Eating healthy to lose weight can be tricky. You can choose to go low-carb, low-fat, low-calorie, avoid sugar, or eat in the zone. The problem with diets is that they are only a temporary solution. When it comes down to keeping the weight off you eventually have to adopt healthier eating habits so why not just begin your weight loss efforts with some simple healthy eating guidelines that guarantee you'll lose the weight and keep it off.
Try 10 Fruits & Vegetables A Day
Fruits and veggies are not only jam packed with disease fighting nutrients, but they are low calorie/low density foods that help you feel satisfied faster while controlling calorie intake and curbing overeating. 10 servings a day may sound like a lot but it adds up easily if you add two servings to three meals and two snacks. For example: 1 c of berries with your breakfast, 1 apple with your mid-morning snack, 1 c dark leafy greens w/ tomatoes and 1 orange with your lunch, 1 c carrots with your afternoon snack, ½ c steamed veggies and 1 banana with dinner. Just try it for one day and see how much less junk and processed food you have room for.
Eat The Right Fats
The latest research on fat suggests that really low-fat diets are not healthy and not working. Keeping your total fat intake under 30% of total calories is important but eating the right type of fats improves your good cholesterol levels, lowers your risk of heart disease and cancer, and helps you feel satisfied. Stick to good fats like: monosaturated fats found in olive oil, nuts, peanut butter, and avocado, polyunsaturated fats found in flaxseed, hemp, safflower, sesame, and sunflower oils, omega-3 fats found in cold-water living fish like salmon, herring, and mackerel. Limit bad fats including: artery clogging saturated fats and trans-fatty acids found in large amounts in stick-margarine, shortening, fried foods, bakery products, and packaged foods.
Add Lean Protein To Your Meals
In a recent study of overweight adolescents, kids who were fed 30% more daily calories in the form of protein lost twice as much body fat as those who were fed a high carb, low- fat, low-calorie diet. Protein is a natural fat burner because it helps you feel full and satisfied but most importantly it regulates your insulin response and prevents your body from storing too many calories as fat. Try to take in at least 40% of your daily calories from lean proteins like grilled chicken breasts, egg whites, fat-free cottage cheese, tuna packed in water, whole cooked beans, fat-free milk, lean cuts of meat, and protein shakes. If you’re working out hard with weights try to increase to at least .75g per lb of bodyweight. For example: A person who weighs 150 lb would calculate their intake by multiplying 150lb. x .75g = 112g a day of protein. Distribute that evenly throughout the day and it shouldn’t be too difficult to do.
Increase High Fiber Foods
Did you know that the average person could lose 9-10 pounds in one year just from doubling their fiber intake? A high fiber diet has many benefits. It helps keep your digestive tract working properly, helps prevent cardiovascular disease, some types of cancer, and diverticulosis, and it helps control insulin levels, which have a lot to do with fat storage. High fiber foods are also typically low calorie and very filling leaving less room for junk foods. The recommended intake is 25-35g of fiber a day but most people only get about a third of that. A great way to increase your fiber intake is to follow the 10 fruits and vegetables a day rule. One cup of blackberries or raspberries has 8g of fiber, an apple or pear has 4g, 1 c of carrots and broccoli has 4g. Other great sources include beans, high fiber cereals, potatoes, and hummus.
Stick to Good Carbs
Carbs are a great source of energy especially for those who exercise regularly as part of their weightloss program. The trick with carbs is to stick to quality carbs and limit or avoid processed carbs that typically contain tons of sugar and hydrogenated fats (trans-fatty acids discussed in the fat section). Good sources of carbs include: oatmeal, grits, brown rice, sweet potatoes, beans, spinach pasta, and breads made from whole grains like barley, bulgur, kasha, millet, quinoa, and oats. Certain cereals with a higher fiber content are also o.k.
Cut Beverage Calories
This is the only area where slashing calories to the bare minimum is encouraged. Most beverages can contain all kinds of hidden calories in the form of sugar. A few examples below show how you can easily cut 200 calories a day by just sticking to water.
Jamba Juice Berry Lime Sublime 24oz 427 cal. 3g fat 3g prot. 103g carbs
Starbucks Chai Latte Nonfat Milk 16 oz 211 cal. 0.7g fat 14g prot. 37g carbs
V8 Splash Tropical Blend 16oz 220 cal.
In addition to having zero calories water acts as a natural appetite suppressant by keeping your stomach full and fending off dehydration which can lead to false cravings and hunger. Most importantly water helps your body metabolize stored fat by helping the kidney´s flush out waste. If you’re not that crazy about water you can try unsweetened iced tea or add a raspberry or lime electrolyte packet to your water for some flavor.
Eating healthy is a great way to lose weight and stay lean. Make small changes that you can live with on a daily basis. When you master one aspect of your diet move on to the next. This will make the whole transition much easier. Transition into healthy eating the easy way with a healthy recipes cookbook like The Simple Art of EatingWell: 400 Easy Recipes, Tips and Techniques for Delicious, Healthy Meals (EatingWell)
