So far we have covered water and the importance of planning. As I mentioned in week 1 your water intake should be about 1/2 your body weight in oz… I’m currently on track – yea! In week 2, we discussed planning and planning is huge… if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. I have been doing this for so long I have the plan in my head. Like I mentioned I’m a creature of habit and eat the same meals on the same days at the same time which may sound boring to some, but for me it works. Now that you have your water and a plan in place it’s time to look at your portions. Too much of a good thing is not necessarily a good thing. Here’s why – not only does over eating cause digestion problems but –
If you eat more calories than your body can use as fuel, the rest will be stored as fat!
In the last two decades obesity has become an epidemic in America. The truth of the matter is that we are just eating a lot more than we used to. It is interesting to note that the size of plate we eat on is larger than it was twenty or thirty years ago. And we have come to expect everything to be available in a super-size. Our restaurants are super sizing everything and in the meantime super sizing us too! Personally, I don’t believe in diets, but I do believe in being aware of what you put in your body and how it effects your body.
So here are some serving guidelines and I’ll get into more detail when we talk about food.
- Protein portion – Beef (3 oz), Poultry (4 oz), Fish (5 oz)
- Non-Starchy or raw vegetables – unlimited
- Fruit – can be high in sugar so try to limit it to 2 to 3 servings a day
- Carbohydrates – ½ Cup
- Nuts – about 12 or 1 oz
- Fats – 1 TBSP Oil, ¼ Avocado, 1 pat of butter
If you just want to eyeball it, the basic rule of thumb is ½ of your plate filled with fruits and/or vegetables, ¼ of your plate filled with lean protein (approx. the size of a closed fist) and ¼ of your plate filled with complex carbs.
Point of Interest: 1 cup of vegetables is about 35 to 50 calories, 1 cup of rice or pasta is about 250 to 300 calories – your choice.
And by the way… I am not a nutritionist, but this is what has worked for me and many of my clients.
Lastly – Today I don’t really measure things or count calories. With that said I believe there is a lot of value in doing that type of exercise at least once. I have done both exercises and honestly it’s a great way to visualize and understand what a normal portion looks like and the calories attached to that portion. Eventually it becomes a no-brainer. This knowledge can help you lose, gain or maintain your weight – I’ve used it for all 3!
The videos below are super fun – The first one is just an eye opener especially if you’re having a hard time losing weight. You will see how small things can add up fast, which is why I created my health and fitness journal. You can’t change where you’re going, if you don’t know where you’ve been. I could not get the scale to budge for the life of me and I was convinced I was eating well. When I looked back at my journal I was amazed at what I was actually putting in my body – wow! Once I made some small adjustment – boom – scale started to move and inches started to come off. Want a free copy of my journal – fill out the form to the left ;-)… the second one is me from a few years ago – oh boy – I am a funny one, however the information is still true… try not to laugh to hard and enjoy!!
Thanks for taking the time to stop by!
LeeAnne
Fat loss tips from LeeAnne Hebert on Vimeo.
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