Top Ten Fat Loss Foods For The Aspiring Fitness Gypsy

 If you're up to date on my previous posts or follow my Instagram exploits, you'll know that The Nomad Way is about surveying your environment and using the tools you have to hand to create effective workouts with body composition, performance and strength improvements in mind, wherever you may find yourself. Which for the most part is great (if I do say so myself.) That being said, what we put into our bodies is just as important as what we beat out of them, and this is probably the part most people who live a hectic, mobile lifestyle struggle with. 

www.totwlondon.com / Alex Lukita

It's not easy to optimally feed your ever expanding family of muscle children when you don't have access to the most basic food preparation facilities. The current trend is to imply heavily that 'abs are made in the kitchen'. Well more often than not on the road my 'kitchen' is a cup and two sachets of coffee stationed courteously next to the television. Less than ideal.

I've put together a list of foods that make their way into my shopping basket of an evening when I'm on the road, in the hopes that a little insight into how this fitness gypsy eats might lend some inspiration and solutions to my fellow Nomads...

So, in no particular order-

 

Total 0% yoghurt- Coming in at just over 100 calories for a single serving pot, but packing almost 20g of protein, this Greek staple actually has a better macronutrient breakdown than a lot of products that are marketed specifically towards the physique conscious. The flavour is fairly neutral, bordering on sour, which is great if you're using it as a high protein accompaniment to a savoury dish. If I'm reaching for a tub as a standalone snack or dessert, I'll add a pinch of truvia or sachet of Splenda.

Cooked chicken- should we ideally eat preserved, pre packaged meats with added ingredients that you need a doctorate just to pronounce? Probably not. But if it was an ideal world I'd be writing this sipping a mojito in nothing but my briefs and possibly a crown. Steer away from anything that's less than 95% dead bird, add hot sauce, enjoy.

Almonds- I'm not really a fan of nuts for weight loss, they get a lot of good press for their good micronutrient content and lack of processing (rightly so), however portion control is paramount with any foods that are high in fats. In this case it's pretty easy to have too much of good thing if your focus is keeping your waistline svelte. 

10 almonds provide 70 calories, try finishing a smaller less satisfying meal with 10-15 to help curb your appetite. Just remember it all adds up.

Apples- This was a tough choice, I wasn't sure whether to go with bananas here. The object of Eve's temptation just edged it as takes longer to eat (thus providing feelings of satisfaction) and it's higher water content keeps the calories lower. Plus that one scene in the 300 where Leonidas chows down on a juicy red gala post-battle is kind of cool...

Protein bars-  I'm not a massive user of supplements, I prefer to spend my calorie allowance on whole foods, however... I have a ridiculous sweet tooth (it actually fell out from excessive ice cream  consumption, but it's legacy lives on.) But in terms of body composition reaching for a good quality protein bar is always going to beat going on a Snickers marathon (see what I did there?)

Go for a trusted brand and make sure you don't accidentally pick up a bar designed for weight GAIN. I wholeheartedly and unbiasedly recommend PHD's diet bars (chocolate mint is my go to), but in a pinch Maximuscle bars are pretty widely available and also good eats.

Tinned Tuna- Do I have to justify this? It's the bread and butter convenience food for people trying to avoid... Bread and butter. Add pepper, add chilli, add Tabasco, whatever. Just don't forget your tin opener (although if you do, rub the top of the can on concrete until the tin is worn away, then squeeze it; the top should pop right off. You're welcome.) If you forget a spoon however I have another little life hack that will segue perfectly into our next contender... Eat it straight from the tin using mother nature's home grown cutlery, the celery stalk...

Celery- You've all heard the old wives tale that eating celery burns more calories than the veg itself contains, unless you're taking bites in between 100 yard shuttle runs this probably (definitely) isn't true, that being said a quids worth of our long green friend is hardly going to make a dent in your macros. Go hard.

Grapes- Another fruity fiend, this one is out of personal preference/ experience more than anything. One of my favourite go to lunches on the road (generally when I break my fast at around 1300) is a punnet of grapes and 400g of cooked chicken. Simple, satisfying and readily available with zero prep time. 

Rice cakes- Old school. I don't really have any great desire to eat cardboard, and rice cakes generally speaking are only a sideways step from devouring an empty cereal box. If you're the type of person that craves savoury snacks like crisps, a few salt and vinegar laced portions could potentially save your physique.  Put your tuna on top, dip in hot sauce or just use as a filling carb source. Just make sure whatever you purchase is at least 95% rice and not packed with cheap corn. Calling these 'cakes' should be illegal.

Kebabs- This is no joke. If you travel a lot you'll know that you can't swing a cat in the UK without hitting a kebab shop, and when food prep is impractical this is a very, very good thing. Chicken cooked over coals with a hearty salad and wholemeal pitta bread? A pretty darn good, hot meal whatever way you look at it. Skip the pitta and it's practically Paleo (just saying). 

Wrapping up, I hope that some of these solutions, even if they're not exactly ideal, can be versatile enough to help you reach your physique and performance goals. Keep it up you folks!

AT