When Richard Nikoley decided to lose weight several years ago, he started by walking up to three miles a day and doing aerobic exercises, but instead of seeing a loss on the scale, he managed to gain 30 pounds. He had the fitness aspect of weight loss figured out but junk food and high fat choices were hampering his weight loss goals. Today, Rich has lost 65 pounds, all because he started eating, “real food.”
Before adopting his current eating style, which he describes as, “Similar to the Caveman or Paleo diet,” Richard noticed his refrigerator and pantry contained high fat and convenience foods. He admits to eating his fair share of pizza and giving in to the midnight munchies. Now, his diet is primarily made up of “meat, fish, fowl, vegetables, fruits and small portions of nuts.” Another upside to feeding his body delicious muscle-building food is being able to add weight lifting to his exercise regimen.
Approaching age 50, Richard was unhappy with his weight gain, high blood pressure and all the medication he was taking. When he changed his eating habits, he said the results weren’t just on the scale. “My blood pressure began dropping immediately and within a few weeks was in the high normal range,” he told us. “I’d also suffered from sinus allergies all my life and I was able to ditch that medication. I’d been on GERD meds and that went away, too. I felt energetic. It seemed that with real food you prepare yourself, the higher quality of nutrition serves to normalize hunger.”
Although Rich admits it’s not always easy to avoid the temptation of burgers and fries, he considers his biggest success to be that he’s done it. He has avoided the junk, stuck to the plan and now helps others succeed at his blog freetheanimal.com where he writes about his own journey and instructs people to “listen to their own bodies” and “develop their own unique approach.”
The tagline on Richard’s blog is: Biting commentary on the human animal condition since 2003. His writing style may be no-holds-barred but the crowd must be listening. His encouragement and advice has helped some readers lose more than 200 pounds.
So what is the biggest advice this self-proclaimed anarchist can give to others who are struggling to lose weight? “Eat real food you take time and effort to prepare at home.”
He also advises “Eat meat, fish, fowl, vegetables, fruits and nuts. Avoid grains, sugar, vegetable/seed oils. For fats: all animal fats, coconut and red palm oil, olive oil, butter and ghee. Incorporate fermented foods and fermented dairy for gut health.”
His last piece of advice? If it comes in a box, bottle or can, avoid it.
Also Read:
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Why Crossfit and Paleo Combine for Explosive Weight Loss Results