The first place that we should look at is the food groups that we are eating daily. To ensure healthy weight loss of around 1-2lbs per week, we want to be eating starchy carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables, healthy fats, and lean sources of protein like eggs, fish and nuts. Some of these foods are known as super foods and contain many vitamins and minerals which are essential for the body and help aid weight loss.
There are only 3 main food groups, carbohydrates, fats and protein. We do have micronutrients, but that is a whole other subject. We need to make sure that approximately 60% of the foods that we are eating are carbohydrates. Carbs are the primary source of fuel and energy for the body, so we need to make sure the body has enough energy for everyday activities. There should only be minimal fat from the foods that we are eating and the remaining will be protein, which will provide essential nutrients for growth and recovery.
So now we have established what the food groups are, we can now look at out "diet" to see what ration of food we are consuming in regards to food groups. This is important because we can identify if we are eating too many calorie dense foods which are high in saturated fat, or if we are lacking nutritional value from any of the food groups.
The best way to go about this is to simply create a food dairy. This can be a simple word planer or you could opt for a smart phone app, the choice is yours, but this has to be the first real step to keep track of what you are eating. A good practice is to plan your week ahead and divide up the foods that you purchase into the given food groups so that you can align your grocery list with foods that give you nutritional value and will help aid weight loss. This is very manageable with a little bit of planning.
Alternatively instead of writing down every food that you eat daily during the week, you could take pictures of the food that you eat and shoot a picture of the food label so that nutritional value and calories are recorded without writing things down. This is a good strategy for busy people.
Many studies have found that people who take pictures of the foods they are eating as a way of recording and tracking food intake found it easier to reduce and remove many of the unhealthy food choices that were on their diets. It is very easy to see how this works, not many people will be very enthusiastic about taking a picture of a greasy cheese burger and chips, over a healthy salad. This theory works well and saves time. It is all a matter of choice.
The next thing to look at would be the liquid drinks that you have daily and in the week. This is important as far too many people drink far too many sugary and carbonated drinks that have almost no nutritional value in them at all. These types of drinks are loaded with calories that will do no benefit to your waistline.
To lose weight we need to ensure that the right types of liquid drinks are in our diets. You should be looking to swap carbonated drinks and alcohol with pure clean water and health drinks like smoothies and shakes for added variety. Water can play a very vital role in any weight loss plan, and is especially important if there is no exercise in a person's lifestyle.
Water is a big player in these kinds of eating plans, because water will often fill the gap of hunger. If water is taken with a meal, there is less chance of over eating and thus reduces the chance of weight gain. Water will also help with the process of digestion and also flush out unhealthy toxins from the body to ensure a clean inside.
As mentioned the best way to add variety with drinks in a healthy eating plan is to throw a few smoothies into the mix. These are a great addition because you can get the much needed 5 fruit and vegetables a day and also they are a time saver. Many people struggle to get enough fruit and vegetables a day into their diets, smoothies provide the ideal solution.
The typical recommendation for healthy weight loss is about 1-2lbs per week. You should not look to lose any more than this. This is very manageable without starving the body of needed nutrients. To lose a pound a weigh per week, you need to reduce 3,500 calories from the diet that you have. This works out at a calorie reduction of 500 a day to keep in the healthy range.
Another common problem that many people face in today is that they are sitting around for long period of time in the work place. This can make it tricky to keep to a healthy eating plan without cheating. It has been proven in many studies that people who sit around for long periods of time eat more generally than people that don't. In this case, try to stand up and walk around whenever possible. A few other ways keep the weight from piling on, are to use the stairs instead of the elevator, walk instead of using the car, and walk the dog more often.
Overall the diet is the most important aspect of a weight loss plan, and since we are not exercising or training, this is especially important. It will take a bit of careful planning and commitment to get into the habit of recording the foods that you eat on a daily basis, but within a few short weeks, it will become a regular habit.
