It starts with a proper diet

The thought of dieting can be daunting. Many want to lose a few pounds but don’t know where to begin. Here are some simple steps you can make to achieve your weight loss goals.

1. Eat Breakfast: Breakfast is probably the most important meal of the day. It helps get your metabolism going and helps prevent cravings later in the day. Be sure to add protein and choose complex carbohydrates such as oatmeal.

   1. Example: 1 cup egg whites, 1/2 cup oats measured dry and half a banana

2. Eat every 2-3 hours: Aim for 4-6 smaller meals balanced with complex carbohydrates, protein and vegetables. This will help keep your insulin levels stable and prevent hunger dips which often leads to excess snacking. It is a good practice to have healthy foods already cooked and ready to eat.

   1. Example: 4 oz chicken breast, 5 oz yams, 1/2 salad

3. Avoid white sugar and white flour. This is a simple method you can use to choose your foods. Avoid processed foods such as sweets, breads, pastas, etc. Opt for complex carbohydrates such as rice, potatoes, yams, oats, and beans for your carbohydrate source.

4. Track your food in a diary: There are a few apps that track your food and analyze your macronutrient requirements such as MyFitnessPal. This is a free app which allows you to input your food and calculate your daily totals.

   1. PRO TIP: Plan your day ahead and enter your meals in advance with healthy foods.

5. Eliminate Alcohol: Alcohol is loaded with empty calories which is stored as body fat. A couple drinks can add calories up quickly, leaving you no nutritional value. We recommend completely eliminating booze from your diet but if you are unable too, opt for drinks low in sugar such as:

   1. Vodka, soda water and fresh lemon

   2. Limit your consumption to no more then 2 drinks

6. Nutrition Timing: Simply means consuming the majority of your carbohydrates around your most active part of the day and consuming more healthy fats with your proteins when you are less active.

   1. PRO TIP: Avoid combining fats with carbohydrates. It is best to pair proteins with carbohydrates earlier in the day and combining proteins with fats later in the day.

      1. Example of an evening meal: 1 cup salad, 4 oz chicken, 3 oz avocado

7. Eat according to your goals:

   1. If you want to increase muscle growth, it requires increasing your daily caloric intake. Clean foods with the proper balance of protein, fat and carbohydrates will help increase your lean mass. Generally 1-1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.

   2. If your goal is to decrease body weight, a caloric deficit is necessary.

8. Determining your bodies daily caloric expenditure

   1. There are great tools available such as a Fitbit, whoop strap, Oura ring, and smart watches that can calculate your daily caloric burn. Many of these devices also track your sleep, recovery and can provide great insight to your bodies bio feedback. Once you understand how much you burn daily or on average can assist you in honing down a diet that can help you reach your goals.