There is much talk about comparing calorie counting to sensible nutrient ratio and what is the better option for fat loss. Most people mistake healthy options for low calorie options. Zoe Bingley-Pullin, Nutritionist and founder of the online food program Falling In Love With Food shares 20 small life changes that will help you on your weight loss journey.
In my opinion making sure your diet is packed full of the correct nutrients will not only help you lose body fat but will increase your overall health and is far more important than just counting calories..
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Making simple changes on a daily basis is the most successful way to improve body fat, health, energy leaves and motivation- permanently!!
1. Make a shopping list on Sunday or Monday morning, and buy the food you will require for your lunches and snacks for the week.
2. Keep a food diary so you can form consistent eating patterns
3. Drink 2L of liquid per day; water, herbal teas and/or freshly squeezed juice. Buy a 1.5L bottle of water and keep it at your desk.
4. Aim to eat small healthy meals every 3-4 hours, this will maintain an active metabolism and regulate your blood glucose levels. Try keeping fresh unsalted & raw nuts and seeds in your desk for a great vegetarian protein snack.
5. Eat a diet low in Saturated Fats, animal fat, dairy products, coconut milk, palm oil and ghee = increased LDL (bad cholesterol)
6. Cut out all Trans-Fatty Acids (hydrogenated fats): fried foods, heated fats/oils & hidden in some biscuits, cakes, bread, muffins, take-away, dried fruit & muesli/cereals = increased LDL (bad cholesterol) decreased HDL (good cholesterol)
7. Eat a diet high in Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’S); fish, avocado, extra virgin olive oil, canola oil, nuts and seeds (raw & unsalted), flaxseed seeds/oil and LSA, chia seeds = increase HDL (good cholesterol) decreased LDL (bad cholesterol)
8. Eat two servings of EFA’s per day, no trans-fatty acids and consume the saturated fats in the meat, chicken or seafood. 1 serving = 1tbsp of olive, flaxseed, canola oil, 150g fish, ¼ cup of nuts/seeds (raw & unsalted), ¼ of a avocado or 1tbsp LSA
9. Include a good source of meat or vegetarian protein with each meal. 1g of meat protein per kg of body weight e.g. 75kg = 75g of protein.
10. Eat a diet high in low GI carbohydrates such fruit, vegetables, full grained bread (Burgen, Vogel or Helga’s), legumes (lentils, chickpeas, all beans, brown rice, nuts and seeds), spelt or whole meal pasta and spelt or whole meal flour and low in high GI carbohydrates such as Jasmine rice, white flour, sugar, honey, white pasta, most breakfast cereals and breakfast bars
11. Aim to exercise 4-5 times per week for a minimum of 30 minutes. Remember anything is better than nothing.
12. Drink no more than 1 cup of coffee or 2 teas per day.
13. Drink no more than 10 units of alcohol per week 1unit = 100ml of wine, 1 middy or 30ml nip of spirits
14. Take a good quality daily multivitamin this will help make sure you are getting all you recommended daily allowance (RDA).
15. Aim to measure your body-fat % once a month. Scales do not give you a correct understanding of healthy weight loss. Healthy weight loss is approximately ½ a kg per week of fat. Losing weight fast can slow your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) = stationary metabolism
16. Avoid all fad diets they will often lose weight initially possibly because of water loss and muscle, and be aware of marketing.
17. Only trust the nutritional panel and ingredients list on foods not the advertising. Sugar no more than 10g per 100g, Saturated fat 4g per 100g, Sodium 250mg per 100g
18. Balance your sodium intake 1g per day. Use products such as Sea salt, herb salt, tamari soy sauce or miso paste as salt alternatives.
19. Make sure you are eating at least 40 grams of fibre every day; Psyllium husks, chia seeds, raw fruit, raw vegetable, grain, nuts and seeds
20. Take the time to stop and enjoy the food you are eating, this will assist digestion and enjoyment.
