Nutritional Guidance in Preparation For Weight Loss

Emphasis:

• Vegetables, fruits and limited grains

• Includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts

• Limits saturated and trans fats, sodium, and added sugars

• Controlled portion sizes

CALORIES

To lose weight, most people need to reduce the number of calories they get from food and beverages (energy IN) and increase their physical activity (energy OUT).

For a weight loss of 1–1 ½ pounds per week, daily intake should be reduced by 500 to 750 calories.

• Eating plans that contain 1,200–1,500 calories each day will help most women lose weight safely.

• Eating plans that contain 1,500–1,800 calories each day are suitable for men and for women who weigh more or who exercise regularly.

Very low calorie diets of fewer than 1000 calories per day should not be used unless you are being monitored by a nutrition specialist. 

5 RULES

Rule #1 – Consistency Without Excuses

Write them down. The process of writing your excuses on paper allows you to step back and objectively see how silly they are by literally distancing yourself from. You are own biggest saboteur, so learning why you make excuses about your nutrition will zone in on the problems. Writing it slows you down whether if you're having this debate in your head, excuses start flying your way so fast and from so many directions often times you'll feel overwhelmed. Remember urges don't last forever and taking the time to jot down the excuse will immediately highlight why it is there in the first place.

Rule #2 – Meal Prepping

A busy schedule is one of the top reasons why people choose quick takeout meals, which are often calorie-laden and a contributor to expanding waistlines. Food prepping will help you save money, time, help with portion sizes, choosing healthier ingredients and will reduce stress as you avoid last minute decisions about what to eat, or rushed preparation. 

Rule #3 – Four Hour Rule Before Bed

An essential recommendation is to finish your last meal or snack 4 hours before sleep. Giving your body enough time to digest before sleep can reduce the chances of sleep disturbances from indigestion or discomfort and allows the body to focus on better sleep quality. The next day, it will improve your metabolism, heartburn, acid reflux and will help better control your blood glucose helping you feel fuller faster on subsequent meals. 

Rule #4 – You Can Feel Hungry and Uncomfortable and That's OK!

Going hungry all the time is not a sustainable weight-loss plan. However, Not every desire to eat comes from your body’s physical need for food. When you’re physically hungry, you’re happy to eat just about any nutritious meal. You can feel the urge to eat just out of habit, because you always eat at that time. You might have a very strong urge to eat, but this isn’t true physical hunger because you don’t actually need any nutrients. Often this “brain hunger” comes in the form of strong craving for a particular food (e.g. chocolate) and it won’t be satisfied by “just” eating a nutritious meal. Try letting yourself get physically hungry between meals. Don’t snack “in case you get hungry” later on; wait until you feel the physical sensation of hunger to eat something. When you feel hunger, don’t eat immediately. Stop and pay attention to it. The first time or two, write down how it feels physically. What’s the sensation in your stomach? Do you feel it anywhere else? Or is it actually "brain hunger" and not "body hunger" at all? 

Rule #5 – Hydration is Crucial 

Drinking enough water each day is crucial for many reasons: to regulate body temperature, keep joints lubricated, prevent infections, deliver nutrients to cells, and keep organs functioning properly. Being well-hydrated also improves sleep quality, cognition, and mood. Stay away from sugar-sweetened beverages when trying to stay hydrated. We are conditioned to expect high levels of sweetness in everything because we drink so much soda and fruit juice and other sugar-sweetened beverages which harm our health. The vast majority of your daily fluid intake should come from water. The National Academies of Medicine recommends a little over 11 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids a day for the average woman and almost 16 cups (3.7 liters) for men. 

Foods To Focus On

Lean meats (chicken, tenderloins) eggs, cruciferous and root vegetables, leafy greens, avocados, apples, berries, nuts and seeds, organic fish, shrimp, unripe bananas, raw oats, sauerkraut, legumes, chia Seeds, quinoa, brown rice, healthy soups. 

Food To Avoid 

Bakery products, chips, white pasta or white rice, Fruit juice, refined flours, sports & soft drinks, alcohol, fried foods, chocolates, cookies, biscuits and cakes, pizza, sandwiches, ice cream, milk beverages, unhealthy salad dressings, cheese, breakfast cereals, processed meat. 

Fruits and vegetables are high in fiber but low in calories, so eating them in place of higher calorie snacks may help with weight loss. Losing about 1–2 pounds per week is generally considered the quickest healthy weight loss rate.

High protein foods may be especially helpful for weight loss. Lean meat, fish, legumes are great sources of protein. But remember, to lose weight, you also need to make sure you’re eating fewer calories than your body burns.