Nutrition guide

What does a healthy diet look like for weight loss? What types of foods should be excluded from the diet for PP, how much protein, carbohydrates and fats should you eat daily?

Basics and rules of healthy eating

healthy food

For best results, especially if you are just starting a healthy lifestyle, you can follow the MyPlate method. That is, you divide each meal into 5 food groups. Read more about them.

Protein

Protein should ideally make up about 20 percent of your total daily calories.

How much protein should you eat?

You should consume about 0. 8 to 1. 2 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day. You should try to reduce this amount to all meals and snacks throughout the day, instead of turning them into one or two meals. Protein is especially important if you are trying to achieve weight loss by building fat in your body. The fact is that it takes more energy to break down and digest protein than any other macronutrient, resulting in higher calorie expenditure.

Cereals

Cereals often have a bad reputation because most grain-containing foods today are industrially processed and converted into fast carbohydrates, such as sweet cereals and white bread. If you choose unprocessed grains and grains, you will immediately receive all the benefits of cereals: energy, vitamins and minerals necessary for the proper functioning of the body.

How many cereals do you need?

You need about six servings of cereal or 170 grams a day. A slice of bread and half a cup of cooked rice or pasta is considered a portion. At least half of your portions should be whole grains.

Fruit

What else should you include in your diet for weight loss? Fruit. Even the fact that fruits contain sugar, especially fructose, is not a problem if you do not exceed your daily calorie intake. Your body needs fructose to stay healthy. So, fruits are naturally sweet, which means that they can satisfy your craving for sugar if you do not want to eat chocolates at night.

How much fruit do you need?

You should consume about two servings a day. A whole apple, orange or banana counts as one serving.

Which fruits should you choose?

You should eat mostly fresh fruit and limit your intake of fruit juices and processed foods, such as apple sauce (unless you made it yourself).

Vegetables

If you really want to learn how to eat right to lose weight, just remember vegetables - your new best friend. They are rich in fiber, which is beneficial for your digestive system. They are also low in calories and satiety, so you can eat more vegetables than other foods and consume fewer calories at the same time, ultimately leading to quality weight loss.

How many vegetables should you eat?

You need three to four servings.

Which vegetables to choose?

Try to eat lots of dark green leafy vegetables like spinach, cabbage, broccoli and asparagus. Starchy vegetables like potatoes are also beneficial. Cooking vegetables (it does not boil, as it flushes out all the nutrients) is a way to improve the taste if you do not like to eat raw.

Dairy products

We consume dairy products due to the high amount of vitamins and minerals. These are foods high in protein, so a snack like cottage cheese is ideal if you need to eat something before the next full meal. Since dairy products are generally a great source of protein, they are also part of a weight loss package.

How many dairy products do you need?

Approximately, you need about three servings of dairy products each day. A cup of milk or yogurt counts as one serving

What if you can not / do not want to consume dairy products?

Dairy products are not in themselves, but their nutrients are important for a healthy diet. So, if you can not eat dairy due to lactose intolerance or intolerance, or just do not like it, there are other possible ways to get these essential vitamins and minerals and still have great results.

  • Broccoli, cabbage, figs and oranges are rich in calcium.
  • Dark green leafy vegetables (cabbage, broccoli), tomatoes and citrus fruits contain vitamin C.
  • Minerals such as phosphorus, magnesium and iron are found in many other foods you already eat.
  • You can also take a daily multivitamin to fill all these micronutrient gaps.

What about fat?

Fats and oils are no longer technically a separate group of foods. During the diet, it is possible to automatically consume the fats you need to stay healthy.

And where can I get fat?

If you eat a healthy variety of foods, you should get all the healthy fats you need. But 30% of your daily calories should not come from fat.

The truth about carbs

You may have heard by now that not all carbohydrates (sugars) are bad. When you see experts talking about how bad sugar is for you, they usually talk about adding sugar. This sugar is added to our food during processing for various reasons and should be limited, if not excluded.

However, carbohydrates found in cereals, fruits, vegetables and dairy products are not harmful in moderation. You should not be intimidated by this type of sugar. In your body, it is converted into energy that you need to stay healthy.

How many calories should I consume per day?

How many calories should you consume

Now that you know how to eat well for weight loss, you are probably still wondering how many calories you can eat a day. Technically, you do not need to count calories if you do not want to. The standard for men and women is 2000 kcal. You can calculate your calorie needs if you really want to know and monitor them on a daily basis, but it all depends on what you eat and how active you are. Instead, divert your thinking to good things in life, such as eating habits and portion sizes.

Calculate daily calorie intake for weight loss

To find out how many calories you need per day, you can use one of the calorie counting formulas. The most commonly used formula is Tom Venut. Looks like this:

Men: 66 + (13, 7 x body weight) + (5 x height in cm) - (6, 8 x age in years)

Women: 665+ (9, 6 x body weight) + (1, 8 x height in cm) - (4, 7 x age in years)

The result is multiplied by the physical activity factor:

  • Sedentary work, sedentary lifestyle: 1. 2
  • Average stress level (morning exercises 3 times a week) 1, 38
  • Heavy loads 1, 56
  • Very heavy load1, 73
  • Real extreme (you will not be able to carry it so much, do not think about it. 1. 9

But if you start to have questions like "Why can't you lose weight? " In this case, it is better to calculate your daily calorie intake and create a menu based on the data obtained. It is especially important to know the calorie content of the diet, when the weight has stopped after achieving certain results, then it will be easier to cut the diet with another 500 calories and continue to lose weight.

One serving is:

  • 100-150 grams of vegetables (the size of your fist);
  • 150 ml of dairy products;
  • 120 g of meat or fish (about the size of a palm? )
  • 1 teaspoon of licorice oil?
  • 12 grapes?
  • 1 apple, banana, orange or pear?
  • 1/2 mango or grapefruit?
  • 1/4 avocado.

