There's no shortage of diet advice out there and it can be overwhelming. I've read countless books/articles and strangely, the more I read the more simple it seems. These five tips should put you in a pretty good position to succeed assuming the goal is fat loss, feeling good or general health. There's also no gimmicks here - it is what it is. If you want advice on how to lose weight while still eating pizza and ice cream, you won't find that here. We're all grown up now so...here's what you need to do.
How you look and how you feel is largely based on how you eat. I'm pretty sure I look better in the 2nd pic than the first. And I certainly feel better.
1. Eat 3 meals a day. No second helpings, desserts or snacks. Seriously. Try it. If you're reading this you are likely out of pre-school and no longer need snacks. Do you get that mid afternoon energy bonk and feel the need to eat a snack to get you through the day? Don't do it. It means your metabolism is jacked up along with your hormones. Stop snacking. You won't die. Desserts are usually sugary and won't help you lose weight...unless it's grandmas raspberry pie and it's Thanksgiving. In that case, eat it. Or your family will hate you. If you feel the need to grab seconds - wait 15 minutes. See if you still want them. If you do - eat a bigger portion next time. 1 plate only.
2. Eat veggies at every meal. Somehow. Find a way. It's really not that hard. Potato's don't count. In any form. Don't like veggies?? Learn to.
3. Stay out of fast food restaurants. Period. Are you on the road all the time? Busy? 9 kids? Super important job?? Somehow, somewhere there is somebody busier than you, with more kids and a more hectic schedule. And they don't eat fast food. Buy a cooler and plan ahead. And keep you and your kids out of there. It's garbage!
4. Drink only water, coffee (black) or tea (unsweetened). No alcohol.
5. Avoid grains, including whole grains. Grains are a nutritional lightweight compared to fruits and veggies. They also may be jacking up your gut.
Try this for a month, see how you feel. The first few weeks may be a bit annoying but you'll get used to it. Thinking about it is worse than actually doing it.
Remember, this is meant for people that are looking to make a change, either to lose weight or feel better in general. If you exercise and found a diet that works for your life, you like what you see when you look in the mirror and it makes you happy - stick with it. If you're in a situation where you've known for years that you've needed to make a change, this is probably something you should try. It's simple, and it works. Once you do it for a month you'll have a better idea of how you can tweak things a bit to fit your lifestyle. Remember - this is a fundamentals blog. I'm trying to keep things as simple as possible. Don't over complicate things and get started.
if you do have any questions post them to the comments section.
Here's a few meals to get you started..
Breakfast
3 eggs (the whole egg!) and 3 strips of bacon. Eggs scrambled in butter (not margarine actual real butter) with spinach, peppers and onions. Coffee (obviously).
Just to clarify. Eat the yolk. If you're worried about the calories cut them from elsewhere.
Lunch
Grilled chicken salad
Grilled chicken strips with mixed greens/spinach/arugula, mushrooms, onions, cup of mixed berries (any kind) walnuts. Dressing, apple cider vinegar and olive oil.
Dinner
Steak and asparagus Big ol' steak and grilled asparagus. Add a pile of sauteed onions and mushrooms.
And there you go! Simple, right?
