How To Eat For Fat Loss: The Only 3 Things You Need To Learn And Do (with meal plan)

I read somewhere that weight loss is not about eating but about eating less.

Don’t let anyone deceive you.

Weight loss is about eating better and eating less

If what you eat doesn’t really matter, just the quantity, what happens when you eat cake and diet soda for breakfast, lunch and dinner 24/7, for 12 months?

 

The result will convince you that what you eat matter when you want to lose fat and maintain good health.

When I say eating less, I don’t mean starve yourself; I mean eat till you are pleasantly sated.

 

The next thing you need to do is to stop going on diets, except you have a health condition and your Doctor recommends a diet.

You really need to stop dieting. Here are my reasons:

• The moment you start one you become resentful. You feel as if it has taken over your life. Ask anyone that will give you an honest answer.
• Diets are hard to follow and make strange promises they can’t fulfill. Like “Go on our disappearing abs diet and lose 20 kg of belly fat in 7 days”
• Some of those diets and what you are expected to do and eat are unbelievable. They know you can’t follow through and blame you for your lack of result.
• They do nothing to teach you long term healthy nutrition and exercise habit for maintaining your weight loss and living a healthier lifestyle.

 So, after the 7 days, what happens? You go back to your old lifestyle because you were not prepared for a long term change and the vicious cycle of dieting is up.

Eating for fat loss may seem difficult at first but all you really need are 3 things

Know your calorie intake or learn portion control – Both of them work, but personally I prefer portion control because it is something you can easily measure wherever you are, because what you need to measure is always with you – your hands.

When you get the hang of it you may not need to keep measuring with your hands because you know what your food looks like on your plate.

How can you determine your calorie needs?

If you want to count calories and check your BMR then you can get more information here.

Most experts now agree that counting calories is not a guarantee for weight loss. It can take over your life and make you feel like a good person the day you count calories and a total failure the day you don’t.

Counting calories can stress you out and you have to agree that most times the calorie label can be inaccurate.

Most people underestimate the calories they take, anyway

But, what I’m talking about now is a very simple and effective method that does not have you solving math in your head when you should be eating.

I don’t ask my clients to count calorie, what I ask them to learn is this:

1. Learn about the Glycemic index: According to http://www.health.harvard.edu, the “Glycemic index is a value assigned to foods based on how slowly or how quickly those foods cause increases in blood glucose levels.”

(Learn more about the Glycemic Index in my next post)

2. Simply use your hand to measure your food
3. Observe healthy plate: Learn more here

Use this measurement  for your food, if you are a woman

 

Protein	Carbohydrate	Vegetable	Fat
1 palm sized or a deck of cards	1 cupped hand size or a computer mouse	1 fist sized or 1 cup	1 thumb sized or 1 teaspoon

 

For men double this size

Get a small plate and measure out these foods on a plate; take a moment to observe what it looks like. Once you know what your portions look like on a plate and in a cup, the moment you get there you will stop.

If you are still hungry, instead of going for more carbs, divide your protein portion or vegetable portion into 2 and eat.

It is recommended that you eat about 1400 calories each day.

But this will also depend on your body type and goal.  You can decide how you want to achieve this in a day.

You may decide to divide it into 300 calories for each meal and then 100 – 150 for your snacks

Here’s  a sample 1 day meal plan

 

BREAKFAST	LUNCH	DINNER	SNACK 100-150	SNACK 2

Eat more of seeds, fruits and vegetables, lean meats and dairy.Now that you know what your plate should look like, here are some tips

• Get more fiber from oatmeal and other plant based food.
• Be mindful of what you eat and listen to your body. Don’t eat till you become nauseous or because the food is there.
• Don’t wait till you’re ravenous before you eat. Seeing a plate of food that will normally satisfy you might send you into a hunger rage.
• Drink water first when you feel hunger pangs. Your body cannot differentiate between the 2. If you are still hungry after drinking water then eat something.
• Use smaller plates. This will not only help you reduce portion size but in time your body will recognize that this is what makes you feel full and will adjust.
• Above all, eat the food that you enjoy. If you are struggling with junk food, discovering, preparing and eating real foods the way you love them will help you to gradually turn your taste bud around to love healthier foods.

These are simple and effective steps that will help you achieve weight loss and health goal. It may take a little time but you will get visible and sustainable result.

And 1 more thing

7 days diet to lose 20 pounds or 15 kg? That’s not healthy.

I will love to hear from you. Leave your comments and questions below.