Eat More to Lose Weight

For many people, food is a difficult issue.  It is such an important part of our lives for many more reasons than keeping hunger at bay.  We eat to be social, sometimes we eat when we are bored, and sometimes we eat for comfort.  Any nutritional plan you try to adopt to has to take into account your likes and dislikes, and must fit around your life or it just won’t last. 

Short term dieting has been proven to be ineffective, and the effects of yo-yo dieting have been shown to be unhealthy.  Diet fads come and go with the celebrity headlines.  If you want a healthier lifestyle, think about what motivates you to make a change for the better for the long term.  Losing weight for a party or a wedding is fine, but that date will come and go, as will your motivation.  Whatever your motivation might be: your children, your partner, or just wanting a better quality of life for yourself, find it, and focus on it to keep you on the right track to better fitness and health.

Rather than eating the traditional 3 square meals a day, try to eat 5 or 6 smaller meals a day at about 3 hour intervals.  If you do this, you will keep your body fuelled with nutrients, you will avoid hunger and therefore the temptation to snack, and you will keep your metabolism high.  This will help you stay energized for work and play, and will help you to burn stored fat.  But make sure you make good food choices for your meals.  Avoid fatty, sugary and over processed foods.  Instead, opt for lean sources of protein, such as fish, chicken, lean beef or soy with a healthy portion of fresh vegetables.  Choose carbohydrates with a low glycemic index (GI) as they take longer for the body to process, and do not cause a spike in blood sugar.  If possible, choose foods with whole grains, such as whole grain rice, whole wheat pasta and oatmeal.

You also need a treat now and again.  Doggedly sticking to a strict nutritional program can tax your motivation, especially if you give up the things you love, so a little of what you fancy from time to time is important.  But again, be sensible with your choices.  If you are a chocoholic, have some dark chocolate.  It has a lower GI than milk chocolate and has more antioxidants.  As long as you enjoy these foods in moderation, an occasional treat can be an important motivational tool to reward you for achieving your goals.

When you are putting together your nutritional plan, it is also worth thinking about some basic supplements.  A vitamin and mineral tablet can ensure you are getting the right daily amount.  Also, after a workout, make sure your body gets what it needs to repair and recover with a post work out milk shake (see my article on post work out nutrition).  This should include protein to help build lean muscle and some simple sugars to help restore depleted glycogen stores.    

All this might seem a little complex, but once you are into your routine, it will become second nature, and much easier to stick to than a diet which revolves around starving yourself.  Get your plan together, and stick to it as best you can.  If you ask me to empty my pockets, among the change and receipts, you’ll find my daily meal plan.  It’s short and simple, I know when and what I am eating so it fits around my day and it’s easy to follow.  Don’t beat yourself up if you stray from it now and again, but an easy plan such as this is easy to stick to, and you will see results fast.