“Obviously it was a long process, and it was hard, but Rob knew what my body needed. The foods that he introduced me to were quite shocking; Cocoa Krispies on a diet, I thought was insane. But when you have no carbs, having chocolatey cereal is actually a nice break.
“I learned a lot about my body in the process, especially when it came to debloating foods. Brown rice and cow’s milk blow me up and make me feel lethargic. Switching those out to things like Basmati rice and unsweetened almond milk was a game changer. It’s more easily digestible and easier on the GI tract. Within a week of switching to them it had made a tremendous difference, not just in terms of removing the bloating, but increasing my energy levels, too—to the point where I then decided to do a food tolerance test and discovered I have an intolerance for certain foods.
“The final thing that really helped with the debloating, and helped me look as lean as I wanted was drinking five or six liters of water a day. Previously I’d drink half a liter, or a liter max per day. Again, it was difficult at first, but after a few weeks I had no issues at all and just generally felt much better.”
The meal plan
For Boyce, exploring debloating foods was a journey of discovery. He not only achieved his goal of getting shredded, he also unlocked more energy and learned what foods work best with his body. This is what an average day of eating now looks like for him.
Breakfast: Shake
Whey isolate, unsweetened almond milk, frozen berries
Meal 2
Chicken breast, tortilla wrap, green salad or Mediterranean vegetable
Meal 3
Low sugar yogurt, flavoring drops, peanut butter
or
4 eggs, 4 rations of turkey bacon, choice of veg
Pre workout
Whey isolate, unsweetened almond milk, Cocoa Krispies or Frosted Flakes
Meal 4
Lean mince or fish, Basmati rice, broccoli
Foods that reduce bloating—and get you cut
You can follow the above on your own mission to debloat, but it’s worth remembering that all bodies—and all fitness plans—are different. Instead, consider experimenting with the foods below, and maybe even discussing them with your physical trainer to see how much of a difference they can make.
Cocoa Krispies
“I like to really fire up the body with a nice simple sugar that’s easy to digest and really spikes your metabolism and energy level for a short period of time,” says Utley. “This produces shockingly effective results when used post workout in a no or low carb day. Although, it only works if you’re in a deficit.”
Broccoli
“Yes it’s full of nutrients and vitamins, but broccoli eaten before the rest of your meal has been scientifically proven to lower insulin response to food, keeping you in a much deeper fat burning state,” says Utley. “Over a prolonged period, it has a significant impact on extra pounds lost.”
Avocado and Dark Chocolate
“Fats are good, including avocados, but also very dark, 80-90 percent [Cocoa] chocolate—even in a deficit,” says Utley. “Good fats will not only boost your function, but will also slow down digestion so you can absorb your nutrients properly, leading to less bloating and discomfort.”
Basmati Rice
“For years it’s been all about brown rice, but I’ve found that, for me, Basmati rice digests more efficiently, causing far less gastric issues,” says Utley. “Most importantly, I think that brown rice tastes awful and basmati tastes amazing!”
Alternative Milks
“Alternative milk options are a brilliant way to debloat, especially if you’re intolerant to dairy,” says Utley. “I stick with unsweetened almond milk and unsweetened oat milk, both of which are lower in sugar and calories than cow milk.”
This story originally appeared on British GQ.