Take a minute to list as many diets as you can, just one minute. I’ll wait….I bet you could have kept going. All of these diets will work if you’re in a calorie deficit. That’s right, any of them. Instead of asking which diet is the best for weight loss, you are better off asking yourself, “How am I willing to eat in order to optimize my health?” Take it even further and ponder, “How am I willing to eat for the rest of my life in order to optimize my health?”
If weight loss is a goal of yours, whether it’s to improve your health or to fit in your jeans, the only way to lose body fat is to be in a calorie deficit. The energy balance fact cannot be ignored. How you choose to be in a calorie deficit is up to you.
One of the fundamental questions to ask yourself is “Do I want to lose weight quickly, or am I willingly to lose weight slowly, but will the weight loss be sustainable over the long haul?” Since most of us have been on the weight loss roller coaster of yo yo dieting for years, I am guessing you are ready to get off that ride and find a diet that really works this time. Let’s take a look at a diet that does work, teaches you to keep the weight off, and allows you to have a great relationship with food.
Calories
Having a baseline of what you are currently eating is a great place to start. Just like your GPS tracker needs to know where you are beginning your route, you need to know where you are starting from. If your weight is currently holding steady, this is your current maintenance calories. If you know your weight has been going up, you know you are in a calorie surplus. Keeping track of your calories or the amount you are eating is also a great place to practice tracking before you go into a fat loss phase. The honesty required, along with the habit and skill of tracking will become easier over time.
There are lots of choices on how you track your food. Choose whatever method that you are most likely to follow through with and that give you the information most helpful. Use any of the free, online tracking apps to track your food. LoseIt! and MyFitnessPal are two simple apps to use. You can also use a spreadsheet and simply Google the calories. Maybe you just want to keep a food log on paper. You can even take pictures of everything you are eating to get a general idea. Many people that have a history disordered eating find tracking calories is a trigger for them. You can use a method that feels honest and supportive.
If you choose to track calories, start with a simple equation to find how many calories you can eat to lose weight. While working with a weight loss or nutrition coach will give you more specific guidance, simply taking your goal weight and multiplying by 12 can be a place to start for most people. Giveyourself a range around that number of 200 to even 500 calories. There you go, you have your calorie target to lose weight.
We’re not done though. Energy balance, AKA a calorie deficit, is needed, but let’s optimize your diet for fat loss a bit further.
Protein
Eating sufficient protein whether your goal is fat loss, achieving that toned look, or being able to do basic self-care movements when you are older, is a game changer. Protein is the only nutrient we consume that builds muscle. Protein keeps us full longer than other nutrients. Wait there’s more….Our body use more calories to break down and use protein than any other nutrient. As a pescatarian for almost 14 years (I eat fish and seafood, but not meat.) learning about protein and eating more protein was my biggest weight loss “hack.”
How much protein do you need? Trying to get .7g to 1g per pound of your goal weight (This is much easier than guessing what you lean body mass is in pounds.) will work. If your weight goal is 140 pounds, that is 98 grams to 140 grams of protein per day. It may seem like a lot at first, but eating more protein gets easier with time.
Fiber
Eating foods high in fiber also helps you feel full while trying to lose or maintain your weight. It also helps you, well, stay regular. A healthy, active digestion system is going to help you feel good, which is going to help make your daily movement easier. I also notice that the better I feel, the easier it is for me to make choices that keep me feeling good. How much fiber should you eat? The standard targets are 25g for women and about 28g for men. Personally, I recommend this as the minimum. If you do want to set your standard a bit higher, just take it slow to avoid stomach upset and other less pleasant effect. Another benefit of focusing on fiber is it will help you focus on more nutrient dense foods, such as fruits and vegetables. Other quality carbs, such as oatmeal and whole grain breads or cereals also add up those daily fiber grams quickly.What else should you eat regularly when losing weight? Eat foods you enjoy. You likely thought I was going to say nutrient dense foods, or something like grapefruit, or cabbage soup. I definitely could say a lot about the importance of filling up on whole foods that have less ingredients or are on the outside of the grocery store isles. I am assuming you already know those whole foods are recommended for overall health and to support a healthy weight. You also need to know it’s important to include foods you enjoy and foods you look forward to eating. You don’t need to avoid the birthday party of date night to have a healthy weight.
If you LOVE chocolate and peanut butter together, have it. I’m not saying eat five Nutty Bars. I am saying find one serving that you can include in your overall calorie range. Plan for it. Enjoy it. If you start to feel that familiar guilt, pause for moment. Acknowledge that pattern, then remind yourself you are fine. Even if you do go over your calorie range on date night, it’s not a big deal. Just make your plans for the next day to hit your target, while remembering how much your enjoyed yourself the night before.
The foods you need to eat to lose weight do not need to be complicated. Making even one of the changes here, eating in a sustainable calorie deficit, hitting your protein target, eating enough fiber, and removing the guilt from eating foods you enjoy will move you forward toward your weight loss and overall health goals.
Lots of love to you!