"What do I eat?" The most common question we get when our clients want to lose weight.
There’s a bonus at the end to help you not only lose weight, but to lose mainly body fat.
“Do I have to only eat chicken, broccoli and rice?!”
NO.
Start here.
Food is energy(calories). Yes, it’s protein, carbs, nutrients and all the other stuff.. but let’s keep it simple.
Food is energy and when you eat more energy than your body uses, it will store that energy to be used later as….
You guessed it, body fat.
If you keep eating the same amount of energy(calories), you won’t lose weight and likely gain more weight.
You have to eat less so your body can use up the stored energy(body fat).
It’s easy to over consume calories when food is highly processed.
For example,
1 cup of orange juice and 4 whole oranges have the same amount of calories.
Imagine how much space 4 oranges fill your stomach compared to 1 cup of juice.
And this is a healthy example!
Step 1: Fill your stomach
Start with foods that fill you up and has less calories
Water
Drink 1-2 cups of water 10-20 minutes before your meal, so you eat less during your meal.
Drink water between meals so you don’t mistake thirst for hunger and reach for snacks.
Drink water and zero/low calorie fluids rather than high calorie drinks like:
Juices and milk
Sugary coffee drinks
Soda, shakes, alcohol, energy drinks
Protein
Have a big portion of lean protein at each meal, like
Chicken, turkey, fish, eggs
Beef, lamb, bison, veal, goal, pork
It fills your stomach and takes longer to digest which leaves less room for high calorie foods.
Choose protein as a snack if you need (protein shake, jerky, eggs, some higher protein bar)
Fiber
After protein, include vegetables in your meals. Vegetables are our first category of fiber foods.
They are low in calories while also filling up your stomach.
Our second category of fiber foods are beans, fruits, potatoes, oats, nuts and seeds.
They do have fiber but also have higher carbs and fat content.
So it’s an added bonus if you can get your carbs and fat from these foods!
Step 2: Healthier Alternatives
Unless you deep fry your protein, drench your vegetables in oil or add sugar to your water..
The most common obstacles are carbs and fat.
Most highly processed foods are made up of carbs and fat.
I’ll admit, this mixture lights up your brain 10 times more than a slab of chicken breast…
And that’s exactly why it’s so easy to overeat!
Completely changing to natural, whole foods would be good!… but not realistic for many.
So start with healthier substitutes:
Baked vs fried chips
Lower calorie tortillas, breads, pitas
Lower calorie condiments (hot sauce for the win! Mustard is great too)
Lower calorie drinks, alcohols, desserts (yes I said desserts, we’re being realistic here)
Step 3: Stick to Meals
The final step is sticking to your main meals.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
If you eat with these steps, your meals should keep you full for 3-5 hours.
If you happen to need a snack because your schedule doesn’t perfectly line up…
‘Choose protein as a snack if you need (protein shake, jerky, eggs, some higher protein bar)’
You might be stuck on “drinks, alcohols, desserts” from step 2.
“You’re not allowed to consume this if you want to lose weight”
If you follow the 3 Steps:
Fill Your Stomach (with lower calories food)
Healthier Alternatives (for carbs and fat)
Stick to Meals
You should be eating less calories than before.
If you want to enjoy some “fun foods” like dessert.
Enjoy a small portion after lunch or dinner.
This is a simple starting point.
The next steps are finding an activity you enjoy and writing down everything you eat.
You can read about writing down what you eat and accountability when you’re ready for next big steps.
The bonus on ‘how to not only lose weight, but to lose mainly body fat’ is:
Prioritizing protein. Protein helps you maintain your lean body mass (everything on your body other than body fat) Which we covered in step one!
Strength training. You can start with a simple strength program like this or find a coach to help you start safely. Maintain and build muscle to raise your metabolism and keep your shape when the fat melts off!
Click that button below if you’d like some support, accountability and encouragement on your fitness journey!
