Morgana Lakatos-Hayward is a health coach and business owner of This Isn't a Diet where the primary focus is to help women lose weight without dieting and balance their hormones, blood sugar and gut health. She is the host of Listen to This When You're Done Dieting on Spotify, with her new book, Read This When You're Done Dieting on the way.
Apart of what makes the holidays pure bliss are the mountains of baked goods, gallons of alcohol enjoyed around the fire and of course, that sinful turkey dinner with all the fixings. This is all accompanied by the January 2nd panic, unrealistic New Year’s resolutions, and gyms packed to the brim all month long. What if I told you could enjoy the holidays to the fullest and not have to worry about storing extra fat?
It’s all in the blood sugar
Balancing glucose and insulin levels are one of the main drivers to preventing fat storage. That isn’t to say that you can’t have your cake and eat it too. When you learn how and when to have your sweets and carbs, you can enjoy the blissful dopamine hit without the normal consequences. Inchaupsé details several hacks in her book Glucose Revolution (2023) and here’s how to go about it:
Eat your food in the right order: When you layer your fiber, proteins and fats and finish off the meal with your sweet treat/carbohydrates, you allow for the glucose to be absorbed slower. This doesn’t overburden your pancreas to release heaps of insulin and therefore, you won’t store that extra glucose as fat.
Have a glass of water with 1tbsp of apple cider vinegar before carb-heavy meals: Vinegar is a little trick to again, slow down the glucose in your system. Say you were sitting down to have a bowl of pasta. Add in some apple cider vinegar beforehand and enjoy your meal guilt-free!
Enjoy your sweets as dessert: This goes back to our first rule- eating in the right order. If you’re enjoying sweets as snacks (and not carb-pairing), you again risk the insulin spike and inevitable fat storage.
Avoid overly sweet cocktails and stick to wine and spirits: We all know it’s the sweet drinks that bring about the worst hangovers, as well as extra pounds. Wine and spirits are safer options if you feel like sipping back one or two.
Support your gut health
Your gut has the fun job of digesting whatever you throw its way. Be sure to make it easier on yourself through these methods:
Home cook your meals: Cook the majority of your meals at home to avoid excess salt, sugar and fat usually accompanying restaurant-cooked food.
Stay hydrated: With the excess sugar and alcohol in your system, flushing those bad boys are going to be key. Think filtered water and herbal teas.
Eat amongst friends and family: Odds are, you are already nailing this one. Eating in a social setting has been proven to help your gut microbes digest more efficiently!
Utilize these fat-burning hacks
There are a couple of extra things you can do to offset those indulgent drinks and meals:
Use the power of castor oil: Castor oil patches worn over the stomach or as a wrap during sleep have been shown to break up and reduce fat.
Go for walks after meals: Walking is one of the best ways to burn fat and after heavy meals are a perfect time to use some of the glucose available immediately.
Eat until you’re 80% full: There is a time lag between your brain and your stomach. Oftentimes, we eat until we are 100% full and then feel uncomfortable. The Japanese have perfected this custom of eating and is a revered eating practice that will prove beneficial over the holidays.
If you would like additional hacks on how to lose weight without dieting, be sure to grab a copy of my book at Amazon: Read This When You’re Done Dieting (2024).
Read more from Morgana Lakatos-Hayward
Morgana Lakatos-Hayward, Health Coach, Podcaster, Author
Morgana is a former world champion Latin dancer turned health coach. From making under $25k per year to now owning a thriving health coaching practice called: "This Isn't a Diet", a podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts "Listen to This When You're Done Dieting", and a book on the way entitled "Read This When You're Done Dieting", she has turned her financial situation around to become financially independent and open 6 different income streams. She is currently working on developing two more income streams and claims that her financial shift started with a simple mindset change.
References:
Inchauspe, Jessie. Glucose Revolution. Ss/Simon Element, 2023.
Lakatos-Hayward, Morgana. Read This When You’re Done Dieting: Hack Your Way to Your Dream Body, Take Back Your Power, and... Keep the Unwanted Weight Off! TRANSCENDENT PUBLISHING, 2024.
