Eat for the body you want, not for the body you have.
Remember, it’s only food
Portion control, meal planning & accountability are three essential components of a healthy diet. They can help you to achieve and maintain a healthy weight, improve your energy levels, and reduce your risk of chronic diseases.
Portion Control & Meal Planning
Portion Control:
- Use Smaller Plates: Using smaller plates can help you to eat smaller portions without feeling deprived. A study published in the Journal of Consumer Research found that people tend to eat less when they use smaller plates.
- Measure Your Food: Measuring your food can help you to better understand portion sizes and avoid overeating. Use measuring cups or a food scale to ensure that you are eating the correct serving sizes.
- Focus on Nutrient-Dense Foods: Choose foods that are high in nutrients and lower in calories, such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean proteins. These foods can help you to feel full and satisfied while still controlling your calorie intake.
- Slow Down: Eating slowly can help you to better recognize when you are full and avoid overeating. Take time to savor your food and enjoy the experience of eating.
Meal Planning:
- Plan Ahead: Take time at the beginning of each week to plan your meals and snacks. This can help you to avoid last-minute decisions that may lead to unhealthy choices.
- Prep in Advance: Preparing meals and snacks in advance can save you time and help you to stay on track with your healthy eating goals. Try prepping ingredients on the weekend, or cook meals in advance and store them in the freezer for later use.
- Include a Variety of Foods: A balanced diet includes a variety of foods from all food groups. Include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats in your meals and snacks.
- Pay Attention to Portions: When planning your meals, pay attention to portion sizes to ensure that you are eating the correct amount of food. Use measuring cups or a food scale to measure out your portions.
Reading Nutrition Labels
1. Start with the serving size:
The serving size on a nutrition label is the amount of food that the label's nutrition information is based on. Be sure to check the serving size to understand how much of the food you are consuming.
2. Look at the calories:
The calorie count tells you how much energy you will get from one serving of the food. If you are trying to manage your weight, the calorie count can help you make informed choices about portion sizes.
3. Check the nutrients:
The nutrition label lists several nutrients, including total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrates, dietary fiber, sugars, and protein. Look at these values to determine if the food contains nutrients that you need in your diet, and to identify any nutrients that you should limit.
4. Check the percent daily value (%DV):
The %DV is based on the recommended daily intake for each nutrient and is listed as a percentage. If a food has 20% or more of the %DV for a nutrient, it is considered high in that nutrient. If it has 5% or less of the %DV, it is considered low in that nutrient.
5. Look for additional information:
Some nutrition labels may also list vitamins, minerals, or other information about the food, such as allergen information.
Nutrition Labels
It's important to note that nutrition labels are not a perfect indicator of a food's nutritional value, as they do not consider other factors such as processing, additives, and cooking methods. However, reading nutrition labels can still be a helpful tool in making informed choices about the foods we eat.
Check out the link below for Nutrition Label information direct from the FDA.
Self-control, Accountability & Water
The reason for failure is never the result of too much accountability
Accountability is a critical aspect of achieving your nutrition goals. Whether you are looking to lose weight, gain muscle, or simply improve your overall health, having accountability can help you stay on track and achieve success.
Accountability helps you stay motivated: When you have someone to hold you accountable, you are more likely to stay motivated and committed to your nutrition goals. Knowing that someone else is monitoring your progress can help you to stay focused and avoid giving up when faced with challenges.
Accountability provides support and guidance: When you have someone to hold you accountable, you have access to support and guidance when you need it most. This can be especially important when you are struggling with making healthy choices or dealing with setbacks. Having someone to turn to for advice and encouragement can help you stay on track and overcome obstacles.
Accountability helps you track your progress: When you are accountable to someone else, you are more likely to track your progress and stay on top of your nutrition goals. This can help you to identify areas where you are doing well and areas where you need to improve. By regularly tracking your progress, you can make adjustments to your nutrition plan as needed and continue to make progress towards your goals.
DRINK MORE WATER!!!
Water is an essential component of our bodies, and it plays a crucial role in maintaining our health and well-being. We lose water every day through various processes such as breathing, sweating, and urinating, which is why it's crucial to replenish our body's water supply by drinking enough water. The amount of water an individual should drink in a day depends on various factors, including age, sex, weight, activity level, and climate.
The general rule of thumb for daily water intake is to drink at least 8 cups or 2 liters of water a day. However, people who are physically active, pregnant or breastfeeding, or living in hot climates may need to drink more water to stay hydrated.
A more accurate approach to determine daily water intake is to calculate it based on body weight. The Institute of Medicine recommends that men should drink about 3.7 liters (125 ounces) of water a day, while women should drink about 2.7 liters (91 ounces) of water a day. However, it's important to note that these recommendations are for total water intake, which includes water from beverages and food.