Weight gain doesn’t happen overnight, neither does weight loss.
The physiological process of our body losing weight isn’t a difficult one. It’s very complicated, but not difficult.
What’s difficult is making the right choices, the right food choices. Eating appropriately and in a way that contributes to weight loss.
It’s what you’re eating, regularly and consistently, that ultimately determines your success.
If you want to lose weight, you must eat the right foods.
Keeping It Simple
There’s about a million different healthy cook books and recipes out there readily accessible for your reading pleasure and consumption. I highly encourage taking full advantage of these books and recipes ONLY if you will honestly prepare and cook these foods. They take time and effort, and if that’s not your thing, don’t use them.
The only meal my girlfriend, Kristen, and I cook at the house is typically dinner, which we keep fairly simple.
No one knows your schedule, what works, what you like, and don’t like better than you do, so listen and make plans based on that. There’s no use, not to mention it’s often unsuccessful, trying to reinvent your preference wheel.
Eat Foods That Are Good For You, Not Just Low Calorie Or Low Fat
We often mistaken low-fat or low calorie foods as being good for us… no way. Just because a nutrition bar or snack has “just 100 calories” doesn’t mean it’s healthy or good for you. Just because a certain food item says “low-fat”, again, it doesn’t mean it’s healthy or good for you. Yes, they’re both better choices than eating a burger & fries, it still doesn’t mean it’s healthy, good for you, or helping you to lose weight.
Low calorie & low fat does not mean it’s healthy or good for you.
Any time you’re about to eat something, whatever it may be… ask yourself what nutritional value that particular food you’re about to eat is providing you with. It may be low calorie or low fat, but is it providing you with a good source of fiber, calcium, vitamin B, or protein? This is what matters, the nutritional values you’re receiving from the foods and not whether or not it’s low calorie or low fat. For example, foods that are high in protein are essential, not just for weight loss, but for overall health and wellness. Click here for a list of protein foods.
In order to lose weight, you must nourish your body with nourishing foods.
Somewhere along the way, the misconception of fruit being bad for us because of its sugar content was created. I assure you that between eating an apple or a 100 calorie healthy brownie snack, the apple will win out every single time. You may have seen or heard this statement before, but if not, I’ll share it with you here…
NO ONE EVER GOT FAT EATING TOO MANY FRUITS & VEGETABLES
As with all other foods, just because it’s healthy doesn’t mean we don’t moderate how much of it we eat in one sitting. All in moderation, even the healthy stuff.
Whenever we settle for foods that are pre-packaged, processed, and already prepared for us, we run the risk of losing out on the nutritional value so important and necessary to support weight loss. Eating as close as possible to a foods natural state will always deliver us the best nutritional value possible and support our weight loss efforts.
What Is Meant By A Foods Natural State?
Foods such as fruits, vegetables, lean meats, eggs, and nuts are all examples of foods that are as close to their natural state as possible. Foods that have not been prepared for you already, pre-packaged, processed, or even frozen. Whenever this happens, these foods unfortunately lose lots of their nutritional and nourishing elements that our bodies need in order to support weight loss.
Quick Confession
Where I am most guilty of not following these guidelines is when it comes to protein shakes and protein bars. Both are processed and packaged although due to their high levels of protein necessary for overall heath, nutrition, weight loss, I support them both and recommend their consumption.
One-Day Nutritional Plan For Weight Loss
Here’s an example plan I have created in the past for several of my clients who were looking to lose weight. All of them successfully did lose weight by following a plan similar in structure to this. If your goal is to lose weight and you’re a creature of habit like I am, follow this exact one-day plan for 30 days and you will be astounded by the results you will see. Try it and you’ll see what I mean.
ONE DAY WEIGHT LOSS MENU
7:00AM – Drink A Large Glass Of Water Upon Waking Up
8:00AM – Protein Shake
10:30AM – 10 Almonds & An Apple
12:30PM – Homemade Salad w/ All The Vegetables You Want, Oil & Vinegar, & A Piece Of Fish Or Chicken.
