Our nutrition is 80% of the equation when it comes to weight loss!
Sure you can lose weight by adding fitness and eating the same foods because you are now burning more calories than you did before so a logical change is that the number on the scale goes down! Now replace a meal with any old protein drink and you will probably see more of a change. There is a point though that you will need to do a more thorough overhaul of your diet! (by diet I don't mean a short term quick fix meal plan, I mean what you eat EVERY day! Diet is defined as "the sort of foods one habitually eats.")
I have said it before and I will say it again (much to the chagrin of most dieticians), a Calorie is NOT a Calorie and it is NOT a basic numbers game! If you have calculated that you can consume 1500 calories a day based on your height, weight and workout level to lose 1 pound a week you still need to be sensible about what makes up those 1500 calories if you are looking for longterm success... ie. a lifestyle change to match your desired goals! Sure you can pick up 100 calorie packs of cookies, crackers, cheese sticks, yogurt and processed foods and eat 15 of them but that is not living! You need to learn how to eat and yes, you can enjoy healthy choices! Instead of the 100 calorie packs, opt for fruits and vegetables, salads and lean proteins, unrefined carbs and even nuts! Your foods should be nutrient dense, not have a lot of ingredients and not be packaged to sit on the shelf for years. What ingredient should you be most leery of? Added sugar! Yes, there is sugar in fruit but it is naturally occurring and when eaten as fresh fruit vs juice or dried fruit, you are also getting a lot of important fiber, water and nutrition.
There are so many RULES out there that is it easy to get confused and thrown off course. There are ways to keep it simple.
- Cut the added sugar!
- Cut the refined carbs (white flour, white bread, white rice, white pasta)!
- Eat LOTS of veggies... try new ones and find the ones you enjoy. You don't need to just steam them, add 1/2 tbsp oil to a pan + 1 minced clove of garlic, throw in your veggies and stir them around... add some liquid- just enough to create some steam (veggie/chicken stock or water), plus a splash of Braggs aminos or soy sauce or a grind of seasoning... cover and steam for a few minutes, toss then serve!
- Have cut veggies and fruit in your refrigerator ready to go. If you need an extra nibble after a meal then nibble on these rather than a cookie or a chip!
- Drink lots of water. Even this is debated! If you don't like plain water then add lemon juice, but drink it! It helps you feel more full. Water makes up almost 60% of our bodies and 83% of our blood... we die of thirst before we die of starvation! Water is the usable liquid and it is calorie free! Don't spend money on fancy water, look for sweeteners in flavored water, just get a filter of some sort and drink from your tap... in a recyclable container for maximum benefit to everyone :)
- Make sure you are getting ample nutrition! Multivitamins are great, just make sure it is of a quality that your body will actually be able to use the vitamins! Beachbody has a great line of nutrition products including vitamins, a wide variety of supplements and Shakeology. I know that by drinking Shakeology daily I am more than meeting my nutritional needs. I also like to add an Omega-3 and calcium. Yes Shakeology is $4/ serving but check out this video link to learn why it is so more MORE than any old protein shake!
Take a look at this informative video -
