Food Choices Matter - How to Eat More & Lose Weight

Food Choices Matter.

If you are on a weight loss journey, Its important to consider your caloric intake. This is one of the primary determining factors if you are going to lose weight, gain weight, or maintain it.

In a weight loss phase, your caloric intake will be lower than what you normally would consume in a day. For instance, I typically eat on average 1800 calories a day for maintenance. For me to lose approximately half a kilo per week I will need to consume 1500 calories or less per day. Which is a deficit of 300 calories. For me 1500 calories can be hard, but on some days it can be relatively easy.

And you are probably thinking ‘why?’

The answer to your question is simple; it all boils down to one thing – Food choices. 

We can literally double our volume of food we consume, and still lose weight just by making the right food choices.

We can feel energized and full due to the large amount of nutrients included in eating the right foods.

In order to make sure we are choosing the right foods, it all comes down to this simple, easy to follow guide – Choose foods that are *high in volume, *high in protein, and *low in calories.

Avoid High caloric foods such as:

- Peanut butter

- Nuts

- Cereal

- Rice, pasta, and bread

- Chocolate

- Ice cream

- Sauces

- Spreads

- Lollies

Instead, chose these High volume / Low calorie foods:

- Low-fat Greek yogurt

- Low-sugar jelly

- Spinach

- Cucumbers

- Green vegetables

- Popcorn

- Watermelon

- Lean meats

And what do I mean by high in volume? High volume foods include foods that you can have large amounts whilst not having many calories. Such as salads, vegetables and some fruits just to name a few options.

Here's a dessert idea if you craving something sweet:

• Chobani yogurt: 100grams
  (74 cal- 9.7g protein, 4.2g carbs, 0.2g fat)
• Aeroplane jelly lite: 300grams
  (17cal- 3.8g protein, 0.2g carbs, 0g fat)

In total that’s a 91 calorie meal. I use a big bowl and that bowl is only 91 calories! For someone with a sweet tooth I highly recommend.

Replacing high caloric food with better options.

Salad bowls are marketed as a healthy choice, and yes I agree. Though in saying that, they can most definitely pack a punch if you throw in foods like mayonaise, cheese, nuts, avocado, etc. The extras add up and so do the calories. You can replace these extra high calorie foods with better options. I like adding light dressings such as French dressing or balsamic vinegar. Another option could be to add low-fat greek yogurt.

Low-fat greek yogurt and seasoning together make a great combination as a topping for most foods, and meals in general. You can replace high caloric sauces with Low-fat greek yogurt, spices, and vinegar based dressing.

Another example is looking at ice cream. I hate to be a downer but most of the high protein ice creams are marketed really well, and so is everything along the health food isle. Their packaging includes high protein and low calories, and because of this they dramatically increase the price. You can literally turn to Streets Paddle Pop and Zooper Doopers and pay half the price and consume lower calories worth.

If you follow my guideline- ‘Choose foods that are high in volume, high in protein, and low in calories’  it will make dieting so much easier and fun for you. You can eat more, never feel hungry and satisfy all those cravings. It’s best to take in what I have mentioned in this article and put it to work, do your research, experiment with foods, and be creative.

Goodluck!


Watch the video: Food Choices Matter - Eat More and Still Lose Weight!