Watch your balance

To lose weight without compromising health and maintaining good health, harmony, the body needs to get enough protein, fat and carbohydrates. Approximate proportions - 75 g protein: 60 g fat: 250 g carbohydrates: 30 g fiber. Protein-rich foods are sources of amino acids for building muscle fibers, maintaining healthy skin, hair, nails, fats for the proper functioning of the brain and nervous system, as well as for the skin, and carbohydrates are a source of energy.

Is meal time important?

Optional. Facilitate yourself and eat when you are hungry, even if it is just a snack. If you prefer to eat six small meals a day instead of three large meals a day, do it. If you like to fool yourself every few hours, then it is enough to eat 3 times a day at a convenient time. Just do not skip meals (you will end up eating, but somewhere at night and sabotaging potential quality results). Nutrition is important, but not in terms of time, but in terms of quality.

Menu and meal planning

Eat plenty of complete and balanced meals each day while maintaining a healthy diet. The secret is to eat different foods. Here is a sample menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner to help you get started planning your meals.

Daily bulletin:

Breakfast

  • Lean Greek yogurt or oatmeal with fruit and granola
  • Half bun with low-fat cream cheese

Lunch

  • 2 types of shawarma (tortilla, beef, lettuce, guamol, sour cream)
  • 1 bowl of cooked brown rice with beans

Dinner

  • Small salad (lettuce, red onion, tomato, cheese, Italian sauce)
  • Grilled chicken breast
  • 1 bowl of green beans
  • Baked potatoes with cheese

Snack ideas

  • Celery and nut butter
  • Fresh vegetables with hummus
  • Fruit slices and whipped cream
  • Applesauce
  • Pretzel
  • Dried fruits
  • Nuts
  • Tortilla and salsa
  • Pickled cucumbers

Shopping list

Here are some examples of healthy foods you can buy at your local grocery store. Knowing which foods to buy is part of the weight loss package.

Healthy eating:

  • Meat (steak, pork, beef)
  • Fish and shellfish
  • Eggs
  • Nuts and seeds
  • Cereals
  • Wholemeal pasta
  • Brown rice
  • Buckwheat
  • Wholemeal bread
  • Greek yogurt
  • Cheese
  • Milk or soy milk
  • Avocado
  • Fatty fish such as salmon
  • Nuts
  • Fat yogurt

Healthy Eating Design Guide for Beginners

Meal planning

Planning meals is one of the simplest and most beneficial things you can do to achieve weight loss results through a healthy diet. Whether it's a day or a week, it's up to you. A well-designed diet not only gives us the opportunity to lose weight, but is also convenient when all foods are resolved in advance. When the ingredients for a tasty and healthy dish await us at home, it becomes easier to avoid buying something harmful.

1. How many meals do you need?

First, let's think about our plans and the plans of our loved ones for the week. From here we can get a general idea of ​​how many meals we need. This could be, for example: six breakfasts for everyone, five family dinners, a four-course meal and an afternoon snack.

2. How long will you need to cook?

This is a very important element of effective meal planning and is often overlooked or forgotten. You can make as many designs as you want, but if you do not have enough time to complete them, then what is their use? With that in mind, expand your list of prepared dinners and meals. This means that you should first get acquainted with the dishes that you will prepare - the more information you will find about them, the easier it will be to find dishes that easily fit into your schedule.

If you have a hard week ahead of you, consider fast food, reheatable meals, or quick pre-cooked meals. After all, we do not want to waste time cooking, we do it five times a day. Having worked as a cook once, you can instantly cook many dishes that will be eaten throughout the week. For example, make one chili or fry two chickens at a time, so that it is enough for both dinner today and the next. In addition, it will be a delicious and healthy addition to sandwiches and salads.

3. Selection and program of dishes

Using your list, select meals that fit organically into your schedule. Also, check out your loved ones' favorite foods or refer to a recipe book. You also need to consider the time of year, what is being sold now from seasonal vegetables and what everyone would like to eat. When planning, you must also remember the expiration date of the products. For example, fish dishes should be cooked within one to two days after the purchase of fish, while frozen or dry food can be prepared later.

You also need to be able to use all the ingredients wisely so that you do not have to throw anything away. This way you can save time and money. If you want to eat better and spend less money, then buy seasonal products and look for products with discounts and offers.

Create a list of top recipes. Having a meal list that suits you and your family is one of the easiest ways to plan and streamline your meal planning process. Whenever you find a recipe for a dish you like, put it on this list. You can also keep recipes in your gym. This will not only help you with your diet, but also make it easier to plan your meals.

4. Enter everything in the calendar

It does not matter which calendar you use, either on your computer screen or on the wall. But it is always best to keep a hard copy of your diary in plain view. It usually hangs in the fridge. When the design of today's dishes is visible, then we become more responsible for their preparation. Also, your family will not constantly ask, "What's for dinner today? " They can just look at the calendar.

If you prefer a digital calendar, you can create a meal plan for your phone and share this menu with friends and relatives.

5. Create shopping lists

This is best done at the same time as completing the calendar. Remember to write down the quantities of each product you need and also check how much you have left so that you do not accidentally buy too much. You can save time by sorting the products on the list into groups as they appear in the store. For many supermarkets this is:

  • Fruits and vegetables
  • Bread and cereals
  • Spices and baking products
  • Oils
  • Crackers
  • Drinks
  • Dairy products
  • Meat and eggs

6. Preparing and preparing meals

Cut vegetables, grill cheese, make sauces - just prepare what we can in advance. You can even count spices, boil potatoes or fry vegetables.

Meal planning not only puts us in a privileged position to achieve a healthy diet, but also saves a ton of time as we can prepare ingredients while you have free time.