Are You Eating The Right Way To Lose Weight?
All the exercise in the world won’t make up for a bad diet. Ranking in terms of importance, exercise is only about 20% of weight loss. Foods and drinks make up 80% of your weight loss. Yes, we have to cut calories to lose weight, but that doesn’t mean cutting back on food. A proper diet for losing body fat is listed below. You have to cut out animal fats that are in red meat and stop drinking calories. The exception to drinking calories are Protein Shakes. Even if you make your own shakes, protein powders will contain calories but you want to buy protein powder that contains “plant protein” and avoid “dairy protein”.
Nutrition and weight loss go hand-in-hand, and it pretty much comes down to chemistry and math. Intake too much energy (calories), weight is gained while creating a caloric deficit stimulates weight loss. Everyone seems to be on the search for something quick and easy. Very Low-Calorie Diets (VLCDs) are popular but disregard possible health risks. Seems like a risky high dollar cost to shed unwanted pounds. I am a believer in eating “real” quality food to maintain a fit physique and at a cost-saving. To start a healthy weight loss journey, review what you’re eating now in order to make changes promoting healthy weight loss which is no more than one to three pounds per week.
Time for a Lifestyle Change
Losing weight is a pretty straightforward process. It will require a nutrition lifestyle change together with regular exercise for the best overall results. Quality healthy food choices are important. If you’re eating processed foods, dining out, drinking alcohol and soda regularly, an immediate revision to those choices will need to happen. Start by keeping a food journal, write down what you’re eating, and sub out unhealthy meals for healthier selections. Studies show people who maintain a consistent food journal have the best weight loss success. The journal allows for accountability. You will learn and be able to repeat personal best weight loss weeks simply by reviewing what has been recorded.
The Right Foods and Right Portions
Eating healthy should be enjoyable, taste fabulous, and never a burden. Essential nutrients for weight loss include lean proteins, fiber, antioxidants, and healthy fats. Understanding portion size is what can fit in the palm of your hand further simplifies eating healthy without the need to continuously count calories. Normal hunger occurs every two to three hours so many people take advantage of nutrient timing. Eating several small meals per day keeps our metabolism boosted, promotes satiety, and eliminates urges to binge on guilt-laden food. Keeping the focus on consuming healthy foods will be the success in adopting a healthy lifestyle and reaching your goal weight.
Enjoy a Variety of Healthy Foods
Fortunately, there is a wide variety of healthy foods to satisfy the pickiest eater for weight loss and overall healthy lifestyle. Check out the examples of healthy foods below which can also be used as a ready-made grocery list:
Best Proteins
Lean Proteins ( You’ll notice no red meat on the list)
Chicken Breast (boneless/skinless) – 3.5oz, 30g
Turkey – 7g protein per ounce
Tuna – 6oz, 40
Salmon – 3.5oz, 27g
Halibut – 4oz, 30g
Trout – 4oz, 28g
Sardines – 4oz, 10g
Eggs (high in EFA) – 1 large, 7g
Milk – 1 cup, 8g (1% or skim, if tolerated)
Cottage Cheese – 1/2 cup, 15g
Almonds 8g, Peanuts 9g, Cashews 5g – 1/4 cup
Peanut Butter – 2tbsp, 8g
Kefir – 14g per cup
Yogurt – 8-12g per cup
Tofu – ½ cup, 10g
Top Antioxidants
Blueberries – at least a fistful a day
All rich colored berries (strawberries/blackberries/raspberries/cranberries/blueberries)
Sweet potatoes – at least ½ cup serving daily
Broccoli – eat ½ cup raw or 1 cup cooked daily
Tomatoes – One medium
Acai – look for quality juice
Beans – Eat two 1/2 cup servings a day of cooked or canned beans
Oats (steel-cut is the best) – Eat at least three servings of whole grains per day. A serving equals one cup cooked oatmeal, 1/2 cup uncooked rolled oats, or 1/4 cup steel-cut oats
Spinach – one cup cooked spinach or leafy green vegetable per day
Dark chocolate – Eat a one-ounce serving daily
Red wine or Concord grape juice 4oz – 1 glass daily
Green and white tea – up to 4 cups daily
Eat Healthy Fats
Olive
Extra virgin olive oil
Wild salmon (fresh, frozen, and canned)
Ground flaxseeds
Flaxseed oil
Walnuts
Herring
Sardines
Sablefish
Anchovies
Farmed oysters
Healthy Eating
In order to lose weight being consistent with healthy food intake will be necessary. There is no such thing as perfection and only progress. Take one day at a time and know there will be slip-ups. If you do get off track, let it go and make a better choice with your next meal. Food guilt only drags us down and prevents moving in a positive direction. Using the palm as your portion size, and eating every two to three hours is a great beginning to reaching your goal weight and adopting a healthy lifestyle. After a few weeks of eating properly you find that your body gets accustom to your new diet and you will lose those food cravings.
Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.
If you really want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books.
There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.
My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page.
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