As I've mentioned before, I was never one for diets. Sure I lost weight while on them, but they were never a "new way of life", they were always only ever a temporary change. So as soon as I lost the weight and got off the diet, I'd go back to my old ways and gain it all back and sometimes more. I'm guessing this sounds familiar?

 

Instead of diets, I like to use a combination of a few things: 1) a portion control system (you can find all the info in my blog post "Calorie Counting vs. Portion Control”), and 2) the “5 Habits” described below.

 

That being said, if you're looking to lose weight, maintain, or just overall eat healthier, here are 5 simple rules you should follow.

1. Eat slowly, stop eating at 80% full

 

I have no doubt we are all guilty of not following this one at some point or another, and for some of us, on a more regular basis. This is when you have the thought that you should stop eating but you ignore it because it taste so damn good! Guess what? STOP! Trust me, I struggle with this too. (Just ask Mitch how many times I complain I’m full and then 5mins later I’m looking in the fridge for what I can munch on…)

 

For the average person, it takes a minimum of 20 minutes after a meal to feel full. (If you're like me with digestive issues, it can take 60-90 minutes.) Keeping this in mind, your goal should be to slow down your eating, making you more aware of how you feel, potentially feeling full before finishing your meal. When full, you're less likely to continue eating even if you're not done. You should aim to spend 15-20 minutes eating per meal. 

 

If you can follow this first habit, here are a list of the amazing benefits:

• Increases appetite awareness - slowing down allows you to gauge fullness better

• Teaches listening to hunger cues and body sensations

  • Refer to the "How You Should Feel Timeline"

• Reduces total calorie intake - by eating slower, you get full faster, thus eat less, reducing your food/calories

• Improves digestion - by eating less, you're body is better able to digest your food

• Better performance with exercise/workouts - more energy when you're not full

• Better sleep (especially if eating shortly before bed) - when your body isn’t struggling to digest, you have a more restful sleep

• Overall more time to enjoy meals

 

Since things are always easier said than done, here's how to put it into practice. Start by simply slowing down (you don’t have to aim for 15-20mins immediately). Try one or more of the following, once you attain it, add in another… Make sure to sit down at the table, turn off the TV, take smaller bites, chew the food completely, start a stopwatch and put it next to you to see how long it actually takes you to finish a meal, and most importantly, put the fork down after every few bites. Aim to eat "until no longer hungry" instead of "until full". These small changes will help you slow down your eating in the long run. 

 

Check out this guide for how you should feel from 0-4 hours after a meal. I suggest printing it out and keep it with you as a reminder. I find it to be very helpful to refer when I feel like snacking after a meal.

2. Eat protein dense foods with each meal

 

Protein dense foods fill you up for longer than other types of foods like carbs and fats, and on top of that, they give you energy to carry out your daily tasks. These two reasons alone should explain why protein should be consumed with every meal.

 

If not, here are some more benefits for you:

• Easiest way to support daily protein needs - 1g of protein per pound of bodyweight

• Can aid with metabolism, body composition, performance

• Improve muscle mass and recovery

• Helps reduces body fat - by filling up on lean protein, you’ll likely eat less of other unhealthy crap

• Helps build lead muscle

 

Examples of protein dense foods:

• Lean meats: ground beef, chicken, turkey, bison, venison…  

• Fish: salmon, tuna, cod…  

• Eggs

• Dairy: cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, certain cheeses

• Beans, peas, legumes, tofu, tempeh…

• Protein supplements: 

  • Milk based: whey, casein, milk protein blends

  • Plant-based: pea, hemp, rice, soy…

 

Servings:

• Women: 1 serving of protein per meal = size of palm 20-30g

• Men: 2 servings of protein per meal = size of 2 palms 40-60g

 

3. Eat vegetables with each meal

 

Let's face it, most of us don't like them, but they are necessary for our health. I've actually found some amazing ways to make veggies that I look forward to eating every day. You can find a few examples in my blog post "Try These Yummy Recipes". Also, feel free to hit me up for some more ideas. Otherwise, go to Google with whatever veggie you want to try and type in "quick [insert veggie here] recipes" and check your results. I guarantee you'll find at least one simple and yummy looking recipe you can try. This is what I do every time I’m looking for something new.

