Weight Loss Strategies

Find out which foods help you blast fat, and get expert-approved tips for making diet changes that last
A healthy body starts with a healthy diet. Switching to nutritious, homemade food can be overwhelming initially, but whit our easy tips and simple guidelines, anyone can make the transition to a healthy eater. Take time to familiarize yourself with the eating plan. And then get ready to look and feel your best!



Best Foods for Best Results
Check out the Diet Pyramid for an easy visual reference of what to eat on a daily basis
4 Servings
Fruits and Vegetables
At least half of your servings should be veggies, the rest fruits. Eat a vegetable salad most days and enjoy at least one fruit and one veggie daily.
3 Servings
Protein Foods
Choose from three types of protein: animal, vegetarian, and low-fat or fat-free dairy. Aim for a serving at meals and half a serving with snacks.
2 Servings
Whole Grains
Whole grains undergo very little processing, so they retain nutrients. Buy breads with at least 2 g of fiber per serving and cereals with at least 5 g.
1 Servings
The extras
You’re allotted 200 calories a day for healthy fats and condiments. Spend these choices—don’t squander them on foods like candy or sweets.
You can transform your body. The pyramid (opposite) shows you which foods to focus on—and which to limit. In addition to following the serving guidelines, it is helpful to remember that 45 percent of your daily calories should come from carbohydrates, 30 percent from protein, and 25 percent from fats.
The eating plan is sensible, healthy, and flexible—and can be maintained for the rest of your lift. This is a lifestyle, not a diet. What makes it work are the principles of calorie control, carbohydrate modification, fat-intake reduction, and lean protein intake (which helps control hunger). You get to eat three meals and two snacks each day, so you never feel hungry or deprived. The program encourages you to enjoy an array of fresh, wholesome foods that vary in color and texture. Natural, unprocessed foods are an important part of the processed foods and also contain more fiber, which keeps hunger at bay longer. Below you’ll find strategies and tips to maximize your weight loss .

Calorie budgets
Though the calorie budgets are based on comprehensive body composition calculations as well as metabolic testing, a rule of thumb for those at home is that most people need a daily caloric range somewhere between 7 and 10 calories per pound for long-term weight loss success, or a minimum of 1,100 calories per day. To find out your caloric needs by weight. Check out the formula at below.
Calorie Guidelines
The simple math on how many calories you need each day for weight loss
If you weight

• < 160 lbs eat about 1,100 calories a day
• 160-300 lbs your present weight *7 = your daily calories needs
  
• > 300 lbs eat around 2,100 calories a day
  

And remember that for every pound of fat you lose, you decrease the number of calories you expend each day by about 10. So when you shed 10 pounds, you will be burning about 100 fewer calories each day. If you want to keep losing weight, you have to make diet and exercise adjustments.  
Don’t skip meals
Skipping meals can actually contribute to weight gain, not loss. It has other negative health impacts: A study showed that people who skipped meals and ate all their calories at one nightly meal had unhealthy changes in their metabolism, similar to blood sugar levels observed in diabetics. Non-meal skippers consumed the same number of calories each day, but the calories were distributed more evenly throughout the day at three regular meal intervals. They maintained health blood sugar levels.  
Write it down
Though you are required to keep food journals, this is one practice that most you follow for life. You continue to use a food journal. Keep track of your food intake and exercise with the 2-week journal starting on (Link). By writing things down, you’ll learn to recognize appetite-stimulating foods (usually processed foods with high starch, sugar, or fat content) and trigger foods.  
Quality calories
Like most overweight Americans, you have a history of eating and drinking the wrong types of food and beverages, and consuming too little of the right kinds. Here are some of the problems in the average diet:

1. Red meat, fast foods, and processed foods eaten all day long
   
2. Loads of cholesterol, salt, and sugar
   
3. Drink of choice: soda
   
4. Chaotic schedules resulting in skipped meals
   

You learn to:

1. Veggie-load in every way possible
   
2. Amp up their fruit intake by skipping sugary juices and adding fresh fruit to smoothies
   
3. Love and pronounce quinoa, It’s a grain and a protein
   
4. Eat lean cuts of meal and poultry
   
5. Eat sandwiches with one slice of Ezekiel bread, which is full of fiber
   
6. Select whole grains such as brown rice and whole wheat noodles
   
7. Eat fish several times a week
   
8. Minimize consumption of red meat and high-fat dairy foods
   

Try to work these healthy tips into your diet and see how much better you start to feel in just a matter of days. And making healthier choices will start to become like second nature to you.