We’ve heard the phrases; “You can’t outrun a bad fork” or “Abs are made in the kitchen but maintained in the gym” or “80% diet and 20% fitness” and so forth. That just all sums it up to say a healthy lifestyle begins in the kitchen and clean eating is the key to weight loss and a healthy lifestyle in general. The key points to keep in mind about nutrition are;
– NUTRITION IS QUEEN AND FITNESS IS KING. SUCCESSFUL WEIGHT LOSS RESULTS IN ABOUT 80% DIET AND 20% FITNESS. MACRONUTRIENTS (CARBOHYDRATES, PROTEINS, AND FATS) AND MICRONUTRIENTS (VITAMINS AND MINERALS).
– BE STRATEGIC ABOUT CARBS: CUT BACK ON SIMPLE CARBS AND EAT MORE COMPLEX CARBS, LEAN PROTEIN, AND HEALTHY FATS. TO REPLENISH YOUR MUSCLES AFTER A WORKOUT, HAVE SOME COMPLEX CARBS COMBINED WITH LEAN PROTEIN.
– EAT FAT TO BLAST FAT/MUFAS: HEALTHY FATS (NUTS, AVOCADO AND OLIVE OILS) KEEP YOUR INSULIN LEVELS STEADY, WHICH LETS YOUR BODY BURN OFF THE FAT YOU EAT AS WELL AS THE EXTRA STORED IN YOUR CELLS.
MEAL PREPPING AND CALORIE/PORTION CONTROL
In order to be successful in your weight loss journey, you must first understand what calories are… A calorie is a unit of energy that is used to measure the amount of energy stored in food. Meaning our bodies require energy to breathe, move, pump blood and more! And where does your body gets this energy from? Food. The number of calories in a food item is a measure of how much potential energy that food has.
The general rule is that if you eat more calories than you use, you’ll gain weight. And if you take in fewer calories than you use, you’ll lose weight. It seems simple, but the number of calories you need to lose weight, maintain weight, or gain lean muscle mass depends on your activity levels, body size, hormones, sleep, and more. It’s also important to remember that, when it comes to cutting calories for weight loss, lower is not always better. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, your calories should never dip below 1,200. That’s because most women, unless they are very small, will burn more calories than that doing literally nothing and by doing that you could shock your body into starvation mode; which slows down your metabolism, decreases your muscle mass, and will likely keep you from absorbing the nutrients you need to sustain daily activity. According to the Dietary Guidelines, women should aim for 1,800 to 2,400 calories daily. Again, this will vary based on age and activity level. For a more precise number, start by calculating your basal metabolic rate referred to as your BMR. BMR is the minimum number of calories your body burns at rest. Your BMR accounts for 60% to 75% of your total daily calorie burn. There are couple formulas out there but in this example, I will be using the Mifflin-St. Jeor formula:
For women, BMR = (10 x weight in kg) + (6.25 x height in cm) – (5 x age in years) – 161.
For Men, BMR = (10 x weight in kg) + (6.25 x height in cm) – (5 x age in years) + 5.
Here are some key points to keep in mind about meal prepping;
– COOK MORE: PORTION DISTORTION IS ONE OF THE LEADING CAUSES OF WEIGHT GAIN AND OBESITY. AT LEAST 50 % OF THE POPULATION DINES OUT MORE THAN ONCE A WEEK, IT’S FAIR TO SAY THAT MOST OF US DON’T DO SO WELL WITH EATING CORRECT PORTION SIZES.
– MONITOR YOUR INTAKE BY MEAL PREPPING: EATING SMALLER PORTIONS WILL HELP CUT CALORIES AND LIKELY LEAD TO WEIGHT LOSS, BUT IF YOU’RE NOT GETTING ENOUGH VEGGIES, FRUIT, LEAN MEAT, AND WHOLE GRAINS, SPLITTING YOUR MEAL IN HALF WILL JUST LEAVE YOU UNDERNOURISHED AND HUNGRY. TRAIN YOUR MIND, TRAIN YOUR PALATE AND YOUR BODY WILL FOLLOW.
– FOOD DIARY AND COOKING METHODS: WRITING EVERYTHING DOWN WILL HELP PINPOINT UNHEALTHY HABITS AND SQUASH THEM ONE AT A TIME. ALSO, USE SALT ALTERNATIVES LIKE CITRUS FRUITS, HERBS AND SALT-FREE SEASONINGS REGARDLESS OF YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE STATUS.