Diet Is Still Key to Weight Loss

 So, how important is your diet? Your diet is 80% of weight loss. Exercise is about 15% and the rest is your attitude.

Nutrition and weight loss go hand-in-hand, and it pretty much comes down to chemistry and math. Intake too much energy (calories), weight is gained while creating a caloric deficit stimulates weight loss. Everyone seems to be on the search for something quick and easy. Very Low-Calorie Diets (VLCDs) are popular but disregard possible health risks. Seems like a risky high dollar cost to shed unwanted pounds. I am a believer of eating “real” quality food to maintain a fit physique and at a cost saving. To start a healthy weight loss journey, review what you’re eating now in order to make changes promoting healthy weight loss which is no more than one to three pounds per week.

Time for a Lifestyle Change
Losing weight is a pretty straight forward process. It will require a nutrition lifestyle change together with regular exercise for best overall results.  So, what does that mean? It means that I lost 30 lbs. one year because of some crazy diet I was on, but after losing the weight I was still fat. Most of these websites don’t tell you that if you lose weight on their diet, say 20 pounds, only 4or 5 pounds will be fat. That’s one reason to avoid those weight loss programs and just do it yourself. You have to change your entire diet in order to lose fat.

The way I did it was to eat fresh healthy food and stop eating processed foods. Quality healthy food choices are important. If you’re eating processed foods, dining out, drinking alcohol and soda regularly, an immediate revision to those choices will need to happen. Start by keeping a food journal, write down what you’re eating and drinking. Studies show people who maintain a consistent food journal have the best weight loss success. The journal allows for accountability. You will learn and be able to repeat personal best weight loss weeks simply reviewing what has been recorded.

The Right Foods and Right Portions
Eating healthy should be enjoyable, taste fabulous and never a burden. Essential nutrients for weight loss include lean proteins, fiber, antioxidants and healthy fats. Understanding a portion size is what can fit in the palm of your hand further simplifies eating healthy without the need to continuously count calories. Normal hunger occurs every two to three hours so many people take advantage of nutrient timing. Eating several small meals per day keeps our metabolism boosted, promotes satiety and eliminates urges to binge on guilt laden food. Keeping the focus on consuming healthy foods will be the success in adopting a healthy lifestyle and reaching your goal weight.
Enjoy a Variety of Healthy Foods

Fortunately, there is a wide variety of healthy foods to satisfy the pickiest eater for weight loss and overall healthy lifestyle. Check out the examples of healthy foods below which can also be used as a ready-made grocery list:
Best Proteins

Lean Proteins (You’ll notice no red meat on the list)

Chicken Breast (boneless/skinless) – 3.5oz, 30g

Turkey – 7g protein per ounce

Tuna – 6oz, 40

Salmon – 3.5oz, 27g

Halibut – 4oz, 30g

Trout – 4oz, 28g

Sardines – 4oz, 10g

Eggs (high in EFA) – 1 large, 7g

Milk – 1 cup, 8g (1% or skim, if tolerated)

Cottage Cheese – 1/2 cup, 15g

Almonds 8g, Peanuts 9g, Cashews 5g – 1/4 cup

Peanut Butter – 2tbsp, 8g

Kefir – 14g per cup

Yogurt – 8-12g per cup

Tofu – ½ cup, 10g

Top Antioxidants

Blueberries – at least a fistful a day

All rich colored berries (strawberries/blackberries/raspberries/cranberries/blueberries)

Sweet potatoes – at least ½ cup serving daily

Broccoli – eat ½ cup raw or 1 cup cooked daily

Tomatoes – One medium

Acai – look for quality juice

Beans – Eat two 1/2 cup servings a day of cooked or canned beans

Oats (steel-cut is the best) – Eat at least three servings of whole grains per day. A serving equals one cup cooked oatmeal, 1/2 cup uncooked rolled oats or 1/4 cup steel-cut oats

Spinach – one cup cooked spinach or leafy green vegetable per day

Dark chocolate – Eat a one-ounce serving daily

Red wine or Concord grape juice 4oz – 1 glass daily

Green and white tea – up to 4 cups daily

Eat Healthy Fats

Olives

Extra virgin olive oil

Wild salmon (fresh, frozen and canned)

Ground flaxseeds

Flaxseed oil

Walnuts

Herring

Sardines

Sablefish

Anchovies

Farmed oysters

Healthy Eating

In order to lose weight being consistent with healthy food intake will be necessary. There is no such thing as perfection and only progress. Take one day at a time and know there will be slip-ups. If you do get off track, let it go and make a better choice with your next meal. Food guilt only drags us down and prevents moving in a positive direction. Using the palm as your portion size and eating every two to three hours is a great beginning to reaching your goal weight and adopting a healthy lifestyle (be more active).

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

If you really want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page.