3:30PM – Banana & One Hard Boiled Egg
6:00PM – Piece Of 4oz Grilled Chicken Or Fish With Steamed Veggies
8:00PM – 4 Strawberries & One Dark Chocolate Hershey Kiss
“If You Eat What You Have Always Eaten, You’ll Weigh What You Have Always Weighed.”
I’ve been training and working with clients for 15 years now, many of them with weight lose goals. Some have succeeded in doing so, and there are some that unfortunately have not. As standard practice, I always look back and reflect on what worked and what didn’t and every single time I do this, the results, the details, the stats are always the same. Regardless of age, gender, weight lose goal, it didn’t matter.
Here’s what I found:
1. Those who stuck to their nutritional plan 100% of the time, didn’t deviate here and there, made the tough decisions and sacrifices along the way, are the ones who lost all of the weight and then some that they were looking to lose.
2. Those who gave it a good effort, were on plan for a few days or throughout the week and then off track over the weekend, who chose the pre-packaged, already prepared, and processed foods, only lost some weight (5-6 lbs on average) and gained it right back after a bad week of not eating right or exercising.
Which of these two categories do you want to be in?
You can and you will lose weight IF, and only IF you commit to yourself, to eating healthy, to putting in the time & effort to eat healthy, nourishing foods that are as close to their natural state as possible as I mentioned earlier.
If you do this, you will lose the weight you want to lose.
Give it time, give it effort, and you will.
Let’s Do This!
If you’re sick and tired or trying, and trying, and trying with little to no success….
If you’re tired of being overweight & willing to do anything to lose weight…
If you want your clothing to fit you better or a certain way…
If you want to be more confident, have more energy, and feel better overall…
EAT THE RIGHT FOODS, EVERYDAY, AS I JUST DESCRIBED HERE, AND YOU WILL LOSE WEIGHT.
Believe in yourself and make it happen.
You can and you will.
Not because you have to, but because you want to.
I believe in you.
What foods do you feel have helped or hindered you from losing weight? What has been your experience, success, or set-backs so far? I would love to hear all about it in the comments below.
Featured Image Credit: Wallcoo.net
Great post! I definitely agree how it can be complicated. More so in the fact that I want a lean/mean body, but I also want those foods that are really bad for me. Because we all have that thought “we only live once”… but why not have the best mind and body for that one life?! Very complicated 😉
Thanks Kristen! I can certainly understand the struggle between wanting the foods that are so bad for us yet so damn tasty. The balance between health and having the best mind and body possible and also enjoying life with the thought being we only live once. It’s at this point that I will refer to my 90/10 rule. Be good and be healthy 90% of the time and the other 10% of the time, be as bad as you want to be! 🙂
It is complicated! That is a great word to describe how my mind has conflicting thoughts. I want to loose weight and I enjoy junk food. I am looking forward to the September challenge – Day 1 became easy because of this post.
My #1 wellness goal is to eat nutritious foods for the month of September, 90% of the time. One splurge meal a week.
Thanks for coming up with such great topics.
Thanks for your comments Jen! Losing weight and enjoying junk food unfortunately don’t mix, trust me, I too wish they did. I don’t believe in eliminating junk food altogether. Instead, when we are diligent and on track with our fitness and nutrition plan, we can allow ourselves a cheat meal or two per week, that’s it though. It’s when we deviate from our plan more than once or twice per week that we get in trouble. I have no question you’re going to make the absolute best of September! You’re awesome Jen! Thanks for being here.
This information is very helpful. Thanks Mike.
It reinforces the truth about healthy food and an eating plan that works for the individual. In addition, I support that one vice that we feel is a cheat. My weakness is ice cream. And it’s the one indulgence that I accept without guilt. We all want to be accepted, faults and all. Who can be perfect all the time other than Jesus? Your support and information is awesome!
I must say I can certainly understand how ice cream would be your weakness. I mean, who doesn’t love ice cream?? There’s no question we can be perfect all the time nor should we. I believe that we do our very best to stick with a fitness and nutrition plan ever week but also allow ourselves one or two guilty food pleasures per week. If we’re on track 90% of the time, it’s only right that we let ourselves cheat 10% of the time. If we do this, we’ll be successful in more ways than one. You’re comments and support are awesome Jae, so are you. Thanks for being here…. Cheers!