The following is packet of easy-to-follow ideas that we think will dramatically help your overall health, fitness, and weight loss. We do nutritional planning that goes DRAMATICALLY deeper than this, but that does have an additional cost. We don’t do meal plans, why? No one sticks with meal plans for more than a month or two. They aren’t sustainable.
Every Meal is…
We think that every meal can begin the same way. Simply pick one* protein, one vegetable, one smart carb, and one healthy source of fat. There are thousands of combinations to make and all kinds of different ingredients to use so you’ll never get tired of the same thing.
Now that you have chosen your four components, and before seasoning them how you like, you’ll need to have a good idea of HOW MUCH food you need. There are all kinds of ways but because everyone is built differently we think that portioning food based on your hand makes the most sense. For protein each serving is the size of your palm; vegetables, the size of your fist; carbs, a cupped palm; and fats, the size of the length of your thumb. Men will actually take these measurements and double them, whereas, women will simply use a single measurement per meal. We highly recommend eating vegetables with each meal!!
Did you know?
Food companies may use any of 5 different methods to estimate calories, so the FDA permits inaccuracies of up to 20%.
So “150 calories” actually means between 130-180 calories. That’s why we don’t value counting calories! In addition, counting calories absorbed can even change based on the type of foods you are eating or how you prepare those foods.
So, how do we approach losing weight?
The “mission impossible” is to try and start eliminating as many “bad” things as we can. This usually doesn’t work, we think that good diet often has more to do with eliminating deficiencies than beginning to eliminate types of food that we like. You can go to a dietitian or you can start to eat eat more of the protein-rich foods you prefer, drink more hydrating fluids, and take in more essential fats (through whole foods, fish oil, or algae oil).
When do I eat?
Timing is a big part of some diet plans. We are going to suggest that you work within what feels best for you. On heavy workout days, it is sometimes appropriate to add more carbs and on “off days” it is usually appropriate to cut back on carbs. We suggest eating one to two hours before working out and then having something with carbs in it directly after working out. Early morning students usually need to simply eat something after working out.
Helpful Hints
Remember:
- First, remove red flags and nutrient deficiencies.
- Control your calorie intake without counting calories.
- Consider your body type and activity level.
- Observe your progress carefully. Adjust your intake as needed.
- Do all of this consistently and long-term first, before adding any new strategies.
- Eat plenty of protein.
- Eat a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, quality carbs, and healthy fats.
- Eat slowly.
- Try to create healthy habits and use that as your building blocks.
Sleep!
The last major dietary advice we recommend is to GET SLEEP. There are virtually no studies suggesting that sleep deprivation aid in calorie burning and many that suggest a decreased mean of 5-20% calories burned without adequate sleep.