into THAT DRESS. But this can leave you feeling “angry” and sluggish and I do not recommend it.

Chillax: You can drop a dress size, if you follow the eating protocol outlined in this article. It’s possible to lose up to 2-5 kilos in the first week or two weeks, of both body fat and water weight and be Melbourne Cup ready in only three weeks.

It’s important to note that: The amount of time that it will take you to get the desired weight loss results depends on your current size, body type and age as well as how dedicated you are to sticking to the required protocol.

The healthiest weight loss formula

Reducing daily energy intake by 750 -1,000 kcal, can lead to a weight loss of approximately 0.5-1 kg per week depending on your age and weight.
The aim is creating a calorie deficit of 500–750 kcal coming from your diet and approximately 500–750 kcal from increasing your daily movement.

So here are some practical steps you can take to help you drop a size before Melbourne Cup.

Step 1: What to Eat and Drink

What to Eat tips:

# 1: How to Build your meals: Eat Protein, Fat and Vegetables

Each one of your meals should include a protein, a fat source and low-carb vegetables.

Building your meals this way will naturally bring your carb intake into the desired weight loss range of 30–50 grams per day. And best of all will significantly lower your hunger levels.

Eat 2–3 meals per day. If you find yourself hungry in the afternoon, add a 4th meal.

# 2: Cut down on sugars and starches: The best way to drop weight fairly quickly is to reduce your carbohydrate intake during that period. The result is that your body will burn off of stored fat instead of burning carbs for energy.

Another benefit of cutting down oncarbohydrate is that it lowers insulin levels, causing your kidneys to shed excess sodium and water out of your body. This will reduce bloating and unnecessary water weight.

#3: Increase Fibre in your diet – Fibre has been proven as a weight loss aid as a dietary component. It contributes to satiety and nutrient density as well as binds with fats, thereby decreasing caloric absorption.

Good low-carb fibre source: Vegetables

Broccoli
Cauliflower
Spinach
Tomatoes
Kale
Brussels sprout
Cabbage
Swiss chard
Lettuce
Cucumber

#4: Increase Protein intake : Increasing your protein intake is a good strategy to increase satiety, increase muscle mass and speed up your metabolism resulting in better weight loss. .

Research suggests that ≥2 g protein/kg body weight/day may be required to maintain LBM (lean body mass) during a calorically-deficient diet.

Good Protein Sources

Lean Meats: Beef, chicken, pork, lamb, turkey etc.
Fish and Seafood: Salmon, trout, shrimp, etc.
Eggs: Whole eggs are excellent because of the healthy fat in the yolk.

#5: You need to eat fat: as trying to do both low-carb AND low-fat at the same time is a recipe for feeling hangry and fatigued and you will find it challenging to stick to your plan.

Here are some good Fat Sources

Olive oil
Coconut oil
Avocado

#6: What to Drink: The liquids you consume can derail any weight loss effort as they can add extra calories that you may not be aware of.

Increase your water intake:

Not drinking enough water can slow your metabolism.
Drink at least 8 glasses of water per day and add an extra 600-1000ml per hour when exercising.
Drink water a half hour before meals.

Step 2: Increase Exercise

Doing a combination of cardio and weights may be best for improving your body composition getting the results you desire.

(HIIT)-high-intensity interval training workouts that include cardio and strength moves is the most effective and efficient way to maximise fat loss and build lean muscle.

Here are some ideas:

#1: Resistance Training: Research has shown that by doing resistance training 3-4 times a week you can even gain a bit of muscle while losing significant amounts of body fat.

When lifting weights, you will burn lots of calories and prevent your metabolism from slowing down, which is a common side effect of losing weight.
Aim for 3-4 times a week but start slowly and always under the instruction of a professional to avoid injury.
Allow at least a day of rest between weight-training sessions so that your muscles have time to rest and repair.

#2: Cardio Training: Include Cardiovascular exercise on a daily basis. Cardiovascular exercise is essential to your weight loss program. The more you move, the faster the kilos will melt off.

Here some examples:

walking
jogging
running
cycling or swimming

Step 3: Increase Your Shut-Eye Poor sleep is one of the strongest risk factors for weight gain, so getting sufficient sleep each night is very important to your goal of weight loss

Benefits of a good night’s sleep

helps regulate your mood and you are able to better cope with the next day’s emotional challenges
carbohydrate tolerance increases.
your physical performance improves
your brain works better, hence your ability to make decisions is better.

What does this mean for you?

When it comes to losing weight, setting realistic goals is important. There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ dietary approach. The key is finding your own unique eating pattern that gives you the energy and mood to get things done and one that is sustainable over time.