5 Ways to make any meal weight-loss friendly

healthy living

Everybody is looking for new, fancy, magic ways to lose weight. Unfortunately for us all the bottom line hasn’t changed.

Consistent application of the basics, aided by a couple of tricks here and there, is what gets you the body you want.

Here are 5 ways to make any meal more weight-loss friendly:

1. The REAL Food Pyramid

Around 60 years ago the USA government released a food pyramid diagram instructing us to eat different food groups in different ratios based on where they fell on the pyramid. They told us it was for optimum health, but time and science have taught us that it was really just a clever way to stimulate the American agricultural industry in the most profitable manner.

Food-pyramid_A4WThe true food pyramid – especially for weight loss – has vegetables at the bottom, then fruits, then protein sources, then nuts and seeds, then starches, grains and dairy. It does not include a level for junk foods.

Your meals should reflect this pyramid. That is, if you’re only eating one thing, it’s veggies or fruit… Not an energy bar.

portion sizes

2. Get control of your portion sizes

One of the things that I love about my dogs is they treat every meal as though it may be their last. They may not be hungry, buy hey, who knows when they’ll get food again right? (Even though they have years of experience that they eat twice per day)

We humans SHOULD BE different. We don’t need to eat to overflowing every time we eat because WE KNOW THERE’S ANOTHER MEAL-TIME COMING SOON.

Make each meal just large enough that you begin to feel hungry by the next meal-time. If you’re not hungry yet, don’t eat.

pie chart_A4W

3. The Quota System is best used in meal planning

While there is much debate around the quota system in business and sport, there is no room for argument in nutrition. Your plate at meal-time must represent the food-groups on the pyramid if you wish to lose weight and be healthy.

This means that about 65% of your plate should be vegetables, 15% protein, 15% starch and 5% fats. This makes for a good balance of calories across the nutrient spectrum.

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