Today, I’m going to give you three main ingredients that comprise the healthiest diet plan to lose weight. There are many weight loss programs out there, and in this article I’m equipping you with the information that you’ll need to choose the right one.
Truthfully, many diet programs will give you some positive weight loss results. However, it is super important not to sacrifice your health in the name of losing weight. This holds especially true for body transformation and permanent weight loss. It’s very easy to drop 20 pounds quickly, but it’s another thing to develop eating habits that will last a lifetime keep you healthy in the process.
What Makes A Solid Diet Plan In General?
Whenever you were looking adopting a weight-loss program, or any other nutrition program, it’s super important that you ensure all of your macronutrient and micronutrient needs are being met each day.
One of them main fads out there right now in the diet and weight loss world is to eliminate certain food groups a.k.a. keto or low-carb dieting. I’m not saying that you can’t lose weight on the ketogenic diet. In fact, there is a lot of science the advocates low-carb eating. This holds especially to for populations that are insulin resistant. You will definitely want to consult your physician prior to starting any of these type of diets.
With any weight loss diet be sure that you’re still getting plenty of nutrition as you reduce the number of carbohydrates, calories, etc. If you’ve decided that a diet like Keto is a good fit for your lifestyle, then you may want to have a nutritional insurance policy. Invest in a good quality multivitamin supplement in case you run short on some nutrients when cutting out certain food groups.
I don’t mean to bag on the Ketogenic Diet. I actually Lost about 20 pounds practicing a ketogenic eating habit for 2 to 3 months. I found it to be somewhat enjoyable. It didn’t work out for me in the long run, because of logistics in my life as a firefighter. At times, I had a very high energy demand and really needed to carbohydrates for fuel. Also, my family was not eating the same way so it became very cumbersome as far as eating with the family and social events as you can imagine.
It’s good rule of thumb for healthy weight loss, is to eat as much food from whole natural sources as possible. There’s a rule of thumb stating that the ingredients’ lists should have five or fewer items on them. But, the best policy is choosing foods that have zero ingredients on the list at all. These are foods in their natural state. For example, choose whole fruits, vegetables, and meats when you’re shopping.
A solid diet plan for losing weight will include all of the food groups. And there are so many that you have to choose from.
Let’s Hear What The FDA Has To Say
As I mentioned, you’ll want to be sure that all of the food groups are included. According to the FDA it is recommended that everyone includes the following food groups in their daily nutrition habit:
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Protein
- Grains
- Dairy
With regards to dairy, that recommendation is obviously assuming that you are not lactose intolerant. Also, the FDA has recommendations to accommodate vegetarian and vegan eating styles.
How much of each food group should you eat?
All of these values are FDA recommendations for average adults.
- Fruits: 2 cups per day (apples, bananas, grapes, berries, etc)
- Vegetables: 3 cups per day ( broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, peas, squash)
- Protein: 6 oz per day of meats or the equivalent in legumes or soy products (chicken, beef, fish, seafood, Tofu, pinto beans)
- Grains: 4 oz per day (oatmeal, beans, rice, pasta, whole wheat bread)
- ***Dairy: 3 cups per day (milk, cottage cheese, yogurt)
*** I’m gonna give you my opinion on the dairy recommendation. There is a lot of politics involved with the creation of the FDA recommendations. I think that dairy is not necessary for healthy adults. We just need to be sure we’re getting all of our micro nutrients (Vit. D, Calcium) through other food sources or a quality vitamin supplement. Milk is high in sugar which is not very healthy IMO. Also, dairy is high in caloric density meaning you can’t consume much of it while losing weight. And, the high sugar content contributes to insulin resistance and diabetes. Americans are getting more than enough sugar!
My dairy rant aside, the FDA recommendations are the backbone of a healthy eating lifestyle that is sustainable for a lifetime. Plus, including plenty of fruits and veggies in any weight loss plan has the added benefit of keeping you fuller as your calorie consumption decreases.
Let’s Talk Macros & Micros
Another key component of a healthy weight loss eating plan is to get all of you needed micronutrients daily. If you’re including all of the food groups as recommended by the FDA, then you should be getting all of the micronutrients you need on a daily basis.
However, I understand that we all have lives, and don’t always have the time, energy, or resources available to get all the different servings of every food group, every day. Also, we live in a world where some of the foods we eat are depleted of some of the valuable vitamins and minerals we need to be healthy and lose weight.
I don’t take a bunch of weight loss supplements. In fact, I’ve got whole article dedicated just for that particular topic. I do regularly take a good quality vitamin supplement – Athletic Greens. I also supplement my diet with a quality protein powder to get my desired amount of protein intake daily. That’s it.
I’m like most of us. I have a hectic schedule at times, and don’t always get the proper amounts of micronutrients through my normal eating. I do eat healthy on a regular basis, and the Athletic Greens fills in the gaps where I may be missing the mark on my micronutrient intake.
Plus, it’s really hard to track and quantify how many vitamins and minerals I’m actually consuming…nearly impossible to quantify it. So, the vitamin supplement is my insurance policy there.
How many micronutrients do you need?
I usually just default to the RDA for those amounts. Again, it’s impossible to practically track this stuff anyway. Do your best to eat a variety of foods from all the different food groups, and for added insurance take a vitamin supplement. That way you’re covered for sure.
The Magical Piece To The Diet Puzzle Everyone Misses
In this article I’ve given you the key ingredients to a healthy diet plan for losing weight. And, now I’m gonna give you the magic piece of the puzzle so many people miss. No matter what diet program or method you choose to lose weight, they all have one thing in common…they all create a caloric deficit.
The ONLY way to burn fat and lose weight is by creating a caloric deficit, period. You must use more energy (calories) than you consume on a regular basis. If you do that, then the body will utilize fat cells to fuel the body. If you eat mo re than you burn, your body stores the extra energy as fat. Losing weight is really that simple. Simple, but not always easy.
Follow the recommendations here for a healthy diet plan, and simply consume fewer calories than you burn daily. That is the best way to lose weight and be healthy for a lifetime. If you’re looking for a magic bullet, I’m sorry. It doesn’t exist. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be that hard either. In fact, the best diet plan to lose weight is the one you enjoy and follow on a consistent basis.
Conclusion
Now that you know the key components for a healthy weight loss diet plan, you’ll wanna choose the right plan for you. The right plan is healthy, and it’s the one you consistently follow.
If you need help choosing one, or just have further questions, be sure to leave a comment ok?