 

When I say veggies here, I'm not referring to any types of potatoes or legumes, I'm talking about non-starchy veggies like:

• Asparagus, leafy greens, artichoke, zucchini, cucumber, carrots, mushrooms, green onions…

• Cruciferous: cauliflower, cabbage, kale, garden cress, bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts… 

• Some nightshades: peppers, eggplant, tomatoes…

 

Servings:

• Women: 1 serving of veggies per meal = size of 1 fist

• Men: 2 servings of veggies per meal = size of 2 fists

• Examples of 1 serving:

  • 1 med. fruit, 1/2 cup raw, chopped fruit/veggies, or 1 cup raw, leafy veggies

 

We know they’re good for you, but here’s some concrete benefits:

• Easiest way to achieve daily veggie needs - 10 servings of veggies (and fruits) per day

• Improves micronutrient (vitamin & mineral) and phytonutrient intake (since the main source of these is veggies)

• Improves acid/alkaline status of body

  • Veggies (& fruits) are a base (alkaline), and balance out the acid load of proteins and grains

  • Too much acid mean loss of bone strength and muscle mass

• Helps control overall food intake

  • Since you can eat a lot of veggies, if you're hungry, it's usually good to munch on these compared to other foods

 

4. Eat high-carb meals post-exercise only

 

Carbs aren't your enemy as long as you follow a couple simple guidelines, 1) focus on unprocessed varieties, and 2) save them for after exercise (1-2 hours).

 

This, by the way is where the potatoes, legumes, and other starchy foods come in. (Except for if you're following a plant-based diet, then you should be eating carbs with every meal. Feel free to ask me for more details about this if it applies to you.)

 

By following this one, here is how you'll benefit:

• Easiest way to control carb intake

  • By only having carbs post-exercise, that means you're either exercising a lot in order to eat a lot of carbs, or you're controlling your intake by imposing a limit.

• Helps with nutrient timing

  • This refers to a carb timing strategy that works well in those with stubborn, hard to remove body fat stores.

  • See table below for more info.

 

Your carbs should mostly come from unprocessed veggies (like the ones listed above), some fruits, a small amount from sugary sources during exercise (like a P+C drink), and a small amount of starchy sources post-exercise.

 

Unfortunately, the way our society is built, we depend highly on carbs. In order to decrease them, if needed, you can do it gradually. Ex: First, swap sodas for water and tea, then switch to unprocessed carb dense food, etc. Should you have any questions of how to do this, feel free to reach out, this one can be a bit tricky.

 

To help understand things a bit better, check out this table:

5. Eat good fats daily

 

For the average person, 30% of your diet should come from fat. You should aim for a balance between saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fat. The standard North American diet is generally high in saturated fats, therefore I suggest focusing your attention on adding healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats to your diet. By following the 5 Habits, and adding these fats to your diet of fruits and veggies, carbs when earned, and lean proteins, your dietary fat intake should automatically balance out.

 

By adding monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats to your diet, here are some benefits:

• Easiest way to balance fat intake

• Improves inflammation control, hormone profile, and metabolism

 

To help you better understand fats, check out this table:

*Meals higher in carbs should be lower in fat and vice versa. If eating a higher-carb post-exercise meal, fat intake should be lower. With a higher-fat meal outside of the "workout window", the carb portion should be smaller.

 

Note: For a those on a plant-based diet, or consuming less overall food (ex: on a calorie restricting diet), getting more fat from whole food sources (olives, nuts, seeds) instead of refined sources (olive oil, nut oil, seed oil) will provide more protein and fiber.

There you have it, the “5 Habits” to help you lose weight. I understand if it’s too difficult to adopt them all at once, or to adopt them fully at once. This is why I mentioned doing it in steps. Remember, something is better than nothing, so any step you take moving into this positive direction is a bonus! If you need some extra help, check out my blog post “How to Stop Pressing Pause on Your Health” as it touches on this topic a lot.

I hope you were able to get something useful out of this. I encourage you to ask questions if you aren’t sure, I am here to help! Stay safe everyone! xox